class notes • 1940s
• 1960s
• Phyllis (Dick) Seal ’49, San Antonio, Texas, celebrated 62 years of marriage with husband Bill Seal ’50, in July.
• H. Richard McClain ’61, ’67M, Allentown, celebrated 50 years of marriage with wife Sally (Brian) ’62, ’67M, in June. They commemorated the occasion with a dinner party hosted by their children and a cruise to Bermuda. • Karen (Ashkar) Murley ’63, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., retired from Vassar College in July, most
• 1950s • Janet (Cooper) Kuchler ’59, Sheldon, S.C., published her fourth book, Secrets in the Lowcountry: The River.
recently holding the position of concerts administrator/building curator. • Richard Frerichs ’64, Millersville, currently the president of the Penn Manor School Board, was named presidentelect of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association board of directors. • Kay (Mohn) Major ’69, Jonestown, and her husband, Larry, have been named the Outstanding Educators for 2012 by the Lebanon (Pa.) County Educational Honor Society.
• 1970s • Joan Detz ’73, Millersville, was selected to present “The Business of Speechwriting” at the American Society of Journalists and Authors conference in New York City in April 2013. She is the author of How to Write & Give a Speech. • Barbara (Buckman) Strasko ’73, ’78M, Lancaster, released her first full-length collection of poetry, Graffiti in Braille. She was a teacher, guidance counselor and literacy coach for 35 years with the School District of Lancaster.
For former head of Hershey School, it’s all about the people When the connection between Millersville University and Milton Hershey School (MHS) was featured in the Millersville Review (Fall 2012), one person had three very good reasons to take notice. For William R. Fisher ’54, Milton Hershey School and Millersville University were guiding forces in his life. He was a student at Milton Hershey School (MHS) from the time he was 10, then a graduate of Millersville University and then became one of the most beloved teachers and administrators at Milton Hershey School from 1956 until his retirement in 1991 (the photo above dates back to then). “I owe my life to the Milton Hershey School, and to Millersville,” said Fisher, who looks back on his school days at Hershey and Millersville with great fondness. Life didn’t start out well for Fisher. Back in 1944, he applied to Milton Hershey School, where Milton Hershey himself signed his application. Fisher’s mother had died, and his father was ill and unable to find a job. William and his older brother, Adam, came to Milton Hershey School for the home life and education they so desperately needed. “The school was for poor children, and that we were. We had nothing. At Hershey we got food, clothing, a place to sleep, friends and most importantly, teachers and house parents who cared for us,” said Fisher. At the orphanage where Fisher lived as a very young boy, one of the caregivers noted that “Billy has the potential to be a leader.” Indeed, her prediction came true. Fisher was accepted at Milton Hershey School, then relying on his mentors, he carved out a meaningful life serving and leading others. His brother, Adam ’59, graduated from Millersville and worked for the Delaware Department of Education.
32 Review Winter 2013
“I always wanted to be a teacher,” said Fisher, who earned his degree in secondary education for English and German in 1954. While he was still a student, he married his wife Grace, who worked at Millersville’s business office. Right after he graduated, he took his first job teaching at East Lampeter High School. Then Uncle Sam called him, and he was drafted in the U.S. Army in 1955. “Just before I was discharged in 1956, I got a telegram from W. Allen Hammond, principal at Milton Hershey School. There was a position there if I was interested,” said Fisher. “But I wasn’t due to be discharged until October. “ Luckily for Fisher—and for MHS—Hammond was willing to wait for his new teacher. They used substitutes until Fisher was discharged and ready to begin teaching at his alma mater. After teaching English and German for six years, Fisher was encouraged to move into administration as assistant high school principal. Then he served as high school principal for 20 years, followed by two years as vice president of education for pre-K to grade 12. From 1985 to 1991, Fisher served on the Board of Trustees of the Hershey Trust Company, Board of Managers of Milton Hershey School and president and CEO at Milton Hershey School. In 1985, he was honored as Milton Hershey School’s Alumnus of the Year. “I am 80 years old now, and I have spent almost all of my life at Milton Hershey School,” said Fisher. “I have always been grateful to the people who were my mentors. And through all of my life, I have tried to be a mentor to others, to give back.” William and Grace’s son, Gregory ’82, was also a Millersville University graduate, earning his degree in political science, then worked internationally as a software expert. Sadly, Gregory Fisher died suddenly last year from a heart attack. His two sons, Joseph, 21, and Matthew, 19, are cherished by their grandparents. “At Milton Hershey School and at Millersville, I loved the campus and the courses, but what I loved most of all was the impact of the people,” said Fisher.