“Few colleges and universities remember where they came from,” says Danny Wigley ’63. “It seems to me that Geneva is trying to stay on track about as good as anybody can in this modern age, and the idea of giving back to an institution that gave me opportunity and a solid foundation is a strong motivation.”
Wigley, a son of a railroader and homemaker, commuted to Geneva with the family car. Not only did he travel the path to Geneva, he continued on his Christian path as well.
“I left Geneva with a diploma in hand, no debt, and my Christian worldview intact,” he says. “These foundational elements were the ticket to a job and a life of service.”
The specter of the Russians’ 1957 launch of the Sputnik space capsule influenced Wigley to pursue the study of physics and math. After marrying his wife, Margaret Stearns, and graduating from Geneva, he worked for Dupont in Chattanooga, TN, for over a decade where he got involved in the beginning of computer programming. He attended the engineering school at Georgia Tech in an early Computer and Information Science graduate program. He was transferred to Wilmington, DE, as minicomputers and personal computers took off.
After retiring from a successful career, Wigley and two friends started a non-profit home repair ministry called Good Neighbors on a shoestring to help the people of Kennett Square, PA.
“I look back and realize the experience of 25 years helping the most disadvantaged among us had rewards and enriched myself, my wife, and my son,” he says. “Giving back does that!”
In what is a quintessential Geneva story, Wigley took the opportunity of the foundation Geneva provided to build a career at the founding of the computer industry. Then, he provided stable homes for those in need in his local area through his non-profit work.
“Being a good steward is seeding backwards,” he says. “Geneva is worthwhile; it gave me opportunity and a solid foundation.”
Learn more about Geneva College.
Have questions? Call us at 724-847-6505.
© Geneva College | All rights reserved
