Dr. David A. Franz:
A Celebration of 35 years
Lycoming College Chemistry 1970-2005

David A. Franz retired after teaching thirty-five years in the Department of Chemistry at Lycoming College.
A surprise colloquium and dinner were held to honor him on Friday April 22, 2005. Here are some photos from that day.

Dave with his his last class, Advanced Inorganic Chemistry 333, in Heim 215 at 10:15 AM.
Front (l to r): Anne DiSante, Karissa Capitan, Lauren Watkins, Josie Castillo; Middle: Theresa LaBarte, Erin Peters, Kim McDowell, Chrissy Caroselli, Olivia English, Jillian Johnson; Rear: Hans Bottesch, Tim Hartingh, Dave Franz, Dylan Dupuis.

Students from General Chemistry II 111 lab, Dave's other course this Spring 2005 semester. Front row (l to r): Dana Halaquist, Tiffany Singer, Jackie Purcell, Kellie Cicconi, Emily Unger, Georie Briggs, Chanelle Horst, Lauren Raby, Ashley Campbell, Nancy Berger, Amery Lim, Nancy Villante, Drew Barder, Justin Martin. Second row: Bryan Derr, Lindsey Vacovsky, Erika Pfaunmiller, Christi Groller, Tapuwa Munjoma, Holly Menzel, Lindsey Postaski, Erin Peterson, Tanya Fry, Jennifer Reams, David Suter, Gina Capitoni, Allison Raymond. Third row: Alyson Zeigler, Emma Bailey, James Grant, Zach Dotson, Pete Via, Ben Schack, Chris Kehres, Katie Swanson, Sarah Readler, Kim Keefer. Fourth row: Jon Adams, Matt Murdock, Tom Kerchusky, Randy Fast, Brandon Zarzyczny, Jordan Shettle, Tyler Marcinko, Aaron Reiprich, Patrick Buchheit, Matt Wright, Chris Heist, Kristin Song, Brittany Reynolds, Jeremie Pierce, Nikitas Tsirigotis. Fifth row: Jim Williams, Sean Cunningham, Amanda Scholwinski, Cynthia Smith, Shannon Roelle, Arianna Brawn.

Dave prepping the 1812 Overture solutions - he wanted to do a surprise version of it at what he thought was a regular colloquium.

Surprise guests included Dave's daughter Kathy Franz (left) and sister Jo Ellen Sweet.

Student Erika Walsh signing Dave's shirt - the Chemistry majors and minors presented Dave
with a "signature" blue Oxford shirt (to go with his trademark khaki pants).

Steve Stout ('72) was the official colloquium speaker, the official topic was "Mass Spectrometry: As You Like It". Instead Steve honored Dave and announced the renaming of the Department of Chemistry's endowed instrumentation fund as "The Professor David A. Franz Chemistry Instrumentation Endowed Fund".

John Koch ('74) spoke next. His class started as freshmen the year Dave started teaching at Lycoming. He is holding the General Chemistry textbook they used as freshmen in 1970.

Next Dr. Richard Erickson, Physics, spoke and honored a real "Joule" of a chemist and colleague. Dave's Biology colleagues gave him a gift too.

We were in Heim G11 to accommodate the great crowd.


Dave's Chemistry colleagues were next. Each gave a favorite demonstration they had learned from Dave.

Chriss McDonald did mercury (II) iodide precipitate and complex formation (two clear solutions give an orange precipitate, then on addition of more iodide, this dissolves as it forms a complex to give a clear solution again).

Charles Mahler did the reaction of two solids (a barium hydroxide hydrate and ammonium thiocyanate) to give a solution, the reaction is so endothermic it freezes water and if the water is between the flask and the board it is sitting on, the board freezes to the flask.

Holly Bendorf did osmosis as demonstrated by shell-less eggs in various solutions, this was followed by a barrage of real egg shells filled with confetti on an unsuspecting Dave. Unfortunately I do not have pictures of the egg attack.

A book of letters and cards from well wishers was given to Dave, as was a collection of pictures of students and alumni and events from his life.

Then the "Moleman" video was shown (from 1995 and Dave's 25th anniversary at Lycoming College)

Dave thanked everyone and then announced his own surprise, the 1812 Overture with Chemistry section.

Maestro Dave directing the Chemistry section on when to mix the solutions.

1812 Chemistry section 1 (l to r): Charles Mahler, Sarah Readler, Michelle Morone, Holly Bendorf, Kim McDowell, Steve Stout, Dylan Dupuis.

1812 Chemistry section 2 (l to r): Kim McDowell (arm), Steve Stout, Dylan Dupuis, Lou Ann Tom, Kathy Franz, Olivia English, Chriss McDonald, Dave Franz.

Each of the eleven solutions is an iodine clock reaction that changes color in time with a cannon shot in Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.

The last cannon shot is an exploding hydrogen balloon set off by the maestro himself.

The crowd went wild! The students made signs that spelled out "Good Luck Dr. Franz!".

A good time was had by all.

Many alumni were there.

Next the senior Chemistry majors toasted Dr. Franz and the faculty. Front (l to r): Erin Karschner, Lisa Stutzman, Olivia English; Rear: Chriss McDonald, Damien Reali, Laura Lockard, Michelle Morone, Theresa LaBarte, Dave Franz, Holly Bendorf (photographer Charles Mahler, senior not pictured Dylan Dupuis).

Dinner in the Schultz room of the Wertz Student Center followed.

There was a slide show of photos of Dave through the years.

Students, faculty, alumni, and friends gathered.

Many Dr Franz stories were told.

There was cake and a toast.

Here are the chemistry alumni at the dinner. Crouching (left to right): Adrianna Kuckla (2001), Jen Kowlachick (2001) Standing: Betty (Megargle) Radwilowicz (1974), John Koch (1974, partly obscured by Betty), Doug Beegle (1974), Betsy (Williams) Powlus (2003), Dave Farrell (1974), Alicia Matukonis (2001), Dave Wisnoski (1998), Dave Franz, Ron Blatchley (1965), Steve Stout (1972), Chris Micklitsch (2001), Lou Ann (Miller) Tom (1987), Ann Hartnett (1995). Other alumni who were at the colloquium included Gary Williams (1965),Ted Masimore (1973), Frank Morse (1975), and Samantha Geyer (2002). Apologies to anyone I missed.

Class of 1974 Alumni there included Doug Beegle, Betty (Megargle) Radwilowicz, Dave Franz, Dave Farrell, and John Koch.

Here they are in lab back in 1973: (l to r) Frank Morse (1975), Roy Smith (1973), Betty (Megargle) Radwilowicz (1974), Dave Franz, John Koch (1974), Dave Farrell (1974), and Phillip Stepanik (1974).

It was dress like Dave Franz day. Here the Chemistry faculty: Lou Ann (Miller) Tom, Charles Mahler, Dave Franz, Holly Bendorf, and Chriss McDonald.

Dave and his daughter Kathy.

Thanks to all who provided photographs for this web page and the memory books:
Julia Dougherty and the Lycoming College Archives, Dave Farrell, Alan Franz, Kathy Franz, John Koch, Charles Mahler, Beth Ann Myers, and Jo Ellen Sweet.