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www.westminster.edu Westminster College and New Wilmington: Good Neighbors since 1852 Shoppers stroll down South Market Street in New Wilmington during the Arts & Heritage Festival, an annual event hosted cooperatively by Westminster and the borough. In 1852, the 200 citizens of New Wilmington, a quaint village without paved streets or sidewalks, pledged $10,000 toward the endowment of a new college, and some local residents offered free building sites. This began a relationship between Westminster College and the local community that has thrived for over 150 years. The initial investment by the community has been repaid many times over. Westminsterʼs over 400 “ employees and $45.3 million operating budget results in an estimated $80 million being spent locally each school year, but being a good neighbor is about more than money. “There are so many benefits,” said Tom McKinley, president of the New Wilmington Area Chamber of Commerce. “Obviously Westminster provides a huge direct economic benefit that brings a large amount of money into the area. Aesthetically, the Collegeʼs beautiful campus adds so much to the townʼs charm, and the myriad programs that Westminster makes available provide educational and artistic opportunities to our residents that are unheard of in most towns.” “I think having Westminster College in New Wilmington really sets New Wilmington apart from many of the surrounding towns,” said Ken Romig, a 1985 Westminster graduate who serves as president of the Borough Council and Westminsterʼs vice president of finance and management services. “From a financial perspective, Westminster provides many jobs to people in New Wilmington and the surrounding area. Westminster is also the boroughʼs largest utility customer. The borough Perhaps the greatest benefi t of having Westminster in town is the presence of 1,500 bright young students who interact with the people of the community. My family’s church has had many Westminster students attend and work with youth programs. We’re always sad when these students graduate, but it seems like there is always a new group of students ready to take their place. ” Ken Romig ’85 President, New Wilmington Borough Council Vice President for Finance and Management Services, Westminster College finances most of its operations through its utilities, primarily through the sale of electricity. Having a large customer like Westminster certainly eases the financial burden on the citizens of New Wilmington. “Apart from the financial impact, the College is a great source of culture for the people of New Wilmington,” Romig added. “Westminster hosts the Fourth of July celebration, the Arts & Heritage Festival, Business Expo, and Celebrity Series events, as well as many other performances and lectures. Westminster also 14 Summer 2005 • Westminster College Magazine
www.westminster.edu provides New Wilmington with a library and enhances the educational opportunities for area residents. “Perhaps the greatest benefit of having Westminster in town is the presence of 1,500 bright young students who interact with the people of the community. My familyʼs church has had many Westminster students attend and work with youth programs. Weʼre always sad when these students graduate, but it seems like there is always a new group of students ready to take their place,” Romig said. McKinley agrees that Westminster students provide vitality to the community. “The energy the students bring with them into town each semester along with the vibrant campus life that inevitably spills out into the town itself is always a breath of fresh air. The unique environment that academia encourages adds a special something to a business community that is hard to define, but would be sorely missed if absent,” McKinley said. Sometimes a little too much energy is injected into bucolic New Wilmington. “There are times when there is friction between the borough residents and the College students,” Romig said. “However, Westminster has always taken an active role in trying to find resolutions to these problems. The commitment that Westminster has shown has always been appreciated by the borough.” Westminsterʼs 300-acre picturesque campus also benefits the community. “I feel like I live next to a big park,” Romig said. “The College does a great job in keeping its grounds looking beautiful, and it is always accessible to the people of New Wilmington. You always see people out walking on campus or jogging around the track. The College also provides the local residents with a great place to take their families fishing and canoeing. Unlike some colleges, which try to fence their campuses off to keep people out, Westminster does a great job of making the townspeople feel welcome.” McKinley, who lives near Westminsterʼs Outdoor Biology Field Station, joked, “The College is a GREAT neighbor! The garbage is always picked up, the lawn is always mowed, the snow shoveled, and no toys Economic Impact • Estimated local economic impact: $81.5 million in 2004-2005 • Estimated $27.2 million spent locally during 2004-2005 • 2004-2005 payroll: $18 million • 2004-2005 operating budget: $45.3 million • 403 employees • More than 10,000 Westminster alumni reside in Pennsylvania and Ohio • Westminster awards $23 million in fi nancial aid annually • Nearly all Westminster students participate in at least one internship before graduating Cultural Impact • Celebrity Series brings a variety of nationally known entertainers to the community • The Westminster Fourth of July celebration attracts more than 9,000 spectators annually • Westminster offers 20 college sports, including the home football games of the six-time National Champion Westminster Titans • Lectures and concerts are offered free to the public • Westminster facilities are used by the community throughout the year • Westminster College Art Gallery presents national as well as local artists • Both J.S. Mack Science Library and the McGill Memorial Library, which features a community bookshelf and a children's collection, are open to the community on the sidewalks to trip over.” McKinley gets serious when discussing the impact Westminster has had on the three-year-old Chamber of Commerce. In addition to having Westminster employees serving on the Chamber board, the College hosts most of the larger Chamber events and also provides interns and volunteers. “Our Chamber is a young one, just three years old, and was formed as a vehicle to help local businesses leverage the unique economic opportunities available by virtue of the College, the local government, and our other resources. The active role the College takes in supporting the Chamber has allowed us to grow and provide programs we just could not have been able to provide on our own.” Romig reflected on the past and predicted the future of the relationship: “The fates of Westminster and New Wilmington are intertwined. The College has always been a good neighbor to the borough, and the borough has always been a good neighbor to the College. New Wilmington and Westminster have developed a good sense of mutual appreciation and cooperation.” Tom McKinley, president of the New Wilmington Area Chamber of Commerce, presents a check to Westminster president R. Thomas Williamson. Westminster and New Wilmington have maintained a strong neighborly relationship since 1852 when borough residents pledged $10,000 to help get the College established. A look at Westminster’s effect on the surrounding community: Educational Impact • Westminster is ranked in the top ten in the country in graduation rate performance • Westminster is one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania • The John Templeton Foundation honored Westminster as a "Character Building College" • The Princeton Review honored Westminster as one of "The Best 361 Colleges" in the country • 1,607 students -- over 90 percent of whom come from Pennsylvania and Ohio • Our 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio means you're a name, not a number • Approximately 98 percent of all graduates are employed or attending graduate school during the year following graduation • Average entering freshmen have 3.41 high school grade point average and 1,074 SAT score • 40 majors and several pre-professional programs • 92% of full-time faculty have doctorate or equivalent • More than 700 area residents take Continuing Education, Lifelong Learning, or Graduate Program courses each year • Westminster Preschool Lab offers an enriched educational experience for community children • Westminster Field Station (Outdoor Biology Lab, Nature Center, Arboretum, Weather Station) provides hands-on learning experience for hundreds annually Summer 2005 • Westminster College Magazine 15
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