Delaware Valley College - Cornucopia Yearbook (Doylestown, PA)

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With great respect, we dedicate this, the 1978 Cornucopia yearbook, to James Work. It was our privilege to have such a man as Dr. Work as an integral part of Delaware Valley College , to have such a man who dedicated a large part of his life and his soul to his Alma Mater, to its campus, its scholastic accredation, its faculty and administration, and especially to its students .

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It was with great sorrow that we recognized the passing of Dr. James Work on Sunday, November 6, 1977. From 1974 until that date, Dr. Work served as chancellor to our college, but had pre- viously filled other positions and actions that were instrumental in the history of Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture. His presence will be missed. Born in Philadelphia, his interest in agriculture led him to leave the city to enter the National Farm School where, before he graduated with honors in 1913, he was a student leader, excelling in athletics. He was captain of the 1912 football team, captain of the 1912 track team, member of the 1911 and 1912 baseball teams. He was also editor-in-chief of the Gleaner in 1911 and 1912. A productive farmer for three years , the prospect of a career in naval architecture lured him away from the farm to the Franklin Institute, from which he graduated in 1918. His career in the aircraft industry began when he became the Supervisory Draftsman at the Phila- delphia Naval Yard during WWl . After three years , he moved to the Lakehurst Navel Base in New Jersey, where he was appointed Chief Draftsman and eventually rose to become Assistant Chief En- gineer in charge of engineering and technical stores . His creative flair earned him a promotion to the Station ' s post of Assistant Chief Engineer from 1921 to 1928, during which time the Shenandoah was built and the U.S.S. Los Angeles was received from Germany. He was in charge of engineering on these lighter - than-air ships and was a member of the test crews of the Shenandoah. During his Lakehurst tour of duty he rose to the rank of Full Lieutenant in the naval reserve. He left Lakehurst in 1928 to fill the post of Project Engineer in parachutes and training planes at the Naval Aircraft Factory in Philadelphia. His final year of government service was spent as As- sistant to the manager of The Naval Aircraft Factory. Dr. Work ' s first job in private industry was in 1929 as Vice-president and General Manager of Lockheed Corporation. When Lockheed was purchased by Detroit Aircraft, he remained with the new firm in the same dual capacity until 1931 . Then his creative urge got him involved with a small firm that manufactured airplane parts, and he formed Work Engineering Corporation. At the age of 38, he founded the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation for which he served as President until 1940, and then as Chairman of the Board and as a consultant. Under his leadership , Brewster grew from a small organization to a large corporation with a work force of around 18,000 and both U.S. and foreign government contracts totaling over $200 million. Seeking new challenges at the end of WW2, Dr. Work agreed in 1945 to serve without pay as the Treasurer of his Alma Mater, the National Farm School. He had been the School ' s first alumnus elected to membership on its Board of Trustees . The development of the institution from an agricul- tural secondary school of only 15 students to an established, fully-accredited, four year, diversi- fied degree granting college in 1960 that now boasts 1250 students . The college went one step fur- ther, and became co- educational in 1972. Dr. Work ' s talents in design and architecture enabled him to integrate 19 new buildings erected on the campus into the natural beauty of the campus. Dr. Work loved Delaware Valley College, and set an example for all past and future Aggies to fol- low. When you believe in something, the hard-work, sweat, and effort and love you put into a reali- ty is well worth the trouble just to get the satisfaction that you ' ve done something to help others . Seeing Delaware Valley College of Science and Agriculture become a reality, and seeing its students get the best education offered, was enough satisfaction for Dr. Work. Let us keep his dream a re- ality and continue improving on an already great college .