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Photo courtesy of CSU Marketing and Public Relations
Photo of Edward Asher at the unveiling of the Fenn College archives on Saturday, June 4 during Alumni Weekend.
Alum savors, saves history of Fenn College
By Patrick Antos
When the Fenn College Archives opened to Cleveland State University students and faculty June 4, Edward Asher and his Pi Sigma Tau fraternity brothers saw it as a special celebration.
They donated many of the records now being viewed on the third floor of the CSU library.
Asher, a graduate of CSU’s Fenn College of Engineering in 1950, and his fraternity brothers kept records and artifacts such as sweaters, trophies, fraternity paddles and five boxes of records dating back to 1928. These materials now have a home in the library.
Asher was approached two years ago by Gene Wiswell (who kept all the archives) and Dick Brady (historian of Pi Sigma Tau) at what Asher and his fraternity brothers called “a historical afternoon.”
“Gene wasn’t in good health and he told me to come to his car,” said Asher. “When we got to his car he opened his trunk and he had over five boxes of archives sitting there. He asked me to take these because he didn’t want them to be lost when he passed away.”
Asher continued, “I received a notice from the Alumni saying that they were starting an archive area in the library and that is when I figured that all these boxes and records I had would go to a safe place. So, I called the brothers who were still alive and widows to donate money so that we could make the Fenn College Archives a reality.”
Forty fraternity brothers and widows donated more than $6,000 to help make the Archives a reality. Asher is happy with the finished product.
“I am extremely happy with how this [archives] turned out,” said Asher. “We [Pi Sigma Tau’s] are a proud group of guys and we know that our archives are in a good place.”
A part of the archive is the roster of pledges from 1928 to1963 and a list of all who contributed to the funding of the Fenn College Archives. Pi Sigma Tau were involved in the reforming of the Delta Sigma’s here at CSU.
Twenty-eight fraternity brothers and their family members attended the dedication. For more information on the Fenn College Archives and other university archives, go to http://www.ulib.csuohio.edu/archives/.