The following news article was originally published by The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State Harrisburg) on September 14, 2026. Title has been modified by Ritter Insurance Marketing.
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Penn State alums Craig and Heidi Ritter have made a gift of over $1 million to establish and endow the Ritter O’Brien Excellence Fund at Penn State Harrisburg.
Heidi (O’Brien) Ritter graduated from Penn State in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in French, and Craig Ritter graduated with a bachelor’s degree in finance. Craig was raised in Harrisburg, and Heidi was raised in Radnor, Pennsylvania. They moved to Salt Lake City and returned to Harrisburg in 1997 so Craig could join his father’s company, Ritter Insurance Marketing, where he is now CEO.
“Penn State Harrisburg represents two very special places in both our lives: our beloved alma mater and the hometown where we have raised our children and Craig has built the company he started with his dad,” the couple said in a statement. “Although we both attended the University Park campus, Penn State Harrisburg embodies the same excellent standards that are rooted in Penn State as a whole, so it’s more than just a local college to us, it’s a local piece of our university.”
Resources from the Ritter O’Brien Excellence Fund will be used primarily for need-based scholarships for undergraduate students, with other potential uses including support for student research, athletics programs, international travel opportunities for students and faculty, and Christian student clubs and organizations.
“Penn State Harrisburg is fortunate to have partners like Craig and Heidi, Penn Staters who are committed to making a difference,” said Chancellor David Callejo Pérez. “We are truly grateful for Heidi and Craig’s generosity and their desire to create opportunity for students because they believe in the power of education to change lives. Their support and friendship strengthen our campus, reminding students, faculty and staff that they are surrounded by people who genuinely believe in them.”
Previously at Penn State Harrisburg, the Ritters endowed the Craig and Heidi Ritter Scholarship in the School of Business Administration and the Ritter Family Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fund in the Office of Research and Outreach. The couple’s giving has also supported Penn State wrestling and football.
The couple connected with Penn State Harrisburg years ago when Craig’s company hired some computer science graduates from the college. They became aware of efforts at the time to expand programs at the Harrisburg campus and make it a four-year option for students.
After meeting some of their scholarship recipients, the Ritters said, it was clear that the ability to stay local while earning a Penn State degree and the opportunities afforded by a smaller campus were deeply appreciated by many students.
“This all led us to want to support what this Harrisburg campus was offering a special population of students — the chance to have a degree from a world-renowned institution like Penn State. ‘We Are’ all Penn Staters, and we are thrilled to be able to help Penn State Harrisburg continue to thrive and grow and provide central Pennsylvania students an accessible way to take advantage of the high-quality education offered by Penn State,” the couple said in their statement.
The campus also provided an option for the Ritters’ oldest son, when he moved home from University Park during the COVID-19 pandemic and his classes were moved online. He was able to take two in-person courses at the Harrisburg campus.
“From everyone we’ve worked with in the development department, the chancellor’s office, and others along the way, we can see why this campus has become such a valuable academic asset here in the central Pennsylvania area and a key part of the commonwealth campus system as a whole,” the couple said. “We look forward to many more years of supporting Penn State Harrisburg.”
Donors like Craig and Heidi Ritter advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.
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