MCELREE DONATES ROTH CHAIR TO THIEL COLLEGE

Feb. 7, 2012

Gerry McElree, Annette VanAken, President Troy VanAken and Dr. Frank McElree with the wood and leather office chair once owned by Thiel’s first president, the Rev. H. W. Roth (whose likeness is hanging behind the chair).

GREENVILLE, PA – Dr. Frank McElree Jr. and his wife, Gerry, presented a chair once belonging to Thiel College’s first president, the Rev. Henry Warren Roth (1870-1887), to the College on Feb. 7.

The chair was a gift given to Roth at the conclusion of his presidency in 1887 and went with him to Chicago, Ill., where he helped develop the Chicago Theological Seminary. McElree, a retired surgeon from Greenville, Pa., who attended Thiel for two years as an undergraduate, received the chair from Roth’s niece, Marietta Gertrude Roth, Class of 1903 (better known as “Met”), who was a family friend, after her death in 1970.

President Troy VanAken and his wife, Annette, accepted the chair from the McElrees. The chair will be put on display at the college.

About Thiel College

Thiel College is a liberal arts, sciences and professional studies institution located in Greenville, Pa., that provides a great balance of academic challenge, personal and social involvement, and exceptional value to its 1,100 students. For more information about Thiel College, visit www.thiel.edu or call 800-24-THIEL.

–30–

.