2 A Message From President Michael J . Rounds
Many Great Improvements Are Coming To Williamson !
Greetings and best wishes from Williamson !
Williamson College of the Trades , along with the rest of the world , has been dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year now .
Even though the pandemic has caused us to make changes to our routine and modify the way we do things , it has not stopped us . Williamson continues to move forward .
Unlike many postsecondary institutions across the country , we had our students return to the dorms and in person classes and shops this past August . We knew our students needed to be on campus and in the classrooms and shops to get a true Williamson education . We have been able to keep the students , staff , and faculty safe because of the well-thought-out modifications to our schedule and operations , the CO- VID prevention protocol and testing program recommended by our Main Line Health consultants , and the diligence of our students , staff , and faculty .
It just is not possible to fully benefit from a Williamson education while learning virtually from home . Our students need to be in their shop and in the classrooms , interacting with their instructors and fellow students and learning their trades hands-on . They need to be at lineup , chapel , and in the daily routine . These are the things that make us Williamson .
We have been wearing masks and maintaining the proper social distance , but those safety features are just the beginning . We cancelled all varsity sports and most student activities to cut down on students having close interaction and the students were confined to campus from Sunday evening through Friday afternoon , though they were allowed to leave on weekends . The students were required to attend extra shop time in the evenings this fall to make up for time missed last spring . Students who tested positive for COVID or were in contact with someone who had tested positive , were sent home for two weeks and had to continue their learning virtually until they could return .
Campus visitations were limited and special events , such as Convocation , Homecoming , and Rowan Day , were held , but with guests watching virtually at home on their computers .
We sent the students home at Thanksgiving and finished the semester virtually before the Christmas break to further ensure a safe campus . We had a few cases of students , faculty , and staff contracting COVID , but after a two-week quarantine , all were able to return with no serious problems .
I have never been prouder of our students , faculty , and staff in the way they handled the challenges of this past year . We worked together to make necessary adjustments and still accomplished our mission . We all faced difficult and frustrating circumstances , but we adapted and adjusted . We are all optimistic about returning to a more normal routine by the next academic year .
I am happy to report that our 5-year “ Building for the Future ” comprehensive capital campaign has ended with the very impressive result of over $ 81 million raised , a significant amount over our $ 60 million goal .
This money came from alumni , friends , and foundations that believe strongly in Williamson ’ s mission and want to help provide the resources we need to make it happen .
By August of 2022 , construction of a student center will be completed which will provide expanded space for extracurricular activities and recreation . We thank Joseph and Marion Wesley for their generous gift of $ 21.1 million which is allowing this wonderful facility and outdoor bleachers to be constructed . In honor of their commitment to Williamson , the facility will be named the Joseph L . and Marion M . Wesley Student Center .
Campaign funds are also allowing us to construct new dormitories and renovate existing dormitories . Three years ago we built our first new dormitory in decades , Watson Dormitory . It was named in honor of our past board chairman Wayne C . Watson 4W8 and was made possible through a gift from the late trustee Franklin Burke .
A $ 2.3 million gift from William B . and Judith B . Strine is providing the funds to build another new dormitory along Cottage Row , which will allow us to increase the number of students for the first time in many years . It will be named Strine Dormitory and will be ready for occupancy by the fall of 2022 .
A generous gift from our trustee Richard Clemens provided the funds for the renovation of Stell Dormitory , which will soon be completed . The dorm is being renamed Clemens Dormitory in honor of his father James R . Clemens 3W4 , a past Williamson president . We will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony this spring and students will occupy the Clemens dormitory next fall .
We give a special thanks to several foundations — the 25th Century Foundation , Connelly Foundation , Crystal Trust , George I . Alden Trust , the McLean Contributionship , and the Walter J . Miller Trust — whose generosity helped make these projects possible .
In 2016 , Lee Rowan , the wife of the late Henry Rowan made an $ 11 million leadership gift to spearhead our fundraising campaign . This gift supported the expansion of our dining hall and increased our endowment . It also allowed for the upgrading of our power plant technology facilities which , in her honor , were named the Lee Rowan School of Power Plant Technology . The Henry M . Rowan Family Foundation also provided endowment support that funded various capital projects and helped our annual operating funds throughout the campaign .
Other improvements that came about as a result of the successful campaign were completed over the last several years , including the expansion of our dining facilities , the upgrading of Eyre Dormitory , and improving capital and technology in the shops .
The funds raised in this campaign have greatly benefitted our ability to educate our students . They will also allow us to increase enrollment and expand William ’ s mission in the future . We can ’ t offer enough thanks to those who made these projects possible and will be forever indebted to their support of our mission .
We are now in the home stretch of the 2020-2021 school year and are happy to report it has been successful , despite the many challenges the pandemic presented . Our students did not have a typical year , but it was one they will surely remember ! I am so proud of the way they overcame the unexpected adversity they faced this year , maintaining a positive attitude and a Williamson can-do spirit .
We are now in the planning stages of our traditional spring special events — all modified to meet the safety demands of the pandemic . I am pleased to report that Ken Langone , a cofounder of Home
The Williamsonian USPS ( 684-860 ) Spring 2021 Vol . 84 , No . 1 The Williamsonian is published two times a year by Williamson College of the Trades .
Editor Carl A . Vairo
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Depot and a sought-after expert on all things financial , will deliver the keynote address at our 128th Commencement on June 4 . We will hold our Commencement ceremony on the Betty and Russ 5W0 Harvy Athletic Field to allow for distancing . We also have to restrict graduates to only two guests because of state guidelines . We are encouraging everyone else to watch the livestream which can be accessed on Williamson ’ s website . We are hoping that it will not be long before guests will again be allowed on campus and life at Williamson will be back to normal .
In closing , I want to thank each one of you . Everything we do is made possible by the support we receive from our many friends and alumni . It is your generosity — with your time , talent , and treasure — and your belief in our mission that allows us to continue to provide this amazing opportunity to our students — even during a pandemic !
Mary Nell and I continue to feel blessed and privileged to serve Williamson . We appreciate your support and prayers . May God continue to bless you , your families , and Williamson College of the Trades .
For Williamson ! Michael J . Rounds , P . E .
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Williamson College of the Trades prepares qualified young men to be respected leaders and productive members of society . Williamson develops the entire student , spiritually , socially , and professionally , emphasizing academic , trade , technical , and moral education in a structured community based on Judeo-Christian principles , without charging for tuition , room , or board .