Just a few of our doctoral students
Today was our first annual "day at the farm" for new doctoral counseling psychology students. Christa and Brittney and other senior students did a great job of welcoming these new folks. The farm, Eden Hall, is a beautiful pastoral place. We loved that we heard very little other than birds - no cars or trucks, no planes. Eden Hall has many quiet corners - outside by the pond that commemorates the original owner, Sebastian Mueller, indoors in a dimly lit sitting room, on the swing hanging from the huge tree out back. I was just there to help out if needed. So while the students did their thing, I caught up on some writing, then wandered around and just relaxed. I had not swung on a swing, as I did today, in a very very long time!
I haven't yet shared the history of Eden Hall with you. Eden Hall is a 388-acre estate located in Pine-Richland Township north of Pittsburgh. Chatham received it as a gift in 2008, and is working toward the establishment of a home for our new School of Sustainability and the Environment there. Currently, Eden Hall is the site for initiatives in sustainability, food studies activities, and organic gardening.
Chatham's web-site describes the unique history of this property:
Originally a farm and retreat for the working women of Pittsburgh, Eden Hall was the vision of Sebastian Mueller (1860-1938) who immigrated to Pittsburgh from his native Germany in 1884 to work for his cousin Henry J. Heinz in his fledgling food processing operation. Mr. Mueller spent more than five decades working for what was then called "The House of Heinz". He headed the company's manufacturing operations, served on its board of directors and ran the organization during Mr. Heinz' absence. Sebastian Mueller won the respect and gratitude of not only the company's founder but also its legion of working women.
Mr. Mueller was generous in providing Heinz' female employees with medical care and financial assistance - long before the existence of corporate health care plans or government programs. His estate became the retreat for generations of Pittsburgh's working women and served as a memorial to the Mueller's two daughters, Elsa and Alma, both of whom died in childhood. Having no heirs, Mr. Mueller willed Eden Hall to serve as a vacation and respite destination for the working and retired women of the H.J. Heinz Company, as well as for the working women of western Pennsylvania.
Our doctoral students have committed to several years of study and practice that will lead them toward professional lives that serve individuals, families, and communities of all kinds. How fortunate we are to have the rich history of Sebastian Mueller and Eden Hall as models of service to the larger good. And how blessed we were today as we enjoyed this farm together.
I haven't yet shared the history of Eden Hall with you. Eden Hall is a 388-acre estate located in Pine-Richland Township north of Pittsburgh. Chatham received it as a gift in 2008, and is working toward the establishment of a home for our new School of Sustainability and the Environment there. Currently, Eden Hall is the site for initiatives in sustainability, food studies activities, and organic gardening.
Chatham's web-site describes the unique history of this property:
Originally a farm and retreat for the working women of Pittsburgh, Eden Hall was the vision of Sebastian Mueller (1860-1938) who immigrated to Pittsburgh from his native Germany in 1884 to work for his cousin Henry J. Heinz in his fledgling food processing operation. Mr. Mueller spent more than five decades working for what was then called "The House of Heinz". He headed the company's manufacturing operations, served on its board of directors and ran the organization during Mr. Heinz' absence. Sebastian Mueller won the respect and gratitude of not only the company's founder but also its legion of working women.
Mr. Mueller was generous in providing Heinz' female employees with medical care and financial assistance - long before the existence of corporate health care plans or government programs. His estate became the retreat for generations of Pittsburgh's working women and served as a memorial to the Mueller's two daughters, Elsa and Alma, both of whom died in childhood. Having no heirs, Mr. Mueller willed Eden Hall to serve as a vacation and respite destination for the working and retired women of the H.J. Heinz Company, as well as for the working women of western Pennsylvania.
Our doctoral students have committed to several years of study and practice that will lead them toward professional lives that serve individuals, families, and communities of all kinds. How fortunate we are to have the rich history of Sebastian Mueller and Eden Hall as models of service to the larger good. And how blessed we were today as we enjoyed this farm together.
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