Alumni Profile

Bart Harrison

Bart Harrison, SRV class of 1943

Bart Harrison remembers a much smaller SRV. "There were only two buildings – Main and half of Chip. Our classes were smaller sized, too." He sees the growth of the school since his days in the 1940s and the education the children still receive to this day as "remarkable."

"I couldn't wait to get to school." Bart's fond memories of SRV have remained with him through his four other alma maters and his diverse career. After leaving SRV, he attended Nether Providence Middle School and then the Westtown School before receiving his bachelors in political science from Oberlin College in 1951. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania's Law School in 1956 and went on to specialize in corporate law and securities at Stradley Ronon Stevens and Young. In 1977, Bart became president of Extracorporal Medical Specialties, Inc., a medical device manufacturer, which later became a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. In 1983 Bart's career evolved again when he began his own tax, estate planning and personal investment consulting practice.

Throughout his life, Bart has volunteered in various capacities for all his alma maters as well as national and local service organizations. In the past, he has been heavily involved in the Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors, supporting individual and collective resistance to war and the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization which includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace, and humanitarian service. He is currently the treasurer for the Quaker Radnor Monthly Meeting. Bart is also co-chairing his Penn Law 50th reunion this year. As a true philanthropist and volunteer, he did not hesitate to lend his hand upon hearing about SRV's capital campaign expansion of physical facilities and the endowment. Through his generosity and leadership, the school was able to exceed its original goal of $1.5 million to $2.8 million raised by 2005.

It all began decades ago in 1965 when Bart met Gordon Palmer, one of the founders of Technitrol, Inc., a manufacturer of electronic and electrical components and modules. From 1965 through 1977, Bart was Technitrol's outside general counsel and served on its Board of Directors for 36 years. He believes it was SRV's emphasis on independent decision making and the ability to stay true to his own ideas that forged his career and ultimately garnered the respect of Gordon Palmer, whom he greatly admired. Bart was named co-trustee of the Palmer Family Trust with Palmer's wife, Virginia "Ginny" Palmer, upon Mr. Palmer's death in 1997.

Ginny, according to Bart, is a "caring individual and a great believer in education. She has been extremely generous to higher education through the trust." A graduate of Queen's College and a former Pennsylvania president of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Ginny had heard many stories of Bart's elementary school experiences at SRV, her only connection to the school. When the time came to raise funds for the school, it was a natural connection for Bart to ask Ginny for the Palmer Family Trust's assistance. "Ginny was especially interested in the Grace Rotzel Endowment which would provide funds for professional development of the teachers, since she had begun her career in the classroom." The school's professional development budget now allows for teachers to regularly attend Columbia Teacher's College for workshops and courses in the summer, and to attend seminars and conferences relevant to current teaching practices and progressive education. It has even funded a trip for 5 teachers to visit The Cloud Forest School in Costa Rica as part of a teacher exchange program between CFS and SRV. The Palmer Family Trust's first outright gift of $500,000 and challenge grant of $500,000 was later followed by a second $250,000 challenge, both of which were met by funds raised through alumni, family and friends of the school.

Today, SRV is much bigger than Bart may remember from his days, but he says, "Not much has changed." The school remains a model of what a preschool and elementary experience should be for young children. Due in part to Bart's perseverance and Ginny Palmer's generosity, children for generations to come will experience the same "remarkable" education that Bart remembers. "SRV taught us to have confidence in our own judgment, that it is okay to march to a different drummer." The School in Rose Valley continues to offer a different path and a profound destination for over 125 students each year.

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