Column Six: Numbers 121 to 144

Joseph A. Guttmann entered the De La Salle Christian Brothers in 1942 and received the religious name of Brother Emmeran Mark. In 1966, when the Christian Brothers were allowed to revert to their full baptismal names, or to retain part of their religious name, he opted for the latter (Brother Mark Guttmann). He taught physics at La Salle 1954-1956 and 1962-1967, and he studied for his doctorate between these two periods. After post-doctoral study (1967-1968), Brother Mark returned to La Salle to continue teaching. He withdrew from the Christian Brothers in 1977 and married Vera Duvall in 1979, and became known to his students and confreres as Dr. Mark Guttmann. Retirement in 1998 ended nearly four decades of service to La Salle.

2. Rita M. Kieffer (1914 – 2000)

Rita Kieffer began her La Salle employment in 1962. La Salle’s telephone directories of the mid-1960s indicated that she worked in the Duplicating Department of La Salle, which at the time was located in the lower level of College Hall. The telephone directory of 1977 stated that she was secretary to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. When she retired, she was the Executive Secretary to the Provost (1978-1981).

3. Claude F. Koch (1918 - 2000)

Evidence of Claude Koch’s youthful writing skills can be found in reading his articles and columns—mainly sports—for the La Salle Collegian. He graduated from La Salle in 1940 and returned after World War II to teach hundreds of veterans who were able to attain a college degree because of the G.I. Bill. Koch’s masterful teaching of English at La Salle spanned four decades, and in 1963 he received the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. A frequent contributor to Four Quarters magazine, he was a prolific writer of poems, short stories, and novels, submitted to other audiences, which won consistent acclaim. Koch’s first novel, Island Interlude, for example, was recognized with a Dodd Mead Intercollegiate Literary Fellowship in 1949. His 1985 short story, “Bread and Butter Questions,” received an O. Henry Award. The La Salle literary magazine Four Quarters published anthologies of his works in two of its issues: namely, “Claude Koch: A Poet’s Portfolio” (Summer 1973) and the “Claude Koch Issue” (Spring 1981). As Koch approached retirement, the 1986 Explorer yearbook was dedicated to him. The La Salle University Art Museum in 1999 published a collection of his poems, entitled Salvages.

4. Joan F. Pritchard (Joan Faye Pritchard) (1934 - 2000)

Born in North Carolina, Joan Faye Pritchard was one of the first women on the faculty of La Salle. She taught psychology from 1971 until approximately 1999.

5. Thomas W. Warner, F.S.C. (Brother Edmund Joseph) (1919 – 2000)

Brother Thomas directed La Salle’s Library longer than anyone else. Before the Brothers were allowed to revert to baptismal names in 1966, he was Brother Edmund Joseph and ”Library Joe” to his confreres. He initially came to La Salle in September 1941 to assist Brother Ignatius (Director of the Library), then located on the main floor of College Hall. The very next month, Brother Joseph was transferred away from 20th and Olney for a year, but returned. During the 1942-1943 academic year, he split his time between assisting in the College's Library and teaching at La Salle College High School. The next year (1943-1944), he was named Director of the Library at La Salle High School. An assignment in Washington, D.C. followed, but he came back to the Library of La Salle College to become its full-time director, a title he held for 38 years (1946-1984). When a new building was envisioned in the early 1950s, Brother Joseph played an integral role in planning its modular interior design and other innovations of the time. Held in high regard by his peers in the library profession, he was elected and re-elected as the national chair of the University and College Section of the Catholic Library Association in the 1950s. He expanded and upgraded the Library’s holdings a decade later through “Project 74.” Under the “new” name of Brother Thomas Warner, he coped with the inevitable need for more space through placing selected library features (e.g. reference works) in the Library Annex (1973-1988), which comprised the spacious main floor of Wister Hall —today’s Campus Store. Brother Thomas retired from the Library on September 1, 1984, to become the Archivist for both La Salle University and the Baltimore Province of the Christian Brothers, but enjoyed contributing expertise in the design of La Salle’s new Connelly Library in the late 1980s. Similarly, Brother Thomas rendered valuable input regarding the redesigning of a part of the lower level of College Hall into a new Archives facility in 1989. On December 31, 1993, Brother Thomas entered into a deserved retirement at La Salle. A final illness compelled a transfer to a nursing home in 2000.

6. Helen E. Handley (1913 – 2001)

Mrs. Helen Handley came to La Salle as a secretary in 1966 and either immediately or later in the 1960s, became secretary for the Director of Admissions for the Evening Division. She retired in 1982.

7. Mary K. Daly (19__ - 2001)

Mary (Kelly) Daly was the sister of Dr. Charles Kelly, longtime professor of English at La Salle. She became the secretary to the Mathematics and Psychology Departments (1972-1979), followed by service as secretary to Dean of Arts and Sciences (1979 until January 1989).

8. John J. Hanratty (1928 - 2002)

John Hanratty taught accounting at La Salle from approximately 1968 until 1995.

9. Lawrence J. Colhocker, F.S.C. (1936 – 2002)

Brother Lawrence was an integral part of the Education Department at La Salle (1979-2001). He taught, served as Director of Instructional Materials,and supervised student teachers. When he retired in May 2001, the Education Department instituted an annual award in his name to be given to a graduating senior who demonstrated a commitment to urban education.

10. Mary J. Bransfield (Mary Jane Bransfield) (1918 – 2003)

Mary Jane Bransfield came to La Salle in 1959 and worked her way to the position of manager of the campus store (1978-1982). After twenty-three years of service, she retired in 1982.

11. Joseph F. Flubacher, A.F.S.C. (1914 - 2003)

Dr. Flubacher, like a handful of others before him, was a La Salle treasure. He witnessed the school evolution from virtually every angle—student (Class of 1935), to assistant to the president of the College (January 1936 to 1938), to five decades of outstanding teaching (1938-1988). Dr. Flubacher authored in 1950 The Concept of Ethics in the History of Economics. His career was frequently marked by deserved acclaim. He and Dr. Holroyd were the first recipients of the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1961. The Explorer yearbook of 1979 was dedicated to him. In 1982, Dr. Flubacher and a special committee of his peers designed the Faculty/Staff Memorial in Olney Hall and developed the criteria for inclusion. This “teacher of teachers,” as he was dubbed by several student publications, retired in 1988. On March 20, 1992 (Charter Day), Dr. Flubacher was granted Letters of Affiliation by the Christian Brothers, symbolic of his status as an honorary member of the Brothers. An annual award presented by the Division of Student Affairs to a proactive student bears his name. The Joseph F. Flubacher Scholarship, intended for a deserving economics student, was publicly announced in 1996. Receiving the Signum Fidei Award from the Alumni Association in 1998, he was given an honorary degree from La Salle University in 2000. Dr. Flubacher remained an active and beloved member of Sigma Phi Lambda up to his last days.

12. Miroslav Labunka (1927 - 2003)

A native of the Ukraine, Miroslav Labunka enjoyed international connections throughout his life. He was educated in the Ukraine, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium before emigrating to the United States, where he studied at Columbia University. He relocated to Philadelphia and taught history at La Salle from 1965 to 1993. During these years he was also a visiting professor at Ukrainian-related institutions of higher learning in Rome, at Harvard University, and in Munich. Dr. Labunka was Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy of the Ukrainian Free University (1993-1995), and subsequently its Rector (1995-1998). In 1998, he was awarded knighthood by Pope John Paul II, Equitus O.S.G.M. (Order of St. Gregory the Great), for his lifetime of work and dedication to the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and he also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ministry of Education for his significant contribution to Ukrainian culture and education. Dr. Labunka helped sponsor two notable Ukrainians for honorary degrees at La Salle (1988 and 1992).

13. Marijke Wijsmuller (Marijke Van Rossum) (1937 - 2004)

Marijke Van Rossum began teaching mathematics at La Salle in 1979 until 1998.Her legacy lives through the Marijke Wijsmuller Society, a group of environmentalists who have included the Delaware Riverkeeper Network is in their estate plans.

14. Joseph Cairo (1937 - 2004)

A graduate of La Salle (1960), Joseph Cairo was a member of the Economics Department for forty-one years (1963-2004). After only his fourth year of La Salle, he received the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching (1967).

15. J. Sandor Cziraky (1932 - 2004)

A graduate of La Salle in 1954, Dr. Cziraky taught history at La Salle for 37 years from 1960 to 1997.

16. Robert M. Vetrone (1925 - 2005)

His friends—and there were legions—called him “Buck” or “Beef.” If the world of sports journalism and sports information had a “legend,” Bob Vetrone surely wrote the criteria for it. He was a longtime sports writer on the staffs of the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin and the Philadelphia Daily News; thousands of readers enjoyed solid reporting and his “Buck the Bartender” column. In time he became a Big Five executive, a public relations officer with the Philadelphia 76ers, and a radio and television analyst. Bob came to La Salle as an assistant Sports Information Director with an emphasis on handling the necessary promotional details to help Explorer great Lionel Simmons earn the National Player of the Year (1990). He achieved that goal and continued to assist the Athletic Department in various capacities until his retirement in 2003. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, the Big Five Hall of Fame, and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

17. Charles F. Echelmeier, F.S.C. (1942 – 2005)

“Brother Chip,” as he was familiarly known at La Salle, cast a memorable presence. During his first year (1977-1978) at La Salle he was the Assistant Director of Resident Life. The next two years saw Brother Chip on the staff of the Campus Ministry, and in 1980 he became its director. In 2000, Campus Ministry evolved into University Ministry and Service; and although Brother Chip continued to guide its activities, he insisted on maximizing student involvement in every facet. In addition to these responsibilities, he was a member of the Religion Department during most of his La Salle years. Brother Chip was instrumental in developing a Community Service Scholarship, which allowed committed students to lead outreach projects at La Salle and beyond. He effortlessly led campus liturgies with his singing or piano accompaniment, and added a musical touch to countless school functions, notably convocations and commencements. Brother Chip was no stranger to the stage; the Masque benefited from his skillful direction and/or musical input for many plays. A striking portrait of him, painted by James Jordan (Class of 2001) shortly after Brother Chip’s sudden death and dedicated in October 2005, is an appropriate addition to the lounge of University Ministry and Service.

18. Burton A. Sternthal (19__ - 2005)

Known to his colleagues as “Burt,” Mr. Sternthal taught mathematics at La Salle beginning in 1984, but became eventually the Coordinator for Tutoring Services for La Salle’s Academic Discovery Program, in which he worked until 2005. He was also the advisor for the La Salle Gospel Choir. Mr. Sternthal was an accomplished pianist. He and his wife wrote a one-act musical, “How to Insult Your True Love,” which was an adaptation of Anton Chekov’s farce, “The Marriage Proposal.” Although it enjoyed its professional premiere at Philadelphia’s Brick Playhouse on South Street in 1998, it had first been performed as a one-act show by La Salle’s Masque in 1990. Eventually, the musical was performed off-Broadway at the Connelly Theatre in 2000.Because of his theatrical talents, Burt Sternthal was featured on the cover of La Salle’s publication entitled People of La Salle (February 1999 issue).

19. Margaret Lazaro (1930 – 2005)

Mrs. Margaret F. (Stumm) Lazaro worked in La Salle’s Food Services Department from approximately 1955 until the late 1950s, and also from 1974-1999. She rose to the level of unit leader in the dining halls, until illness compelled her to retire. Margaret’s daughter Peggy currently works in Food Services at La Salle, having started there in 1974.

20. John C. Kleis (John Christopher Kleis) (1937 - 2005)

John Christopher Kleis taught English for 30 years at La Salle (1965-1995). He was editor of Four Quarters magazine for eight years.

21. John C. O’Neill (1929 - 2005)

Taking up residence at St. Joseph’ Hall (part of the Christian Brothers Scholasticate in nearby Elkins Park), John O'Neill began teaching mathematics at La Salle in 1967. Two years later he moved into the Brothers’ residence (De La Salle Community) at 20th and Olney in 1969. In 1973 he withdrew from the Christian Brothers, but he continued to teach at La Salle for the next 30 years until his 2003 retirement.

22. Nicholas Angerosa (1943 – 2005)

A member of La Salle’s Class of 1965, Angerosa taught Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese (1972-1974 and 1980-2005). His specialty was Latin American Literature, particularly the work of Mexican author Octavio Paz. Angerosa’s dedication was evidenced by his reception of the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1991.

23. John S. Penny (1914 – 2005)

John Penny graduated from La Salle in 1937, and later served in aerial intelligence in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. With his characteristic eye for detail, he studied photographs in preparation for the 1944 D-Day landings, searching for impediments to the invading troops. Dr. Penny brought to La Salle his academic specialty of paleo-botany, and his overall passion for biology, and remained on the faculty for nearly three decades (1950-1979). He guided dozens of future physicians through La Salle’s pre-med program; his rigorous preparations virtually assured that many students found placement in the medical schools of their choice. He was an early associate editor of Four Quarters magazine in the 1950s. Dr. Penny succeeded the legendary Dr. Roland Holroyd as chair of La Salle’s Biology Department in 1960. That same year, Dr. Penny planted specially-grafted weeping Japanese cherry trees to decorate the entrance area to the then-new Science Building. In 1962, when the second grouping of La Salle’s winners of the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching was announced, Dr. Penny was included in their number. A plaque, dedicated in May 1979 and placed between the Holroyd Science Building and the former Benilde Hall, honors his memory. In 1980, Dr. Penny returned to the campus to receive a special award at the annual Holroyd Lecture and reception.

24. Mark Heath, O.P. (1918 – 2005)

At first glance, a Naval Academy education and preparation for the Roman Catholic priesthood seem to be two completely divergent career paths. But in the person of Rev. Mark Heath, O.P., they found perfect harmony. Soon after his 1940 graduation from Annapolis, he entered the seminary and was ordained a Dominican priest in 1947. At the time, he was one of only six Catholic priests to have graduated from the Naval Academy. He arrived at La Salle in January 1953 and served as the chaplain (1953-1965) and as religion professor (1953-1967). This tall, lanky man in the white robe developed a reputation for total availability to the students, and the 1956 Explorer was dedicated to him. In May 1962 he was awarded an honorary degree from La Salle. Father Heath was proactive in inviting Protestant and Jewish lecturers to campus and arranged many ecumenical programs of inter-faith dialogue at La Salle and beyond. In 1965, he moved from serving as chaplain to directing La Salle’s Graduate Religion Program, which was enlarging its curriculum. He was transferred by his superiors from La Salle to Providence College (RI) in 1967. For the nearly four decades which followed, he kept in contact with his many friends and associates from his 20th and Olney days.