Edinboro alumni Steve (class of 1957) and Alice (class of 1956) Pavlisin have established a new $100,000 scholarship fund to support students pursuing degrees in English and art education. The scholarship fund will support two PennWest Edinboro students each academic year, focused on full-time students with a “determined financial need.” Students who apply must also have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
The fund is partially inspired by Steve’s time at Edinboro, in which his tuition was complemented by the Scholarship Legacy Fund. The fund also honors Steve and Alice’s loving partnership, a relationship that began right on the Edinboro campus in the 1950s. The couple met while rehearsing for the Shakespearean plays and Gilbert and Sullivan operettas produced by the campus Drama Club. They would later marry after graduation, on Christmas Day in 1957, while Steve was on leave from the U.S. Army.
In addition to the scholarship fund, Alice Pavlisin has donated an extensive antique postcard collection to the University’s Archive. She collected nearly 6,000 postcards over her lifetime, with the collection valued at over $120,000. Purchased from dealers around the world, the pristine collection can be viewed in the special collections room at the Baron-Forness Library (by supervised appointment only).
“Postcards like these are rich sources for both art and historical research, offering insights into personal expression, cultural trends, and world events,” said Nathan Fralick, Research Services Librarian and Edinboro Archivist at PennWest Edinboro.
“The art of these postcards will be valuable to our students and faculty who are doing research in typography, illustration, material culture, and color palettes to understand design sensibilities. Additionally, these postcards contain handwritten notes that provide insights into the Pavlisins' everyday travel schedules, aiding historians in reconstructing individual and collective experiences throughout significant historical periods or events. We are incredibly fortunate to be able to preserve and share these works as part of our holdings.”
The pristine collection arrived in binders and mylar sleeves. To maintain its integrity, Fralick will maintain the original order and will house them in a lockable glass display case in order “to protect the materials from environmental damage.” The $100,000 scholarship fund will also defray some of these maintenance and security costs.
“I didn’t know what to expect, but I am amazed by the details and styles of the artwork,” added Chuck Scalise, Executive Director of the Edinboro University Foundation. “I look forward to visiting the collection to read the messages that are contained on some of them.”
“The Edinboro University Foundation has the responsibility of attracting wealth and other assets to the university,” added Scalise. “As the university’s partner, we receive all types of gifts, including this unique postcard collection. With this newly added collection, Edinboro will attract students and the public from our region to enjoy the art and history it provides — setting Edinboro apart from other institutions.”
Alice was born in Cambridge Springs and graduated from Meadville High School in 1951. She then started her collegiate journey at Edinboro State Teachers College in 1952. After graduating with her Bachelor’s of Science in Art Education in 1955, Alice taught art at Meadville Elementary and Commodore Perry High School from 1955-1957.
Steve was born in McDowell County, West Virginia and moved with his family to Pennsylvania after the start of World War II. He graduated from Butler High School in 1952 and began his time at Edinboro two years later. During Steve’s time at Edinboro, he participated in music and drama activities throughout all four years, meeting Alice through the Drama Club. Along with his extracurricular activities, Steve served as the freshman class president at Edinboro.
After graduating from Edinboro with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education, Steve was drafted into the Army where he served for two years in the Medical Corp at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.
The Pavlisins time at Edinboro was marked by a close personal “assistance and guidance” from Mildred Forness, one of two women the campus library takes its name from. These gifts also aim to honor that relationship.
Students interested in the scholarship should visit the PennWest Edinboro website.
Featured image: Pictured from left to right are Diane Black (niece of the Pavlisins-Estate Executrix), her husband Dale, and Tony McMullen, Baron Forness Library Director.
