2015 Trexler Trust Annual Report

In General Trexler's day, the PPL
Building towered over familiar shops
and homes. It was the City's first
skyscraper and it was General Trexler
who insisted that it be located in
Allentown. The Albertus Meyers
Bridge, commonly called the Eighth
Street Bridge, was built by General
Trexler to connect his housing
development to center city using
his transit system. As the City’s
Chairman of the first Planning
Commission, General Trexler
envisioned and created great physical
change in his city.
But, General Trexler was interested
in the people of his community.
He helped veterans, families, children
and the institutions that nurtured and
served them. He invested in people
and charitable organizations by
contributing privately to schools,
hospitals, churches, and much more.
He began and planned the City’s
renowned park system and left
a lasting legacy to ensure its
improvement, extension and
maintenance for City residents.
General Trexler relished time spent
with his many friends and associates
hunting, fishing, and horseback
riding. He was a valued board
member to the Academy of Natural
Science (Philadelphia), Allentown
Hospital, Allentown Free Library,
Allentown State Hospital, Franklin &
Marshall College, Lehigh University,
Muhlenberg College, Sacred Heart
Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, and the
Zoological Society of Philadelphia.
He was a significant contributor to
most local fundraising campaigns.
He made personal loans to young
men seeking higher education.
He joyfully attended Romper Day
to watch thousands of Allentown’s
youth celebrate summer. Investing in
human capital was a regular activity
for General Trexler.
General Trexler was a man of
diverse interests – a true Renaissance
Man. His personal library was
an impressive collection, filled
with important classical and
contemporary books. His actions
left an extraordinary record of his
many and varied activities in both
the local business and social
arenas.
His many pursuits – successes and
failures – were a robust collection
of businesses, hobbies, and human
services that built a foundation
for a high quality of life in his
community. Surprisingly, many
of General Trexler’s business
successes have continued and
grown to serve the community,
nation, and even the world.
He grew the Trexler Lumber
Company into one of the largest
lumber companies in the East.
His investment in local utilities
changed landscapes, transportation
and communication. A review
of his many interests reveals a
list of enterprises that have influenced
not only the growth of Allentown
and Lehigh County, but throughout
the world.
His legacy, the Trexler Trust,
continues his quest for quality of
life for the residents of Allentown
and Lehigh County. His private
foundation carries on his lasting
affection for the citizens of
Allentown and Lehigh County. By
aiding the charitable organizations
that work in Allentown and Lehigh
County, the Trexler Trust continues
the General’s generosity.
General Trexler built businesses,
parks, institutions – and most of
all, he committed to perpetuating a
community of diverse people living,
working and seeking the highest
possible quality of life together.
In response to the recent growth of
the Neighborhood Improvement
Zone (NIZ), General Trexler’s
Trustees sought programs and
opportunities within the NIZ and
surrounding neighborhoods that
would engage existing residents in
the positives of the new economy.
These grants, made in addition to
the regular grants, are funded so that
residents can take part in their own
renaissance.
Renaissance is a word that has been used to
describe the transformation taking place in
Allentown. Certainly the look of the City
has been dramatically changed by
the new buildings, businesses, and people
streaming in and out of them.
“A new era has arrived changing the center of where we
live, work and play.” This is a statement that could have
been made during General Trexler’s lifetime. His influence,
finances, and planning changed the skyline of Allentown
with the PPL Building, increased the quality of life for all
citizens with the park system, and continues his concern for
Mr. Marcon, Father Gambet, Mr. Fraenkel, Ms. Musselman, Atty. Gross
the welfare of its residents through the Trexler Trust.
Today, our community is experiencing tremendous change and the Trexler Trust is pleased to add further impetus to
that change.
With the Trust’s 2015 charitable distribution, the Trustees have consciously sought to extend the current renaissance
beyond physical structures inviting it directly into neighborhoods and homes. These new opportunities will be skillfully
undertaken by the charitable organizations already serving the citizens of Allentown and Lehigh County. Organizations
that offer instruction in the English language, tutoring in reading and math, and creative problem solving through the arts
and sciences are the resources that are providing more of the necessary infrastructure for personal growth and greater
possibilities for individuals and families.
The Trexler Trust awarded additional funding to programs and services that serve the needs of the existing residents of the
Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ) and surrounding neighborhoods. Injecting more charitable dollars into these
areas is expected to increase access to the resources that residents need to grasp the many, varied, new opportunities
created by the NIZ.
The work of the grant recipients listed on the following pages represents a wide ranging spectrum of charitable endeavors
that offer enlightenment, learning, and hope. The Trust continues to value and support the projects and programs that
provide food, shelter and comfort throughout Lehigh County.
All of these charitable organizations are experiencing a continuing revival as they constantly evaluate community needs in
light of their charitable missions and determine how best to meet those needs. They regularly evolve giving the community
the programs and services it needs to change lives.
Their work is the true renaissance.
L. Charles Marcon
Trustee
Statement of Revenues & Expenses
Years Ended March 31
2015
2014
$1,831,307.78
$1,537,594.99
3,851,633.32
44,045,157.54
8,511.22
1,572.14
5,691,452.32
45,584,324.67
475,804.77
506,048.82
Professional services
87,651.49
86,735.73
Occupancy
25,803.66
27,312.85
Insurance
8,825.00
8,807.00
fully modernized dairy
Excise tax
96,704.47
452,936.53
operation boasting
Total Administrative Expenses
694,789.39
1,081,840.93
Before Grants
4,996,662.93
44,502,483.74
Grants
3,364,600.00
5,335,755.93
1,632,062.93
39,166,727.81
Capital Gains and Losses
(508,548.73)
(31,431,263.40)
Increase in Net Assets
1,123,514.20
7,735,464.41
121,806,328.82
114,070,864.41
$122,929,843.02
$121,806,328.82
Revenues
Dividends and interest
He dabbled in
dairy
farming
which he considered one
of his most enjoyable
failures. He built a
Jersey cows from
the Isle of Jersey.
Realized capital gains (losses)
Other
Total Revenues
Expenses
Administrative and general
Excess of Revenues Over Expenses
When milk production
exceeded consumption,
he began a subscription
delivery service that
Excess (Deficit) of Revenues Over
Expenses After Grants
proved too complex
to be profitable.
He kept a few of the
cows and regularly
Increase (Decrease) in Net Unrealized
offered his guests the
“choice of milk from
my dairy or champagne.
The cost is the same.”
Fund Balances - Beginning of Year
Fund Balances - End of Year
Balance Sheet of the Residuary Fund
Years Ended March 31
2015
2014
$105,978,244.26
$110,099,118.87
17,115,208.23
11,228,547.55
123,093,452.49
121,327,666.42
51,988.44
332,902.90
159,719.28
161,666.54
that bore a variety of
123,305,160.21
121,822,235.86
fruits for public sale.
Assets
Investments
Mutual funds
Alternative investments
Total Investments
Cash
Other non-investment assets
Total Assets
General Trexler
delighted in his
orchards
By 1932, he had over
Liabilities and Fund Balances
Liabilities
Fund balances
375,317.19
15,907.04
122,929,843.02
121,806,328.82
$123,305,160.21
$121,822,235.86
1,800 acres of
productive fruit trees.
Weather dependent, the
Total Liabilities and Fund Balances
yields varied from year
to year. General Trexler
is quoted as saying that
“I could own a luxury
yacht for what I am
losing. But I enjoy the
bloom in the spring
and I like the thrill of
growing nice fruit and
exhibiting it.” For 65
years, General Trexler
was an exhibitor at the
Great Allentown Fair.
General Trexler invested in numerous
local steam and regional electric companies often serving
on the their boards. Consolidation in 1920 of eight utility
companies owning 62 power plants resulted in the forming
of Pennsylvania Power & Light Company.
PPL located its headquarters in Allentown as a direct
result of General Trexler’s influence. The company
built the tallest building in Pennsylvania outside of
Pittsburgh. He served on the Board of Directors until
his death in 1933.
PPL continues to serve thousands in our community
and beyond.
General Trexler
reveled in his
Distribution
to Beneficiaries
Allentown Area Ecumenical Food Bank
underwrite operating expenses for the food bank ........................................................$25,000.00
Allentown Art Museum
toward the Museum's operating expenses ...................................................................$55,000.00
Allentown Art Museum
underwrite one year of the community-based HeARThstone
project in the Neighborhood Improvement Zone ......................................................$100,000.00
Allentown Band, Inc. (The)
purchase a truck to transport music equipment to concert venues
in Allentown and Lehigh County ...................................................................................$5,000.00
Allentown Band, Inc.
underwrite operating expenses for the band ..................................................................$5,000.00
Allentown Central Catholic High School, Inc.
underwrite scholarships for one year for students
from low-income Allentown families ...........................................................................$50,000.00
Allentown Public Library
underwrite operating expenses ....................................................................................$75,000.00
Allentown Public Theatre
underwrite a production of "Charlotte's Web" and theatre workshops
for Neighborhood Improvement Zone residents ...........................................................$2,500.00
Allentown School District Foundation
underwrite expenses to expand the science fair ...........................................................$35,000.00
Allentown School District Foundation
underwrite start-up expenses for a new professional
center institute, Building 21 .......................................................................................$200,000.00
Allentown Symphony Association, Inc.
underwrite operating expenses ....................................................................................$75,000.00
Allentown Symphony Association, Inc.
underwrite the purchase and installation of a marquee ...............................................$75,000.00
Allentown Youth Soccer Club
underwrite equipment costs ...........................................................................................$5,000.00
Allentown, City of
improvements, extension and maintenance of all its Parks ....................................$1,945,200.00
America On Wheels, Inc.
underwrite operating expenses ....................................................................................$10,000.00
Baum School of Art (The)
underwrite the City Arts Summer Camp .......................................................................$4,500.00
Baum School of Art (The)
underwrite for one-year a scholarship program for
Neighborhood Improvement Zone residents ...............................................................$22,400.00
Baum School of Art (The)
operating expenses of the school .................................................................................$40,000.00
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Lehigh Valley, Inc.
expand a School-Based Mentoring Program at Roosevelt Elementary ........................$10,000.00
Borough of Catasauqua
continue archeological research at the George Taylor House ......................................$15,000.00
Boys and Girls Clubs of Allentown
support for one year of programming at Central Elementary School ..........................$15,000.00
Boys and Girls Clubs of Allentown
expand for one year the Make Your M.A.R.K. program in the
Neighborhood Improvement Zone ..............................................................................$15,000.00
Boys and Girls Clubs of Allentown
underwrite program costs of the Make Your M.A.R.K. program
for children of the Allentown School District ..............................................................$30,000.00
Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center
operating support ..........................................................................................................$3,000.00
(GEN)
(NIZ)
farming
businesses
– often deriding his
own efforts. When asked
“is there money in the
poultry business?”
He said, “Yes, there is,
because I put the
money in.”
The Morning Call’s
history dates back to The Critic first published in 1883.
David A. Miller and his brother Samuel Miller began
buying its stock in 1894 until they took over full
ownership in 1904.
General Trexler purchased and consolidated four of
Allentown’s newspapers into one publication by 1920.
After General Trexler’s death, David Miller repurchased
the newspaper and acquired The Chronicle and News.
David A. Miller lead the Call-Chronicle until his passing in
1958 whereupon sons Donald and Samuel took the helm.
The newspaper was guided by the Miller family until
1984, when it was sold to The Times Mirror Company.
The Times Mirror was acquired in 2000 by the Tribune
Company, combining a variety of media including
newspapers, television stations, radio stations, cable TV,
and internet services.
Tribune Publishing was created in 2014 to hold the Tribune
Company’s publishing entities including The Morning Call.
Distribution to Beneficiaries
Burnside Plantation, Inc.
underwrite expenses for programs for Lehigh County residents ...................................$5,000.00
Camerata Singers (The)
operating support ......................................................................................................... $1,000.00
Carl and Emily Weller Center for Health Education (The)
before-school nutrition and physical education program
in the Allentown School District ................................................................................. $20,000.00
Casa Guadalupe Center
support capital improvements .................................................................................... $25,000.00
Casa Guadalupe Center
underwrite one year of education programs for K-12 students who reside
in the neighborhoods surrounding the Neighborhood Improvement Zone ............... $50,000.00
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Allentown, Inc.
support for one year to expand counseling and case management services
to families living in the Neighborhood Improvement Zone ....................................... $25,000.00
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Allentown, Inc.
support immigration services in Lehigh County ......................................................... $40,000.00
Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Allentown, Inc.
renovate the Ecumenical Soup Kitchen and Community Center ................................ $40,000.00
Catholic Senior Housing and Health Care Services, Inc.
underwrite indigent care ............................................................................................. $20,000.00
Center for Vision Loss, Inc.
support vision rehabilitation services for Lehigh County residents ............................ $10,000.00
Civic Theatre of Allentown
underwrite operating expenses ................................................................................... $40,000.00
Communities in Schools of the Lehigh Valley
provide operating support for Lehigh County programs ............................................ $30,000.00
Communities in Schools of the Lehigh Valley
for one year to underwrite the College Bound program ............................................. $75,000.00
Communities in Schools of the Lehigh Valley
underwrite for one year programs in the Allentown School District ........................ $125,000.00
Community Action Development Corporation of the Lehigh Valley
operating expenses for the Sixth Street Shelter ........................................................... $10,000.00
Community Action Development Corporation of the Lehigh Valley
support the Main Street Program ............................................................................... $15,000.00
Community Action Development Corporation of the Lehigh Valley
façade improvements to storefronts on North Seventh Street .................................... $25,000.00
Community Bike Works
underwrite the Earn-A-Bike program ......................................................................... $15,000.00
Community Bike Works
underwrite for one year an enhanced summer program for youth living
in the Neighborhood Improvement Zone ................................................................... $25,000.00
Community Music School
support musical instruction for one year for low-income students
residing in the Neighborhood Improvement Zone ..................................................... $30,000.00
Community Music School
underwrite operating expenses ................................................................................... $45,000.00
Community Services for Children, Inc.
program support ..........................................................................................................$25,000.00
Community Services for Children, Inc.
establish an early childhood learning center to serve children residing
in the Neighborhood Improvement Zone ................................................................. $100,000.00
Da Vinci Discovery Center of Science and Technology, Inc. (The)
underwrite programming for one year in the Allentown School District ................... $50,000.00
Da Vinci Discovery Center of Science and Technology, Inc. (The)
operating support ....................................................................................................... $60,000.00
DeSales University
provide scholarships for one year to ACCESS students residing
in the Neighborhood Improvement Zone ................................................................... $50,000.00
Easter Seals Eastern Pennsylvania
provide program services for Lehigh County residents ................................................. $5,000.00
Emmaus Public Library
underwrite costs to improve the library's homework center ........................................ $3,500.00
An avid
outdoorsman,
General Trexler’s
farm fences
were not cleared of
underbrush and growth
so that birds and small
animals were provided
with habitat. He is said to
have remarked that other
farms were so inhospitable
that “a bird had to carry
a knapsack to cross.”
Lehigh Portland
Cement Company was founded
in 1897 by six Allentown businessmen, including
General Trexler, who invested $250,000 to construct
a cement plant in nearby Ormrod. The Lehigh Valley
quickly became the center of the nation's cement
industry because of its plentiful limestone deposits
uniquely suited for making cement.
Lehigh Cement created a second facility at West
Coplay, followed by another plant in Ormrod.
It rapidly expanded into the Mid-West and later into
the Northwest. By 1920 Lehigh Cement was the
nation's biggest cement company in terms of number
In 1977, Portland-Zementwerke Heidelberg A.G.,
of plants, with annual production of more than
a unit of the German building-materials company
12 million barrels of portland cement.
Heidelberger Zement A.G., purchased Lehigh Cement
for $85 million.
General Trexler was Lehigh Cement's first president
until Edward M. Young succeeded him as president in
Heidelberg Cement acquired Hanson PLC in 2007,
1926, followed in 1932 by Joseph S. Young. General
creating a multi-national provider of cement, aggregates,
Trexler served as Chairman until his death in 1933.
ready mixed concrete and other construction materials.
Lehigh Cement plants were capable of producing
Today, the Lehigh and Hanson business units in North
22 million barrels a year in 1940, or more than eight
America are collectively known as Lehigh Hanson,
percent of total U.S. productive capacity. By 1960 the
Inc. The company supplies construction materials in key
company's capacity had passed 31 million barrels.
markets throughout the United States and Canada.
Distribution to Beneficiaries
Everlasting Life Ministries
underwrite operating costs for the food bank ............................................................ $20,000.00
Fe Foundation
underwrite one year of educational programming for 15 Allentown students ............. $5,000.00
Flint Hill Farm Educational Center, Inc.
underwrite programming for Lehigh County residents ................................................ $5,000.00
Friends of the Allentown Parks
underwrite restoration of the Works Progress Association structures ........................ $20,000.00
Good Shepherd Home
support a wellness program for the disabled .............................................................. $25,000.00
Grace Community Foundation
underwrite operating and food expenses for the pantry ............................................. $20,000.00
Grace Montessori School
support a program to assist families residing in the
Neighborhood Improvement Zone ............................................................................. $12,000.00
Grace Montessori School
underwrite scholarships for children from low-income Allentown
and Lehigh County families ........................................................................................ $15,000.00
Guardianship Support Agency, Inc.
underwrite program expenses to assist decision-impaired Lehigh County residents .... $7,500.00
Habitat for Humanity
underwrite housing rehabilitation and home repair costs in Allentown ..................... $40,000.00
Haven House
underwrite operating expenses ................................................................................... $35,000.00
Housing Association and Development Corporation
underwrite for one year property acquisitions .......................................................... $100,000.00
Jerusalem House Ministries
underwrite program and operating expenses for outreach to the poor ........................ $7,500.00
Jewish Community Center of Allentown
support improvements to the summer day camp ........................................................ $25,000.00
Jewish Community Center of Allentown
underwrite scholarships for early childhood education and summer programs ......... $40,000.00
Jewish Family Service of the Lehigh Valley
underwrite Benefits Access Partnership services for Lehigh County residents ............ $25,000.00
KidsPeace
underwrite new mental health outpatient programs in partnership
with Sacred Heart Hospital ........................................................................................ $15,000.00
Lehigh Carbon Community College Foundation
underwrite program expenses for the Trade Adjustment Assistance
Community College and Career Training program .................................................... $25,000.00
Lehigh Carbon Community College Foundation
underwrite tuition, books and a counselor for ASD dual enrollment
students for one year ................................................................................................... $25,000.00
Lehigh Conference of Churches, The
underwrite interfaith activities .................................................................................... $10,000.00
Lehigh Conference of Churches, The
support the Winter Shelter Program ........................................................................... $35,000.00
Lehigh County 4-H Development Fund
underwrite after-school programming .......................................................................... $4,000.00
Lehigh County Historical Society
underwrite operating expenses for the Society ........................................................... $50,000.00
Lehigh County Senior Citizens, Inc.
support social, recreational and educational programs for Lehigh County seniors .... $20,000.00
Lehigh Valley Arts Council
underwrite operating expenses ................................................................................... $10,000.00
Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living
underwrite operating expenses ................................................................................... $10,000.00
Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living
to help people with disabilities obtain and maintain housing ..................................... $15,000.00
Lehigh Valley Children's Centers, Inc.
underwrite leasehold improvements to the Alliance Hall Gym .................................... $7,500.00
Lehigh Valley Community Foundation
support the Downtown Allentown Community Development Initiative ................... $10,000.00
General Trexler’s
hunting
trips
to his Wyoming property
stirred concern for the
plight of the dwindling
buffalo herds. His interest
led him to bring a herd
to his Game Preserve
(now the Trexler Nature
Preserve).
Begun in 1901,
the Lehigh Valley
Transit Company,
headquartered in Allentown, operated a trolley
system and rail transportation. It consolidated
the trolley lines of companies from Allentown,
the Depression, the Transit Company’s fortune
Quakertown, Landsdale, Norristown and more
continued to fluctuate in tune with the national
to operate an extensive public transportation
economy. Rail service to Philadelphia was abandoned
network. Reach was expanded to Philadelphia
in 1951 and the trolley service ended in 1952.
in 1903. In 1905, a group of investors including
Harry Trexler purchased the company.
Bus transportation soon became the standard form
of transport. The company was disbanded and
General Trexler served as the President of the
replaced in 1972 by LANTA which serves Allentown,
Board of Directors until his death in 1933. After
Bethlehem and Easton with a variety of bus routes.
Distribution to Beneficiaries
Lehigh Valley Health Network
for one year, in support of a youth fitness project for the benefit of families
residing in and around the Neighborhood Improvement Zone .................................. $35,000.00
Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council
underwrite operating and program expenses for the benefit of
Lehigh County veterans and their families ................................................................... $5,000.00
Liberty Bell Shrine of Allentown, Inc.
underwrite a free admission program ........................................................................... $5,000.00
Liberty Bell Shrine of Allentown, Inc.
underwrite the cost of programming and transportation for
Allentown School District third graders ..................................................................... $10,000.00
Literacy Center (The)
support literacy programming in and around the Neighborhood Improvement Zone ... $10,000.00
Literacy Center (The)
underwrite operating expenses ................................................................................... $30,000.00
Macungie Band
operating and capital expenses ..................................................................................... $1,500.00
Manito Life Center
support for equine-based therapy programs for at risk, Lehigh County youth ............ $7,500.00
Marine Band, Inc.
toward operating costs ................................................................................................. $1,000.00
Mayfair, Inc.
underwrite operating expenses for the festival ............................................................ $25,000.00
Meals on Wheels of Lehigh County, Inc.
subsidize meal costs for low-income clients ................................................................ $10,000.00
Mercy Special Learning Center
operating support ....................................................................................................... $35,000.00
Mercy Special Learning Center
underwrite renovation costs ....................................................................................... $50,000.00
Minsi Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America
underwrite program expenses for Urban Scouting in Allentown ............................... $30,000.00
Minsi Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America
one year of support for Career Awareness and Education programming for
youth residing in and around the Neighborhood Improvement Zone ....................... $30,000.00
Mosser Village Family Center
support the Summer Enrichment Program ................................................................... $7,000.00
Mosser Village Family Center
underwrite operating expenses ................................................................................... $12,500.00
Muhlenberg College
underwrite for one year internships for students at nonprofit organizations
serving in the Neighborhood Improvement Zone ...................................................... $18,000.00
Municipal Band of Allentown (The)
underwrite concerts in West Park ................................................................................. $2,000.00
Neighborhood Center, The
underwrite the addition of an afternoon pre-K class to serve 18 more children ......... $10,000.00
Neighborhood Center, The
to support the existing programs ................................................................................ $20,000.00
Neighborhood Health Centers of the Lehigh Valley
underwrite leasehold improvements ........................................................................... $15,000.00
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (The)
underwrite for one year operating and capital expenses ............................................. $35,000.00
Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra
support the 2014-2015 season ................................................................................... $20,000.00
Phoebe-Devitt Homes
indigent care for Lehigh County residents .................................................................. $35,000.00
Pinebrook Family Answers
program support for residents of Allentown .............................................................. $35,000.00
Pinebrook Family Answers
underwrite for one year the Ways to Work program for residents
of the Neighborhood Improvement Zone and surrounding area ............................... $40,000.00
Pioneer Band of Allentown, Inc.
underwrite concerts performed in Allentown and Lehigh County ............................... $2,000.00
Despite having
none of his own,
General Trexler
took great
interest in the
welfare of the
City’s children.
He and Mrs. Trexler
sponsored the first, and all
subsequent, Romper Days.
They both attended the
programs until the
General’s death. His Will
provides for a $2,000
annual gift to the City to
underwrite Romper Day –
now called Playground
Celebration Day.
Verizon Pennsylvania began in 1879 as the Bell
Telephone Company of Philadelphia. In 1907,
it became Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania
expanding its service area.
General Trexler served on its Board of Directors
throughout its early years of acquisition and
expansion. At the time of his death, the telephone
company’s service traversed the state. Bell continued
to grow until its breakup in 1984. In 2000 branding
changed the utility’s identity to Verizon which serves
the community as Verizon Pennsylvania.
Distribution to Beneficiaries
Planned Parenthood Keystone
underwrite the completion of the electronic health records conversion ..................... $10,000.00
Planned Parenthood Keystone
support programs in the Allentown Neighborhood Improvement Zone for one year .... $20,000.00
Program for Women and Families, Inc. (The)
underwrite for one year programs supportive of women who reside
in the area around the Neighborhood Improvement Zone ........................................ $10,000.00
Program for Women and Families, Inc. (The)
operating expenses ...................................................................................................... $25,000.00
Program for Women and Families, Inc. (The)
underwrite building improvements at the transitional residence ................................ $30,000.00
Promise Neighborhoods of Lehigh Valley
underwrite the Book Bound program ......................................................................... $10,000.00
Promise Neighborhoods of Lehigh Valley
operating support ....................................................................................................... $10,000.00
Repertory Dance Theatre
underwrite educational outreach programs for the children of the
Allentown School District ............................................................................................. $5,000.00
Sacred Heart Hospital
purchase advanced imaging technology for more effective diagnostics
of disease among low-income Allentown residents .................................................. $100,000.00
Sacred Heart Hospital
underwrite the Parish Nursing Program ................................................................... $130,000.00
Salvation Army (The)
facility improvements and program enhancements in Allentown ............................... $25,000.00
Salvation Army (The)
underwrite operating expenses for the Allentown Corps ........................................... $65,000.00
Satori, Inc.
underwrite programs in Lehigh County ....................................................................... $1,000.00
Satori, Inc.
musical performances for elementary school children and their families
who reside in and around the Neighborhood Improvement Zone ............................... $5,000.00
Seed Farm (The)
underwrite expanded programs for Lehigh County residents .................................... $20,000.00
Slatington Public Library
purchase library computers ........................................................................................ $16,000.00
St. Stephen Outreach Center
underwrite operating expenses ..................................................................................... $5,000.00
Turning Point of Lehigh Valley, Inc.
underwrite the Lehigh County Court Advocate Program for domestic abuse victims .... $10,000.00
Union and West End Cemetery Association
underwrite operating expenses ..................................................................................... $4,000.00
Union and West End Cemetery Association
remove and replace trees ............................................................................................. $10,000.00
Valley Youth House Committee, Inc.
support the Allentown Street Outreach Program ....................................................... $25,000.00
Valley Youth House Committee, Inc.
support for one year work with the homeless youth in and
around the the Neighborhood Improvement Zone .................................................... $60,000.00
Wildlands Conservancy, Inc.
underwrite futher implementation of the Jordan Creek Greenway development plan ... $25,000.00
Wildlife Information Center
underwrite Spanish-language programming in Allentown parks ................................. $7,500.00
Wildlife Information Center
provide environmental education to students in the Allentown School District ........ $15,000.00
Young Men's Christian Association
to initiate one year of an urban youth rowing program ............................................. $25,000.00
Young Men's Christian Association
to make improvements to the facility .......................................................................... $75,000.00
Young Men's Christian Association
underwrite operating expenses ................................................................................. $100,000.00
Young Women's Christian Association
underwrite for one year fitness scholarships for women participating
in the Perfect Fit jobs program ................................................................................... $35,000.00
General Trexler
enjoyed the
pomp and
precision of
the military
and he participated in
most local military parades
and ceremonies. His
service in the Pennsylvania
National Guard was a
source of great pride.
During the Mexican border
conflict, he ordered that
full pay be continued for
servicemen who were
employees of Lehigh
Portland Cement, Lehigh
Valley Transit and the
Trexler Lumber Company.
was an entrepreneur, agriculturalist and philanthropist who spent his lifetime
accumulating businesses and wealth. Generous in life, his philanthropy continues
through the private foundation established with the estates of Harry and
Mary (Mosser) Trexler. The growth and vitality of the community in which the
Trexlers lived and prospered is supported by the Trexler Trust.
At the time of General Trexler’s death, corporate boards recorded board member deaths in their meeting
minutes and marked the occasion with an illustrated encomium. The artwork within these pages
originated from several of those artistic works.
Vignettes are courtesy of the 1984 Proceedings of the Lehigh County Historical Society’s publication
of The General and His Captain: Memoirs of Nolan P. Benner, edited by Dick Cowen.
TESTAMENTARY TRUSTEES
Nolan P. Benner
1934 - 1980
Victor E. Fritz
1951 - 1963
Granville J. Heintzleman
1934 - 1940
J. Thomas Schantz
1934 - 1951
George F. Seiberling
1934 - 1945
John C. Shumberger, Sr.
1945 - 1958
Joseph S. Young
1934 - 1985
APPOINTED TRUSTEES
William B. Butz
Elmer H. Bausch
Carl J.W. Hessinger
Richard K. White
Dexter F. Baker
Kathryn Stephanoff
Philip I. Berman
Daniel G. Gambet
Malcolm J. Gross
Robert C. Wood
William F. Greenawald
Barnet H. Fraenkel
Jamie P. Musselman
L. Charles Marcon
1940 - 1986
1958 - 1964
1963 - 2001
1964 - 2000
1982 - 2006
1985 - 2010
1987 - 1997
1997 2000 2002 - 2011
2007 - 2008
2008 2010 2012 -
Erika L. Chomka, Executive Assistant
Thomas H. Christman, Finance Director
Served from 1969 until retirement in June of 2015.
Janet E. Roth, Executive Director
33 SOUTH SEVENTH STREET, SUITE 205 • ALLENTOWN, PA 18101
610.434.9645 • WWW.TREXLERTRUST.ORG