Hilbert Family Gifts Of $300,000 Create
Scholarship Endowments At Penn State Behrend

July 12, 2000
Erie , Pa. -- William M. and Martha Hilbert and their sons have made two gifts to Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, totaling $300,000 to establish two scholarship endowments.

A $50,000 gift by the board of directors of Reddog Industries established the Reddog Industries, Inc. Scholarship Endowment. A $250,000 gift by the Bill Hilbert and Martha Hilbert Community Foundation Endowment Fund created the PHB, Inc. and Reddog Industries, Inc. Scholarship Endowment.

"We are grateful to the members of the Hilbert family for this gift and for the family's continuing commitment to Penn State Behrend," said Provost and Dean Dr. John M. Lilley. "Reddog and PHB have been important partners in our plastics engineering technology program, and this gift emphasizes the value they place on higher education."

William M. Hilbert Sr., CEO of Reddog and PHB, is a member of the Penn State Behrend Council of Fellows, which advises the college's leadership in the area of strategic planning, with a particular emphasis on economic development. He said, "The Hilbert family believes Penn State Behrend plays a vital role in educating our community, and we're especially pleased this scholarship endowment will first benefit the Reddog and PHB family of employees."

The Hilberts' sons play lead roles in managing Reddog Industries: William Hilbert Jr. is vice president and chief operating officer; John L. Hilbert is president and director of sales & engineering; and Joseph M. Hilbert is vice president and director of purchasing.

Reddog is located in Erie, and PHB is based in Fairview.

"My association with Penn State Behrend dates back to the late 1950s when I was an apprentice tool-and-die maker at Kerner Tool and Die," said William Hilbert Sr. "It was a requirement to further your education, and I took night classes at Behrend when it had a downtown location in Erie."

Hilbert got to know Dr. Lilley in the early 1980s and served on a steering committee of business executives that advised the college as it started a new plastics engineering technology program-now recognized as a national model. In addition to serving on the Council of Fellows, Hilbert is a member of the college's Entrepreneurship Advisory Board and its Industrial Machining Advisory Committee. He advised the college as it developed a new associate degree in manufacturing technology.

"I've worked with Penn State Behrend on many projects over the years," Hilbert said. "It has played an important, forward-looking role in helping our companies-and all of northwestern Pennsylvania-improve workforce training and development. We're pleased to support these scholarship endowments."

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, is committed to high-quality teaching,

research, and service, with a special focus on advancing the economic and social welfare

of northwestern Pennsylvania. The college offers 26 four-year Penn State degrees, six two-year degrees, and two graduate degrees on its 730-acre campus. Nearly 1,500 of its 3,800 students will live on campus this fall.

Contact: Ed Blaguszewski 814-898-6159 (O) 814-336-3798 (H)