(Posted April 19, 2001)

Dr. Earl Kaylor, Charles A. Dana professor emeritus of history at Juniata College, will be awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters degree at 2 p.m., May 13 during Juniata's 122nd commencement ceremony.

Kaylor, a resident of Huntingdon, and author of Juniata's official history, "Truth Sets Free" and "M.G. Brumbaugh," a biography of Juniata's third and fifth president, taught at Juniata for 33 years, retiring as full professor in 1991.

He joined the faculty in 1958, after working as a teaching assistant at the University of Notre Dame and Penn State University. During his career, Kaylor served as chairman of the departments of history and religion, as well as the humanities program. His updated Juniata history, "Uncommon Vision, Uncommon Loyalty: 1876-2001 An Independent College in Pennsylvania Founded by the Brethren" has been republished this year. Each graduating senior will receive a copy of the revised book.

Kaylor served as director of Juniata's summer sessions in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As director, he was instrumental in changing the student class schedule from six days a week to five for summer sessions, a policy that proved so popular that it was soon adopted for all class schedules.

He also served as adviser to Juniata's Student Senate during the 1970s, where he recommended that student representatives be appointed to faculty and trustee committees, a suggestion that was made policy soon after.

Kaylor earned a bachelor's degree from Juniata College in 1946 in just two and a half years of study. He also earned a bachelor's of divinity degree from Bethany Theological Seminary in Chicago, Ill. in 1949. He went on to earn a master's degree in history from the University of Notre Dame in 1951 and a doctorate in history from Penn State University in 1963.

A native of Greensburg, Kaylor also served as pastor of the Westmont Church of the Brethren in Johnstown, Pa. from 1953 to 1958. He was an interim pastor of the Stone Church of the Brethren in 1959 to 1960.

He also was an active athlete at Juniata, earning letters in baseball and basketball during his college career. He was Juniata's baseball coach in 1963. He served as interim athletic director from 1968 to 1969. He also served as the play-by-play announcer for WHUN Radio for Juniata and local high school football games in the 1960s.

He also wrote the book "Out of the Wilderness: A History of the Brethren in Central Pennsylvania." He authored many articles for scholarly journals and wrote several articles for the book "Notable American Women, 1607-1950."

He received the Beachley Distinguished Teaching Award in 1972.

Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.