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NEWS FROM ALUMNI

1930s

Archer D. Smith, Jr. 1934 – Mr. Smith died August 17, 2007. After graduation from Penn State, he was a forester on the Sumter National Forest. He was with the U.S. Forest Service for 37 years, stationed in California, South Carolina, and Georgia. When he retired in 1970, in Atlanta, he was given the ‘Silver Smokey” award for outstanding service in fighting forest fires. (from The Greenville News, 8/19/07)

1940s

John C. “Jack” Good, 1941 – 263 North Coldbrook Ave., Chambersburg, PA 17201. Mr. Good, senior vice president of Bartlett Tree Experts Co. is one of nine Penn State College of Ag Sciences graduates honored with 2007 Outstanding Alumni Awards. After graduation, Good served in the U.S. Army as an officer of the 10th Mountain Division (ski troops) and 8th Infantry Division in Europe during World War II. After combat duty in France, Belgium, and Germany, he was wounded in the Battle of Huertgen Forest and retired in 1945 as a full lieutenant and company commander. Good has maintained an active connection to Penn State, serving on the School of Forest Resources Advisory Board for 12 years and lending guidance to the development of the Urban Forestry option in the Forest Science baccalaureate program. Good was honored as one of our School of Forest Resources Outstanding Alumni in 2001.

H. Bruce Gardner, 1942 – Mrs. H. Bruce Gardner sent us news that her husband died on March 11, 2007.

Robert W. “Bob” Mezger, 1947 – 5545 Sylvia Ave., Klamath Falls, OR 97603-8150. Bob Kintigh ’43 of Springfield, Oregon, sent us news that Mr. Mezger was recognized as the 2007 Oregon Tree Farmer of the Year. Adapted from Capital Press, November 23, 2007: “Mezger began accumulating his 1500 acres in 1978. Thanks to 30 years of selective harvesting and dedicated management, he cuts about 250,000 board feet annually and still has more standing timber than he started with. Instead of clear-cutting, Mezger has divided his land into nine units and selects trees to remove from each on a rotating annual basis. As larger gaps emerge in the forest, the next generations of ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine, and white fir trees are allowed to naturally regenerate in sunny spots. Mezger periodically measures his stands and enters the information into a computer database that helps him track the trees’ progress and assess what needs to be done next. ‘It’s not an easy system,’ said Mezger. ‘There’s a bit of luck involved in the whole process.’”

LeRoy “Whitey” Schaller, 1947 – 1839 Rt. 259. Bolivar, PA 15923.

Charles A. Keeley, 1948 – 358 Carr Wynn Road, LaFollette, TN 37766. A correction to the information printed in our summer 2007 issue: “I spent 32 years in central Maryland supervising the planting about 3,000,000 seedlings—not 33,000,000 seedlings.”

Caleb M. Pennock, Jr., 1948 – 250 Pantops Mtn. Rd., Apt 5417, Charlottesville, VA 22911. “I served in the Navy in the Pacific Theater on an LST as a navigator and later as captain. After graduation in 1948, I began my lifetime work with the Virginia Department of Forestry for 42 years. I started work in Farmville as a trainee, was transferred to Warrenton as a county forester, and later was promoted to regional chief of forest management in charge of ten counties in the Richmond area.

“In 1962, I was assigned to the headquarters office in Charlottesville and held positions as director of forest management, fire control, administration, and retired in January 1991 as deputy state forester. My major responsibilities as deputy were support services that included technical, fiscal, purchasing, building and equipment maintenance, capital outlay projects, budgets, and short- and long-range planning.

“I received a Paul Mellon grant to study loblolly pine management for one semester at North Carolina State College. I was also awarded a National Institute of Public Affairs Scholarship to attend the University of Virginia for one year.

“Before retirement, my family and I traveled across the United States by camping with a tent, then a camper, and then with an Airstream trailer. We sold the trailer, but have traveled to many countries outside the United States. We are now living in a retirement community that is located in Charlottesville. Since we are located in a university town and a medical center, our residents have very interesting backgrounds, such as medical, law, education, government and foreign service. I am the only forester and, as a result, they gave me the job as chair of the Tree Committee. Keeps me busy.”

Paul R. Drury, 1949 – Ralph Heilig ’58 sent us this obituary for Mr. Drury who died September 15, 2007: “Drury retired from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry in 1982 as assistant district forester on the Delaware District at Stroudsburg after 32 ½ years of service.

“Born on a small farm near Mercersburg in 1921, Drury grew up during the Great Depression. He graduated high school in 1939 and worked briefly for the National Youth Administration program at Mauch Chunk (Jim Thorpe), Pennsylvania, where he learned to weld and assemble aircraft wings at the Lehighton Airport. He then took a job with Fairchild Aircraft in Hagerstown, Maryland.

“Soon thereafter he volunteered for the draft, was assigned to the Army Air Corps, and trained as a radioman and aerial gunner. In November 1943 he became a waist gunner in the B24J ‘Liberator’ bomber. 

“Following several missions over the Balkans, Hungary, Italy, and Germany, Drury’s B24 was shot down on Feb. 22, 1944 near Regensburg, Germany. Only Drury and one other crewman were able to safely reach ground by parachute. He was captured by German farmers and taken to a large POW camp in Poland, known as Stalag Luft IV.

“A year later, in February 1945, with the Soviet army advancing westward, his captors decided to move all 6,000 POWs, on foot, southward into Germany. Thus began the infamous 80-day Death March that covered 600 miles during one of the most severe winters in European history. In April 1945 the prisoners were liberated by the US 104th Infantry Division.

“Drury was briefly hospitalized and returned to the United States by troopship. He was honorably discharged in September 1945 and immediately applied to Penn State but did not gain admittance until October—more than a month after classes had begun.

“Having been out of school more than six years and having just been released from 14 months of near-starvation in captivity, he came close to academic failure. According to Drury, the one individual who came to his aid and encouraged him to continue was H. Norton Cope, his silviculture professor.

“Drury remained in the Air Force Reserve, earned a commission and retired in 1982 as a major. He was promoted to assistant district forester at Stroudsburg in 1958. While in District 19, he served 20 years as air operations officer, supervising the air attack helicopter program.”

Anyone wishing to read Drury’s autobiography can contact Ralph Heilig at (717) 263-8647 or by e-mail at reheilig@comcast.net.”

Robert H. Rumpf, 1949 – 51 Kenwood Drive, Carlisle, PA 17013-2112; rrumpf@embargmail.com.

1950s

Walter R. “Dick” Rossman, 1950 – 2282 New Germany Road, Ebensburg, PA 19531.

Harold R. Birch, 1951 – 6017 Northridge Road, Columbia, SC 29206-4337. “Thanks to ’51 classmate Ron Coder for sharing information on the 100th anniversary events in State College via mutual friends, and thanks to George Kemp ’53 for hand-carrying material to me en route to Hilton Head, SC, on both the Penn State celebration and the Mont Alto celebration. (George and I went to the same Pittsburgh High School.)”

Paul “Sunshine” Shogren, 1951 – 1638 Memorial Drive, Oakland, MD 21550; shogren2@verizon.net.

Oscar C. Tissue, Jr., 1951 – 1203 Manchester St., Clinton, MS 39050.

Nelson Bevard, 1952 – P.O. Box 37, Kinburn ON K0A 2H0 Canada; nelsonbevard@hotmail.com. “After graduation and discharge from the Navy, I worked for a few years for the Maryland Department of Game and Inland Fish (now Dept. of Natural Resources), and then did another degree at Oregon State in forest engineering.  After a couple of years with BLM in Oregon, and again in Maryland, I got connected with consulting engineering companies working overseas on development projects. This brought on residences in Iran, Colombia, Thailand, and Honduras, with much travel to developing countries in between. I retired in 1995 after nearly three years in Honduras on an agriculture and rural development project. Helen, my good wife of over 50 years, and our two dogs and 20-pound cat are enjoying a rural setting on 100 acres near Ottawa, Ontario. The property is about half pasture on which we graze other people’s heifers in the summer and half woodlot where I try to practice some of the forestry lessons and harvest firewood to heat the house during our long winters.

“I keep in touch with Phil Clark, Don Barnett, and Stan Rapp on a more or less regular basis, and was happy to see Jim Nelson and Ted Yarosh at the reunion and tree dedication at Mont Alto last spring, all from the Class of ‘52.  It would be a pleasure to hear from any other classmates.”

James C. Nelson, 1952 – 5172 East Berlin Road, East Berlin, PA 17316.

George R. Kemp, 1953 – Mr. Kemp died October 15, 2007. He served as vice president (1997-1999) and president (1999-2001) of the School of Forest Resources Alumni Group, and as associate director, elected director, and president (2005-2007) of the College of Ag Sciences Alumni Society. For forty years, Kemp was president of The Kemp Group, which designed, built, and updated secular and Christian camps. He traveled to Puerto Rico, Korea, and Japan. He was one of the founders of Cornerstone TV (WPCB).

Kemp is one of four School of Forest Resources 2008 Outstanding Alumni who will be honored at our alumni banquet in April 2008. A more detailed biosketch will appear in our next newsletter.

Rodney Cobi, 1954 – 1165 Ingleside Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70806-7037.

Robert M. “Bob” Frank, 1954 – 40 Marion Drive, Hampden, ME 04444; marion40@roadrunner.com. “I manage to conduct two or three consulting jobs each year. Timber harvests in a coastal Maine red spruce forest and in white pine alongside a tidal river were both challenging operations this past year.”

Richard W. Schuler, 1954 – 808 Park Ave., DeLeon Springs, FL 32120.

Richard G. “Dick” Wallace, 1956 – Mark Webb ‘ 73 informed us that Mr. Wallace died December 16, 2007. Wallace was honored as one of our School of Forest Resources Outstanding Alumni in 2005.

Adapted from Wallace’s obituary in the Erie Times News: “Wallace served in the U.S. Army and had a career of more than 50 years in the forest industry. After retiring from Hammermill/International Paper Company in 1992 after 32 years, he was a forestry consultant and owned and operated Wallace and Associates Forestry, Inc. He was an active member of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association and the Society of American Foresters. In 2004, he published his first book, Building Family Wealth by Investing in Rural Land and Trees.”

Class of 1957 foresters plant memorial Logan elm. Let to right, standing: Tom Breslin, Norm Gavin, Toni Marchetti, Peter Dress, Bill Gericke, Tiny King, Bob Baldwin. Left to right, kneeling: Richard Voelker, Bill Erbeck.

Robert C. Baldwin, 1957 – 432 E. Irvin Avenue, State College PA 16801-6601. “Nine Class of 1957 foresters, some with their wives, gathered for an annual mini-reunion at Toni Marchetti’s Willow Ridge Farm near Middleburg, Pennsylvania, the week of October 15, 2007. On Wednesday, the 17th, all assisted in planting a 12-foot New Horizon Elm (Ulmus japonica x pumila) in remembrance of classmate Joseph F. Logan who passed away on August 10, 2007. This yearly reunion gives us the opportunity to keep in touch with our classmates and allows us to embellish and expand on all of those great stories that recall our Penn State and Mont Alto forestry experience.”

Tom Breslin, 1957 – 300 N. Eaton St., Berwick, PA 18603; tomb71@msn.com.

1960s

Maynard E. Nuss, 1960 – 521 High View Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99515-3716; mnuss@gci.net.

Werner K. Bruckner, 1961 – 925 N. 5th Street, Central Point, OR 97502-1822; wkbruck@charter.net. “After graduation I worked for the U.S. Forest Services NE Forest Experiment Station at Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, until I had to fulfill my military commitment (having been in ROTC), which started mid-October 1961. At the experiment station I worked in forest inventory in Maryland and West Virginia.

“Military service took me to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, home of the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps. I remained there my entire active duty tour, as a foreign liaison officer and company commander. Mid-October 1963 saw the end of my active duty. At the time the experiment station was going through budget cuts so they found a position for me at the Applegate Ranger District of the Rogue River National Forest in SW Oregon. There I joined a U.S. Army Reserves unit located in Medford, Oregon. I stayed in the reserves until the late 1980s, as company training officer, company commander, battalion supply officer, battalion training officer, and 6th Army Liaison to the Oregon National Guard in Salem.

“At the Applegate District I worked in the Timber Management department, mostly as small- and large-sales forester. I attended silviculture training to update my knowledge base and become a Certified Silviculturist. This involved attending three months of graduate-level courses at U. of Montana, U. of Idaho and Washington State. The last requirement included writing an in-depth silvicultural prescription (virtually as rigorous as a master’s degree thesis) and orally defending it for three to four hours before a board of professors, forest scientists, and forest supervisors. I passed on my first try and became certified.

“Late 1979, I was transferred to the Forest Supervisor’s Office of the Rogue River National Forest. My main task was to develop timber yield tables. With all the pre-work, scientific reviews, public scrutiny, etc. that task took me several years and resulted in more than 20 tables to cover the complete range of complexity of timber typed and ecological conditions found on the forest. I also helped the timber planner on the adjacent Winema National Forest headquartered in Klamath Falls to prepare yield tables for one of their ponderosa pine types.

“After the management plan was approved and began to be implemented, I basically remained in planning and silviculture and helped the districts of the forest plan projects and write silvicultural prescriptions. This, like the work on the Applegate District, gave me a lot of time in the field climbing up and down the hills to study groups of stands in preparation for planning meetings and prescription writing. I got to work on and with every district on the Rogue River Forest, which was very rewarding. On December 31, 1999, I retired after about 38 years of federal service, but continued to volunteer at the forest for a couple of years.

“Since retirement my wife and I have traveled a little, mostly to southern California and Arizona. I have joined the local Habitat for Humanity chapter as a building volunteer. Currently we strive to build four houses a year with eight to twelve regular volunteers working two to three days a week. In 2007 we were building two houses in Medford and two in Ashland, Oregon. This kind of work is more rewarding than any job I did in the Forest Service and I plan to continue building houses for a long time.”

W. Ed Frayer, 1961 – 5009 Harbor Heights, Lady Lake, FL 32159; edf@mtu.edu. “I retired from Michigan Tech University in 2000, went to Arizona for three years, and am now located in Florida. After not working at much other than my golf game for the past several years, I returned to teaching and am now teaching three stat courses at a junior college.”

Walter N. Peechatka, 1961 – 5 Lantern Lane, Camp Hill, PA 17011-8457; wpeechatka@pennag.com. “I completed a 30-year career in state government here in Pennsylvania in several state agencies ten years ago. During that time I was a bureau director in several state agencies and served as deputy secretary of agriculture for the last six years of my career.

“I also served five years as executive vice president of the Soil and Water Conservation Society in Ankeny, Iowa, a professional society representing 13,000 members worldwide.

“The last ten years I served as executive vice president of PennAg Industries Association representing agricultural businesses. I retired from the full-time position in October 2007 and am currently serving as senior advisory to PennAg on a part-time basis.

“One of the highlights of the last few years has been serving on the Penn State Board of Trustees for the last five plus years representing the agricultural community that has six seats on the Penn State governing body.

“Since I devoted most of my career to soil and water conservation and related activities, I have not been active in many forestry-related activities but I was recently appointed to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Advisory Council so I expect to renew some acquaintances with foresters and others from the council and within the agency.”

Joseph J. Sucha, 1961 – 14400 Clore Lane, Fredericksburg, VA 22407-1500; mistymeadow82@hotmail.com. “I retired from the Marine Corps after 26 ½ years, worked another nine years for three different defense contractors who conducted computer wargaming primarily for the Marines. We bought a small farm near the Chancellorsville Battlefield in Virginia. We raised Christmas trees for about ten years, but got wiped out when a three-year drought hit this area. Sandy and I have just been enjoying life and the grandkids for the last several years.”

Dennis L. Schweitzer, 1961 – 0205 SW Custer Street, Portland, OR 97219-2916; janden04@hotmail.com. “I have been retired from the U.S. Forest Service since 1991. After a one-semester teaching gig at Purdue, we settled and have lived here in Portland since. My current big problem is figuring out how to get four tickets for the Sept. 6 football game between real alma mater PSU and adopted friend Oregon State.”

Merl Waltz, 1961 – 2923 Roosevelt Avenue, Chambersburg, PA 17201; merwaltz@innernet.net. “Harley Wilson, forestry class of 1941, died 10/18/2007. Harley was a WWII vet with service at Normandy and elsewhere in Europe and earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. He worked as a self-employed surveyor and for the Army Corp of Engineers. He was predeceased by his wife and son and survived by two daughters.”

1970s

Charles Myers, 1972 – 46529 Pebblebrook Place, Steeling, VA 20165; clmyers@fs.fed.us. “I have been with the U.S. Forest Service since 1979, working in a variety of positions in the East. Recently I was forest supervisor of the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, national director of forest management inside the Beltway, and currently I am regional forester for the Southern Region of the Forest Service and living in Atlanta.”

Stephen M. Bratkovich, 1973 – 225 Stinson Boulevard, New Brighton, MN 55112-5021; sbratkovich@comcast.net. “On July 3, 2007, I retired from the U.S. Forest Service. My combined state and federal service totaled 32 years. For the past 15 years I was with the Northeastern Area, State and Private Forestry, located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Prior to moving to Minnesota, I worked more than nine years as an extension forester with Ohio State University, five+ years with Oklahoma State University Extension, and 2 ½ years with the Nebraska Forest Service.

“I’m currently an adjunct associate professor at the Univ. of Minnesota in the Dept. of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering. I’m also working as a forestry consultant and free-lance writer.”

John J. Serfass, 1973 – 80 Stinson Lake Rood, Rumney, NH 03266; 3jsrumney@roadrunner.com. “This past July I retired after 35 years with the federal government. I began my career with the Soil Conservation Service (now NRCS) the summer before my senior year, and worked in Berks, Adams, and Chester counties. In 1975 I began my Forest Service career that took me to Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and New Hampshire. My last position was as district ranger on the White Mountain National Forest. My wife and I have no immediate plans to leave New Hampshire, but we have begun to feel the tug from somewhere in northcentral Pennsylvania.

“One of our daughters works for the U.S. Forest Service in Montana and so does her husband. Our other daughter’s husband also works for the Forest Service in California. I guess forestry has become a family calling!”

Robert A. “Bob” Daniels, 1974 – 1430 Whispering Pines Circle, Starkville, MS 39759; bobd@nctv.com. “I retired as extension professor in the forestry department at Mississippi State June 2006. I am now working in my consulting firm, Daniels and Associates, and in forestland real estate in Mississippi. I’ll finish my term on the SAF Council in December 2007, and am still active in the Mississippi Forestry Association on the board of directors. My best to all in Pennsylvania and at Penn State.”

Lou Neuman, 1974 – 6376 Duck all Ct., Tallahassee, FL 32309; LouNeuman@dep.state.fl.us. “I was elected president of the National Association of State Land Reclamationists (NASLR) during NASLR’s 35th annual meeting in September 2007. I had served on many other NASLR committees, including the executive committee. Last year I was elected vice-president of the organization. NASLR advocates the uses of research, innovative technology, and professional discourse to foster the restoration of lands and waters affected by mining related activities. NASLR membership is open to state, individuals, and corporations involved in land reclamation. The 2008 meeting is scheduled to be held in Pennsylvania. I have been involved with mine reclamation for more than 25 years and now work as an environmental specialist with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Mine Reclamation. It was during Dr. Hutnik’s ecology class that I was introduced to reclamation of mines.”

1980s

1990s

Richard Todd Stanford, 1991 – MTRS, HHC 3/187 INF, APO  AE  09344. Ralph Heilig ’58 sent this news: “Todd, as he is known, joined the Army at age 33 in 2002. He volunteered for Army service, entering as a private. Qualified as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. A year later he entered Officer Candidate School (OCS). Graduated OCS April 2004 as a 2nd Lt., Infantry. 

Assigned to 101st Airborne Division. Served in Iraq September 2005 to March 2006. Received additional training in mortars. Promoted to Captain March 2007. Deployed to Iraq for a second tour, September 2007. Due to return to the United States January 2009. Todd would like to hear from classmates. His address: Capt. Richard T. Stanford, MTRS, HHC 3/187 INF, APO AE  09344”

Thomas L. Serfass, 1994g – Frostburg State University, Dept. of Biology, Frostburg, MD 21532; tserfass@frostburg.edu. A Frostburg news release in Sept. 2007 announced that Dr. Thomas Serfass, associate professor in the Frostburg State University Department of Biology, was awarded the prestigious Wilson H. Elkins Professorship from the University System of Maryland, an award that supports professors who demonstrate exemplary ability to inspire students and whose professional work and scholarly endeavors make a positive impact beyond USM. Serfass is the first in the history of the USM to receive the award for three straight years, USM officials said. The $80,000 award will allow him to continue his work with otters, in particular this project in Tanzania’s Rubondo Island National Park, which he hopes will benefit not only the otters but the community there as well.

John J. Morgan, 1996 – 1398 Herndon Road, Lawrenceburg, KY 40342.

Beth (Verhanovitz) Clark, 1999 – 104 Centennial Drive, Richlandtown, PA 18955. “I gave birth to my first child, Noah Rori Clark, on March 11, 2007. After my maternity leave, I will be returning to my position as environmental education specialist at Nockamixon State Park.”

2000s

Stephanie Rebain, 2002 – 1056 N. Franklin Ave., Loveland, CO 80537-4655; stephanierebain@yahoo.com.

Patrick Barry, 2004g – 1840 Worden Avenue, Klamath Falls, OR 97601; pbarry@usgs.gov.

V. Malissa Mengel, 2005 – 1345 Towne Lake Hills S. Dr., Apt. 20-401, Woodstock, GA 30189. “I recently began working at a consulting firm in Georgia.”

Adam McClain, 2006 - 15 Zoo Road, Fairfield, PA 17320; alm_346@yahoo.com. “I am working for the Cumberland County Conservation District, as the watershed specialist. I work with a variety of interesting projects such as the county Envirothon, stormwater BMPs, stream monitoring, public relations, and watershed education.”

In Memoriam

Archer D. Smith, 1934
died August 17, 2007

Roy T. McGrann, 1937
died August 20, 2006

Harley L. Wilson, 1941
died October 18, 2007

H. Bruce Gardner, 1942
died March 11, 2007

Ralph K. Peter. 1942 and 1946g
died September 13, 2006

Paul R. Drury, 1949
died September 15, 2007

George R. Kemp, 1953
died October 15, 2007

Richard G. Wallace, 1956
died December 16, 2007

Gregg B. Rishel, 1980g
died September 28, 2006

Penn State | College of Agricultural Sciences | School of Forest Resources