Dr. Geschwindner's Personal Thank You
Dear Alumni and Friends,
As perhaps you all know, I officially retired from Penn State at the end of June, after more than 35 years on the faculty. On April 29, a surprise retirement party was held for me at the Nittany Lion Inn and I want to express my deepest thanks to all of you who attended and to all of you who were not able to attend but who expressed your best wishes in so many ways. Since I do not have a listing of all who attended or contributed, I am using this newsletter to distribute my thanks. I also want to thank the planners of the retirement party, in particular my wife Judy, our daughter and former student Tina Bernhardt ’92, former students Charlie Carter ‘90 and Linda Hanagan ’85, and of course Nancy Smith. In addition I want to thank the American Institute of Steel Construction for their part in funding the party.
I was so pleased with the large number of individuals who attended the party, particularly those who came from such great distances, and those who I had not seen in such a long time. Great memories were brought back and past friendships rekindled. Judy and I were particularly honored by the many contributions to the Louis and Judy Geschwindner Endowed Scholarship Fund for students in AE. This is the best gift we could have received to recognize my years in AE. In addition to the scholarship contributions, our family surprised Judy and I with the presentation of a family photograph of our three daughters with their husbands and our seven grandchildren. This will always be a visible reminder of the important things in our lives.
I also want to provide you with some information on how I plan to spend my retirement. For the foreseeable future, I will continue to be Vice President of Engineering and Research of the American Institute of Steel Construction, working from my office at Penn State. In addition, I will continue to teach one course per semester in AE.
A few weeks ago, an alumnus presented me with a framed plaque which simply stated the definition: “re·tire, v (a) to stop work and usually draw a pension.” I guess after 35 years I can be permitted to make my own definition. I will continue to use my 210 Engineering Unit A office, my regular phone number and my Penn State email. Please stop in to visit, write or call whenever you have an opportunity.
Thank you for all the memories, challenges and friendships over these 35 years. I could not have imagined a more satisfying career or a better place to carry it out. You are my successes and I will always be most proud of what you have accomplished. To whatever extent I may have contributed to your success I count myself blessed.
Sincerely,
Lou Geschwindner
lfg@psu.edu
Professor Emeritus