Keystone College will officially dedicate the new Eckel Family Pavilion on Friday, Nov. 13 from noon-1 p.m. The pavilion, which serves as an outdoor gathering place for Keystone students, faculty, staff, alumni, and residents of the local community, is located adjacent to the college’s $3.4 million field and track complex at the eastern edge of campus.
The facility is made possible thanks to a donation from Keith W. Eckel, president and sole proprietor of Fred W. Eckel Sons Farms, Inc., Clarks Summit, Pa. Mr. Eckel presented the gift to Keystone in honor of his brother, the late Frederick D. Eckel, a 1957 Keystone graduate.
“We are extremely grateful to Mr. Eckel for his exceedingly generous gift,” said Keystone College President David L. Coppola, Ph.D. “The Eckel Family Pavilion is a wonderful gathering place for the entire Keystone community and the public. We look forward to hosting numerous events which will highlight the beauty of our campus community.”
Mr. Eckel has long been active in agricultural issues at the local, state, and national levels. He is past president of the Lackawanna County Cooperative Extension Association and the Endless Mountain Dairy Cooperative and is a member of the Green Grove Grange, among other organizations.
Nationally, he has served as chairman of the board of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, a former member of the American Farm Bureau Federation and the U.S. Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee, a charter member of the National Dairy Board, and a former member of the U.S. Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee for Fruits and Vegetables and the USDA’s Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act Advisory Committee.
