Cru, then known as Campus Crusade for Christ, is believed to have been "sparked" at Penn State by a prayer meeting led by Professor Jack Sparks during the 1964-1965 academic year. Following this prayer meeting, the visiting staff Swede and Judy Anderson founded the first Campus Crusade for Christ movement at Penn State in the fall of the 1965-1966 academic year.
In 1968, Bart and Joan Trowbridge became the first full-time Campus Directors of Campus Crusade for Christ at Penn State. Since then, the name has changed to Cru, and we now have Missional Team Leaders rather than Campus Directors, but the mission of Penn State Cru to be a community where the Gospel captivates hearts, transforms lives, and launches men and women from Penn State into a life-long adventure with Jesus remains the same.