100 Years of Harpers

 

Harpers celebrates its 100^th anniversary this year – the culmination of a century of style. We are honored to commemorate our store’s centennial and the history of fine clothing and exceptional service that began with our legendary founders.

Jack Harper opened his “Custom Shop for Men” on College Avenue in 1926. The same year, Joe Cohen opened Young Mens Shop on 11^th Street in downtown Altoona. Each had the same idea: providing the highest levels of fashion, friendliness, and service. Each developed a reputation for integrity, fairness, and putting their customers first – and each developed a successful business based on those qualities.

Both men were cornerstones of their communities. A Penn State alum, Jack Harper recruited for the Nittany Lions and attended every football game for over 40 years, traveling with the team at his own expense. He was known throughout State College for his generosity and his regular lunches at the Corner Room. Joe Cohen was devoted to the people of Altoona and served on Penn State Altoona’s Board of Directors. He established the Blanket Award – an honor still given annually to the senior football players at Altoona and Bishop Guilfoyle high schools who best exemplify Joe’s core values of hard work, integrity, dedication, and leadership.

Joe Cohen believed there was always more to offer his customers. He constantly reinvested and remodeled to keep the store and its offerings current – and there has been a lot of growth in 100 years. In 1941, Joe’s wife, Martha Cohen, introduced Young Mens Shop’s first women’s boutique. Joe and Martha’s son, Joel, joined the business in 1959. He and his wife, Susan, brought the Young Mens Shop to State College in the newly built Calder Square II. Mark Sunderland, who began his career at Young Mens Shop in Altoona, led this location after graduating from Penn State.

Brian Cohen is now the third-generation owner of Harpers. After joining his parents in 1985, he guided the merger of Jack Harper’s and Young Mens Shop in 2000, uniting two long legacies under one roof as Jack Harper’s Young Mens Shop – later rebranding as Harpers. He established Harper’s Varsity Club in 2013, a carefully curated selection of better Penn State apparel and accessories.  In 2017, Brian and his wife, Lisa, moved Harpers two blocks east to its current location in the Storch Building on College Avenue – increasing the size of the store two and a half times. The new store was awarded the 2018 Ingrid Holtzman Award for aesthetic improvements to downtown State College. In 2024, Harpers was invited to be a part of the newly renovated Nittany Lion Inn, opening a small Harper’s Varsity Club-focused store in the hotel’s lobby.

The history of Harpers is still very much a part of its present –  from Jack Harper’s original Nittany Lion necktie design (still a graduation favorite) to Joe Cohen’s exemplary values (still the foundation of our customer service standards).

As we begin our next 100 years, our promise remains unchanged: to provide our customers with the finest fashion from around the world with the highest level of service possible.