Rowan ’ s Generosity Is Honored With Naming Of Main Building
‘ Give Back ’ Is Providing For 40 Students
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Rowan ’ s Generosity Is Honored With Naming Of Main Building
Continued from page 1 $ 20 million in 2008 .
“ Naming our main administration building Rowan Hall seems like such a small way to thank a man who did so much to help us . After many conversations with his wife , Lee , I know he would never have asked for such recognition , but I think he would appreciate the fact that his role here means so much to us that we wanted to do something other than merely say , ‘ Thank you .’ ”
Rounds closed his remarks saying Williamson has received support from Henry Rowan , The Henry M . Rowan Family Foundation , led by Ginny Rowan Smith , and from his wife , Lee . “ We are forever grateful for this support which has allowed us to achieve dreams we were not sure would ever become a reality .”
Board Chairman William Bonenberger 7W9 , speaking on Henry Rowan , the man , said “ Henry Rowan believed in the importance of education and believed this was the most important means of improving a person ’ s life . I am a person who benefitted from a Williamson education and I am better off because of it .”
Bonenberger told how Rowan was a born entrepreneur , risk taker , and tireless worker , who came from humble beginnings and went on to become a very successful businessman . After serving in the Army Air Corps as a bomber pilot during World War II , he completed his education on the GI Bill and earned an engineering degree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology .
After working for a company that manufactured induction furnaces , he decided he knew how to do it better and founded his own company , Inductotherm , in Rancocas , N . J . Today his company ’ s furnaces account for more than half of all induction furnace systems in the world and is part of Inductotherm Group with 40 subsidiaries throughout the world .
Bonenberger said , “ Henry Rowan was not content to build great wealth and then spend it on himself . He believed that a responsibility came with wealth and gave generously over the years to many different organizations and schools .
“ For some , the American dream consists of being successful and amassing great wealth . For great Americans like Henry Rowan and Isaiah Williamson , their dream was a little different . They were extremely successful , but used their wealth to support worthy causes they believed in and that generosity has not only helped thousands , it has left a legacy that will continue on long after they have passed away . We have changed the name of our main administration building to Rowan Hall to recognize this major role that Henry Rowan has played at Williamson College of the Trades .”
Trustee Michael Piotrowicz said “ Henry Rowan believed in education and he believed in Williamson ’ s core values . He lived his life with these core values and believed you need to be a person of character . I was lucky to know Mr . Rowan and now the students can know him . He was a Williamson man .”
Piotrowicz then said , “ The board has decided that every November 15 will be Henry Rowan Day at Williamson . It will be a day to talk about the man and what he did for Williamson . He will not be forgotten .”
Virginia Rowan Smith , Rowan ’ s daughter said , “ I think the appropriate word to use for this dedication is proclaim . We are proclaiming that this building will now be known as Rowan Hall as a tribute to my father for his special legacy .
“ Students will be saying to their friends , ‘ Meet me in Rowan Hall ’ and before long they will get more familiar and say , ‘ Meet me in Rowan .’
“ I want people to know him , to know something about the man . He could relate to the trades , he loved tools , and he loved to make things . He loved tools so much it was easy to buy Christmas presents for him . When he lifted a present and felt that it was heavy , he knew it was something he wanted .”
Smith went on to describe how his interests touched on each of Williamson ’ s shops .
“ He had a work bench and he loved to make things out of wood . He knew trees and bushes and enjoyed making trails in his backyard . He knew the importance of protecting wood from corrosion . Lee has endowed the Power Plant Technology Program and he would have been impressed with all that they teach , such as the different types of power . He would have liked that this trade is a good basis for continuing your education in engineering .”
After the remarks , the portrait of Henry Rowan , painted by Philadelphia area artist Garth Herrick and mounted on the wall of the lobby next to the words “ Rowan Hall ” and a bronze plaque with some information on Henry Rowan , was unveiled .
Herrick had the honor of lowering the cloth hiding the portrait for all to see . It was met with great applause .
The group then enjoyed lunch in the dining room with the Rowan family as the guests of honor and was followed with a tour of the campus , visiting most of the shops and a dormitory and meeting with many students .
Auxiliary Donates $ 9,000 For Dorms
Christmas came early at Williamson when the Auxiliary gave a gift of $ 9,000 for dorm room improvements during their Christmas Bazaar in the dining room in November . Holding a large facsimile of the check are ( from left to right ): Arlene Snyder , vice president for institutional advancement ; Jacqui Stradley , Auxiliary president ; and Art Lallo 7W9 , board vice chairman .
‘ Give Back ’ Is Providing For 40 Students
Continued from page 1 Grant-eligible and will receive scholarships providing tuition and room and board . Williamson is the first Pennsylvania college to become a Give Back partner college and joins other partner colleges in Delaware , New Jersey , New York , and Illinois .
Carr said , “ From the day I walked onto Williamson ’ s campus , I knew this institution would serve as an extraordinary option for the scholars in our program who wish to pursue an academic , trade , or technical career . It ’ s hard not to be impressed with the values-based environment here that fosters faith , integrity , diligence , excellence , and service .”
Rounds said , “ We are delighted the Give Something Back Foundation chose Williamson to be the first college in Pennsylvania to become one of their partners . Their generous donation will help us greatly as we pursue our efforts in meeting our mission . This organization has changed the lives of many young people and we are happy to partner with them . These students will have a brighter future thanks to Bob Carr and the Give Something Back Foundation ’ s generosity .
“ We are also thankful for the generosity of our trustee Richard Clemens , who has supported our mission for years . We also have him to thank for initiating this valuable partnership .”
Carr inspired the audience with his life ’ s story of growing up in humble circumstances and achieving success in business . He was able to attend college because a Woman ’ s Club gave him a $ 250 scholarship . He was so thankful he vowed to repay them one day by helping other young people receive a college education . Upon the Woman ’ s Club ’ s 100th anniversary , he presented them with a check for $ 100,000 for scholarships and that was the beginning of Give Back .
Carr said , “ I can ’ t think of anything I could buy that would be more meaningful than getting young people through college . If I went out and bought a large yacht , what would I do with it ?”
Give Back was formed in 2003 to provide mentoring and scholarships to academically driven students of modest means who assume college is not an option . Pell Grant-eligible students are selected in ninth grade and mentored through high school . Upon graduation , Give Back scholars attend any partner university or college with the opportunity to graduate with no debt for tuition , fees , or room and board .
Give Back holds informational sessions to identify eligible high school ninth graders as scholarship recipients . The selected students are provided with mentors who advise and prepare them to succeed in college . During their high school years , the scholars are expected to meet various criteria , demonstrate good character , and meet the partner colleges ’ criteria for admissions .
Carr is the founder and former chief executive officer of Heartland Payment Systems , a debit and credit card transaction company recently acquired by Global Payments . He now devotes his time to Give Back , and also serves on the board of directors for MENTOR and Snider Hockey , and is a trustee at Lewis University in Illinois . Carr was appointed by President Obama to a key White House post on the National Infrastructure Advisory Committee .
He is the author of Through the Fires : An American Story of Turbulence , Business Triumph and Giving Back , which is distributed by the University of Illinois Press . His forthcoming book , Working Class to College : The Promise and Peril of Blue Collar America , will be released March 2017 .
To learn more about Give Back , go to giveback . ngo .