Notable Alumni of Moravian University
Moravian University, a private institution in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, boasts a rich history dating back to 1742. Originally established as a girls' school, it later merged with a men's college to become the coeducational institution it is today. With a commitment to providing a holistic undergraduate experience, Moravian University has fostered the development of numerous accomplished individuals who have made significant contributions in various fields. The University's holistic undergraduate experience, named Elevate, is designed with one goal in mind: ensuring that "students feel empowered to learn." This comes through a wide "variety of resources and support for anything that they may need," like getting a MacBook Pro and iPad upon enrollment and having the free opportunity to study abroad with faculty. Resources like Student Opportunities for Academic Research (SOAR) help connect students with undergraduate research under a faculty mentor.
Recognizing Alumni Achievement
Moravian University and the Alumni Association Board of Directors actively acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments and service of its alumni through a series of prestigious awards. These awards include the Comenius Alumni Award, the Benigna Education Award, the Young Alumni Achievement Award, the Haupert Humanitarian Award, and the Medallion of Merit.
- The Comenius Alumni Award stands as the Alumni Association's lifetime achievement award, recognizing an alum’s outstanding achievement or service in their field of work.
- The Haupert Humanitarian Award honors an alum who has rendered outstanding service in the cause of human welfare, achieving standards "above and beyond" the expected duties and responsibilities of their career.
- The Benigna Education Award recognizes an alum for their outstanding contributions to the field of education. Administrators, college professors, elementary and secondary teachers, and all those in the teaching profession are eligible.
Notable Alumni Profiles
Here are some notable alumni of Moravian University, representing a diverse range of professions and accomplishments:
John Andretti: An American professional race car driver who achieved victories in CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series, and NASCAR, showcasing his versatility and skill on the track. He was a member of the Andretti racing family.
William F. Badè: An archaeologist, biographer, professor, writer, and anthropologist, best known as the literary executor and biographer of John Muir. He led the excavation of Tell en-Nasbeh in Palestine. He was also an ordained Moravian minister, a professor of ancient languages, a theologian and bible scholar, a mountaineer, a conservationist and a naturalist. He served on the faculties of Moravian Theological Seminary and then the Pacific School of Religion. He also served as interim president and subsequently as dean of the Pacific School of Religion and was founding director of the school's Palestine Institute. He was president of the Sierra Club 1919-1922 and edited the Sierra Club Bulletin for 12 years.
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James M. Beck: An American lawyer, politician, and author from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.
John B. Callahan: The 10th Mayor of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, demonstrating his commitment to public service and leadership within the local community. He was the Democratic nominee in an unsuccessful 2010 bid for United States Representative for Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district.
Harry S. Clarke Jr.## James M. David## Dr. Charles Decker, Jr.
Emil Alexander de Schweinitz: An American bacteriologist who made contributions to the field of microbiology.
John Gorka: An American singer-songwriter known for his folk music and storytelling, recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as "the preeminent male singer-songwriter of what has been dubbed the New Folk Movement."
S. Odell Guyton, Esq.
William Jacob Holland: Served as the eighth Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh (1891-1901) and Director of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. He was an accomplished lepidopterist, zoologist, and paleontologist, as well as an ordained Presbyterian minister.
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Andrew A. Humphreys: A career United States Army officer, civil engineer, and a Union General in the American Civil War, demonstrating his leadership and service to the nation.
G. Margaret L. James
Florence Foster Jenkins: An American socialite and amateur lyric soprano who gained notoriety for her flamboyant performance costumes and notably poor singing ability. Stephen Pile ranked her "the world's worst opera singer… No one, before or since, has succeeded in liberating themselves quite so completely from the shackles of musical notation."
Elizabeth Kuehner Mauch, Ph.D.
John Baillie McIntosh: A Union Army brigadier general during the American Civil War, contributing to the Union cause.
Billie Miller: An American politician serving as a member of the Connecticut State Senate from the 27th district. Miller was elected in a special election following the resignation of Carlo Leone. Previously, served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from the 145th district. Miller is the first woman and person of color to represent Stamford in either chamber of the legislature.
Zora Martin-Felton: Established the education department at the Anacostia Community Museum, which is a museum in the Smithsonian Institution and worked as Director of Education from 1967 to 1995.
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Henry E. May, Jr.
Kathryn Poland: Was an American businesswoman and politician.
Fred B. Rooney: Served as a U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 15th congressional district from 1963 to 1979, representing his constituents in Congress.
Richard Shindell: An American folk singer, songwriter, producer, and musician known for his introspective lyrics and musical talent.
John Sterling: An American retired sportscaster, best known as the radio play-by-play announcer of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball from 1989 to 2024. Sterling called 5,060 consecutive Yankees games from 1989 to 2019.
Mildred Ladner Thompson: Former Tulsa World columnist witnessed history.
Tom Turcich: In 2022, Tom Turcich became the tenth person to walk around the world. He has written a children’s book, Savannah’s World of Adventures: Crossing the Andes and published a memoir on his journey across six continents and thirty-six countries, The World Walk: 7 Years. 28,000 Miles. 6 Continents. A Grand Meditation, One Step at a Time.
David Zinczenko: A publisher, author, and businessman, recognized as a leading voice in health, fitness, and weight loss. He is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of 25 books in 15 languages, serves as a nutrition and wellness contributor for NBC’s Today show, and has appeared on other popular television programs such as Oprah, Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, 20/20, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In 2016, he established the Zinczenko New Media Center at Moravian to empower students to create audio, visual, digital, and print projects using media’s latest technology. The center is located in Reeves Library and is one of many ways David continues to support his alma mater. He volunteers his time as an active member on the Board of Trustees Campaign Committee for Lighting the Way: The Campaign for Moravian University and is intentional with his philanthropic support, always making sure to support the student experience with the latest tools and resources. During COVID-19, David renovated the New Media Center to better meet the needs of students navigating our ever-changing, digitally focused world.
Moravian University: Fostering Success
Moravian University's commitment to academic excellence, holistic development, and community engagement has enabled its graduates to achieve remarkable success in diverse fields. The university's emphasis on providing students with resources and support, such as the Elevate program and the Student Opportunities for Academic Research (SOAR), fosters a learning environment where students can thrive and reach their full potential. The university also has evening undergraduate programs for adults seeking continuing undergraduate education and graduate degrees.
The university's Student Opportunities for Academic Research (SOAR) program provides stipends, travel allowances, and expenses for students engaged in research or creative activities through close interaction with a faculty mentor. The program helps Moravian students gain a better understanding of scholarship in their discipline, and fosters scholar-colleague relationships.
Art and music programs are offered in Bethlehem's historic district on the college's Priscilla Payne Hurd Campus. Many of the buildings on that campus were built during the colonial period, including the Brethren's House, built in 1748, which served as a hospital during the Revolutionary War, and currently houses the Music Department. Also located on Priscilla Payne Campus are the President's House, Main Hall (1854), the Widow's House, Clewell Hall, West Hall, South Hall, the 1867 Chapel, Clewell Dining Hall, and the Central Moravian Church. A number of the buildings are connected. The facilities have been renovated to include Payne Gallery (renovated from the original women's gymnasium in 1903), the college's two-level art gallery that offers several shows each year, and Foy Concert Hall. Also located on the Priscilla Payne Hurd Campus are Peter Hall, a medium-sized recital hall, Hearst Hall, a small recital hall, and individual student rehearsal rooms and art studios.
The university presents the nationally renowned Christmas Vespers services in the Central Moravian Church, located on the corner of Main and Church streets across from Brethren's House. In the 2009-2010 school year, Moravian University added a new living complex on the Priscilla Payne Hurd Campus called the HILL. Each floor has suites, where four to 16 people can live. The HILL is air conditioned and fully handicap accessible. The suites contain a living room, full kitchen, private bathroom, and additional hallway sinks.
Initially given in 1888 and settled in 1892, the North Campus is also known as the Main Street campus, as it is physically larger and is the site of the majority of the university's buildings, academic departments, administration, and student residences. The main building of the Main Street Campus is Comenius Hall, which was built in 1892 and is named for John Amos Comenius, the last bishop of Unity of the Brethren, known as the "father of modern education" for his revolutionary educational principles. Comenius wrote in 1632, "not the children of the rich or of the powerful only, but of all alike, boys and girls, both noble and ignoble, rich and poor, in all cities and towns, villages and hamlets, should be sent to school". The Moravians had considered schools secondary in importance only to churches. A statue of Comenius, which was a gift to the college from Charles University of Prague and the Moravian Church of Czechoslovakia, stands in front of Comenius Hall.
The Main Street Campus is also the location of Reeves Library, Priscilla Payne Hurd Academic Complex, Colonial Hall, the Bahnson Center, the Moravian Archives, Zinzendorf Hall, Borhek Chapel, Prosser Auditorium (capacity 300, inside the Haupert Union Building), Monocacy Hall, Collier Hall of Science, the Sally Miksiewiecz Center for Health Sciences, Hamilton Hall, Memorial Hall, Benigna Hall, Johnston Hall (capacity 1,600 for athletics, 3,000 for events), the Timothy M. In 2016, John Makuvek Field was installed and opened behind the Haupert Union Building. John Makuvek Field is a synthetic-turf field that is home to the Greyhounds' field hockey, men's and women's lacrosse, and men's and women's soccer teams. The field is named for John Makuvek, who retired in 1996 after four years as athletics director, and in 2010 after 43 years as head golf coach.
In 2017, the Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Center for Health Sciences was opened at 1107 Main Street. The 55,000-square-foot facility hosts classes for both undergraduate and graduate programs, including nursing, informatics, and the health sciences and features the region's only virtual cadaver lab. Steel Field and its brick grandstand were originally built by Bethlehem Steel to host the Bethlehem Steel Football Club, 1913 to 1930. In 1925, Lehigh University purchased Steel Field from Bethlehem Steel. The Bethlehem Steel Soccer Club continued to use the field until its demise.
Moravian's athletics teams are nicknamed the Greyhounds. The university is a member of the NCAA and competes in Division III sports. Men's sports include football, lacrosse, soccer, basketball, baseball, track and field, cross country, tennis, golf, and swimming. On July 26, 2024, Moravian Church Settlements-Bethlehem became the 26th UNESCO World Heritage site in the United States.
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