MEADVILLE, Pa. - October 19, 2001 - A Meadville couple and their children have pledged nearly $440,000 to Allegheny College over the next three years to support the preservation and documentation of the College’s history.

Aiming to connect the past with both the present and future, Dr. Wayne and Sally Merrick recently pledged nearly $190,000 to Allegheny College over the next three years to underwrite an archivist position and archival operating budget at the College. In addition, the couple - and their five children - have pledged an additional $250,000 to create a space within the college’s Pelletier Library to house the archives in the Sally and Wayne Merrick Historic Archival Center.

Accessible to both the campus community and the public, the archives will display the multi-faceted treasures and historical records of the College, thus helping students and community members to understand the importance of tradition and civic identity.

"In order to be effective citizens in the present, we need to value and understand our past," says Allegheny College President Richard Cook. "We deeply appreciate the Merricks for helping us to preserve the College’s rich heritage, which is so closely intertwined with the history of this region."

The preservation and accessibility of Allegheny’s history is especially important to the Merricks - a surprising fact, given that neither attended the College. "Our decision to give this gift coincides with my life-long interests in many facets of history and our family’s appreciation for what this fine institution has meant to us since 1952," Dr. Wayne Merrick explains, noting that his love of history began as a youngster through pre-Civil War stories of older relatives and friends and was further shaped by his experiences during World War II.

Both natives of New York, the Merricks moved to the Meadville area in 1952 when Dr. Merrick was appointed assistant professor of history and political science and coordinator of the College’s Falk Foundation Citizenship Program. Now professor emeritus of political science, he served as the chair of the political science department for 29 years, which led to experiences that have closely intertwined the couple with Allegheny. Throughout their years as members of the campus community, they have long recognized the need to house the College’s historic materials in one central place.

Working within the Special Collections department of the College’s Lawrence Lee Pelletier Library, the archivist will identify, collect, catalogue and curate materials related to the history of the College. The archivist will also work with Allegheny’s History & Heritage Committee with public programs and other outreach activities that make the College’s rich heritage more visible to the community.

With well-preserved archives readily accessible to the community, the Merricks feel that the story of Allegheny will be better told - and they make it clear that the voices that tell that story are important, too. "The archives of Allegheny are not just the collection of physical materials, but the tapping of living repositories of information," Dr. Merrick explains. "Oral histories are a rich source of historical information that can add to a more complete story of how the College got to where it is."

In a pursuit of this "complete story," an important activity in which the archivist will engage is the gathering of oral histories from past presidents, members of the board of trustees, retired faculty members and alumni from the College in addition to the collection of documents and records.

Now the Merricks’ dedication to historic preservation is a family affair. With the support of their five children, the couple will also fund the renovation of a physical space at the College to house the archives. The family has committed to donate an additional $250,000 to the College over the next three years to construct or renovate a space within Pelletier Library for this purpose: The Sally and Wayne Merrick Historic Archival Center.

"We are solid supporters of the liberal arts experience because it gives breadth and a good foundation," Sally Merrick explains. "We’ve been so impressed by Allegheny’s community and the close contact between students and faculty, and we very much appreciate the College’s aid in providing a similar liberal arts experience for our children."

This isn’t the first time the Merricks have shown their generosity to the College. So great is their appreciation that they had previously funded the Merrick Fellowship in International Studies, a program established in 1985 to aid Allegheny students in their studies abroad. The couple later funded a Life Income Plan for Allegheny as well. The interest from that plan will later provide additional support for their fellowship program.

"While some of our earlier contributions to the College deal with the present - namely to help students to study abroad - this current undertaking connects both the past and future by helping students and others to understand better the many contributions of Allegheny College," explains Dr. Merrick.

Among the oldest one percent of colleges and universities in the country, Allegheny College is a nationally recognized, selective college of the liberal arts and sciences. Founded in 1815, Allegheny is known for its programs in civic engagement, science and communications.