Ralston family to receive Wilkes University President’s Medal

WILKES-BARRRE — You may recognize the name from the athletic facilities upgraded with a new $8 million field house a few years ago.

The Wilkes University Ralston Athletic Complex got the name for a reason: The late George Ralston was long deemed the “Father of Wilkes Athletics,” having served as dean, athletic director, coach, professor and mentor at the school for more than six decades.

The Ralston family will get a moment in the spotlight June 1 when they will be awarded the President’s Medal at the Founders Gala 2023, an annual event first held in 2014 during then University President Thomas Leahy’s tenure. The gala was designed as a fundraiser for the First Generation Scholarship fund, with money going toward the university’s long-held goal of helping students become the first in their family to pursue a four-year degree. According to a media release, the fund has raised more than $4 million since the inaugural gala.

The President’s Medal “is bestowed annually on the individuals whose personal and professional lives reflect the high aspirations of Wilkes University,” the media release notes. This year’s medal goes to a family steeped in the school’s history.

George, who died in 2007, met his future wife, Helen, at the university where she earned a music degree in 1952, having appeared in stage productions and often leading in the singing of the alma mater. She spent nearly 75 years as a soloist at First Presbyterian Church, a venerable house of worship very near the Wilkes campus. She is still a member of the congregation.

The couple had four sons graduate from the university from 1969 through 1988. A third generation of the family kept the alumni streak alive into 2014.

“The Ralstons serve as true examples of what it means to be a Wilkes Colonel through their leadership, mentorship and volunteerism at the university,” the release says. “The heart of their campus spirit is best represented in the facility that bears their name, the Ralston Athletic Complex. “

This year’s gala will mark the inaugural presentation of the Chairman’s Award to Robert A. Mugford and Tara Mugford Wilson of Power Engineering. Robert Mugford earned his associate degree in engineering from Wilkes College in 1958 and his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Penn State, getting his professional engineering licence in 1967. He started working at Power Engineering in 1965 and bought the company in 1979. Tara took over as president in 2016. Both have served on the Wilkes Board of Trustees.

Power Engineering has played a big part in campus development for decades. According to the release, “the company was a partner on the construction and renovation of some of the most notable buildings on campus, including the Henry Student Center, Chase Hall, Stark Learning Center, Breiseth Hall, the Cohen Science Center and the Karambelas Media and Communications Center.”

This year’s gala will be held at the Westmoreland Club on South Franklin Street in Wilkes-Barre, beginning 5:30 p.m. For more information about the event visit www.wilkes.edu/foundersgala or call (570) 408-4302.