‘Centre County is certainly my home.’ More than two dozen naturalized as U.S. citizens
A. Fraser Grigor has packed a lot into his 80 years, time that’s included everything from raising a family to putting a bow on a lengthy career at Penn State.
He played a leading role in growing what’s become the university’s men’s rugby team. A 1993 article published by The Daily Collegian described him as a “symbol of continuity.”
Grigor is also one of the founders of Trash to Treasure, an annual recycling sale at Beaver Stadium that saved tons of items from ending up in landfills and raised nearly $1 million that benefited the Centre County United Way. The sale was discontinued in 2022.
But one thing the man once nicknamed “Scotty” had not done until Friday was become a U.S. citizen. Joined by his family in the Centre County Courthouse, the Scot lifted his right hand and took his sworn oath.
It was a moment decades in the making.
“I thought it was about time after 53 years,” Grigor said with a Scottish accent. “Also, my green card was coming up for renewal and I thought, ‘Well, rather than do that I’ll just go the citizenship route.’ ”
Grigor was sworn in alongside about 26 others by Centre County Judge Katie Oliver. The newly minted U.S. citizens came from 22 countries that span five of the seven continents.
Some of the more than five dozen people who attended took selfies in celebration, while others pumped their fist. Each new citizen was handed a U.S. flag, as well as a voter registration form handed out by the League of Women Voters.
Friday’s naturalization ceremony was the first since 2019 in Centre County. Oliver, who presided over a naturalization ceremony for the second time during her time on the bench, said she “can’t think of a greater privilege.”
“It’s a long, arduous process. There’s a lot of expense involved,” Oliver said. “... It seems almost unfair that I get to come in at the end and do the honors, to be able to be the person that is there for the culmination of that final step when they’ve worked so hard. You can kind of feel the positive energy in that room. It just feels so good. It’s just such a privilege to be part of that.”
Naturalization is how most people not born in the United States become citizens. The most common path is being a lawful resident for at least five years.
The process also requires an understanding of basic English, U.S. history and government, residency verification and an oath of allegiance to the United States.
Grigor’s first taste of life in the U.S. came in 1965 as part of an internship at the Nittany Lion Inn. He immigrated five years later to Happy Valley.
“Centre County is certainly my home,” Grigor said.
He made profound, long-term contributions to Penn State’s men’s rugby program. He was the first recipient of the PSU Rugby Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor handed out by the program. The award was subsequently named after him.
He also served two terms as director of National Collegiate Rugby and on the USA Rugby board of directors.
“Initially when I was doing this I was just expecting to just show up myself and do the thing and go home,” Grigor said. “I’m just absolutely overwhelmed with the amount of support that I’ve had here.”
Grigor said he and his family planned to celebrate with a party at a friend’s home.
Kirsten Grigor said her father has become more opinionated about politics in recent years. The family would occasionally respond in jest, saying someone who isn’t a citizen can’t offer a political opinion.
“Maybe that was part of the impetus,” she said. “That’s one emotion I have — ‘Oh, great. Now we have to listen to his opinions on politics.’ Family dinners will be so much more exciting than they already were.”
