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Westminster College to Award Alumni Citations

Posted on Monday, October 9, 2006

Westminster College will award Alumni Citations to Judge George "Tookie" James, Dr. Paul Musser and Mrs. Margaret Newcomb Musser, and Dr. Timothy W. Schenz. Robert C. Jackson will receive the Outstanding Young Alumni Award at the annual Citation Celebration Reception and Dinner Friday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m. in the Witherspoon Rooms of the McKelvey Campus Center.

The Westminster College Alumni Citations were created to recognize alumni who
achieved significant accomplishments in their profession, or made meaningful contributions to the community or Westminster.

James was awarded a full four-year academic scholarship and graduated cum laude in 1959 with a degree in political science and minors in history and German. While at Westminster, he earned four varsity letters as catcher on the baseball team, three varsity letters as a running back on the football team, and co-captained the football team his junior and senior years. He continued his studies at Dickinson School of Law where he was a member of the Law Review, a body of honor students, and went on to serve the required clerkship before beginning his law practice in 1963, which he continued for 35 years. In 1998, former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge nominated James to fill a vacancy on the bench that was unanimously confirmed by the Pennsylvania Senate. He became the first black judge in the court of Common Pleas of Beaver County in its 200-year county history.

The Mussers, who were college sweethearts, are 1945 graduates. Paul, a psychology, philosophy and Bible major, went on to earn two masters' degrees at the Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary and the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He received a doctor of ministry degree from Ashland Theological Seminary and has done post-doctoral studies at the Fuller Theological Seminary. Margaret, who graduated cum laude with a degree in piano and a minor in English and speech, continued her graduate studies at the Columbia University Teacher's College and went on to teach music in public schools and privately. Margaret and Paul have been involved in the New Wilmington Missionary Conference for 67 years. From 1947-1950 they served as missionaries in Assuit, Egypt, where he taught English at Assuit College and she taught piano and directed choruses for women at Pressley Memorial Institute. Paul's ministry and Margaret's music have enhanced a number of churches and non-profit organizations and continues into their retirement. Paul still climbs the stairs to play the carillon in the Westminster Old Main tower. They were co-chairs of the "Friends of the Carillon" campaign to raise funds that are earmarked for an endowed scholarship for a student carillonneur. This team has made a difference in the Presbyterian Church and in the field of music education.

Schenz graduated in 1968 with a degree in chemistry, and continued his studies at Kent State University where he received a Ph.D. in physical chemistry. He rose to senior scientist at General Foods Corp., where he did research on various physical chemistry and analytical projects. From 1987-2002, he rose to be a research fellow in the Medical Nutritional Business Unit of Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories. In 1996, Schenz was awarded the Outstanding Research Award at Abbott Laboratories for helping develop the first re-closeable plastic infant formula bottle. He found a way, and still holds the patent, to check the sterility of the bottles by passing them through a MRI to inspect for spoilage. Schenz donated the grant from this award to the H. Dewey DeWitt Scholarship Fund, created in the memory of Westminster College professor emeritus Percy Warrick, a gifted chemistry teacher and the main reason Schenz decided to be a physical chemist.

The Outstanding Young Alumni Award was created to recognize alumni of 15 years or less, who are making a significant contribution as they build careers and serve their community or Westminster.

Jackson, a 1991 graduate of Westminster with a degree in business administration and management, continued his studies at the University of Pittsburgh, Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business where he received his MBA. Jackson's career path changed from stockbroker to health care administration when Westminster College professor Dr. Paul Frary directed him to a month-long internship at Canterbury Place, a long-term care facility. His continued employment there during the summer sealed his fate to working with health care. In 1995, Jackson joined Gateway Health Plan in Pittsburgh as a provider representative, and in 1997 he moved to the University of Pittsburgh Physicians as a financial analyst and manager of payer relations. His final move was in 1998 to the United Community Hospital in Grove City where he was promoted to chief executive officer in 2004, making him one of the youngest CEOs in the United States.

Contact Mary Cooley James, director of alumni relations and young alumni programs, at (724) 946 7363 or e-mail mailto:mjames@westminster.edu for more information.

Judge George "Tookie" James
Dr. Paul Musser and Mrs. Margaret Newcomb Musser
Dr. Timothy W. Schenz
Robert C. Jackson