WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – A trust established two decades ago by the late Dr. Marshall D. Welch Jr. and his wife, Mary L. Welch, has matured, and its remaining proceeds are being designated for a variety of efforts campuswide to assist students and bolster instruction.
Twenty years ago, the couple established a charitable remainder unitrust with Penn College with the intent of enhancing their endowment and supporting academic programs and students.
The Welch family has always believed in providing long-term support through endowments, but they have also recognized the immediate and critical needs of Penn College. Now, the college is partnering with Marshall D. Welch III, past board chair and current Executive Committee member of the Penn College Foundation, and Mary Welch to designate funds from the trust to meet those strategic needs.
The Welch family has long supported the college’s mission and its ability to steward philanthropic gifts wisely to recruit and educate students for the workforce – now and long into the future. The Welch’s support will:
- Further the Dr. and Mrs. Marshall D. Welch Jr. Endowed Diesel Scholarship, providing awards for students.
- Create the Dr. Welch Workshop Endowed Fund to provide perpetual resources to the Dr. Welch Workshop: A Makerspace at Penn College, including equipment needs, materials and training costs.
- Establish the Dr. and Mrs. Marshall D. Welch Jr. Scholarship Fund, a five-year spend down account for immediate-impact scholarships, based on the college’s strategic enrollment needs.
- Support the unrestricted Penn College Fund.
“The Welch Family recognizes that the needs of Penn College have naturally evolved over that past 20 years,” said Marshall Welch III. “It was a privilege to work with Loni Kline and (President) Dr. Davie Jane Gilmour to modify my parents’ gift from two decades ago to address the most pressing needs of Penn College today.”
“We are incredibly inspired by and grateful for the Welch family’s generosity,” said Loni N. Kline, vice president for institutional advancement. “Their passionate belief in the power of a Penn College degree, through these various designations, will advance academic excellence and provide critical support for our students.”
The Welch family’s impact is evident at Penn College and beyond. As advocates for youth development through academics, arts and applied technology education, their philanthropic support spans many decades, and their names grace a diverse portfolio of resources for students throughout the Williamsport community as a result of their generosity. The Welch legacy of innovation and love for community endures through their investments in Penn College’s “tomorrow makers.”
For more about giving opportunities at Penn College, visit www.pct.edu/give or call toll-free, 866-GIVE-2-PC.
For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call 800-367-9222.