Founded in 1898 by N.G. Alleman, the Centre Daily Times (originally launched as the weekly State College Times) came into being to serve the growing community surrounding what is now Penn State University. The idea sparked when Alleman recognized that the town needed its own independent voice to share news, separate from the university's internal student publications. In 1934, under the leadership of publisher Claude G. Aikens, the paper expanded into a daily publication to cover the entire county. Today, the newspaper is owned by The McClatchy Company, a major American publishing firm. Today, the Centre Daily Times is run by a professional newsroom of editors and reporters and is mainly focused on Penn State sports (specifically Nittany Lions football), university administration, local government, and community events. They are based in State College, Pennsylvania, and serve as the primary source of information for the region often referred to as "Happy Valley." One interesting fact: A unique fact about the Centre Daily Times is its unusually large national influence for a small-town paper. Because it is the hometown newspaper for Penn State University, its sports reporters often break major stories regarding the Nittany Lions football program that are then picked up by massive national outlets like ESPN and Fox Sports.