Etown Changemakers: Bart ’73 and Kathie (Wilkinson) Ziegler ’76

An Elizabethtown College education is for people who feel the pull to contribute to the world. With a network of 24,425 living alumni, our graduates leave Etown to become the influential advocates and changemakers the world needs more of.

Alumnus Bart Ziegler ’73 was enrolled in the first semester of his first year at Elizabethtown College when he discovered that his paternal great-grandfather, the Rev. Jesse C. Ziegler, was one of the College’s four founders.

Rev. Ziegler was instrumental in guiding the College during its formative years. He served as the first chair of the Board of Trustees from 1900-18 and was a member of the locating committee that was authorized to select the site of the new College and draft a constitution and bylaws.

During his junior year at Etown, Bart had the privilege of helping to dedicate the “D” wing of the recently completed Founders Hall in his great-grandfather’s name. Each of the co-ed residence hall’s four towers is named after a founder.

Recently, Bart and his wife, Kathie (Wilkinson) ’76, brought the Ziegler family’s Etown legacy full circle by establishing the Jesse Ziegler Scholarship, which will provide need-based financial aid to a student enrolled in the School of Business.

“We were interested in the scholarship program, and naming it after my great-grandfather just seemed natural,” Bart said. “He served as the first chairman of the Board of Trustees, and we thought we’d like to recognize him for that.”

Bart and Kathie did not know each other while students at Etown, but instead met through a mutual friend during Kathie’s junior year. Bart earned a degree in Business Administration, while Kathie majored in Elementary Education.

As Etown students, both said that they were fans of the men’s soccer team and enjoyed attending matches. Kathie recalled having a great group of friends who did everything together. During his junior and senior years, Bart said he worked in the cafeteria’s dish room and was a member of Dot & Mary’s Boys (an informal group named for the two ladies who ran the dish room), and he resided at the Orchard Co-Op House. He was also a member of Etown’s Society for the Advancement of Management club and served as an officer his senior year.

Two days before graduating from Etown, Bart began working for Donegal Mutual Insurance Co. as a commercial underwriter, beginning a long and successful career in the insurance business, with the couple eventually owning and working at Olweiler Insurance Agency in Elizabethtown until their retirement.

Bart and Kathie are longtime supporters of the College, giving of their time, talents and treasure to support many Etown initiatives over the years. They are also active in the local Elizabethtown community and enjoy spending time with their two sons, two grandchildren, and many friends.

“I chose Etown because when I visited campus I felt at home and could picture myself there,” Kathie said. “Although I never taught, I feel I used my training as a teacher to help me as an insurance agent.”

Bart noted that his Etown education gave him the confidence to pursue a career in insurance and eventually own a business. Giving back to his alma mater, he said, is one way he can help make a difference.

“I personally feel good when I am able to contribute in some way, be it financially or with volunteering time,” Bart said.

View more Etown Changemakers at etown.edu/125.