Calling upon those present to contribute their time, talent and treasure to making their own communities the best they can be for all individuals, Susan Hirt Hagen ’57 joined a new community of leaders, April 18, as the latest inductee into the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges’ (OFIC) Hall of Excellence.
Since 1950, the OFIC has partnered with Ohio businesses, foundations and other donors to assist students with financial need to obtain a college education. OFIC also provides professional development workshops and seminars for member institution faculty and staff in the areas of finance and operations, diversity, and communications and manages collaborative programs that assist the colleges and universities to contain costs and enhance minority student recruitment and retention. Additionally, OFIC provides college access and readiness programs at the high school level for underserved urban populations and sponsors one of the largest career fairs in the state. In 1987, OFIC established the Hall of Excellence to annually honor outstanding alumni.
Nominated by Wittenberg University President Mark H. Erickson, who also introduced her at the ceremony in Columbus, Hagen was selected because of her uncompromising commitment to service both in her community and beyond. During the evening’s remarks, Hagen shared stories of her years as a social worker, and how all lives in a community are intertwined.
In every community and in every neighborhood, Hagen said, “all of us must extend our arms in service, dismiss apathy, embrace empathy and fight courageously” to address the needs of at-risk youth.
For more than 40 years, Hagen has played a vital role in her Erie, Pa., hometown, working diligently to improve the lives of residents. From helping with efforts to curtail teenage pregnancy and school dropout rates to volunteering with the United Way, where she served as the first woman to chair the organization’s board and earned the Alexis de Tocqueville Award, Hagen has distinguished herself in her work.
In 2010, the Pennsylvania Society recognized Hagen, awarding her the 2010 Distinguished Citizen of the Commonwealth Award. Given to those individuals who have “brought credit or special benefit to the welfare of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” the award was created in 1976, and to date, only 18 individuals have received it, including Princess Grace of Monaco, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Samuel J. Roberts and environmentalist Rachel Carson.
Hagen, an emerita member of the Wittenberg Board of Directors, received an honorary doctor of humane letters from Wittenberg in May 2011 in recognition of her distinguished career and community engagement, and a Wittenberg Alumni Citation in 1982 for community service. Hagen is a long-time board member of the “Fortune 500” Erie Insurance Group, founded by her father, H.O. Hirt, Wittenberg class of 1911, for whom the H.O. Hirt Endowed Chair in history at Wittenberg is named. A psychology major, Hagen reflects her late father’s values and ability to understand people – their needs, desires, hopes and fears. In 2009, she received the highest honor for community service in Erie, the Edward C. Doll Award, as well as the 2010 Sustainer of the Year Award from the Junior League of Erie.
Last summer, however, Hagen took her commitment to service one step further by giving the largest cash gift ever received from a living individual to Wittenberg. The $6 million gift endowed Wittenberg’s Center for Civic & Urban Engagement, which now bears her name.
“The Center for Civic & Urban Engagement provides a tremendous service to the city of Springfield, particularly its focus on ensuring that our young people have access to multiple programs and opportunities designed to enhance their personal development,” Hagen said. “Service is a cornerstone of my life, and I believe that through this investment, the Center will be able to continue to connect my alma mater’s resources and expertise not only to improve the community, but also countless lives.”
Described by former Ohio Lt. Governor Lee Fisher as “the model” for how universities should engage with their communities to promote economic development and ensure that generations of students are committed to civic engagement, the Center was founded with the following objectives in mind: (1) to expand and coordinate faculty and student scholarship, applied research and projects; (2) to focus faculty and student scholarship and service on strategic initiatives for maximum impact in the community; (3) to build upon and expand established community service and careers service partnerships; and (4) to provide a single point of contact for community engagement with Wittenberg.”
In order to gain perspective and community direction, the Center recruited a community advisory board of key leaders to assist the Center’s staff in identifying specific areas of focus. The collaborative work resulted in the following initiatives: (1) strengthening after-school programs, including a focus on teenage pregnancy prevention; (2) renewing downtown development as part of the Buck Creek Corridor Project; (3) improving housing quality; and (4) envisioning a greener Springfield.
Wittenberg University is a nationally ranked Lutheran-affiliated liberal arts college with professional studies located in Springfield, Ohio. Reflecting its Lutheran heritage, Wittenberg challenges students to become responsible global citizens, to discover their callings, and to lead personal, professional, and civic lives of creativity, service, compassion, and integrity.
Written By: Karen Gerboth
