In his Rowan Day keynote address, Wilbert “Will” Abele told the students, “We are here today because of Hank Rowan. Williamson College of the Trades would not be the school it is today if not for Hank Rowan. But it is not just because of Rowan, it is because of the many others that came before him.”
Speaking in the Clara Schrenk Memorial Chapel in Rowan Hall on Nov. 12, Abele, who is the founder of the Abele Family Foundation, Inc., and the retired owner and president of Henry Troemmer, LLC, told the students of three great men who used their fortunes to help young people become successful, to thrive, and to be happy – Stephen Girard, Isaiah Williamson, and Henry “Hank” Rowan.
He said each of these men came from humble beginnings, worked hard, took risks, were entrepreneurs, and as they became wealthy, lived their lives with a sense of gratitude and thankfulness.
“But, the most important thing they had in common was that they were Americans, for only in America could they have accomplished what they accomplished. For in America, it does not matter who your parents or grandparents were, it does not matter what religion you practice or where you were born. What matters is hard work and integrity.”
Girard built a great shipping, banking, and business empire and played an important role in the American Revolution and the War of 1812. “He was considered the father of philanthropy and this was his greatest contribution. He had a humanitarian commitment and cared for the poor and the sick and helped many charitable organizations. He was the wealthiest man in America when he died and he used his estate to create Girard College to educate orphaned boys.”
Isaiah Williamson grew up on a farm and, at the age of 23 after a three-year apprenticeship, bought a store in Philadelphia. The store was a success and allowed him to pursue several other businesses, all of which were successful. In 1838, at the age of 35, he retired with a small fortune as one of the richest men in Pennsylvania.
“He used his money for the benefit of others. He donated funds to orphanages, libraries, colleges, benevolent societies, and other organizations, always anonymously. After seeing young boys on the streets with no education or knowledge of how to create a better life for themselves, he created a trade school, using Girard College as a model.”
