7-24-01
ATHLETICS AND RECREATION CENTER
NAMED TO HONOR JUNKER FAMILY
The Penn State Board of Trustees recently approved naming the new athletics and recreation facility at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, in recognition of Trustee Edward P. "Ted" Junker III, his wife, Barbara Frederick Junker, and their family.
The Junker Center honors the Junkers' long-standing commitment and generosity to Penn State, especially their support of Behrend's athletics program, which they endowed with a $2 million gift in 1997. Erie residents Ted and Barbara Junker graduated from the University in 1959 and 1957, respectively. Ted Junker has been a University Trustee since 1986 and served as chairman of the board from 1998 to 2001. He is a director and past chair of the Council of Fellows at Penn State Behrend. He is also chair of the college's campaign committee.
Ted Junker retired in 1997 as vice chairman of PNC Bank Corp., having joined the former Erie-based Marine Bank as an assistant vice president in 1964. Barbara Junker was a director of the Fairview School Board from 1977 to 1998. Their three daughters, Elizabeth J. Korman, Barbara J. Smith, and Susan J. Feyock, are all Penn State graduates.
The 72,800-square-foot Junker Center,
dedicated in the fall of 2000, features three all-purpose courts and a
1,600-seat gymnasium, an eight-lane swimming pool, weight room,
three-lane running track, jumping pits, aerobics room, locker rooms,
offices, and a variety of exercise equipment. In addition to serving
recreational needs, the Junker Center provides a new venue for major
events. In recent months, it has been the site of commencement, the
inaugural Behrend Medallion Scholarship Dinner, a concert by pop star
Shaggy, and a Babes in Arms musical production by the
college's Matchbox Players.
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