Last week one of Penn State’s student media outlets, Onward State, printed a “Penn State History Lesson” which claimed that the origin of the iconic “We Are Penn State” phrase and cheer was from the actions of the 1947-48 football team, who admirably stood up to racial prejudice. The story is beautiful and inspirational. The story has been repeated multiple times by Onward State, The Daily Collegian, Penn Stater alumni magazine, the Centre Daily times and more. I understand it’s become part of Penn State’s orientation for students.

It’s also not true.

The inspirational stand by the football team is fact. It’s a proud moment in Penn State history, one we should all embrace.

But it was not the source of the phrase and cheer.

The real source of the phrase and cheer was told first in 1999, by noted Penn State historian, Lou Prato in the publication Town and Gown. In that article, since reposted at statecollege.com, Prato details how the Penn State cheerleaders in the mid 1970s and early 1980s created the cheer. Now it has grown into an iconic statement for students, alumni and others, connecting everyone to our Penn State.

What is the evidence that Mr. Prato’s story is the correct one? For those who want to accept the claim that the 1947-48 football team events are the source of the phrase “We Are Penn State”, they have to address four major issues.