USS Pennsylvania Historical Marker, State College
historical marker
In State College, Centre County, a historical marker commemorates the USS Pennsylvania. This battleship, designated BB-38, was the lead ship of its class. Her keel was laid in October 1913, and she was commissioned in June 1916. The USS Pennsylvania served as the flagship of the U.S. Atlantic fleet. On December 7, 1941, the battleship was in drydock at Pearl Harbor during the attack, sustaining relatively minor damage. Repaired and modernized, she then participated in numerous naval offensives across the Pacific during World War II, earning eight battle stars. After the war, the USS Pennsylvania was used in atomic bomb tests in July 1946 and was later scuttled in February 1948. A tangible piece of this vessel remains in State College. The ship's bell is on permanent loan from the Navy Department to Penn State University, displayed near the main entrance of the Wagner Building. This marker and the bell serve as a reminder of the USS Pennsylvania's extensive service and its connection to the Commonwealth.