H. Thomas “Tom” Densmore ’64 & Elizabeth “Betty” W. Snyder
FIAT LUX SOCIETY MEMBERS
H. Thomas “Tom” Densmore ’64 and Elizabeth “Betty” W. Snyder are dedicated donors to Millersville University with an extraordinary commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of students through their philanthropic support. As a proud member of the football team at Millersville State College from 1961 through 1964, Tom was motivated to establish the Team of ’63 Football Scholarship in 2019 to benefit Millersville University student-athletes.
The inspiration for creating the Team of ’63 Football Scholarship was to allow Millersville University student-athletes to focus on excelling in athletics and in their academic studies and prevent financial challenges from affecting their success. In reflecting on his personal experience as a Millersville student-athlete in the 1960s, many of Tom’s teammates were unable to graduate due to financial difficulties. This experience led Tom and Betty to address this need for future student-athletes through scholarship creation. “The goal of our giving is to enable student-athletes to improve their lives through education and improve the football team so that all Millersville students and alumni can be proud of the University,” he explains.
Tom Densmore graduated from Millersville State College in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in education and a major in Industrial Arts, and he went on to earn a Master of Education degree from the University of Delaware where he majored in counseling. After graduating from Millersville, Tom dedicated his professional career to teaching Industrial Arts for 28 years, including 17 years as a department chair. While teaching, he worked part-time for four years as a counselor at Delaware Technical Community College and started a home repair business part-time, which he later expanded into a full-time business. Tom has participated in craft shows with the Pennsylvania Guild of Craftsmen from 1979 until 2005, in addition to serving on the board of directors for three terms. He has also served on the scholarship committee for the Society of American Period Furniture Makers, as a member of the Early American Industries Association and as a member of the Chadds Ford Historical Society, where he has built and donated reproduction furniture to their museum buildings.
Betty Snyder shares her husband’s passion for nurturing academic excellence for students through philanthropy as a gracious donor to Millersville University. Through her generous contributions to education, Betty supports many schools, colleges and universities that her grandchildren attend across the country.
In her educational background, Betty majored in chemistry at the University of Delaware, where she earned a bachelor’s degree and completed additional courses in biochemistry. Betty raised four children as a stay-at-home mother and was a “professional volunteer” in her children’s schools while in her twenties. Through her professional career, Betty became involved with her parents’ business, W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc., at the age of 34, as a member of the board of directors. In 1993, she started a gourmet pizza restaurant in Wilmington, Delaware, Pizza by Elizabeths, which she ran until 2003, when she joined W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. as a full-time Associate. At W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Betty worked in new business development and formed a “Capabilities Center,” as a visitor center to showcase Gore products. W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. is best known for its Gore-Tex™ protective outerwear, but also provides industrial products, electronic products and medical products.
Through their exceptional philanthropy at Millersville University, Tom and Betty are grateful for the opportunity to support student success and they aspire to make a life-changing difference for future students. “I hope that these young people get a head start on their lives through education and experiences, so they in turn can contribute to society,” says Betty. As Tom proudly states, “The most rewarding aspect of helping is knowing that we have provided an opportunity for a student to improve himself by achieving an education.”