As mayor of Saranac Lake, I had the privilege of presenting the charter that established North Country Community College to the appointed board of trustees, at a ceremony held at the Elks Club located at 19 Bloomingdale Ave. and the corner of Church Street Extension. That was back when the college was founded in 1967 and dedicated in 1968.

Others at the head table were Sen. Ron Stafford and the ad-hoc committee who worked with the state to establish the college. Many meetings with many trips to Albany and New York City.

The other committee members I served with were Jim Loeb, Jim LaPan, William Meyer, Harrietstown Supervisor William Mansion and Dr. Anthony Gedroiz.

Remember this: There would be no college in Saranac Lake today without Bill Meyer. He alone came up with the idea to establish a college in our little village. He talked about it with every NYS agency that even mentioned education in their by-laws; he talked to everyone he ran into in his busy business — Meyer’s Pharmacy at 69 Main Street — and anyone he ran into on the street. He was a bright, charming guy and thank heavens, he never gave up.

Could one even imagine that 50 years later I would be a guest speaker at the 50th Anniversary of NCCC. Thanks to Diane Fortune, NCCC public relations guru who organized the entire event.

My friend Joe Keegan is now President of NCCC attaining increased enrollment and spirited support from the college’s two sponsors: the Franklin Board of Legislators and the Essex County Board of Supervisors.

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PUBLIC INVITED TO THE DEDICATION

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“As of today, 26 official delegates from New York colleges, universities and other educational institutions have been designated to participate in the festivities of the dedication and Installation ceremonies at North Country Community College tomorrow evening.

“They will be a part of the academic procession at the 8:30 p.m. convocation at the Harrietstown Town Hall, to which all residents of Essex and Franklin counties are invited as long as the free tickets are available through noon at the College Bookstore, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid Hardware, Harvey’s Bookstore, Lake Placid Pharmacy and the Maid and Meader Pharmacy in Tupper Lake.

“Among those coming from out of town are President William Gragg, Fulton-Montgomery Community College; dean Kemp Pottle, Clarkson College of Technology; President James McVean, Jefferson Community College; President George Angell, State University College at Plattsburgh; President Roy Satre, Community College of the Finger Lakes; Dr. Russell Davis, Sullivan County Community College; Dr. Charles Hetherington, Colgate University; President John Mears, Clinton Community College; President Glenn Wright, State University Agricultural and Technical at Canton; President Robert Eisenhart, Adirondack Community College; President Foster Brown, St. Lawrence University; Dr. Myron W. Pollack, New York University; Vice President S. Steward Gordon, State University of New York Center at Binghamton; The Reverand Thomas J. Carlisle, Union Theological Seminary; President H. Austin Peck, State University at Potsdam; Claude E. Puffer, State University of New York at Buffalo and Gerald Luhman, C. W. Post College.

“President, Dr. Chester Buxton will represent Paul Smith’s College.

“In full academic regalia, these delegates will join the color bearers, Faculty Marshall Associate Professor Joseph Dixon, the Faculty, and the Platform Committee in the academic processional which will start from the Niagara Mohawk offices at 8:15 p.m.

“Platform party guests will include all nine Board of Trustees members; William mansion and George Haselton, chairman respectively of the franklin and Essex County Boards of Supervisors; Miss Carol Otis, Malone, representing the students; The Reverand Frederick McQuade, Rector, St. Eustace Episcopal Church, Lake Placid; The Right Reverand Monsignor Paul Brunet, rector st. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church, Tupper Lake; Dr. Dwight Milne, Dean of the College; State of New York Chancellor Samuel B. Gould and Vice Chancellor S. V. Martorana, guest speakers; and Dr. George Hodson, President of the College.”