Faith
Integrity
Diligence
Excellence
Service
Winter 2019
Vol. 82, No. 1
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 2nd Annual Rowan Day
Standing in the Clara Schrenk Memorial Chapel during the 2nd annual Row-
an Day are (from left to right): Board Chairman William Bonenberger 7W9,
Trustee Michael Piotrowicz, Lee Rowan, Manning “Jamey” Smith IV, Mary
Nell Rounds, and President Michael Rounds.
Dean ’18 And Ehly ’20 Win
Silver Medals At SkillsUSA Nationals
Two Williamson students won silver
medals at the SkillsUSA national com-
petition in Louisville, Ky., Bryce Dean
1W8, construction technology-mason-
ry, in the masonry competition, and
Brian Ehly 2W0, power plant technol-
ogy, in the plumbing competition.
Other Williamson students who com-
peted, but placed out of the top three
spots were: Automated Manufacturing
Technology – Todd Fluck 1W8, Co-
lin Green 1W8, Justin Thomas 1W8,
all machine tool technology; Carpen-
try – Scott Pearce 1W8, construction
technology-carpentry; and CNC Tech-
nician – Austin Jacque 1W8, machine
tool technology.
John Curran 0W5, then SkillsUSA
advisor, said “Our students did an ex-
cellent job in the competitions all week.
They demonstrated the high skill level
of our students and the excellent behav-
ior we expect of them. I think everyone
Continued on Page 6
H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest
The Passing Of A Great Friend
H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest
H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest, a great friend
of Williamson College of the Trades
and one of the most generous donors
in school history, died Aug. 5 after suf-
fering from declining health for several
months. He was 88.
President Michael Rounds said,
“Gerry Lenfest was a true friend of Wil-
liamson. He was so impressed with our
efforts to help young men that he began
supporting us financially shortly after
learning of our noble mission. He made
a transformational gift at a time we were
seeking supporters of Henry Rowan’s
matching gift initiative in 2008 and,
most recently, made a very generous
gift to our student leadership program,
which we named after him. I can’t help
Continued on page 2
Speaking of his grandfather, Henry
Rowan, Manning “Jamey” Smith IV,
in his keynote address during the sec-
ond annual Rowan Day in the chapel
on Nov. 13, said “He believed in Wil-
liamson and its core values. He knew
that you students would take the values
with you when you leave here and they
will help you be successful employees,
business owners, and members of your
community.”
Smith, director of market develop-
ment at Pemberton Fabricators and
manager of ElectroSteam, subsidiar-
ies of the Inductotherm Group, shared
some interesting aspects of Rowan’s life
with the audience, including that he
grew up with divorced parents, attend-
ed boarding school, flew B-17 bombers,
got married and had children, studied
electrical engineering at MIT, and that
he was smart and driven.
“He also had guts. He quit his job
manufacturing furnaces because the
company wasn’t interested in innova-
tion and he started his own company,
making furnaces in his backyard. He
was competitive, driven, and very
smart. No wonder he was so successful.
Today his company is huge with subsid-
iaries all over the world.
“But, he wasn’t in business to make
a fortune. He wanted to make the best
melting equipment in the world. He en-
joyed working and never took time off.”
Smith said his grandfather liked to
push the limits of things and never
slowed down. “He would push some-
thing until it broke and then turn back
ten percent. He pushed people and his
employees to give ten percent more.”
He loved flying airplanes and was a
bit of a cowboy. “When I was only five
years old, he took me and my family up
in a plane with me sitting with him at
the controls. He told me to pull up and
the plane went into a spin. It was a bad
situation, but he pulled out of it.
“Another time, he flew to a business
meeting in Pittsburgh in weather so
bad you couldn’t see the runway. While
landing, the plane skidded into some
trees. Everyone was OK, but covered in
mud and dirt. They went to the meeting
looking like that and he told the people
they had to buy their equipment be-
cause they crashed getting there.
“He was very competitive and liked
racing sailboats competitively and did
not take it well when he lost. He hated
losing more than he liked winning.”
He was also frugal. “He liked mak-
ing money, but not spending money.
He could tell you where you could buy
the cheapest gas for your car. When we
were young, he charged us five cents for
leaving lights on.”
He also was generous and when he
gave money to a cause, it was an en-
Continued on Page 4
Carr Inspires Class of 1W8
At 125th Commencement
Robert O. Carr, founder of Give
Something Back and founder, CEO, and
chairman of the board of Beyond, told
the graduating seniors at Williamson’s
125th Commencement to make service
a part of their lives.
Addressing the seniors, Carr said,
“Men of Williamson, you have earned
this honor with your brainpower, your
discipline, your hard work and, maybe
a few calluses. Smart, skilled, and tough
— not a bad combination to take on the
world!
“You have demonstrated your aptitude
in the classroom and on the job site. You
are especially crucial to strengthening
industries and boosting the American
economy. You have outstanding talent,
Continued on page 7
Robert O. Carr