1974 - Dorothy Marks McKelvey
GRINDSTONE AWARD
1974

 

Dorothy Marks
McKelvey
This year's Berea's Outstanding Citizen Award winner not only was born, educated and has lived all of her life in Berea, but has roots which go back to 1820. In that year Dorothy Marks McKelvey's great-great grandparents came to this area. It was to be a number of years before the coin flip officially named a small settlement in Middleburg Township "Berea" instead of "Tabor."

From the age of seven, at her maternal grandmother's knee, Dorothy learned, and was entranced by, the lore and history of Berea and the township, and the origins of Baldwin-Wallace College.

She attended Berea schools and graduated from Baldwin Wallace in 1924. After special studies in speech and drama, she taught in Maple Heights and Berea High Schools. Dorothy's husband, Wilfred G., an engineer for Union Carbide Corp., died in 1957.

In 1950, Dorothy became Historian of Baldwin-Wallace, a position for which she was eminently fitted, and which she still holds today.

Her many honors include the Baldwin-Wallace Alumni Merit Award in 1960, a community service award in 1963-64 from the American Legion Auxiliary, and an award of honor from her national sorority, Alpha Phi, in 1972. She is listed in several Who's Who's.

Dorothy is in great demand as a lecturer on area history and on antiques and collectibles.

Mrs. McKelvey is a founder, past president and Trustee Emerita of the Berea Historical Society, a charter member and past president of Berea Fine Arts Club and past president of Berea Sorosis.

In addition to membership in other historical societies, she is an Eastern Star, a Republican committeewoman and a charter and 50-year member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Albert E. Baesel Post #91.

"I was reared with a love of family, community, college and country," Dorothy says. In every sense, and every day, she proves this, as she shares her wealth of knowledge and memorabilia of Berea, the College and the people of this area so that our rich heritage might be recorded, preserved and strengthened.
Presented January 28, 1975 Strosacker Hall, Baldwin-Wallace College