In an email to the Hamilton community on September 7, President David Wippman announced the death of Life Trustee David Harden ’48.
Dear Members of the Hamilton Community,
I write to inform you that life trustee David Harden ’48 died yesterday. He would have celebrated his 91st birthday next Wednesday.
David was gracious, generous, and unassuming. He spent his entire career in the family business, Harden Furniture Company, which had a reputation for exceptionally fine craftsmanship and was located just 30 miles north of the Hamilton campus in McConnellsville. The canes presented to Hamilton seniors at Commencement are crafted by Harden Furniture.
David started at Harden as a salesman, became a sales manager, and served for three decades as president and then chairman of the board. Highly regarded by his peers, he was elected president of the National Association of Furniture Manufacturers, and served locally on the boards of Oneida Ltd., Utica Mutual Insurance Company, Merchants Bank, Camden Wire, and, of course, Hamilton. The Business Council of New York presented him with its Corning Award in recognition of his “lifelong commitment to excellence, personal integrity, and helping others.”
David first joined the Hamilton board in 1977. He served as chair of the Budget and Finance Committee and was chair of the Major Gifts Committee for the 175th Anniversary Campaign. In 1996, Hamilton presented him with an honorary degree. Following the death of his wife in 1991, David established the Ann Miller Harden Prize Scholarship for the most promising woman painter at the end of the sophomore year. Fittingly, the painting studio in the Kennedy Center is dedicated in Ann’s memory.
My sincere condolences to those who knew and admired David.
David
