From president to trustee

[hoosier]

Sunday, July 13, 2003

From frat president to trustee

By SUSAN SCHWARTZ

Press Enterprise Writer


BERWICK -- As a student at Mansfield State College 28 years ago, Richard Cashman was frequently called to the dean's office to answer for the antics he and his fraternity brothers committed.

But times change. His old college is now Mansfield University. And when he next visits his alma mater, Cashman will be on the board of trustees.

"It's an honor for our area," said Cashman, 51, who has been the district magistrate in Berwick for 16 years. "A lot of young people from here attend that college. A lot of people from here have graduated from Mansfield. It will be nice having someone from the area on the board making some of the decisions."

Cashman graduated from the college in 1975 with a degree in general studies.


Lessons learned


He learned a lot at school, he said. But today, he wishes he had studied more.

"In those days, you did what you needed to do to get through," he said. "Our education at that time was more social. You got around, you met people, you talked."

He excelled at that. Before he graduated, he was elected president of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. And that brought him into frequent contact with Dean Rod Kelchner, a Bloomsburg native destined to later become president of Mansfield University.

"I was in a fraternity of 50 young men ages 18 to 22 spreading their wings, trying out their freedom," Cashman remembered.

"I would take the side of those who wanted to spread their wings. Dean Kelchner was on the side that wanted to clip those wings."



Cashman said he learned a lot as fraternity president.

"One lesson I learned is that I could delegate responsibility for things to other people, but as the leader, I was ultimately responsible," Cashman said. "I took that into public life. I can delegate jobs to my staff, but when it comes to taking responsibility, I'm the man."

Kelchner also knew what was important and what wasn't, Cashman said.

He would warn the fraternity to keep the noise down after receiving a complaint about a loud party, Cashman said. But that would be the end of it.

On the other hand, there was the time the fraternity's homecoming queen candidate wasn't allowed into the homecoming parade because the application was turned in late.

Kelchner heard a rumor that the homecoming parade was not going to get by the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity house, Cashman said.

The fraternity brothers were warned not to make trouble. And when they woke up the morning of the parade, they saw five state police cars standing guard around their house.

"We weren't going to do anything once we saw the police cars," Cashman laughed.


Making good


He and his fraternity brothers went on to graduate and do well in life.

Cashman said he knew his partying days were over as soon as he graduated. It was time to become a man.

He went on to a distinguished career as a state auditor. In 1980, he uncovered the largest embezzlement case in the history of the department; someone was stealing from the Shamokin police pension fund. That won him a commendation and a plaque that still hangs in his Berwick office.

After 12 years as an auditor, he won an election to become Berwick's district justice, which he has been ever since.

His fraternity brothers have gone on to careers in law enforcement, government, education and private industry.

Today, Cashman said, students expect and generally meet higher standards.

They study harder, he said. And that is as it should be, he added: They need to study and work hard to succeed.

Nevertheless, when he sent his daughters, Christine and Colleen, to college, he instructed them to "grow socially, spiritually, educationally and physically," he said.

"You can't do any one in excess, or you won't get the others accomplished."


OK'd by Senate


Cashman was appointed trustee by Gov. Ed Rendell and approved by the state Senate on June 18. He applied for the job after being invited by Steve Crawford, a Jerseytown resident and Mansfield graduate now serving as the secretary of legislative affairs on the governor's staff.

Cashman said he doesn't yet know how much time his new position will take. But he said he is looking forward to working with the school's new president and 3,400 students.

And the job fits in well with his current job, he said, quoting from President Garfield.

"Next in importance to freedom and justice is education, without which, neither freedom nor justice can be permanently maintained."

Cashman is married to Linda Cashman.