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LHU awards Dr. Betty Baird Schantz honorary doctorate

Dr. Betty Schantz receives an honorary doctorate of public service from LHU President Dr. Michael Fiorentino Jr. PHOTO PROVIDED

LOCK HAVEN — In a small ceremony held Saturday, June 24, Lock Haven University awarded Dr. Betty Baird Schantz an honorary doctorate of public service.

Lock Haven University President Michael Fiorentino Jr., and Council of Trustee Members Dr. George Durrwachter, Margery Dosey and James Gregory, were on hand to bestow the honor in recognition of Dr. Schantz’s significant support of Lock Haven University.

In his remarks, Dr. Fiorentino acknowledged Dr. Schantz’s life-long dedication to helping students accomplish their educational goals. Early in her career, Dr. Schantz worked with Philadelphia at-risk high school students through summer programs and become a consultant and advocate for the 12th and Oxford Street Gang establishing tutorial programs leading to a GED program at Temple University.

In 1986 Dr. Schantz, a ’59 alumna, returned to her alma mater to serve in the College of Education and Human Resources. For six years she was associate dean, and served on the LHU Foundation Board where she chaired the last comprehensive capital campaign. She also established the Dr. Betty Baird Schantz Scholarship for pre-K-Middle Level majors from Clearfield or Clinton County and, in 2008, established the Betty B. Schantz Tutorial Center at the Stevenson Library.

Dr. Schantz’s contributions to higher education and her community have previously been recognized with the Eberly Medal for Philanthropy & Volunteerism for support of Higher Education state-wide and nation-wide, the 1975 LHU Distinguished Alumni Award, Friend of the Year for Ross Library, and the 2016 Wagner LHU Achievement Award for an alumnus who has impacted others in a positive way.

Upon receiving the award, Dr. Schantz thanked Dr. Fiorentino and the university for providing the honorable distinction, which has been awarded to only 26 others in the history of the university.

She shared, “While it is often said that it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community to make sure those children are provided opportunities to reach their potential.”

Dr. Schantz credited former administrators Drs. Craig Willis and Ira Masemore for their support in allowing her to initiate programs to provide those opportunities, and further acknowledged the assistance of Donna Wells, Kathy Ryan and Donna Barton in those endeavors.

Dr. Schantz was surrounded by family and friends, and the ceremony concluded with warm remembrances shared about her dedication and hard work in the community.

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