Mentors

There were many people at Heidelberg that helped us along the way.
Some were faculty or staff. Some were other students.

Dr. Philip Harner, who taught in both the Religion and Classics department, lives in retirement in Newville, Pennsylvania, having moved there with his spouse to be closer to their grandchildren. He had lived in Tiffin until a few years ago. Beyond his teaching career at Heidelberg, he is well known internationally for his work on the Gospel of John, having published an important book and many journal articles. In the early years of his retirement, he wrote a history of the college from 1950-2000 which covers the years we were there as students. This book is available from the college and even mentions a few of our class mates by name and happenings during our time at the ‘Berg.
If you want to drop him a line, his address is 33 Cedar Circle, Newville PA 17241.

Submitted by Ron Patterson

I would like to share fond memories of two professors from the English department. They were wonderful and colorful mentors. Both the epitome of the college professor paradigm. The first, J.Wesley Miller, taught freshman English which was considered a flunk out ( weed out course). J. Wesley was both brilliant and eccentric. He was the valedictorian of his graduating class in college, an Ivy League school, Yale I believe. My first memory of him was the first day of class. It was an infamous early morning 7:50 start. To grab our attention he began the class by climbing on top of his desk and doing a somersalt. From that moment on he had our attention because you did not know what he was going to do or say next.

It was his peer, Professor Mackenzie, a native of Scotland, who kindled my appreciation for Robert Burns and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. One day I was leaving the dorm for the either the library or baseball practice, I can’t recall which. Professor Mackenzie was walking his dog (a Scottish terrier of course) outside King Hall. A local passing lad smirked to express his disdain at the professor’s little dog. Professor McKenzie replied in his melodious brogue: “People who don’t like animals don’t like small children and people who don’t like small children don’t like people.”

Submitted by Thomas Meehan

We would love to share more information about those faculty and staff members who are still living and about ongoing contacts class members have had with them.   Just click on the link above!