Founder’s Day, a day to honor the legacy of Isaiah V. Williamson and celebrate what would have been his 222nd birthday, featured a keynote address by trustee Timothy Crow, the bestowing of the Board of Trustee’s Isaiah V. Williamson Award and the C.W. Schrenk 4W9 Young Alumnus Award, and the Sons of the American Revolution’s William J. Yearsley 4W1 Award.
Crow, speaking in the Clara Schrenk Memorial Chapel on Feb. 6th, said “Now is the best time to be employed in the trades that I have ever seen in my life. We have reached the tipping point in the importance and the value of the trades.”
He went on to explain that the recent devastating fires in California did massive destruction and displaced thousands of people from their homes and then Hurricane Helene took a similar toll in North Carolina where entire towns were literally washed away.
“The recovery from these tragedies will take years and will only be possible by employing talented and dedicated people in the trades who have the skills necessary to repair and rebuild homes, restore power, redo landscapes, support infrastructure needs, and provide all the other tasks to bring areas of extreme devastation back to some degree of what they used to be.
“Rather than taking advantage of an extremely bad situation, this is answering a very important call at a critical time. Our economy is going to need the skill and knowledge that this situation requires.”
Crow went on to say, “In a time that many colleges and universities are struggling to survive how is it that Williamson College of the Trades has not only survived for so long, but actually thrived. I’m not surprised, the answer took me back to the man who made it all possible, Isaiah Williamson. And as impressed as I was of his accomplishments, I also wondered if what he did and who he was could translate to today’s world in the world of AI, TikTok, social media, and all the other distractions and challenges that we face every day. I can definitely state that with what I know of the man it absolutely would.”
Crow said Williamson had three attributes that few people possess and are unquestionably elements of success – humbleness, vision, and dedication to serving others.
He said Williamson came from humble beginnings and was one of eight children in a Quaker family of farmers in Bucks County, Pa. “His path to success was meteoric. After apprenticing seven years in a small country store, he saved enough money to move to Philadelphia and open his own dry goods business. By the age of 35 his personal wealth was over $100,000. This was in 1838. By today’s standard it would be more than $2 million. This allowed him to live out his dream of retiring and traveling to Europe.
“After a couple of years in Europe he felt under-utilized and that he wasn’t making a difference. He returned to Philadelphia and turned his interest to real estate and other investments. This brought him into being one of the wealthiest men in the Commonwealth. His wealth was $20 million which was equal to $500 million today.”
Crow said Williamson was extremely rich, but you couldn’t tell by looking at him. “He never talked about himself and he had humility. He lived a simple life and was known as the thread bare philanthropist because he wore the same suit for a long time. He never forgot where he came from and was able to do amazing things for others.
“He was a man of vision. He saw how many young men did not work. They didn’t have the opportunity. They lacked skills and had no direction. He realized their chances to succeed were remote. He wanted to help the man who wanted to help himself and he saw the trades as a path to success. This school is the embodiment of that vision. He signed the deed of trust creating his school on Dec. 1, 1888 with several million dollars.”
He added that Williamson gave millions of dollars to hospitals, orphanages, libraries, and many other benevolent organizations. “No one knows how much money he gave away because he told no one. He made his gifts anonymously. With a man like Williamson how could his school fail?”
At the conclusion of his remarks, President Michael Rounds gave him a Williamson commemorative box with a picture of Rowan Hall on it.
In his introduction of Crow, Rounds said “Tim did not graduate from Williamson, but he exemplifies our definition of a Williamson Man. Even though he has an extremely successful career, he is not content to think only of himself, he makes it a priority to use his time, talent, and treasure to help others.”
Crow joined the Board of Trustees in 2019 and since then, he and his wife Diane established the Crow Family Scholarship to help fund scholarships for Williamson students.
When he joined the Board, he brought a wealth of business knowledge, leadership, and experiences working at the highest level in some of the most innovative and customer-centered companies in corporate America. He also has a great understanding of the shortage of skilled tradesmen in America and how this hurts our ability to grow our economy.
Crow was executive vice president and chief human resources officer at the Home Depot, responsible for all aspects of human resource management for over 425,000 associates and 2,200 retail stores across the country. Today, the Home Depot is recognized as one of the best places to work in the retail industry and he played an important part in achieving this.
He is currently the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director at Fernwood Holdings Ltd., a venture capital investment firm. He is also a director at the HR Policy Association, Director at the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Georgia, an Independent Director at Vroom, Inc., a director at Softgiving, Inc., a company that makes it easier for people to support nonprofits, and a member of the Governors Board at the American Health Policy Institute.
In his welcoming remarks, Rounds said “Founder’s Day is a great tradition! A chance to stop and thank Mr. Williamson for his vision in establishing and resourcing this amazing school and completing the deed of trust shortly before he passed away at the age of 86 in 1889. Although he did not live to see the school built and open, we know he would be pleased with the number of lives his school has blessed since it first began educating and training young men in 1890.
“Mr. Williamson’s legacy is generosity and thousands of Williamson men, including the students sitting here today, have benefited from his generosity and left Williamson to make the world a better place. We gather tonight to remember and to say thank you to him.”
His welcoming remarks were followed with a Donor Tribute to the late John M. Briggs, who passed away Sept. 20, 2024. “In line with the theme of generosity, we have a special tribute tonight to Mr. John Briggs. It was written by Dave Smith, John’s good friend and business partner. John hired Dave for his accounting firm right out of college and was a lifelong mentor to him.
“Dave’s words are: John Briggs had a contagious personality that exuded warmth and friendliness. He was quick with a smile, a hearty laugh, and always ready to share little bits of information from his vast knowledge on many topics. His ‘charming’ personality led to many friendships with people from many walks of life as he was always respectful of others without regard to their background, status or station in life. He was a patient and empathetic listener, able to find a common connection with everyone he met.
“John had a very long and successful career as a certified public accountant starting upon his graduation from Lehigh University in 1972. He served his many loyal clients as a partner in a Philadelphia CPA firm and later went on to found a new CPA firm with others where he worked until his retirement. But retirement was different for John as he maintained many of his professional relationships, serving on numerous public company boards, and continuing to provide tax and accounting advice to many of his clients who valued his lasting friendship, integrity, and professional advice. During his many years in public accounting, John mentored many young accountants, giving freely of his time to provide valuable experience to shape and mold them into skilled accountants enabling them to move on to varied and successful financial careers. He was a very generous man, giving freely of both his time and money to friends, acquaintances, and others in times of need. He served on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, where he was able to share his vast financial experience and acumen.
“Upon his death, John left much of his money to various charities. Several, including Williamson College of the Trades, provide education to those less fortunate that otherwise would not have had an opportunity for personal advancement. Education was a cause close to John’s heart as he believed everyone deserved a chance in life. He was a very humble man, never seeking the limelight or boasting about his generosity, rather keeping his acts of kindness private without drawing any attention upon himself. He will forever be remembered for his loyal friendships and the positive impact his life-long generosity has had on the local community.”
Briggs made estate gifts totaling $1million to Williamson which provided support for the Williamson Fund and the establishment of the endowed John M. Briggs Scholarship, which will fund the education of a student here at Williamson in perpetuity as part of the Legacy Society.
Rounds said his name will be added to the Legacy Society plaque outside the chapel. “This year, and every year going forward, we will recognize the student selected to be the John M. Briggs Scholar at our annual Scholarship Celebration Luncheon in the spring. “We thank Mr. Briggs for including Williamson in his estate planning.”
Founder’s Day opened with welcoming remarks from Dr. Todd Zachary, Provost.
Zachary said, “I’m honored to stand before you as we celebrate the life and legacy of our founder Isaiah Williamson, whose vision has forever changed the lives of generations of young men and our community. Our college has steadfastly championed Mr. Williamson’s legacy ensuring every student has the opportunity to learn, grow, and be successful. On behalf of the entire Williamson community, we are honored to continue his call to serve with faith, integrity, diligence, excellence, and service.”
Next came the presentation of the Sons of the American Revolution’s (SAR) William J. Yearsley 4W1 Outstanding Citizenship Award by Steve Kopsick, president of the Philadelphia-Continental Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, to Anthony Colangelo 2W6, a Construction Technology-Electrical junior. With Kopsick were Bill Baker, Frank O’Donnell, and Eugene Hough.
This award is presented to a junior who has shown outstanding citizenship and the qualities of industry, self-discipline, personal integrity, reliability, and contributions above the call of duty. He also must have a GPA of 3.25 or higher and have fewer than 28 disciplinary points. [CLICK HERE to read more about the William J. Yearsley 4W1 Outstanding Citizenship Award]
This was followed by the Student Tribute by David DiCampli 2W5, senior class president, who said, “On behalf of the student body it is an honor to pay tribute to our founder Isaiah Williamson. Mr. Williamson’s vision was not only to build a strong future for the trades, but also to build young men of character to be successful in the trades and everyday life. Many young men have taken the gift they received and continue to thrive in life. I’m confident the students in this room tonight will do the same.”
Next, Chris Moran 9W9, president of the Williamson Association of Alumni, gave the Alumni Tribute, saying “Williamson is a special and unique place. There is no other place like it. For over 130 years Williamson has been preparing young men to have successful careers, be active and engaged in their communities, all while stressing the importance of helping one another. We are all part of the Williamson team and for that we have Isaiah Williamson to thank and extend our gratitude.”
William Bonenberger 7W9, board chairman, in his remarks, said “On behalf of all Williamson alumni, both living and those who have passed on, we thank God for giving us Isaiah Williamson, a man of incredible faith and talent, who dedicated the best years of his life and the majority of his wealth to lifting up people he didn’t know and would never meet.
“Thank you Mr. Williamson for the incredibly simple mission that the school was founded on 136 years ago which has not only stood firmly against the test of time, but has actually flourished since its humble beginnings. The mission is as simple and pure today as it was in 1888. Take teenage boys who have a desire to better themselves, but may not have the money or opportunity to do so, place them in an environment that feels like family, surround them by people who genuinely care about them, teach them a mechanical trade that will give them pride and confidence, provide them with moral and religious training, then stand back and watch what happens. Each and every day of your thousand-day journey you slowly, but surely, grow into a Williamson Man.
“When asked, ‘What is Williamson College all about, my one sentence answer is, ‘It’s the most direct path for a young man to achieve success in life that I’ve ever seen.”
He then presented the C.W. Schrenk 4W9 Young Alumnus Award to Daniel Deaver 1W5, an Aerial Line Supervisor at PECO [CLICK HERE to read more about the C.W. Schrenk 4W9 Young Alumnus Award], and the Isaiah V. Williamson Award to Joseph and Marion Wesley, founders of the Joseph and Marion Wesley Family Foundation. [CLICK HERE to read more about the Isaiah V. Williamson Award]
Mark Specht 7W7, chaplain, opened the program with the invocation and closed it with the benediction. The Artisans, led by Sherre Gaertner, led the singing of the alma mater. Dr. Susan Waller, vice president of research and assessment, provided piano music as guests and students entered the chapel. The evening began with dinner in the dining room provided by Tim Burbage, director of food services, and his staff.
