Faith
Integrity
Diligence
Excellence
Service
Spring 2018
Vol. 81, No. 2
Entered as Periodical
at Post Office, Media, Pa.
The Williamsonian
A PUBLICATION FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF WILLIAMSON COLLEGE OF THE TRADES
Rowan Family Honored
During 1st Annual Rowan Day
Standing in the Clara Schrenk Memorial Chapel during the 1st annual Row-
an Day are (from left to right): Raymond Drulik, senior class president; Trust-
ee Michael Piotrowicz; Virginia Rowan Smith; Lee Rowan; President Michael
Rounds; and Board Chairman William Bonenberger 7W9.
Horticulture Students Create
Award-Winning Flower Show Exhibit
“Would You Drink the Water?,” Wil-
liamson’s exhibit in the Philadelphia
Flower Show, with the theme “Wonders
of Water,” won two prestigious awards
— a PHS Gold Medal and the Pennsyl-
vania Landscape and Nursery Associa-
tion Trophy for showing the most effec-
tive use of plants and best use of design
in the education category.
The exhibit also was horticulture in-
structor Chuck Feld’s 50th exhibit, a
show record.
The exhibit, at the Pennsylvania Con-
vention Center in Philadelphia, demon-
strated the importance of small streams
to the environment and displayed some
of the best management practices for
improving water and habitat quality.
In putting together the exhibit, the
school partnered with Stroud Water
Research Center, of Avondale, Ches-
ter County, a nonprofit that advances
knowledge and stewardship of fresh-
Continued on page 7
Franklin A. Burke
The Passing Of A Long-Term Trustee
Franklin A. Burke
Franklin A. Burke, a retired member
of Williamson’s board of trustees who
was the long-term treasurer and the re-
tired president and CEO of Burke, Law-
ton, Brewer & Burke, died on Feb. 17.
President Michael Rounds said,
“During his 28 years as treasurer of
the board, Frank Burke used his vast
knowledge of finance and investment to
expertly manage our main endowment
and safeguard the financial future of
Williamson. We can never adequately
thank him for all he did for Williamson.
He was one of Williamson’s most gen-
erous financial supporters over many
years. Often this support was provided
quietly during tough financial times. He
never sought recognition for his many
Continued on page 8
“My dad would be pleased to have
this day, but on one condition — you
don’t take the whole day off,” said Vir-
ginia Rowan Smith, in the opening of
her keynote speech on the 1st annual
Rowan Day, a special event designed
to honor Henry Rowan and the Rowan
family.
She said, “He didn’t understand why
days that honor someone meant tak-
ing a whole day off of work or school.
He believed that doing a job you love
is something fun and you don’t want to
stop doing it. He liked running his com-
pany and believed it was no fun running
a company if there are no challenges.”
Smith, who is the daughter of Henry
Rowan, chair of Inductotherm Corp.,
the company he founded, and group
vice president of the Inductotherm
Group, told the audience that though
most of them had not met him, she
would like them to know something
about him.
“He was a businessman, an entrepre-
neur, and benefactor of Rowan Univer-
sity. He also did a lot to help William-
son because your mission was near and
dear to him. He liked Williamson very
much.”
She went on to explain how each of
Williamson’ trades appealed to him:
machine tool technology because he
loved all kinds of tools, carpentry be-
cause he loved to design things out of
wood, masonry because he loved build-
ing things out of cinder blocks and
brick, horticulture because he was a
gardener and enjoyed raising vegetables
and fruit, painting and coatings tech-
nology because he knew the impor-
tance of protective coatings, and power
plant technology because his company
worked with induction power.
Speaking to the students, she said “He
could relate to you and your trades. He
cared for you and he believed in you.
His interests were like yours. As an in-
dividual, he was like you.”
Smith said the best way to know
something of her father is to read the
book he wrote, The Fire Within, which
is in Williamson’s library.
At the conclusion of her speech, Ray
Drulik, president of the senior class and
a member of the Rowan Day Award
Committee, said the committee, made
up of students from each shop as well as
two faculty advisors designed and fab-
ricated the first ever Rowan Day Award
which will be presented to the keynote
speaker from now on. He explained that
the award contains a representation of
each shop and includes the school’s five
core values, “which are the driving force
behind everything we do.” He then pre-
sented the award to her.
In his opening remarks, President
Michael Rounds said “Today marks the
Continued on page 4
Carr, Give Something Back Founder,
To Speak At Commencement
Robert O. Carr, Give Something Back
Foundation (Give Back) founder, will
deliver the keynote address at William-
son College of the Trades’ Commence-
ment at 2 p.m., Friday, June 1, in a tent
on the lawn in front of Rowan Hall.
Carr will inspire the Class of 2018
as they receive associate in specialized
technology degrees or craftsman diplo-
mas and are sent into the world of work.
In November 2016, in a Give Back
Partnership Celebration, Carr present-
ed Williamson with a gift of $250,000,
which was matched with a $250,000 gift
from Williamson trustee Richard Cle-
mens, a retired senior partner at Sidley
Austin LLP. The money will be used to
help 40 high school students receive a
Continued on page 9
Robert O. Carr