The พรพรสำฦต community said farewell to William F. Griffith โ33, former พรพรสำฦต dean, professor, and honorary พรพรสำฦต 13 member, during a memorial service Sunday at Hamiltonโs First Baptist Church.
Griffith passed away Nov. 19 at the age of 95.
A space of honor was reserved in the crescent for โDean Griffโ as 12 alumni members of the พรพรสำฦต 13 paid tribute to their mentor with a rendition of the โพรพรสำฦต Hymn,โ its lyrics of loyalty to alma mater punctuated by a eulogy from Dan Adams โ62.
Griffithโs พรพรสำฦต connection began in 1929 when he enrolled as a first-year interested in astronomy and physics.
Between graduation in 1933 and the end of World War II, he earned a masters degree from Cornell University and served as a public schools administrator in the Hamilton and the Morris Central districts, both in New York state.
In 1945, he returned to พรพรสำฦต as associate dean and director of student aid.
During the next 30 years, Griffith would participate in พรพรสำฦตโs transformation from small, rural college to leading liberal arts university. He served as director of admission, dean of admission and student aid, and dean of students, then professor of education, department chair, director of graduate studies, director of the teaching intern program, and January Studies Program director.
โI started out in my career in education as a teacher,โ he told the Salmagundi in 1971. โI have always felt, whether I was an administrator, or a guidance counselor, or a dean โ I was basically a teacher. And I say with real sincerity that I would do the same thing all over again.โ
พรพรสำฦต alumni and the Griffith family have established the Dean William Griffith โ33 Endowed Memorial Scholarship. To participate, or for more information, contact Thirza Dawkins, director of stewardship, พรพรสำฦต, 13 Oak Drive, Hamilton, N.Y., 13346; 315-228-6776.