Each Veterans Day, Keystone College honors veterans and current members of the armed forces with a special luncheon on campus. That tradition will continue on Nov. 11 with the addition of an important event.
Keystone will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Elmer R. Hawk ’48 Center for Veterans at 11:30 a.m. Following the dedication, the 11th annual Veterans Day luncheon will take place in Evans Hall.
The new center, located on the first floor of Alumni Hall in the center of campus, serves as a single point of contact for Keystone students who are military veterans or current members of the military. The Center offers a comfortable and convenient meeting place for this special group of Keystone students who have given so much to their country. Students can meet with each other, complete their school assignments on several new computers, or simply relax, read, visit with friends and family members, or watch television while waiting for their next class. The Center is also the home of the Keystone College Armed Forces Club.
The new center is made possible through the generosity of the Hawk family of Dunmore in memory of the late Elmer R. Hawk, who was a business student at Keystone in 1947 and 1948 before joining his mother to help build Gertrude Hawk Chocolates into one of the nation’s most popular and respected brands of chocolate candy.
In addition to his business skills, Mr. Hawk was also known for his service to his country during World War II. As an airman, Mr. Hawk survived an 18-month ordeal at the infamous Stalag17-B prisoner of war camp in Austria.
“Keystone College is honored to dedicate the new Elmer R. Hawk ’48 Center for Veterans during our annual Veterans Day celebration on Nov. 11,” said Keystone College President David L. Coppola, Ph.D. “It is most appropriate that this fine facility, which will assist so many of our Keystone College veterans, is named in honor of a Keystone alumnus who was so dedicated to his family, community, and country.”
Anyone wishing to support scholarships for veteran students at Keystone should contact Donna Clemens, (570) 945-8155 or e-mail donna.clemens@keystone.edu.
Founded in 1868 to educate veterans returning from the Civil War, Keystone has a long and proud history of service to current and former members of the military. The college has been recognized nationally by Military Advanced Education magazine, G.I Jobs Magazine and U.S. News and World Report as one of the best schools in the nation for current or former members of the military.
