A
recent gift to Penn State of more than $1.7 million from William E. and Francesca
Diefenderfer of Glastonbury, Conn., has endowed a faculty chair in the College
of Engineering and a graduate fellowship in the College of Education.
A
recent gift to Penn State of more than $1.7 million from William E. and Francesca
Diefenderfer of Glastonbury, Conn., has endowed a faculty chair in the College
of Engineering and a graduate fellowship in the College of Education.
The William E. Diefenderfer Chaired Professorship in mechanical engineering is the first faculty chair in that department, and provides for a distinguished faculty member who will further scholarly excellence in mechanical engineering through his or her teaching, research and professional technical service.
The Eva Diefenderfer Graduate Fellowship in Education will assist the College of Education in meeting its goals of recognizing and providing financial assistance to full-time graduate students exhibiting academic excellence.
The late Eva Dericott Diefenderfer, William's first wife, attended Kutztown State Teacher's College, enrolled in summer courses at Penn State leading to her B.A. degree and taught elementary grades in Pennsylvania. She also held a seat in the Connecticut State Legislature.
Following his 1938 graduation from Penn State in mechanical engineering, Diefenderfer was a mechanical engineering instructor at the University for three years. He began his corporate career at United Aircraft's Hamilton Standard Division, which later became part of United Technologies Corp. During his tenure in several technical and management positions there and as president of the company, helped guide Hamilton Standard from a one-product company, propellers, to the most diversified of United Technologies divisions. In 1967 he transferred to United Technologies' corporate offices. He retired as senior vice president in 1976.
He was the first recipient of Penn State's Outstanding Engineering Alumni Award in 1966, and was named a Penn State Alumni Fellow in 1994.
Francesca Diefenderfer was born in Manchester, Conn., and graduated from a fashion design school in New York City. After graduation, she worked as a fashion model and clothing designer in New York. In order to be closer to her family, she accepted a position with G. Fox & Co. of Hartford, then the world's largest privately owned department store, where she became executive buyer. She retired following her marriage to Diefenderfer.