June 30, 2023
Trine University is mourning the loss of Dr. William A. Gettig, alumnus and former
chair of the university Board of Trustees.
Dr. Gettig died Thursday, June 29, at Cameron Woods Senior Living Community in Angola. He was 97.
“Dr. Gettig gave generously of his time, talent and treasure at crucial moments in the history of Tri-State and Trine to keep the university moving forward,” said Dr. Rick L. James, chair of Trine University’s Board of Trustees. “He loved this institution and spent decades supporting our work and our students. His humor, wisdom and insight will be deeply missed.”
“Dr. Gettig’s relationship with Trine University stretches back to relationships with those who were part of its earliest years,” said Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., Trine University chancellor. “He was a remarkable man, and we feel his loss keenly. But we are grateful for the legacy he leaves behind, and we know he is once again united with his beloved Loene.”
Dr. Gettig’s connection to Tri-State College, later Trine University, spanned around 90 years. George Niehous, who founded the School of Engineering and later served as the college’s seventh president, assisted Gettig’s father, who worked for Shelby Tube Company in Pennsylvania, with issues reported in the company’s products.
The younger Gettig often accompanied his father to campus, meeting Tri-State’s eighth president, Burton Handy, at age 13.
He came to Tri-State as an engineering major in 1943, then enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving in the some of World War II’s most intense fighting in the Pacific theater aboard the U.S.S. Pennsylvania.
He returned to Tri-State after the war. He met his beloved wife, Loene, at a dance in downtown Angola, and the couple married in 1948.
Loene preceded him in death in 2011.
Dr. Gettig completed his mechanical engineering degree in 1949. By 1952, he and family members organized Gettig Engineering & Manufacturing Company, a supplier of high-volume audio, radio frequency and convergence cabling and connections.
Growth and expansion led to the formation of Gettig Technologies, which oversaw Gettig Engineering, Gettig Pharmaceutical (formed in 1960 to manufacture disposable hypodermic assemblies and cartridges), GPI Aviation (formed in 1978), Stelrema Corp. (acquired in 1982) and Beacon Tool (acquired in 1983).
He joined Trine University’s Board of Trustees in 1984 and served until his death. During his tenure as chairman from 1994-1996, he and members of the board spearheaded the return of football to the university. He and Loene outfitted the initial 120-member football team.
In 1980, the Gettigs established the Gettig Scholarship Endowment Fund. The Gettig Fitness Center and Gettig Carillon bear the family name in recognition of their continued support.
He sponsored the Bill Gettig Golf Invitational each spring, attending every tournament for 28 straight years, handing out trophies he personally designed for the event to each of the winners.
He was awarded the university’s Distinguished Service Award in 1984, an honorary doctorate in 1986 and the Pillar of Success in 2008. He also was inducted into Trine’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2019.
The Trine University Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Student Chapter has been awarded an exciting new project to improve the water supply system in Tuntatacto, Ecuador.
Trine University Theatre has announced the cast and crew for its upcoming production of “The Somewhat True Tale of Robin Hood,” a comedic take on the tale of Robin Hood and his merry men.
Brandy DePriest, Ph.D., chair of Trine University’s Department of Humanities and Communication, says many people are missing out on a veritable smorgasbord in their front yard.