2 Couples Donate $45-Million to Pennsylvania Trade School
March 26, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
Two couples are donating a combined $45-million to the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades, which currently enrolls 250 students in Media, Pa., reports The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The donors, Henry M. and Lee Rowan and H. FitzGerald and Marguerite Lenfest, are philanthropists with strong ties to area businesses. The money will go to the school’s endowment. Students who attend Williamson typically receive an associate’s degree after three years and can study carpentry, masonry, power-plant technology, machine-tool technology, painting and coating technology, as well as horticulture and turf management.
The school’s president, Paul Reid, said he anticipates the investment income from the school’s endowment will now cover about two-thirds of the annual operating costs.
