The Department of Business Educ. ·
Celebrates

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PROGRESS
1930- 1 955

State Teachers College
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

These were the first . . .

CLASS OF 1934
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS EDUCATION

Paul J. Baker

Georgia Matha

Nora Bayliff

I. Kerr Miller

Arden Blain

Genevieve Morgis

Edith Blair

Clifford Nelson

Walter S. Chesney

Florence Pieri

Maud Mae Edwards

Mildred Quick

Grace Feather

Pearl Savage

Roy Garman

Dorothy Semic

Joseph Gribbin

Freda Shuman

Elwood Hartman

Harriet Spotts

Marion E. Hinkel

Mary Taylor

Eleanor Klingerman

William Thompson

Thelma Knauss

Rocco Turse

Arthur Knerr

Ruth Welliver

Wesley Knorr

Louise Yeager

John Krepick

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We thank you . . .

DEDICATION

There are many eloquent ways to express appreciation, but we believe
the simplest is the best.

Thank you . . .

for your knowledge which gives us strength;
for your indomitable spirit;
for your tireless efforts;
for your high professional standards and
ideals which have made us what we are,
what we hope to be;
for your zest for life;
for your continued patience;
for your understanding;
and most of all for being yourselves.
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It is with deep pride that we dedicate this anniversary publication to
Dr. Harvey A. Andruss and to faculty members, past and present, of the
Department of Business Education.

. .. THE STAFF

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'J'he privilege was ours . . .

EDITORIAL STAFF

Associate Editors
Joyce Kline
Pasquale Giangiulio

Art Editor-Marion Duricko
Advisers-Mr. Gehrig, Mr. Rygiel
Staff
Curtis English

Theophele Jones

Larry Fiber

Jeannetta Mincer

Eileen Gerosky

Harrison Morson

Mary Hoffecker

Constance Ozalas

Ella Johnson

Rosalyn Verona

This publication was prepared as a joint project of the Business Education Club and Alpha Delta Chapter, Pi Omega Pi.

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A word from the staff . . .

FOREWORD
As the familiar saying goes, "Great Oaks From Little Acorns Grow,"
so on this memorable occasion-the Silver Anniversary of the Business
Education Department-we observe the growth of the Department planted
as a little acorn in 1930 by our own College President, Dr. Harvey A
Andruss.
We see it nurtured, pruned, and cared for through the years by the
excellent department heads and faculty members, past and present, to
become the sturdy oak that it is today.
In this Silver Anniversary publication, every effort has been made to
present a concise and complete history of the Department and its development from its beginning to the present.
We, the editors, desire to express our appreciation to the advisers and

•

students who have contributed their time and efforts to produce this
publication.
. .. THE EDITORS

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'L'he Dezrnrtrnent grew . . .

MILESTONES OF PROGRESS
The present conception of professional education is a result of a process of evolution. This was evident in 1930 when the State Department
of Public Instruction designated the State Teachers College, Blo::>msburg,
as an institution where commercial teachers for high schools of the Commonwealth would be trained. Our college thus became, according to
President Francis B. Haas, the first and only institution of its type in the
eastern part of Pennsylvania to offer a program of education designed to
prepare commercial teachers.
At Dr. Haas' request, Harvey A. Andruss, at that time a member of
the faculty of the State Teachers College at Indiana, Pennsylvania, accepted the position of Director of Commercial Teacher Training. This
position carried with it the responsibility for inaugurating the new training program for commercial teachers. In addition to a broad educational

6

background, Dr. Andruss brought with him a wealth of experience, having served as principal and teacher in high schools in Gotebo, Marmec,
Tipton, and Ponca City, Oklahoma, and as instructor and lecturer at
Northwestern University School of Commerce.
The new Commercial Teacher Training Course was inaugurated
under the guidance of Dr. Andruss on September 2, 1930, with the first
classes held in Noetling Hall. Assistance was given Dr. Andruss during
this first year by Miss Margaret Hoke. The faculty was increased to
three in 1931 by the addition of Miss Marguerite Murphy.
In order to give students a wide range of experiences, a program of
extracurricular activities was immediately inaugurated. On September
15, 1930, the Junior Chamber of Commerce was organized with membership open to all students enrolled in the Department. The name of the
organization was subsequently changed to the Business Education Club
in 1939.
The first Commercial Contest, held on May 15, 1931, provided additional opportunities for extracurricular experiences for students enrolled
in the Department. Students of fifteen high schools from throughout the
state met in competitive examinations in various business subjects. A
silver cup was awarded to the students of Wyoming High School as winners of this first contest. The contest, desigued to encourage high school
students to give consideration to commercial teaching as a career, proved
so popular that it became an annual project of the Department.
The populnrity of the new Commercial Teacher Training Course
during the first few years resulted in constantly increasing enrollment. In
order to meet the demand of students, the faculty was increased in 1933
by the appointment of Mr. \,Villiam C. Forney, then Head of the Commercial Depsri:m.ent of Easton High School. The business faculty which
now consisted of four members, saw their first students-six in numberreceive the Bachelor of Science in Education degree in May of this same
year. It was not until May, 1934, however, that the first students following the regular four-year Commercial Teacher Training Course received
degrees.
In order to give recognition to students of superior scholarship and
professional promise, the Junior Chamber of Commerce petitioned in 1935
for membership in Pi Omega Pi, a national professional business education
fraternity. The Alpha Delta chapter of Pi Omega Pi was installed on

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the campus on May 28 of that same year. Eligibility for membership was
contingent upon high scholastic standing and membership in the Junior
Chamber of Commerce for two years.
The next few years were marked by great expansion m the Dep3rtment. Miss Mabel Oxford joined the faculty in 1935. In September,
1937, Mr. N. Briss Curtis and Mr. Herbert McMahan were added to the
instructional staff of the Department. During this same year Dr. Harvey
A. Andruss relinquished his position as Director of Business Education to
assume the duties of Dean of Instruction of the College and was later
elevated to the presidency. Mr. Forney was named to succeed him as
Director. The curriculum was expanded to include three new sequencesbookkeeping, secretarial, retail selling-in order to allow each student to
specialize in the area of greatest int erest to him. The continued growth of
the Department was also evidenced by the size of the student body which
was rapidly approaching three hundred.
In January, 1938, Mr. Walter S. Rygiel, Head of the Commercial Department of Wyoming Memorial High School, was selected to fill the position left vacant by the resignation of Mr. Curtis, who was to undertake
the formation of a similar department in a sister institution. At the same
time Miss Mary A. Allen joined the faculty and remained for the balance
of the year. In September, 1938, Mr. A. Park Orth, Chairman of the
Commercial Department of the Edison Junior High School, Harrisburg,
assumed the position which had been held by Miss Allen.
Following this period of rapid expansion in the late 1930's, Bloomsburg State Teachers College, like similar educational institutions, felt the
effects of World War II. Business Education, as an activity on the college level, suffered a marked decrease in enrollment throughout the
country. High school graduates with limited training could go into business or government offices and often times command salaries equal to or
in excess of those paid college graduates. In an effort to adjust to these
changing conditions and demands, the college instituted a year-round educational program which consisted of three terms comprising sixteen weeks
each.
As the War progressed, the Department, under the direction of Mr.
Forney, was forced to operate with a restricted faculty. In 1941 Mr.
Herbert E. McMahan entered the service of the United States Navy and
was replaced by Mr. Wilbur Abel. Mr. Abel left to serve with the Navy

8

at the end of the 1941-42 academic year. At the same time, Mr. Park
Orth accepted a position in the Department of Public Instruction, and
Miss Marguerite Murphy and Miss Mabel Oxford resigned. Although the
Department had only three faculty members during the latter part of 1942,
the year-round program continued to function. In January, 1943, Mr.
Earl A. Gehrig was named to the faculty; but with the resignation of Miss
Margaret Hoke in May, 1943, the Department was again reduced to a
staff of three instructors.

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Following the War, there was an immediate increase in enrollment
resulting in many changes on the campus. On September 10, 1945, the
temporary wartime program of three terms per year was replaced by two
semesters of eighteen weeks each. In order to handle adequately the large
number of students, the Department of Business Education moved to
Navy Hall. Navy Hall, constructed just prior to the War, was used as
official headquarters for Navy programs during the war and thus derived
its unofficial name. Although originally planned and erected as a junior
higp. school, it was never used for that purpose.
The increased enrollment, consisting largely of veterans, brought an
immediate demand for additional faculty in the Department. Mr. Charles
Henrie, Mr. William Landis, and Miss Hariette F. Smith were appointed
to the faculty in September, 1946. Because of ill health, Mr. William C.
Forney relinquished his position as Director of the Department but continued to serve on the faculty. Dr. J. Frank Dame, Director of Graduate
Work in Business Education at Temple University, was named to succeedMr. Forney in the summer of 1946. In January, 1947, Mr. Clayton Hinkel, Head of the Commercial Department of Easton High School, joined
the faculty of the Department.

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Several changes took place in the faculty during 1947. Dr. Dame
accepted the position of Educational Director of the National Office Management Association; Mr. Landis left the faculty to assume a teaching
position at Hershey Junior College; and Miss Hariette Smith resigned to
accept a position at Ohio Northern University. Dr. Richard G. Hallisy
was named to succeed Dr. Dame and assumed his duties during the summer of 1947. Dr. Hallisy came to Bloomsburg from Washington, D. C.,
where he was Educational Consultant with the Veterans Administration.
Miss Ella Krumacher, Miss Honora Noyes, and Mr. William B. Sterling
also joined the faculty at the beginning of the Fall Semester.

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The year 1947 marked the inauguration of the Annual Sales Rally
now held on the campus each spring. The original purpose of the Rally
was to promote interest in the Retail Selling Curriculum and to provide
experience for students following this specialized curriculum. During
recent years the Rally has been designed primarily to foster better relations between businessmen and the college and to provide students with an
opportunity to secure practice in organizing and administering community
activities.
Changes in the faculty of the Department since 1947 have been limited in number. At the close of the academic year, 1947-48, Miss Krumacher resigned. Miss Marjorie Keller joined the faculty in the fall of
1948 and remained until 1951. During 1951 Mr. Sterling was transferred
from the Department of Business Education to the Department of Secondary Education. In the summer of 1954, Dr. Thomas B. Martin, Head
of the Department of Business, Delta State Teachers College, Cleveland,
Mississippi, was appointed to the position of Director of the Department
left vacant by the resignation of Dr. Hallisy. Mrs. Margaret McCern,
business teacher of Catawissa, Pennsylvania, High School, succeeded Miss
Honora Noyes, who resigned at the close of the 1953-54 school year.
The curriculum of the Department through the years has undergone
many changes. Courses and areas of specialization have been added, as
well as deleted, from time to time in order that students might secure the
best training available. Under the curriculum now in effect, a student
may choose any one of three available sequences-General Business, Accounting, or Secretarial. This provides each student with the opportunity
of selecting an area of study compatible with his interests and his abilities.
Prior to the completion of a degree program, each student engages in classroom teaching in an actual school situation for a period of one semester.
These classroom experiences are obtained under the guidance of experienced classroom teachers in the high schools of Berwick, Bloomsburg,
Danville, and Williamsport, with supervision provided by a member of
the faculty of the Department.
From a small beginning in 1930, the Department has grown to become recognized as one of the outstanding departments of business education throughout Pennsylvania and the surrounding states. This growth,
no doubt, has been a result of a combination of many factors; however,

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the respect which is accorded the Department by educators and the recognition which the Department has achieved is due, in large part, to the
guidance and foresight of the founder of the Department, the devotion of
the faculty, past and present, and the excellent performance of our graduates in the classrooms of the schools of the nation.

FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT

1954-55
Left to right, Seated: Dr. Thomas Martin; Mr. William Forney; Dr. Harvey A.
Andruss, President of the College; Mrs. Margaret McCern.
Standing: Mr. Walter Rygiel; Mr. Earl Gehrig; Mr.
Charles Henrie.

u

Clayton Hinkel; Mr.

'l'h ese continue t o serve ...

PRESIDENT OF THE COLLEGE
HARVEY A. ANDRUSS
University of Oklahoma, A.B.; Certificate in Public and Private Business, Northwestern University; M.B.A.; Graduate Study, ibid.; Research Reader, Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, England;
Pennsylvania State University, Ed.D.
BUSINESS EDUCATION FACULTY
THOMAS B. MARTIN
Director
Northeast Missouri State Teachers College, Kirksville, Missouri, B.S.;
University of Tennessee, M.S. ; Indiana University, Ed.D.
WILLIAM C. FORNEY
Supervisor Student Teaching
Temple University, B.A.; New York University, M. A.; Graduate
Study, Harvard University, Chicago University.
EARL A. GEHRIG
Accounting
State Teachers College, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, B.S.; Northwestern University, M.B.A.; Graduate Study, Bucknell University,
Pennsylvania State University.
CHARLES H. HENRIE
Retail Selling
State Teachers College, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, B.S.; Temple
University, M.Ed.; Graduate Study, University of Pittsburgh, New
York University.
CLAYTON H. HINKEL
Clerical Practice, Mathematics
State Teachers College, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, B.S.; Temple
University, M.Ed.; Graduate Study, New York University, Pennsylvania State University, Columbia University.
MARGARET McCERN
Secretarial Subjects
State Teachers College, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, B.S. ; Pennsylvania State University, M.Ed. ; Graduate Study, Pennsylvania State
University.
WALTERS. RYGIEL
Secretarial Subjects, Business Law
T emple University, B.S., M.Ed.; Graduate Study, Temple University, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University.

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•
•

Busin ess Grad1wtes find employm ent . . .

RECORD OF PLACEMENT
1933 - 1954
Year

•

.

.,

1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954

Graduated
from
the
College

81
105
113
95
99
134
141
152
133
148
113
87
59
77
85
117
225
263
182
183
195
166

2,953

Graduated
in
Business
Education

6
31
34
16
31
49
55
51
61
67
39
30
19
19
26
41
104
91
49
53
53
36

-

Other
Gainful
Teaching Employment

4
27
32
15
29
40
41
32
33
35
22
26
18
16
21
30
61
49
32
33
29
23

-

-

2
3
1
1
2
8
8
13
12
9
1
2
1
1
4
7
31
29
7
11
8
2

Graduate
Work,
Military
Service

No
Replies

1
1
1
6
2
10
23
15
1

-

1
1
3
11
10
10
9
16
9

648
163
961
130
(100.00%) (67.43%) (16.96%) (13.53%)

4

6
1
1
1
1
1
3

-

•

2

20
(2.08%)

(These data were compiled from a nnual surveys of graduates completed
in November of e ach year following graduation.)

Although the Department of Business Education was not organized
until 1930, six students by attending summer sessions completed the requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Education degree in 1933. Of
the 2,953 students graduating from Bloomsburg State Teachers College
from 1933 to 1954, inclusive, 961, or 32.54% , completed the curriculum in
Business Education.

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Th e Department looks to the future . . .

THE CHALLENGE OF THE FUTURE
Twenty-five years have passed since the inauguration of the Business
Education Curriculum at Bloomsburg-truly "Twenty-Five Years of
Progress." Faculty, alumni, and students of Bloomsburg are justly proud
of the contribution which the founder of our Department and now the
president of our College has made to business education. The Department under his guidance has served well the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through the excellent training provided for prospective business
teachers. However, institutions cannot rest on past laurels-Bloomsburg
is no exception. We must continually plan for the future.
The future presents a challenge which the Department of Business
Education eagerly accepts. The complex economic society in which we
' live and in which we will continue to live demands that business education
make a constantly increasing contribution to the total educational program of the youth of our land. Institutions engaged in preparing busi•
ness teachers must exercise leadership if the future teachers of business
are to discharge satisfactorily their responsibility to pupils in their classrooms. As it has in the past, the Department of Business Education will
in the future accept this challenge of leadership. Curriculums will be
studied and revised in light of changing conditions; up-to-date office
equipment will be provided at all times; and even more important, the
faculty will continue to grow professionally. The Department will strive
at all times to provide training which will furnish Pennsylvania with the
best qualified business teachers available.
Yes, the Faculty of the Department of Business Education at Bloomsburg looks with pride at past achievements, but at the same time, we look
forward with anticipation to the challenge which the future holds.

THOMAS B. MARTIN
Director of Business Education

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Milestones in the life of a college . . .

1839-Bloomsburg Academy founded.
1856-Bloomsburg Literary Institute chartered.
1866-Bloomsburg Literary Institute charter revived.

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1869-Bloomsburg Literary Institute becomes Bloomsburg Literary Institute and State Normal School.
1916-Bloomsburg Literary Institute and State Normal School becomes
Bloomsburg State Normal School.
1927-Bloomsburg State Normal School becomes Bloomsburg State
Teachers College.
1930-BUSINESS EDUCATION CURRICULUM INAUGURATED AT
BLOOMSBURG STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE.
1940-Aviation training program for undergraduates inaugurated.
1942-Army and Navy Aviation Cadet Training Program inaugurated.
1955-DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS EDUCATION CELEBRATES
SILVER ANNIVERSARY.

Accredited by
Pennsylvania State Council of Education
Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools
American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Member of
American Association of Education
National Association of Business Teacher Training Institutions
National Office Management Association

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BUD.DING A TEMPLE

A builder builded a temple,

He wrought it with grace and skill;
Pillars and groins and arches
All fashioned to work his will.
Men said as they saw its beauty
"It shall never know decay.
Great is thy skill, 0 builqer:
Thy fame shall endw-e for aye."

A teacher builded a temple
With loving and infinite care,
Planning each arch with patience,
Laying each stone with prayer.
None praised her unceasing efforts
None knew of her wot1drous plan,
For the temple the teacher builded
Was unseen by the eyes of man.
Gone is the builder's temple,
Crumbled into the dust;
Low lies each stately pillar,
Food for consuming rust.
But the temple the teacher builded
Will last while the ages roll,
For that beautiful unseen temple
Is a child's immortal soul.
. .. Anonymous