Slippery Rock University

History

Slippery Rock University was founded in 1889 under the name "Slippery Rock State Normal School" as a teacher training school. James E. Morrow was the first president. The school was purchased by the Commonwealth in 1926 and became a four-year college.

"Slippery Rock State College" was established in 1960 and issued undergraduate and graduate degrees within the liberal arts and other professions. From 1960 to 1971, enrollment rose from 1,314 to 6,020 students, before eclipsing 7,000 in 1988 and 8,000 in 2005.

"Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania" became the school's current and formal name on July 1, 1983, when Act 188 went into effect to establish Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education, and converted 12 state-owned colleges into universities.

In November of 2025, the university’s College of Business was renamed The Haverlack College of Business after Elliott Haverlack, a graduate of the class of 1980. This came after a historic $5 million gift from Haverlack to the university.

Campus

The majority of the campus, including the census-designated place, is in Slippery Rock Township. A portion of the university property to the west is in Slippery Rock Borough.

Academics

SRU offers more than 150 undergraduate majors and 40 graduate degree programs and certificates across the following five colleges:

• Haverlack College of Business
• College of Education
• College of Engineering and Science
• College of Health Professions
• College of Liberal Arts

SRU offers 51 programs that hold national accreditations and 92% of faculty members holding a Ph.D. or other terminal degree.

SRU was ranked by U.S. News & World Report on its list of "Best Regional Universities - North" and "Top Public Schools – Regional Universities (North)." SRU has earned a spot on the U.S. News' Best Regional Universities 17 straight years. The Princeton Review also recognized SRU on its "Best Mid-Atlantic" list.

Administration

Karen Riley took office in 2023. William J. Behre served from 2018 to 2022. Cheryl Joy Norton, the university's first female president, was in office from 2012 to 2017. The university’s first president, then known as the principal, was James E. Morrow who served from 1889-1890.

SRU is governed by a 20-member Board of Governors, a 12-member Council of Trustees, and the president with their cabinet providing advice and counsel on matters of policy, procedure, and strategic planning.

Athletics

thumb|120px|SRU's athletics logo Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania competes in the NCAA Division II and is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

Slippery Rock University's official mascot is Rocky the Lion.

Varsity sports

Men's teams: Baseball, basketball, cross country, football, soccer, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field

Women's teams: Basketball, cross country, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor track & field, outdoor track & field, and volleyball

In December 2025, the university announced that women's flag football and wrestling will begin competing as varsity sports for the start of the 2027-28 academic year. Wrestling was reinstated after the program was discontinued in 2006.

The announcement of Slippery Rock's football scores is a tradition at Michigan football games, started in 1959 by Michigan Stadium's public address announcer Steve Filipiak. The tradition spread to other stadiums as well—during a 1970 game at the University of Texas, the announcer failed to read Slippery Rock’s score, which resulted in the crowd demanding to know said score.

Club sports

In 1995, the women's water polo team won the intercollegiate national championship conducted by USA Water Polo.

In 1987, the women's judo team, a varsity sport team at the time, won the intercollegiate national championship conducted by the National Collegiate Judo Association.

Slippery Rock ice hockey joined other colleges and universities in the region to form the College Hockey Mid-America (CHMA) in 2006. In 2020, the university suspended the hockey program, before returning in 2025.

Slippery Rock men's rugby won the 2024 7s rugby National Championship at the Collegiate Rugby Championship in Washington, D.C. on April 27, 2024.

Student life

Clubs and organizations

SRU offers 160 clubs and organizations for its student body, featuring on-and-off campus outings and events and allowing students to make connections with one another through shared interests and experiences.

Aebersold Student Recreation Center

The Aebersold Student Recreation Center is an 82000 ft2 on-campus student recreation center.

Student media

SRU has a student newspaper called The Rocket, the radio station 88.1 WSRU-FM, and the literary magazine SLAB.

Demographics

Notable alumni

• Matt Adams – baseball player
• Janet Anderson – golfer
• Cheryl Bailey – commissioner of National Women's Soccer League
• Francis V. Barnes – Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 2004 to 2005
• Stephen Bolles – lawyer and politician
• Myron Brown – basketball player
• Todd Tamanend Clark (1983) – poet and composer
• Matthew Driscoll ('92) – basketball coach
• Stanley Dziedzic ('72) – wrestler
• Michael J. Estocin – Medal of Honor recipient
• Brandon Fusco – football player
• Wes Hills – football player
• Greg Hopkins – football player
• Donnie Iris – musician
• Charles William Kerr – pastor
• Jodi Kest – basketball coach
• Matt Kinsinger – football player
• Gary L. Lancaster – U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania
• Alan Morrison - Politician
• Greg Paterra – football player
• Sarah Patterson – gymnastics coach
• Lawrence Reed – president of the Foundation for Economic Education
• M. Richard Rose (1955-2021) – former President of Alfred University and the Rochester Institute of Technology
• Richard Schweiker – politician
• Robert J. Stevens – chief executive officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation
• C. Vivian Stringer – basketball coach
• John Stuper – baseball player and college baseball coach
• Lou Trivino – baseball player
• Royce Waltman – basketball coach

Notes

References

References

1. "HISTORY AND TRADITIONS".
2. "Rocky, The Pride of The Rock". sru.edu.
3. "History and Traditions".
4. "Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania".
5. "Record-breaking retention, increased students highlight Fall 2025 enrollment data".
6. "Fast Facts".
7. "History".
8. "History and Traditions".
9. "About the State System {{!}} PA State System of Higher Ed".
10. "SRU announces historic gift naming the Haverlack College of Business".
11. "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Slippery Rock township, PA". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
12. "2020 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Slippery Rock borough, PA". [[U.S. Census Bureau]].
13. "Colleges & Departments".
14. "Admissions".
15. "U.S. News names SRU a ‘Top Public’ and ‘Best Value’ school in 2026 rankings".
16. "SRU named a 2026 ‘Best Mid-Atlantic’ college by the Princeton Review".
17. "Karen Riley named president of Slippery Rock University".
18. "SRU President William Behre announces retirement".
19. (2012-04-05). "Welcome!". Sru.edu.
20. (2012-04-05). "Dr. Cheryl Norton named as first female president of SRU – News – The Rocket – Slippery Rock University". Theonlinerocket.com.
21. Nuzum, Lydia. (9 December 2016). "Slippery Rock's president announces retirement". Pittsburgh Business Times.
22. "History and Traditions".
23. "Executive Leadership and Organization".
24. "Rocky, The Pride of The Rock".
25. "SRU expands athletics with men’s wrestling, women’s flag football".
26. (2025-11-10). "SRU announces return of men's wrestling".
27. "Slippery Rock University Athletics – Tradition". Rockathletics.com.
28. "Slippery Rock University Football - College Football's Biggest Little Team".
29. "National Women's Collegiate Champs".
30. "Collegiate tournament results".
31. Major, Ed II. (December 21, 2020). "Slippery Rock suspends men's hockey, future of program uncertain".
32. "Clubs and Organizations".
33. "Aebersold Student Recreation Center". sru.edu.
34. "College Scorecard: Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania". [[United States Department of Education]].
35. (29 April 1992). "Campus life lures Stuper to Yale". [[The Pittsburgh Press]].