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Marietta College Trustee George Fenton to receive 2023 OFIC Earl F. Morris Trustee Award

by Tom Perry

Marietta, Ohio (04/03/2023) — Headline: Trustee Fenton to receive 2023 OFIC Earl F. Morris Trustee Award

George W. Fenton, who has served on Marietta College's Board of Trustees since 1993, has been selected as the 2023 recipient of The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges' (OFIC) Earl F. Morris Trustee Award.

He will receive the honor during a special gathering by the OFIC on Wednesday, April 19th in Columbus.

Fenton is the first Marietta College Trustee to earn the award, which was created by the OFIC in 2010. Dr. Bill Ruud, Marietta's 19th President, said Fenton's 30 years of leadership and dedication to the institution is an example of why the OFIC has this honor.

"Even though George is not a Marietta College graduate, he has been 110 percent all in and supportive of ensuring our success since he joined the Board," Ruud said. "I have relied on his institutional knowledge, as well as his insight into the Mid-Ohio Valley during my time at Marietta. It has been a pleasure to work alongside George and rely on his sound and thoughtful judgment. George understands and values the liberal arts education that we offer our students."

Fenton served as the President of Fenton Art Glass in Williamstown, West Virginia, from 1986 until 2011. He graduated with honors from Wesleyan College in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics and astronomy. He also completed the Owner/President Management Program at Harvard Business School in 1989. He lives in Williamstown with his wife, Nancy, and they have two adult sons, Benjamin and David.

"Being able to support a critical community member like Marietta College has been very rewarding," Fenton said. "I also treasure my relationships with the other board members who have been an impressive group of individuals."

Established in honor of Earl F. Morris, a graduate and Trustee of Wittenberg University, the annual award recognizes a trustee of an OFIC member institution who has demonstrated exceptional commitment and service to the guidance and betterment of the campus and its students. The nonprofit organization represents 33 institutions and raises corporate and other funds to enhance the educational experience for students as they develop the knowledge and skills necessary to enter the workforce.

Located in Marietta, Ohio, at the confluence of the Muskingum and Ohio rivers, Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college. Tracing its roots to the Muskingum Academy back in 1797, the College was officially chartered in 1835. Today Marietta College serves a body of 1,200 full-time students. The College offers more than 50 majors and is consistently ranked as one of the top regional comprehensive colleges by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Marietta was selected seventh in the nation according to the Brookings Institution's rankings of colleges by their highest value added, regardless of major.

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