By the nature of college itself, most people at Penn State just pass through -- a four- or five-year relationship for undergraduates and a more focused and intense couple of years for graduate students.
Among employees, whether faculty or staff, a dedicated cohort may spend their entire professional lives in Happy Valley.
Still, 40 years of employment, preceded by an undergraduate career, puts Patti Hartranft among the longest tenured of those with an ongoing relationship with the University. That tenure ends in a few days.
On Jan. 31, Hartranft, the general manager of The Daily Collegian and an employee of the paper for 40 years, will retire. She’s just the second general manager in the history of the student-driven news organization, which has a presence at Penn State that spans nearly 130 years.
“It’s not even a career; it’s a life,” said Hartranft, who earned her degree in secondary education, with a minor in journalism, in 1975. She joined The Daily Collegian about a year after graduation as a typesetter, re-typing student produced and wire service copy so it could be formatted for the newspaper.
“It still amazes me that I was almost the same age as the students when I started and now I’m older than most of their parents,” she said. “When I see the first editor, it always strikes me that we’re the same age. He tells me I just didn’t notice we were the same age then. Other students through the years who come back tell me they think I’ve aged so well -- but that’s because they thought I was ancient when they were here.”
Hartranft initially worked nights as a member the production staff. She later advanced to production manager and operations manager. In 2009, she became general manager, a role that means she touches every aspect of the operation.
Still, the students remain the lifeblood of The Daily Collegian and Hartranft respects and supports that approach.
“Twenty years ago students came here and it’s where they spent four years, or a good chunk of their college careers, focused on getting experience and putting out a paper. Many things have changed since then. Now they’re expected to do so much and there are so many opportunities -- so they’re really torn at times,” she said.
“What hasn’t changed is the real passion the students have for what they want to do.”
For their part, students at The Daily Collegian appreciate Hartranft’s experience and expertise. They also appreciate the educational approach she brings to the position.
“It’s helpful for me to know that if I go to her with an issue or a problem there’s a 99 percent chance she’s seen something like it before. Most of the time it’s kind of just guiding you to the answer,” said Garrett Ross, a senior journalism major and editor of The Daily Collegian. “She lets us learn things for ourselves. There’s more value in us at least talking through an issue, as opposed to telling us what she thinks should happen. I can’t think of a time I’ve gone to her office, heard her advice and thought, ‘Well, I know better.’”
In that way the paper has been a perfect place for Hartranft to put her secondary education skills into practice. And that interest in journalism came in handy as well. She admits she sometimes shares the same messages every year and refers to The Daily Collegian as a “mini school.”
As students grow in their experience and roles at the paper, they gain a better understanding of Hartranft’s contributions and impact. “She really does so much,” Ross said. “As a freshmen I had a vague idea about what she did, but until you get more involved it’s hard to see it all. It’s everything from facilitating, helping students with a vision, to the big-picture financials and all the necessities like keeping the lights on. She makes things run, literally and figuratively. And she’s always there supporting the students.”
Hartranft said four decades have provided too many memories to pinpoint specific highs or lows. She takes great pride in protecting the brand, credibility and legacy of The Daily Collegian. She also happily recounts the successes of student journalists, whose work reinforces the paper’s credibility and connection with readers -- especially alumni.
In 2012, when Penn State football coach Joe Paterno died, the paper printed a record 45,000 copies. Those were all distributed -- almost immediately.
“People were following our trucks around. They were pulling them off the racks as soon as we put them out,” Hartranft said. “We had so many requests for issues that week that we brought every manila envelope in town. Nobody had manila envelopes because we had them and we were taking big bins up to the post office. Alumni have very strong ties and it’s not just Collegian alumni, it’s Penn State alumni. That’s something important to protect as well.”
While the paper has been her home for most of her adult life, Hartranft plans to find a way to contribute to another company or organization in a part-time role going forward. Her initial post-retirement plans are fairly simply, though.
“I’m going to move back into my house -- instead of it being a place where I just seem to drop in, do some laundry and go back to work,” she said. “I want to enjoy being home a bit and then see where it takes me. I’m not done working.”