1953–54 Volume 78 No 1–5 - Phi Delta Theta Scroll Archive

Chapter
Grand
RICHARD ERB THICKENS, Lawrence 'ii. President of
the George Banta Publishing Company, Menasha,
Wis., died in St. Luke's Hospital, Chicago, 111.,
Mar. 22, 1954. He had been flown to Chicago from
the British West Indies where he had been taken
ill while on a vacation trip. He was 64 years old
and had been President of the Banta Company since
'951-
Brother Thickens was prominent in Menasha
tivic activities, having served as a member of the
first water and light commission of the city and as
its chairman for 12 years and as a member of the
relief commission and the sewerage commission of
Neenah and Menasha. He headed Red Cross drives
for funds on several occasions and was an active
worker in local and county Republican party drcles.
At the time of his death he also was Vice-President
of the Northwestern Engraving Company, and
was a member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in
Menasha which he served for many years as a vestryman.
His association with the Banta Publishing Company
began in 1917, when he returned from service
with the Appleton, Wis., national guard unit in
Texas during the Mexican border incident. George
Banta, Jr., Wabash '14, P.P.G.C, a close friend,
urged him to join the firm and apply his military
knowledge to the influx of military printing orders
resulting from World War I. Although Brother
Thickens began by helping on a part-time basis, he
soon resigned his position with a bank at Appleton
and devoted full time to the printing industry. He
was elected Secretary of the company in 1920, and
was chosen Vice-President in 1937 and President in
1951-
Brother Thickens was a member of the Newcomen
sodety of Boston, Mass., a former president of Riverview
Country Club at Appleton and one of the
founders and an officer of the North Shore Golf
Club. An active Phi, he was serving, at the time of
his death, as President of the Theta Phi corporation,
the finandal guiding alumni body of Wisconsin Beta
at Lawrence.
Among the survivors is a son, Richard W. Thickens,
Lawrence '50, of Glenview, 111.
A "Richard Erb Thickens Scholarship Fund" at
Lawrence College has been established by friends
who wished to pay tribute to his memory.
DR. WILLIAM G. FELMETH, Penn State '07, minister
in the Presbyterian Church and charter member of
Pennsylvania Theta, died at his home in Elizabeth,
N.J., Sept. 25, 1953. He had served as pastor of the
Third Presbyterian Church at Elizabeth since 1928.
A leader in the missions field of his denomination,,
he had been a member of the Board of National
Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the United
R. E. THICKENS, Lawrence 'n
States since 1942 and was president of the Board
of Church Erection of that commission.
A native of Pennsylvania, Brother Felmeth attended
Penn State where he was a charter member
of A 9, and later entered Westminster College
from which he was graduated in igo8 with a Master
of Science degree. He received his honorary degree
of Doctor of Divinity from Westminster in 1929.
He graduated summa cum laude from Western
Theological Seminary in 1911, and then studied at
Marburg and Berlin Universities on the continent.
Previous to his ministry at Elizabeth, he served
churches in Mingo Junction and Brilliant, Ohio, and
New Kensington and Milton, Pa.
During World War I, he served as an Army Chaplain
and during World War II he worked for a time
among soldiers at CampLee and Hopewell, Va.
A member of the Golden Legion of A 9, he was
to have been honored by Pennsylvania Theta at the
Golden Anniversary celebration in October, his accomplishments
and manner of living having proved
an inspiration to his many fraternity brothers.
ISIDORE FEIBLEMAN, Indiana '93, Indianapolis attorney
since 1895, died at St. Vincent's Hospital, Indianapolis,
Ind., Feb. 3, 1954. He was 80 years old. A
life resident of Indianapolis, he was senior partner
in the law firm of Bamberger and Feibleman which
he helped to form in 1898.
Brother Feibleman was an active member of the
Indianapolis, Indiana and American Bar Assodations,
a member of the Commerdal Law League of
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