University Times

Pitt will honor 14 donors tomorrow, June 24, with induction into the Cathedral of Learning Society, which was established in 1999 to recognize individuals who have given lifetime gifts to the University totaling $1 million or more.

The 14 new members brings the society’s total membership to 53 such donors.

This year’s Cathedral of Learning Society inductees are:

• William R. Baierl, chair and president of the Baierl Family of Dealerships, who has supported the Baierl Student Recreation Center, the Baierl Basketball Center, the Baierl Scholarship Fund in Athletics and the Karl C.H. Oermann Scholarship Fund in Education, as well as renovations to the Fitzgerald Field House and the purchase of new marching band uniforms.

• The late George Means Bevier and the late Eva M. Bevier, who provided initial funding to build the School of Engineering’s first library, which was named the Bevier Engineering Library.

• The Blaisdell Family, which includes Sarah B. Dorn and Harriett B. Wick, daughters of the late George G. Blaisdell, who founded the Zippo Manufacturing Co., and Blaisdell’s grandchildren, Paul C. Duke, George B. Duke, Barbara Wick Kearney and D. Blaise Wick.

The family created the Blaisdell Fine Arts Challenge, which raised funds to build Blaisdell Hall, Pitt-Bradford’s fine arts and communication arts building, and to establish the Zippo/Case Technology Challenge, a $1 million challenge to raise funds to enhance and maintain campus technology. Additionally, the family has provided scholarships for more than 80 Pitt-Bradford students annually through the Miriam Barcroft Blaisdell Scholarship.

• Herb Boyer and Grace Boyer. Herb Boyer is co-founder and director of Genentech, Inc., the country’s first major biotechnology company, and vice chair of Allergan, Inc. He also is president of the Herbert & Marigrace Boyer Foundation. With his wife, Grace, he established the Herbert W. and Grace Boyer Chair in Molecular Biology in Pitt’s Department of Biological Sciences.

• John A. Jurenko and Ruth R. Jurenko. John Jurenko is the retired vice president of sales and marketing at ADTRAN, a company he co-founded in 1985, whose products provide Internet access, telecommunications and computer networking via copper telephone lines.

Jurenko and his wife have established the John A. and Ruth R. Jurenko Endowed Professorship in Computer Engineering, the John A. and Ruth R. Jurenko Computer Engineering Program Development Fund, the John A. Jurenko Graduate Fellowship in Electrical and Computer Engineering, the John A. Jurenko Facilities Endowment for the Department of Electrical Engineering, the John A. Jurenko Endowed Scholarship, the John A. Jurenko Computer Architecture Laboratory in Computer Engineering and the John A. and Ruth R. Jurenko Laboratory in Computer Engineering.

• Ronald G. Linaburg and Judith K. Linaburg. Ronald Linaburg, an endodontist, is the founder and president of Associated Dental Specialists and the chair of Van Dyk Business Systems, which he co-owns with his wife, Judith.

The couple established the Ronald Gene Linaburg, DMD, and Judith K. Linaburg Endowed Athletic Scholarship Fund to help aspiring student athletes realize the promise of a college education. They also have contributed to the Chancellor’s discretionary fund.

• The late Norman G. Mathieson, who received his medical degree from Pitt’s School of Medicine in 1934. He was a contributor to the Medical Alumni General Fund, and, last year, a bequest from his estate, which was then the largest gift ever given to the School of Medicine by an alumnus, created the Dr. and Mrs. N. Gardner Mathieson Scholarship Fund in the School of Medicine.

• Mark E. Pasquerilla, chair and CEO of Crown American, who has supported the Starzl Transplantation Institute and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute.

He also has supported numerous scholarships and programs for the arts, including the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center, the Winter Jazz Fund, the Blackington Endowment for the Performing Arts, the Advantage Scholarship Fund, the Johnstown Campus Award Fund, the Pasquerilla Family Fine Arts Endowment Fund, the Frank J. and Sylvia T. Pasquerilla Lecture Series Endowment Fund, the Pasquerilla Scholarship Fund, the UPMC Cancer Centers Development Fund, the Mark M. and Leah M. Pasquerilla Women’s Cancer Research Fund and the Pitt-Johnstown Concert Fund.

• Lester Rice, vice chair and part owner of KOA Speer Electronics and vice president of the Mukaiyama-Rice Foundation, who supported the renovation and expansion of the Frame-Westerberg Commons at Pitt’s Bradford campus.

• David Scaife, DSF Charitable Foundation chair, who has supported the health sciences at Pitt, having contributed to the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute’s Center for Environmental Oncology. Scaife also has supported Pitt’s School of Education, School of Information Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences and the Center for Minority Health.

• Jennie Scaife, chair and trustee of the Scaife Family Foundation, who has furthered the work of neurological researchers at Pitt through her support of the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Research initiatives in Pitt’s School of Social Work, School of Arts and Sciences and the Learning Research and Development Center also have benefited from her generous support.

• The late Christopher C. Walthour Jr., who, in 2003, bequeathed his entire estate to the University’s School of Law. The gift established the Bessie McKee Walthour Endowed Chair and the Sally Ann Semenko Endowed Chair.

• The Wheeler Family. Harold W. Wheeler Jr. is president and founder of Wheeler Brothers, Inc., a family-owned-and-operated automotive manufacturer and distributor. The family members include Wheeler’s wife, Joan; son Pete Wheeler III and his wife, Debi; son David Wheeler and his wife, Jennifer; son Paul Wheeler and his wife, Stacy, and daughter Barbara and her husband, Randy Davies.

• Kenneth R. Woodcock, retired senior vice president of AES Corp., a leading global electric-power company, established the Woodcock Faculty Development Fund in the Katz Graduate School of Business, who serves on the Katz School’s board of visitors and as a speaker in the Katz School distinguished speaker series.

The recognition induction ceremony will be held June 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Cathedral of Learning Commons Room.