John and Jeanie Mosch Satterwhite of Bradford, both of whom attended the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford during its earliest years, will receive the Presidential Medal of Distinction, the university’s highest honor.
Richard Esch, Pitt-Bradford’s president, will present the medals to the Satterwhites at the university’s Commencement ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 3.
“John and Jeanie have been such an important part of our Bradford and campus communities,” Esch said. “Through their volunteer service to Pitt-Bradford, financial support and enthusiasm for the institution, they have both been valued supporters of the highest order.”
John Satterwhite has served on the university’s Advisory Board for more than 20 years, lending his business expertise to the institution. He is the publisher of The Bradford Era and president of Bradford Publishing Co., which owns The Bradford Era, the Olean (N.Y.) Times Herald and the Salamanca Press.
John Satterwhite attended Pitt-Bradford from 1965 to 1967, when the campus offered the first two years of coursework to prepare students to complete their bachelor’s degrees at the Pittsburgh campus. Jeanie Satterwhite attended from 1964 to 1966, and both completed their degrees at Pitt.
John Satterwhite reflected on Pitt-Bradford’s growth since his college days and its importance to the regional economy.
“Pitt-Bradford’s growth has been pretty spectacular for Bradford,” he said. “It’s been important for providing employers with trained workers, among other things.”
Jeanie Satterwhite has been an equally dedicated presence on campus. A lifelong arts enthusiast who grew up in a musical household, she has been a stalwart volunteer with Pitt-Bradford Arts, serving on the arts council since its beginning.
“She was there from the very beginning and stayed on when we started our children’s arts series,” said Patricia Colosimo, retired director of Pitt-Bradford Arts. “She was always there as a sounding board, to talk over ideas, and to use her creativity to build new programs and help us grow.”
Colosimo noted that Jeanie Satterwhite’s artistic sensibility and creativity were especially evident in the preparation and execution of arts auctions that established the Fine Arts/Communication Arts Endowed Fund. The Satterwhites have also supported the arts at Pitt-Bradford financially, contributing to the creation of the “Carmen” exhibit at the Marilyn Horne Museum and Exhibit Center and to the growth of the fine arts and children’s arts programs.
“It was wonderful from the start,” Jeanie Satterwhite said of her work on the arts council.
She taught art as a volunteer for three years at The Learning Center in Bradford and has been recognized throughout the community for her contributions to arts and leadership, including roles with the YWCA of Bradford, Free Family Film Fest at the Main Street Movie House and the Bradford Creative and Performing Arts Center, among others.
“I really like the teamwork of volunteering — that’s how I accumulated friends,” she said. “It’s like catching a disease or something: you can’t help wanting to do more. It fills up my soul.”
“I found a wonderful niche here with the Pitt-Bradford Arts Council and our arts programming,” she added, noting that she is particularly excited about the children’s programming, which throughout the year draws school children and families from a six-county area to attend live events in the Bromeley Family Theater.
The Satterwhites will be the 34th and 35th recipients of the Presidential Medal of Distinction. Recent honorees include Susan Silvestri ‘72–’74, George Repchick ‘82 and Dr. Livingston Alexander, president emeritus.
Comments