Mervin and Fern Hostetler Scholarship Fund

Occasionally people in the teaching profession are accused of being out of touch with the “real world.” They spend so much time in their “ivory towers,” their critics declare, they lose sight of the practical, everyday considerations of most of us.

Well, a couple from Altoona, Pennsylvania, Mervin and Fern Hostetler, have been teachers for nearly 50 years between them, yet a look at their histories shows the avid interest they share in all kinds of matters beyond the boundaries of their classrooms.

Merv was born in Louisville, Ohio, November 3,1922. Bitten early by the science bug, he attended Goshen College and received a bachelors degree in physical science. He also attended Ohio State University, receiving a degree in mechanical engineering, and Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York, where he earned a masters in engineering technology.

His, studies in engineering led him to become a licensed engineer in Pennsylvania; a product engineer with Crane Company in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, for 17 years; and finally an associate professor of engineering at Penn State University, beginning in 1965.

Fern was born in Johnstown, May 15, 1925. She graduated from Goshen College in 1945 with a degree in elementary education, and taught 3rd and 4th grades for 29 years in the Johnstown/Altoona vicinity. She also taught many years in Sunday School and Summer Bible schools. On the Allegheny Conference WMSC executive committee, she served for many years in various secretarial capacities and for six years as president.

But, for all their classroom and professional activities, the Hostetlers have found time to explore other aspects of living not necessarily associated with their jobs. Merv’s interest in photography led to the couple’s joint productions of a variety of slide/sound programs. The work began as a shared hobby, but soon Merv and Fern found themselves commissioned by the WMSC and the Allegheny Conference Missions Committee to produce shows for wider church gatherings. An additional undertaking, perhaps demonstrating a commitment to bridging gaps between cultures Merv felt as a CPS worker in World War II, is the couple’s hosting of 35 Japanese exchange students over the years.

Yes, Merv and Fern Hostetler have been involved with students in many ways for many years. Now, through this scholarship fund, they can demonstrate the full measure of their commitment. Their influence has moved beyond the perimeters of their individual classrooms and into the future, where students they’ll never know will be the grateful beneficiaries of their generosity.