‘Fun with a purpose.’ Penn State alumnus writes book about how the ’80s shaped the university

In the 1980s, Greg Woodman was a Penn State student studying entrepreneurship. Now, he’s the author and curator of a book chronicling what he sees as a transformational decade for the university.

The book, “Why Penn State: Why the 1980s Gave Nittany Lions a Common Cause, Shared Values and the Keys to Success,” includes exclusive interviews with former Nittany Lions head coach Joe Paterno, snapshots of student life, old photos and timelines of each year in the decade.

Before graduating in 1983, Woodman created the cardboard stand-up of Paterno in addition to creating multiple publications such as the football yearbooks and the “Experience Happy Valley” magazine. Woodman said many of the featured writing and photos in “Why Penn State” come from these past involvements. He now teaches entrepreneurship at Penn State, where he’s been an adjunct professor since 2006.

Inspired by his own experiences and his students’ fascination with Penn State related content from the ‘80s, Woodman spent the past year curating resources of the past 40 years to create this book.

Woodman is donating 10% of his book sales to The Center for Penn State Student Entrepreneurship. Copies of the book can be found at whypennstate.com and on Amazon.

Below, Woodman talks about writing the book and how the 1980s shaped him and the university. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Centre Daily Times: There have been many books written about Penn State. What sets this one apart?

Greg Woodman: What sets it apart, I believe, is that I published 10 years of the ‘80s, the Penn State football yearbook, and I also published “Experience Happy Valley” magazine. While being a student at Penn State ... I founded a company called Happy Valley Promotions. And so I was immersed in 20 years of curating and publishing content and kind of watching an eastern state school transform into a global brand.

All this wonderful content really serves as a blueprint for how any kind of brand or company can come out of nowhere, relatively speaking, and become a brand that is known around the world as something special.

CDT: What is so special about the 1980s for Penn State?

GW: Well, it was fun with a purpose.

I just think (the ‘80s were) a transformational decade. ... The ‘80s gave the Nittany Lions a common cause, culture and shared values among its stakeholders and fans.

But the thesis here is that the cementing of the (university’s) foundation was born and bred in the ‘80s when it just started snowballing, (especially with) the ‘82 and ‘86 National Championship and (Joe Paterno’s) whole (idea) of “success with honor.” Academics were the real reason these football players were here. ... And the fans love that — the kind of the “success with honor,” graduating these players, not exploiting them. You know, team over individual play. It was almost a counterculture brand that emerged against individualism, against showboating, against disrespecting your opponents.

I think (the ‘80s) cemented the foundation for the next 100 years.

CDT: Do you think Penn State has lost some of those values since the ‘80s?

GW: No. I would say, in fact, that it’s flourishing now, and, you know, overcoming controversies and global scandals. Again, it goes back to the foundation.

In my background as a marketing person studying Nike and Patagonia, (I’ve learned that) a brand lives in the hearts and minds of its audience. An institution can’t create it out of their marketing department; an institution can’t create our values ... it comes from the perceptions that we as fans, or we as stakeholders, believe in an automobile brand, a shoe company, a university.

And so the whole book is a blueprint, if you will, of how the “grand experiment” and “success with honor,” kind of organically created this very relatable and aspirational brand.

CDT: How would you describe Penn State’s brand?

GW: Well, in a simple way, it’s a fun brand with a purpose.

You’re trying to describe what lives in the hearts and minds of millions of people. It would be, you know, certainly the (idea of) “We Are’ Penn State.” We are an association of like-minded people who celebrate success with honor, celebrate graduating extracurricular student athletes and celebrate football as a metaphor. Winning, but graduating, and doing it the right way.

CDT: What do you mean when you say football is a metaphor?

GW: I think any outsider looking in at Penn State, you know, most don’t understand the “why,” if you will. The “Why Penn State” is (really about) football, certainly because of Paterno, in the ‘80s and graduating players and not exploiting them for financial gain. It was about the whole life experience of using the extracurricular activities here at this university to better yourself for your life. And graduation was the name of the game.

I’m proud to be a part of a state school that has transformed itself into a brand that is one of the top institutions in the world. And again, I attribute it to the seeds of the ‘80s, that whole “success with honor,” the whole “grand experiment,” the whole blueprint of how to go from good to great. The university has blossomed into a research powerhouse.

CDT: With this year being the 10th anniversary of the Sandusky scandal, how do you think that shaped Paterno’s legacy?

GW: Well, my answer to that, and I mentioned that in the book, is that I think that the value system and the university’s strong foundation are the main reasons this university responded and has flourished since then. Very few non-foundational, non-value-oriented organizations could have survived that as well as Penn State has.

My answer is that Joe Paterno’s name is on the library, along with his wife, Sue. His name is on ... the Catholic Center here at Penn State. You know, so to me, in studying all angles of everything, I feel his reputation is intact. His value system and what he stood for, his role as a guide, and (the role he played in) helping (to) shape (the university) through his amazing marketing and leadership abilities — I think it’s intact. And I think it’ll continue to be intact and revered as time goes on.

CDT: What challenges did you face while putting the book together?

GW: It was a blast. It helped me get back to my roots, you know. It helped energize me, actually. It’s got me back a little bit acting like I did in the ‘80s.

The challenge was more, frankly, your question about the challenges of the Sandusky issue. And having a book that speaks to values and culture, you know, I’m certainly getting my share of challenges from what I call trolls, I don’t know if you want to use that word.

I think some people have challenged the premise of the book. And I’ve certainly had some emails and thoughts in response to the little advertising I’ve done about that. But that’s OK.

CDT: What is your hope for this book? How are you hoping that it impacts people?

GW: I think it’s important to always go (back) to foundational blueprints, go to kind of the original value system, and reflect and remind and kind of put the pieces together to continue to grow from the foundation.

And I think today, the players and the athletes of all sports are very proud. We have one of the highest graduation rates for student athletes. And I think success with honor, grand experiment is baked into our DNA. And I just wanted to go celebrate that.

CDT: Why did you decide to donate 10% of sales to the Center for Penn State Student Entrepreneurship?

GW: I’m doing that because I was a student entrepreneur before it was a program here. I’ve been teaching it since 2006, and I just think (there is value in) an entrepreneurial mindset, which is about problem solving, and I want to see the program continue to flourish.

When I came out with the cardboard Joe Paterno in 1984, Joe Paterno agreed to do it with me, but 10% of the sales had to go to the Paterno Library Endowment fund. So I got all this global press from the cardboard Joe, which brought attention to the Paterno library, which was brand new in ‘84.

So, now, I want to bring attention to this wonderful center for Penn State student entrepreneurs.