Professor Emeritus of German George M. Grasty Leaves a Lasting Legacy

"Whittier just seemed to fit him like a glove," Professor of Political Science John Neu said. "He wore his Whittier College accessories with pride." Professor Emeritus of German George M. Grasty could often be seen walking up Philadelphia to Mendenhall with cane in hand to collect the current issue of the Quaker Campus. And thanks to becoming a Philadelphian through his lasting gift to the college, his spirit continues to be felt across campus thanks to his thoughtful legacy.*

"Everyone liked him because he was honestly interested in the college, his students and his colleagues," Professor of Political Science Fred Bergerson said. "He had that 'savoir faire' and a European demeanor, even as an American. He was a coat and tie guy. He was unfailingly courteous and thoughtful and always had a pleasant word to say."

Grasty's roots were in rural Virginia where he grew up in the Tidewater town of Tappahannock on the Rappahannock River and attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington.

He attended college during the Great Depression, earned a bachelor's degree in German from Washington and Lee and his master's, also in German, from Duke University. After several years of teaching at larger institutions, Grasty came to Whittier College and taught German for almost 25 years.

Reflecting this passion, George was a generous and consistent donor to the College. He prudently invested in certificates of deposit and small bonds. At retirement, he shifted his financial strategy to generate new income by establishing a series of charitable gift annuities at Whittier College.

His forward planning, along with additional gifts from his estate, established a significant endowment for the George M. Grasty Fund for Modern Languages. George enjoyed sharing his estate planning strategy with others and was occasionally featured in the College's publications as a proud member of the Philadelphia Society.

"He came to a lot of musical performances," Music Secretary Russel Litchfield said. "He liked opera and encouraged music students who sang to take German for the significant musical repertoire. He was like a lot of professors in that era; he took a personal interest in particular students–not just in his own department."

In 2008, for George's 93rd birthday, a group of his friends from the college including President Sharon Herzberger, Bergerson, Associate Professor of Film Studies Rich Cheatham, Neu and Ann Farmer visited with George at Merrill Gardens. Declining a cake or gifts, George said, "I'd just like to talk with everyone."

"George Grasty was truly a fine man," Cheatham said. "I took one year with him and I like to think I learned something, mostly 'Deutsch ist nicht sehr schwer.' He remained mentally sharp and seldom forgot a name. He loved to laugh but we always stopped short of telling any story that might be a bit too coarse. We will remember him with great joy and appreciation."

*(This story was originally published in The Quaker Campus, Issue 9, written by Jon-Paul Cook '14, November 4, 2010 after Grasty's passing in October of that year. It was noted that he loved to keep up with news of the college, especially that of students. The last sentence of first paragraph was added when posted to the Whittier Legacy Philadelphian website)