[2] During his first term, Pittenger was the principal sponsor of the Mental Health/Mental Retardation Act of 1966 and drafted the bill for Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency scholarship program.
[2] Pittenger was the first member of the Pennsylvania General Assembly to have high school seniors serve as legislative pages in the state House of Representatives.
[2] Pittenger also supported a controversial bill which would have charged graduated tuition for students at the colleges of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education based on income.
[2] Pittenger established the state government internship program for in-state college students and the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts.
[2] In 1979, Pittenger announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate seat being vacated by Republican Richard Schweiker.
However, he withdrew from the Democratic primary race in 1980 after Pittsburgh Mayor Pete Flaherty announced his intention to seek the seat as well.
[2] He persuaded Rutgers to build its first dormitory at the Camden campus and introduced a law faculty exchange program with Karl Francis University in Graz, Austria.
[2] In 1982, Pittenger won the Judge Edward Finch prize from the American Bar Association for the outstanding Law Day speech.
[3] Pittenger also worked as the pre-law advisor and adjunct professor of government at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, during parts of his career.
[5] Among his many works, Pittenger authored his memoir, Politics Ain't Beanbag and co-authored a high school textbook on constitutional law titled The Pursuit of Justice with Henry W.
A memorial service attended by more than 300 people, including Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, was held at Franklin & Marshall College's Barshinger Center on January 13, 2010.