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2011 - 2012 Releases
11.16.11
Hastings College mourns the death of the Rev. Dr. Silas G. Kessler, Trustee Emeritus
November 16, 2011
For Immediate Release
Hastings College mourns the death of the Rev. Dr. Silas G. Kessler, Trustee Emeritus
Note to media: For additional information, contact Alicia O’Donnell at aodonnell@hastings.edu or (402) 461-7784.
(Hastings, Neb.) –Description: Description: http://www.hastings.edu/gifs/fill.gif With great sadness, Hastings College announces the death of Trustee Emeritus, the Reverend Dr. Silas G. Kessler, 100, on November 15, 2011.
Information regarding the services remains pending.
“To say that Si served on the Hastings College Board of Trustees for 59 years is certainly inadequate,” the Rev. Dr. Nottage-Tacey, current member of the HC Board of Trustees and pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Hastings, said. “He was a vital spiritual and intellectual force for advancing the cause of the college and the relationship between sound learning and sound Christian religion. His strong steady mind could be relied upon to bring wit, wisdom and insight into some of the most difficult decisions facing the church, the college, the seminary (he was a Trustee on the Board of Dubuque Theological seminary) and the nation.”
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on August 29, 1911, Dr. Kessler followed his father into the ministry, earning his Doctor of Divinity from the University of Dubuque (Iowa) in 1934. Soon thereafter, he accepted calls as a Presbyterian minister, first in Farmington, Iowa, and then in Fullerton, Neb. In 1940, Dr. Kessler accepted a call to the First Presbyterian Church in Hastings, Neb., where he served as Pastor for 36 years.
In 1941, Dr. Kessler joined the Hastings College Board of Trustees where he assumed various leadership positions including Vice President of the Board, Chairman of the Church Relations Committee and member of the Instruction and Faculty Relations Committee. For his remarkable service to the college, he was inducted into the Pro Rege Society in 1997 and received the President’s Award in 1998.
On October 25, 2000, after 59 years of service on the Hastings College Board of Trustees, Dr. Kessler attended his final meeting as an active Trustee. During the meeting, he offered a prayer which included the following passage:
“Grant that Hastings College shall not simply teach what people need to know to earn a degree but provide all who study here with a philosophy and a perspective of life that shall lead not only to material success, but to growth in the spirit and the service of God and others, a lifestyle which will make life abundant and satisfying.”
Dr. Kessler was preceded in death on September 5, 2011, by his wife of 76 years, Ruth Margaret Kessler.
Hastings College, founded in 1882, is a private, four-year liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). A total of 64 majors in 32 areas of study and 12 pre-professional programs are offered to more than 1,150 students. Hastings College was named among “America’s Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report, a “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review, and a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s. Visit www.hastings.edu for more information.
11.16.11
Hastings College mourns the death of the Rev. Dr. Silas G. Kessler, Trustee Emeritus
November 16, 2011
For Immediate Release
Hastings College mourns the death of the Rev. Dr. Silas G. Kessler, Trustee Emeritus
Note to media: For additional information, contact Alicia O’Donnell at aodonnell@hastings.edu or (402) 461-7784.
(Hastings, Neb.) –Description: Description: http://www.hastings.edu/gifs/fill.gif With great sadness, Hastings College announces the death of Trustee Emeritus, the Reverend Dr. Silas G. Kessler, 100, on November 15, 2011.
Information regarding the services remains pending.
“To say that Si served on the Hastings College Board of Trustees for 59 years is certainly inadequate,” the Rev. Dr. Nottage-Tacey, current member of the HC Board of Trustees and pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Hastings, said. “He was a vital spiritual and intellectual force for advancing the cause of the college and the relationship between sound learning and sound Christian religion. His strong steady mind could be relied upon to bring wit, wisdom and insight into some of the most difficult decisions facing the church, the college, the seminary (he was a Trustee on the Board of Dubuque Theological seminary) and the nation.”
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on August 29, 1911, Dr. Kessler followed his father into the ministry, earning his Doctor of Divinity from the University of Dubuque (Iowa) in 1934. Soon thereafter, he accepted calls as a Presbyterian minister, first in Farmington, Iowa, and then in Fullerton, Neb. In 1940, Dr. Kessler accepted a call to the First Presbyterian Church in Hastings, Neb., where he served as Pastor for 36 years.
In 1941, Dr. Kessler joined the Hastings College Board of Trustees where he assumed various leadership positions including Vice President of the Board, Chairman of the Church Relations Committee and member of the Instruction and Faculty Relations Committee. For his remarkable service to the college, he was inducted into the Pro Rege Society in 1997 and received the President’s Award in 1998.
On October 25, 2000, after 59 years of service on the Hastings College Board of Trustees, Dr. Kessler attended his final meeting as an active Trustee. During the meeting, he offered a prayer which included the following passage:
“Grant that Hastings College shall not simply teach what people need to know to earn a degree but provide all who study here with a philosophy and a perspective of life that shall lead not only to material success, but to growth in the spirit and the service of God and others, a lifestyle which will make life abundant and satisfying.”
Dr. Kessler was preceded in death on September 5, 2011, by his wife of 76 years, Ruth Margaret Kessler.
Hastings College, founded in 1882, is a private, four-year liberal arts institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). A total of 64 majors in 32 areas of study and 12 pre-professional programs are offered to more than 1,150 students. Hastings College was named among “America’s Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report, a “Best in the Midwest” by The Princeton Review, and a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s. Visit www.hastings.edu for more information.
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