Lycoming College will hold a memorial service for Bishop D. Frederick Wertz, the college’s 10th president who served from 1955-68, on Friday, Nov. 15, at 11:30 a.m. in Clarke Chapel. The service is open to the public.
Rev. John Piper Jr., Ph.D., dean emeritus of the college, will officiate at the service and the Lycoming Choir will perform. The service also will include reflections upon the extraordinary influence that President Wertz had upon the history of the college. Bishop Wertz’s daughter, Joanne Monoski, will represent the family.
During Wertz’s 13-year tenure, much of Lycoming’s current campus, including 13 buildings and the Quad, was constructed. In addition, student enrollment more than doubled, and the physical size of the college nearly tripled, a change that included what is now the Shangraw Athletic Complex. In recognition of his leadership of the college, the Wertz Student Center was named in his honor, and in 1969, he was bestowed with an honorary degree. Each year during Honors Convocation, the Bishop D. Frederick Wertz Award is presented to a student who exhibits outstanding dedication and selfless service to others.
Lycoming College is a four-year, residential liberal arts and sciences school dedicated to the undergraduate education of 1,400 students. Its rigorous academic program, vibrant residential community and supportive faculty foster successful student outcomes. Lycoming offers 36 academic majors and is recognized as a Tier 1 institution by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1812 and located near the banks of the Susquehanna River in Williamsport, Pa., Lycoming is one of the 50 oldest colleges in the nation. For more information, visit www.lycoming.edu.