A Brief History of the Gordon Natural Area
•1969/1970 - Two students, Bradley Gottfried & Dave Fluri, convince the West Chester State College Board of Trustees to establish a natural area on a wooded parcel of campus land.
•December 1971 - The Board of Trustees decide to set aside some land to preserve the existing native vegetation and to be used for ecological and other biological studies. This would be the institution's contribution to the Earth Day movement.
•November 1973 - Dr. William R. Overlease, Professor of Biology, formally dedicates the property. It was named the Robert B. Gordon Natural Area for Environmental Studies in commemoration of Prof. Gordon, a science faculty member for 25 years.