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By TERESA ANICOLA
Courier-Post Staff
Linda Rohrer receives surprises each time she visits the replica of her father's desk in the Reading Room of the William G. Rohrer Memorial Library on MacArthur Boulevard.
The room in the Haddon Township branch of the Camden County Library is dedicated to her father, who served as as township mayor for 36 years and is filled with a collection of important objects from his life. Often, township residents who knew Bill Rohrer will leave memorabilia of him on the cluttered desk, which is displayed exactly how it looked when he was alive. A mural is painted behind the desk depicting the main branch of First Peoples Bank, which her father founded in the mid-1950s.
On a recent visit, Linda Rohrer found on the desk two Chevrolet posters, a photo album with black and white shots of the grand opening of Rohrer Chevrolet, his car dealership in Camden, and bumper stickers from one of Rohrer's two unsuccessful bids for U.S. senator.
"People anonymously leave things here," she said. "He always had a cluttered desk."
It was over that desk business deals were made that enabled Rohrer to expand the bank, which at its peak had 55 branches throughout South Jersey, said his daughter.
Martin Kinsey, a resident of Haddon Township for 20 years, remembers Rohrer from his days as president and chairman of First Peoples Bank.
"From what I know, he was accessible and down to earth," said Kinsey. "His desk was always there in a central location. He was the power broker of the town and conducted his business there, not behind a sealed partition, in the mold of an old-time banker."
Awards displayed
Throughout his life, Rohrer was active in diverse organizations and charities, which are depicted by the many citations and awards for humanitarian efforts that hang on the reading room's wall and line its glass cases. These include the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanities Award for State of Israel Bonds, the Benjamin Franklin Award as the nation's leading automobile dealer in 1969 and numerous awards for outstanding accomplishments in child welfare. According to his daughter, one of four siblings, the plaques are only a handful in the family's possession.
The first mayor of Haddon Township, he served a four- year term as commissioner prior to becoming mayor. The day Rohrer was elected commissioner on Friday, June 13, 1947, was the same day Linda was born. He lived from 1909 to 1989 and spent 60 of those years in Haddon Township.
The Courier-Post covered a Chamber of Commerce dinner where Rohrer was named outstanding citizen in June 1955.
According to the news clip, he said that in serving in any official or civic capacity he tries "to make it tough for the next fellow in the job - he's going to have to get up and work."
"I hope to continue for many years trying to set a pace for those who follow me," he said.
Although Linda Rohrer took some ribbing from her peers about being the mayor's daughter while growing up, she said they were "just a normal family." Rohrer taught his children to save money and each had their own savings account at an early age.
She said her father had an indirect way of teaching her banking and real estate, but his lessons sank in and took hold. Today she is a real estate agent at Rohrer & Sayers Real Estate in Haddon Township and still resides in the township. In the family tradition, she is also involved in banking and serves as chairwoman of the board of First Colonial Bank in Collingswood.
Supported education
One of the charitable contributions Rohrer made while alive has been perpetuated each year since its inception in the 1960s. It is the William G. Rohrer Educational Foundation that helps township students receive college educations. Each year, six students are selected from Haddon Township High School to receive partial, four-year scholarships. This year's recipients will be announced at the end of this month.
Since it is a perpetual trust, the scholarship amount varies from year to year. Linda Rohrer, who meets annually with the superintendent of schools, the high school principal and a representative from PNC Bank, said this year the students will receive $2,000 per year for all four years of college. Students are selected based on academics and financial need, she said.
A second, and highly influential perpetual trust was was established upon Rohrer's death that is the William G. Rohrer Charitable Foundation. It has left its mark, and Rohrer's name, on numerous buildings, hospitals and organizations throughout South Jersey.
"Our mission is to carry on his legacy and make an impact on South Jersey. We make little and big contributions and try to emulate the ideas and thoughts he had while alive," said Linda Rohrer. "I like to be selective where I put his name. It has to have a special meaning and affiliation to him."
One special place the trust has helped is the Haddon Township High School's baseball complex that received $90, 000. The money was used to build its brick dugout, storage area, an extra-large wall and an irrigation system, said Alan Carr, school district supervisor of health, physical education and athletics.
The trust also has its eye to the future students of Haddon Township and donated $500,000 to the new middle school that is being built and slated to open in September 2003. The school will be named after Rohrer.
"My job as a trustee is to carry his legacy on," said Linda Rohrer. "I truly want people to remember who he was and what he believed in."