A close friend described 爱丽丝R. Dentler as an “old-school” teacher with a giving spirit who shared her love of poetry with her students. Because she grew up poor, Dentler liked to work with children who had their own struggles.
Dentler made this bequest to 曼彻斯特 because her years here had been the best time of her life.
A retired Elkhart County schoolteacher gave $1.5 million dollars to 曼彻斯特 University, the bulk of it via a bequest to her alma mater.
“Receiving an unexpected and unrestricted realized bequest is always an exciting day in the office. We are overwhelmed with gratitude,” said Melanie Harmon, MU vice president for advancement.
爱丽丝R. 丹特勒于一月去世。. 1, 2023, at the age of 95.
She was an elementary schoolteacher for at least 30 years in Elkhart 社区 Schools, according to information gathered by the Elkhart County Historical Museum. Records indicate she worked much of that time at Samuel Strong School.
A close friend described Dentler as an “old-school” teacher with a giving spirit who shared her love of poetry with her students and played games with them outside, 即使在冬天. Because Dentler grew up poor, she liked to work with children who had their own struggles.
“I know that she paid fees for some students so that they could do school activities,她的朋友说.
She said Dentler made the bequest because her time at 曼彻斯特 were the best years of her life.
“Alice Dentler was a hero, a quiet hero. She was a regular contributor to 曼彻斯特 over the years, but she never let on that she planned such a large bequest,哈蒙说.
A 1946 graduate of Bristol High School in Elkhart County, Dentler grew up in Mottville, 密歇根, just north of the Indiana state line, according to genealogy records found by the museum. In her one year at the Indiana high school, Dentler was a member of the Girls Athletic Association and a copy editor for the school newspaper. She must have expressed a desire to teach even then because her class prophesy was that in 10 years, she would be teaching first grade.
Right after high school, Dentler lived in Elkhart and worked as a clerk at Miles Laboratories, according to the museum.
She graduated from what was then 曼彻斯特 College in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. By 1955, records show, she had begun teaching at Samuel Strong. The museum records indicatate she continued to teach for Elkhart 社区 Schools until she retired in 1985.
“曼彻斯特 graduates make connections for life and work to make the world a better place,” said 曼彻斯特 President Stacy Young. “Alice Dentler’s legacy will live on in generations to come. I wish we could have thanked her in person.”
对于媒体来说
Melanie Harmon can be reached at MBHarmon@buscalohijo.com.
How do you give to 曼彻斯特? 了解更多.
曼彻斯特 University thanks Michelle Nash, curator of collections at the Elkhart County Historical Museum, for aid in researching and collecting information about the late 爱丽丝R. Dentler.
The top photo is a class photo of Alice Dentler from the 极光, 曼彻斯特's yearbook.
The second photo is a senior class picture of Alice Dentler from the Bristol High School yearbook, courtesy of the Elkhart County Historical Museum.
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