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Winter 2016
BEEKEY EDUCATION
CENTER
CYRUS E. BEEKEY
(1906—1974)
Beekey graduated from Albright
College in 1927 before going on to
earn his master’s degree and doc-
torate from Cornell University. He
taught mathematics in the Reading
School District from 1927–1929 and
then taught biology at Reading High
School until 1943. Beekey joined the
faculty of KSTC in 1943 as a physics
professor, teaching cadets of the
Army Air Corps. In 1944 he was
named a biology professor and
assistant dean of instruction. Beekey
would also serve as dean of admis-
sions before being named president
of Kutztown State College (KSC) in
1967. In 1968 he received an honorary
doctor of laws degree from Albright
College before retiring in 1969. The
Beekey Education Center at KSC was
dedicated in his name in October of
1972. He died in 1974 at the age of 68.
BOEHM SCIENCE CENTER
CHARLES H. BOEHM ’21
(1903—1985)
Boehm graduated from KSNS in 1921 and went on to serve as the superin-
tendent of public instruction for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from
1956—1964. A graduate of Franklin and Marshall College, Columbia University
and Rutgers University, Boehm consolidated 54 school boards into 13 districts,
established area curriculum centers and regional instructional media centers
and established the intermediate unit method of administration on a county
level. He also inaugurated research and learning centers at the state colleges.
The Boehm Science Center was named in his honor in 1962 for his support
of science education. Also named in his honor is the Charles H. Boehm
High School in the Pennsbury School District. Boehm died in 1985.
BONNER HALL
RUTH E. BONNER ’21
(1909—2001)
Bonner spent nearly all of her life in
the Kutztown area. At the age of
six she enrolled in the first grade at
KSNS and graduated in 1921. She
then went on to earn her bachelor
of arts degree from Swarthmore
College. She held master’s degrees
from both Middleburg College and
Cornell University. Bonner taught
at Kutztown High School from 1927
to 1947 and then at KSTC and KSC
from 1949 until her retirement in
1965. Bonner Hall was dedicated in
her name in 1975. She passed away
in 2001 at the age of 92.
DE FRANCESCO BUILDING
ITALO DE FRANCESCO
(1902—1967)
Born in Borello, Italy, de Francesco
came to the U.S. in 1919. He was
president of KSC from 1959 until his
death in 1967. He had been affiliated
with KSC for 31 of his 45 years as an
educator, mostly as director of art
education. He was a recognized
authority on art and had taught at
Reading Boys’ High School prior to
coming to Kutztown. In 1959, the
National Art Education Associa-
tion named him “Art Educator of
the Year.” He graduated from West
Chester State College in 1922. He
held degrees from West Chester
University and the University of
Pennsylvania. He received a doctorate
in education from New York University
in 1942. De Francesco Building was
named in his memory in 1969.
Ruth E. Bonner ’21
James S. Grim ’93
Charles H. Boehm ’21
GRIM SCIENCE BUILDING
JAMES S. GRIM ’93
(1873—1949)
Grim, an 1893 graduate of KSNS,
was a professor of biological science
at KSNS for 45 years until his retire-
ment in 1945. Grim held a degree
from Lafayette College and earned a
doctorate from Kansas City University.
Grim was a well-known author of
textbooks on birds and agriculture.
He died May 18, 1949, at the age of
75. The Grim Science Building was
dedicated in his memory in 1967.
Originally built as two structures,
the east building
of Grim Science
Building was
demolished in
2004 to make
way for an
expansion of
Boehm Science
Center.