Harold E. Cross Scholarship Fund

Though he now resides in faraway Tucson, Arizona, Dr. Harold E Cross hasn’t forgotten about Goshen, the community he lived in through his graduation from Goshen College in 1960.

Cross was born Amish-Mennonite and decided to attend Bethany Christian High School in Goshen in the 1950s. While at Bethany, Principal John Steiner suggested that Cross consider medicine as a future vocation. Cross said Steiner was a big influence in high school, especially in the decision to go to medical school.

At GC, Cross met many other influential people including Professor of Communication Roy Umble, and chemistry professors Art Smucker and Henry Weaver. These GC influences were especially evident in Cross’ senior year when he was president of the science and debating clubs. Cross said he would have enjoyed other extracurricular activities if he would have had time, but he was already busy making ends meet. “I had to work a lot of nights and weekends in order to put myself through,” he said.

Hard work paid off as Cross entered Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the fall of 1960.  He received his M.D. degree in 1964, but immediately returned to graduate school, again at Johns Hopkins, to work on a Ph.D. in Medical Genetics. His thesis “Genetic Studies in an Amish Isolate” focused on heritable neurological diseases in the Old Order Amish of Holmes County, Ohio. Several new and previously unknown disorders were identified, including a new form of albinism known today as “The Cross Syndrome.” Cross then spent 3 more years training in ophthalmology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and then joined the medical faculty at the Hopkins medical school.

In 1973, Cross was recruited by the new medical school at the University of Arizona to organize and establish the clinical and training programs in ophthalmology.  In 1980, he entered the private practice of ophthalmology in Tucson.

Cross enjoys tennis, cycling, computers and traveling. Harold has visited Belize, the Caribbean (three times), Kenya, and Botswana, among other places. Cross said he enjoys Africa the most because of the close encounters with the animals and the unique nature of the environment.

Goshen is also a vacation destination as Cross returns to the Maple City once or twice a year to visit relatives and to relive his fond memories. He hopes that through his gift to the college, future students can enjoy and benefit from the Goshen College experience as much as he did. He believes that the GC faculty’s commitments and focus on service to humanity provide important examples to students who wish to contribute to succeeding generations through the advancement of knowledge.

Cross knows the costs of a college education since he had to pay his own way. Now, he feels fortunate that he is able to encourage other members of the Amish-Mennonite community to serve their members through higher education. Thanks to his continued support of Goshen College, Cross can give back to his alma mater, and also provide others the means to a quality education. “To me, the things that are important are the fact that I came from this community and I want to give opportunities to other students. My appreciation of Goshen is something I want to make available to other students as well.”