On Saturday, Wilson College, local elected officials, baseball fans and well-wishers gathered under sunny skies for a celebration dedicating historic Henninger Field as the official home of the college’s new baseball team. The dedication, which also marked the official launch of Wilson’s 150th anniversary festivities, was followed by a doubleheader between the Wilson Phoenix and the Clarks Summit University Defenders. “I am so pleased you are all able to join us today for such an important milestone in the history of Wilson,” said Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick as she welcomed those attending. “This renovation project at Henninger Field is a perfect example of how successful you can be if you embrace the past and its guiding principles, while evolving to meet the needs of today’s students, as well as those of the future.” Local officials spoke, including Franklin County Commission Chairman David Keller, Chambersburg Borough Council President Heath Talhelm and State. Rep. Rob Kauffman of the 89th District, who read a proclamation passed in the state legislature recently, marking the Sesquicentennial of Wilson College. Wilson officials also welcomed members of the family of local baseball legend Nellie Fox and descendants of Clay “Pop” Henninger, for whom the field is named. Local singer Corey Evan Rotz sang the National Anthem and Fayetteville’s Tom Brookens, retired Major League third baseman who was also recognized in the ceremony, threw out the first pitch of the first game. The Wilson Phoenix swept the doubleheader, winning the first game by a score of 9-0 and the second, 4-2. The dedication marked several other milestones, including the rebirth of Henninger Field and the partnership between Wilson College and the Borough of Chambersburg that made the renewal possible. Wilson has a 10-year lease agreement with the borough for the exclusive use of Henninger Field, which called for the borough to make approximately $250,000 worth of improvements to bring the 124-year-old field into compliance with NCAA specifications for baseball. The borough also completed some updates to the field’s public restrooms, moved electric lines and removed trees, according to college officials.Henninger Field is steeped in local baseball lore. From its opening in 1895 until 2010, organized baseball was played at the field. The most famous baseball game played at Henninger Field took place the afternoon of May 31, 1929, when the New York Yankees played an exhibition game against the club’s farm team─Henninger’s home team, the Chambersburg Young Yanks. Baseball greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played for the Yankees that day and in the fifth inning, Ruth thrilled the crowd when he lofted a three-run homer over the center field fence. The development of Henninger Field as a thriving center of baseball in Chambersburg is credited to Clay Henninger (1855-1930), a local player-turned-manager who coached the field’s Chambersburg Maroons home team for many years.
Wilson College President Dr. Barbara K. Mistick will step down from her post after the end of the 2018-19 academic year, as announced in a letter to the college community today.
Dr. Mistick became Wilson’s 19th president in 2011. She is the architect of the Wilson Today plan, which refocused the College’s growth strategy. Under her vision and leadership, the College has experienced record student enrollment by reducing tuition and creating a first-of-its-kind student loan buyback program, added academic programs in nursing and other areas of demand, addressed infrastructure and future facilities needs, improved the institution’s marketing and brought coeducation to all areas of the College.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I’d like to thank Dr. Mistick for her deep commitment to our students and to the entire Wilson community. It has been an absolute pleasure working alongside her to bring about positive change to further the College. Her excitement and passion for higher education, and the importance of independent colleges like ours, is evident. With tremendous energy and dedication, she has played an integral role in helping Wilson evolve to meet the ever increasing expectations of today’s student,” said Dr. Barbara L. Tenney, ’67, chair, Wilson College Board of Trustees. “As we begin to celebrate the College’s Sesquicentennial, I am confident Wilson is well positioned for continued success and the next 150 years.”
Dr. Mistick will join the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) in September as president. With more than 1,000 colleges, universities and associations as members, NAICU is the largest organization representing independent, nonprofit colleges and universities on federal issues. The organization is based in Washington, D.C., and advocates on behalf of its member institutions; provides analysis, insight and guidance on legislation, regulations and policy developments; and devises collective strategies among key stakeholders. As president, Dr. Mistick will serve as ex officio member of the board, officer of the board and CEO of the association. Dr. Mistick will be the fourth president in NAICU’s 42-year history.
“I am very proud of my time at Wilson College and the work we have accomplished together. With the help of all our stakeholders, alumni, students, faculty, staff, former and current trustees and the Chambersburg community, we have repositioned the College and how it presents itself to the community. From reimagining and rededicating the John Stewart Memorial Library, successful public/private partnerships with the Borough of Chambersburg to improve pedestrian safety and rehabilitate Henninger Field, to a new Veterinary Education Center, slated to open the fall of 2019, my eight years have been focused on ways to enhance the student experience,” said Mistick.
The Wilson College Board of Trustees has appointed a committee to conduct a national search for the next president. As is customary, the greater college community─including faculty, staff, students and alumni─will be a part of that process.
Prior to her appointment at Wilson, Dr. Mistick was president of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, where she provided strategic leadership and operational oversight of a library system that serves approximately 1.2 million people and includes 19 neighborhood library locations.
Over the course of her 30-year career, Dr. Mistick has been an entrepreneur, educator and leader at institutions such as the H.J. Heinz School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and the National Education Center for Women in Business at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, as well as at various businesses she managed and/or founded. Her book, Stretch: How to Future-Proof Yourself for Tomorrow’s Workplace, was designated as an Amazon Editor’s Pick and ranked #12 on the 800-CEO-READ’s Best Seller list.
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller today visited the Single Parent Scholar Program at Wilson College to learn about the acclaimed program and discuss opportunities to expand post-secondary education and training options for single-parent families.
Gov.Tom Wolf's proposed 2019-20 budget includes $5 million to support up to seven partnerships to develop and implement programs for post-secondary education and training for single parents. The Parent Pathways model will focus on post-secondary education and training partnerships, housing supports and two-generational programming that supports healthy child and family development, according to a DHS news release. “Economically disenfranchised families and single-parent households face significant barriers to accessing higher education or post-secondary job training," Miller said. "When you’re balancing your family’s immediate needs and trying to make ends meet, taking time off work to seek education and training may be impossible. Programs like the Single Parent Scholars Program at Wilson College are providing services and supports to help parents and families get ahead and break the cycle of poverty.” Wilson College’s Single Parent Scholar Program provides on-campus housing year-round to single parents and their children so the parent can pursue a bachelor’s degree and participate in campus life, including clubs, athletics and student government. The college also provide on-campus child care for students' childen ages 20 months to 5 years. The program, formerly known as the Women with Children program until men were admitted a few years ago, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016.
“Over the past 22 years, Wilson’s Single Parent Scholar Program has helped open the door to college education─first to single mothers and now to single fathers as well─whether they are 18 or 48 years old,” said Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick. “That’s why this program is so special. It gives students the opportunity to achieve their dreams. And we know the experience of living at a college also profoundly affects their children and encourages them to follow in their parents’ footsteps. So it’s a very positive cycle for everyone.”
Wolf's administration is currently exploring opportunities for creating programs that support access to and engagement in postsecondary education, training, and family-sustaining employment opportunities for economically disadvantaged single-parent families.
Wilson’s dance ensemble, Orchesis, will present its annual spring performance in Laird Hall at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 12 and 13, with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. The show, which is open to the public, will include something for everyone--from ballet and modern dance to Bollywood, hip hop and contemporary. Dances to be performed were choreographed by undergraduate and graduate students, as well as Wilson faculty and alumni. Faculty from Dance Academy XIV and special guest performers will also take part.
Tickets will be available at the door and are $10 for general admission. Students, senior citizens and members of the military will be admitted free, but donations are welcome.
The crack of the bat and cheers of the crowd have returned to Chambersburg’s iconic Henninger Field, now home of the Wilson College baseball team. On Saturday, April 6, college, state and local officials and guests will dedicate the field and celebrate the team’s inaugural season, as well as officially open an 18-month commemoration of Wilson’s 150th anniversary.
“The dedication of such a legendary local ball field as the home of Wilson’s first baseball team seemed like the perfect time to launch our Sesquicentennial festivities,” said Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick.
Wilson College was chartered by the Pennsylvania Legislature on March 24, 1869, followed by a formal opening on Oct. 12, 1870. The College plans a series of celebratory Sesquicentennial events throughout 2019 and into 2020, ending with Wilson’s alumni reunion weekend in June 2020. Plans include an outdoor art installation, alumni art show, special alumni reunion activities and a formal gala.
More details on Sesquicentennial activities will be forthcoming and a full, updated list can be found at www.wilson.edu/150.
The Sesquicentennial celebration will kick off with the hour-long April 6 dedication ceremony at 11 a.m. at Henninger Field, 241 W. Vine St., recognizing the storied field as the official home of the Wilson Phoenix. The ceremony will be followed by a doubleheader between Wilson and the Clarks Summit University Defenders.
State and local officials have been invited to participate in the dedication, including State Rep. Rob Kauffman (Pa. District 89), who will read a proclamation marking Wilson’s 150th anniversary. Local baseball luminaries or their families have also been invited to attend, including descendants of the late Clay “Pop” Henninger─the Chambersburg businessman and baseball promoter for whom the field is named–and the family of the late Nellie Fox, a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer from St. Thomas, as well as representatives of the Nellie Fox Foundation. In addition, Wilson alumni, students, parents and friends of the College are expected to attend. Retired MLB player Tom Brookens will throw out the first pitch of the doubleheader. From 1979-88, Fayetteville’s Brookens was a standout third baseman for the Detroit Tigers, with whom he played when the team won the World Series in 1984. He also played for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians before coaching for the Tigers from 2009-13. Before the game begins, vocalist Corey Evan Rotz will sing the National Anthem. Rotz, a Chambersburg native, has had a widely successful singing career, performing regularly with the Kennedy Center’s Washington National Opera. In addition to his singing career, Rotz is a voice instructor at the Cumberland Valley School of Music.The day’s festivities will not only commemorate the reopening of the field, but also celebrate the College’s partnership with the community, according to Mistick. “It’s been a rewarding experience to partner with the Borough of Chambersburg to restore Henninger Field and bring baseball back to the park, where area residents can once again come to enjoy the games,” she said. “This project is just one example of how the College and borough government can work together to benefit the entire community.” Wilson has a 10-year lease agreement with the borough for the exclusive use of Henninger Field. Under the agreement, the College made approximately $250,000 worth of improvements to bring the 124-year-old field into compliance with NCAA specifications for baseball. The borough also completed some updates to the field’s public restrooms, moved electric lines and removed trees, according to college officials. “We’re very pleased the College found the resources to rehabilitate the facility, which was obviously in need of restoration,” said Chambersburg Borough Manager Jeffrey Stonehill. “Clearly, we’re looking forward to bringing some vitality to that facility, seeing the stands full of people and it again being a gathering spot for our community.” Henninger Field is steeped in local baseball lore. From its opening in 1895 until 2010, organized baseball was played at the field, where other sports contests have been played as well, including Chambersburg Cardinals football games and Chambersburg Area Senior High School’s Trojan football, baseball and soccer teams. Over the years, the field reportedly was even the site of horse shows, circuses and fire department drill competitions. The most famous baseball game played at Henninger Field took place the afternoon of May 31, 1929, when the New York Yankees played an exhibition game against the club’s farm team─Henninger’s home team, the Chambersburg Young Yanks. Baseball greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig played for the Yankees that day and in the fifth inning, Ruth thrilled the crowd when he lofted a three-run homer over the center field fence. The development of Henninger Field as a thriving center of baseball in Chambersburg is credited to Clay Henninger (1855-1930), a local player-turned-manager who coached the field’s Chambersburg Maroons home team for many years. Henninger─whose great-granddaughter, Ann Henninger Trax, is a 1968 Wilson graduate─became a local legend and in 1920, the ball park was named in his honor, according to newspaper accounts. Before it was acquired by the borough, the ball field was part of the Wolf Lake Park complex in the area north of Commerce Street. The attractions that were part of the park─including the lake, boathouse, dance hall, dining room and bowling alley─have all disappeared. “(The ball field) is really the only remnant of the park that’s still there,” Stonehill said. Information on parking for the April 6 ceremonies and home opener game can be found at https://www.wilson.edu/henninger-field-dedication-event-parking.
The Wilson College Veterinary Medical Technology Club will host dog washes from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 6 and 7, in the college veterinary building near the main entrance to campus. The dog washes are open to the public.The cost is $10 for small dogs, $15 for medium dogs, $20 for large dogs and $25 for extra-large or double-coated dogs. The price includes ear cleaning, nail trim, bath and blow dry—all of which will be performed by VMT Club members.
Owners must present a paper copy of their dog’s rabies vaccination. For more information, contact VMT Club President Shanelle Spotts at shanelle.spotts@wilson.edu
Wilson College will hold a reception from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, in Lortz Hall's Bogigian Gallery to mark the opening of the college's Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition. The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, will continue through April 26.
The show, which provides a venue for Wilson students to share their work with the community, will feature drawings, paintings, prints, ceramics, photographs and mixed-media artwork with a wide array of subject matter and content.
This year’s juror is Sarah MaClay, a local artist and faculty member at Shippensburg Area Senior High School.
The exhibition is presented by Wilson’s Department of Fine Arts and Dance. The Bogigian Gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information or an appointment, contact Professor of Fine Arts Philip Lindsey at 717-264-2783 or philip.lindsey@wilson.edu.
In recognition of Women’s History Month in March, Wilson College will host a book talk on America's first ladies on Tuesday, March 26. Wilson Associate Professor of Political Science Jill Abraham Hummer will discuss First Ladies and American Women at 2 p.m. in Laird Hall's Patterson Board Room, with a reception to follow. The lecture is free and open to the public.
The author of First Ladies and American Women: In Politics and at Home, Hummer will draw from her book to tell the story of how each modern first lady has been intimately linked with the roles, rights and responsibilities of American women.
The talk is sponsored by Wilson's Hankey Center and alumni relations office. For more information, contact Amy Ensley at amy.ensley@wilson.edu or 717-262-2562.
The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning recently awarded the Wilson College Child Care Center the highest possible rating in its Keystone STARS program—a STAR 4. The child care center, which is licensed by the Department of Human Services, previously had a STAR 3 designation. “This achievement requires staff to complete more professional development hours; do more work to complete child observations and assessments, and hold conferences with families; and pay more attention to health and safety standards,” said Karen Zakin, child care center director. “I am very proud of the staff for committing to going above and beyond state minimum requirements to earn this rating and show our commitment to high-quality early education for children.” In order to receive the STAR 4 designation, the center had to earn a minimum of 91 points out of a possible 108 points during on-site evaluations, according to Zakin. Wilson achieved a score of 103 points during the evaluation. The Keystone STARS (Standards, Training/Professional Development, Assistance, Resources and Supports) system promotes quality improvement in early learning and development programs and school-age child care. The system offers families a way to evaluate the quality of child care programs so they can make informed decisions that best meet their needs. As STAR levels increase from a STAR 1 through a STAR 4, so do the requirements for meeting higher standards of quality. Keystone STARS also provides child care centers training to advance staff education, technical assistance to help programs meet STAR level requirements, and additional resources through support grants and merit awards to support continued quality improvements. Located in Prentis Hall, Wilson’s child care center can accommodate 45 children ages 20 months to five years, year-round. Eight full-time and three part-time staff members work at the center, which is open to children of Wilson College students and employees, as well as those of Chambersburg families." “Wilson’s child care center strives to provide high-quality early care and education through a curriculum that is child-centered and developmentally appropriate,” Mary Beth Williams, vice president for student development, said. “We are proud our staff’s continuing effort and pleased the state has recognized them with a STAR 4 rating.”
Wilson College continues to expand its intercollegiate athletics program with the addition in 2020-21 of women’s lacrosse─the fastest-growing NCAA women’s sport of the past 15 years. Women’s lacrosse will become Wilson’s 11th NCAA Division III program. In the past six years, the college has added six intercollegiate programs─most recently baseball, which begins its inaugural season this spring, with home games to be held at Chambersburg’s historic Henninger Field. “Our sport sponsorship continues to expand and we are excited to add the growing sport of women’s lacrosse to Phoenix Athletics,” said Wilson Director of Athletics Lori Frey. “We look forward to yet another sport competing in the Colonial States Athletics Conference.” A national search for a head coach will get underway immediately to allow the new coach to begin recruiting during the 2019-20 academic year, officials said. The full-time head coach will also coordinate a new recreation and intramural program.
“The CSAC is thrilled that Wilson College is enhancing its sport sponsorship offerings with the addition of women’s lacrosse,” Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Commissioner Adrienne Mullikin said. “Wilson will become the seventh core member in the conference to sponsor women’s lacrosse in 2020-21, which allows the CSAC to achieve one of its primary goals of maintaining automatic qualifiers to the NCAA tournament. The CSAC applauds the administration at Wilson for recognizing this opportunity to strengthen the conference and we look forward to watching this program flourish in the years to come.” Over the past 15 years, the number of women’s lacrosse teams has increased by 97.3 percent, making it the fastest-growing sport for women during that time, according to the NCAA. In 2017-18, 45.3 percent of NCAA schools sponsored women’s lacrosse, which is officially a spring sport. The sport’s growth shows no signs of slowing and in the past two years alone, NCAA women’s lacrosse has gained 22 teams, officials said.
“Expanding our athletics offerings is a strong component of Wilson’s overall enrollment growth and student retention strategy,” said David Boisvert, the college’s vice president for enrollment management. “Adding women’s lacrosse is another important step in reaching those goals.”
Lacrosse has a long history at Wilson. The college officially fielded a team in 1934-35 and lacrosse continued until 1984, when a shift in sport sponsorship occured. During the late 1960s, the lacrosse team was coached by Kathy Heinze, an English Reserve player who went on to coach the undefeated, 1975 U.S. Lacrosse Team that included Wilson alumnae Sandy Walker '74 and Constance Burgess Lanzl '72, who was later inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. In addition to lacrosse in 2020-21, Wilson-sponsored Division III athletics programs include: field hockey, softball, men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, golf, and the previously mentioned baseball.
