Marvin & Jean Staiman '45
Distinguished Alumni Award | 2014
Led by their strong faith and belief in civic duty, together, the two left their mark on the community for more than six decades.
Deeply involved with organizations to benefit the community and its citizens, the couple helped influence signature movements and decisions that have created Williamsport as it is known today — all of which cross the touchstones of their lives: their Jewish faith, family, and the business, civic and public service communities.
From fundraising events and affiliations with a number of boards and committees, the two gave their time and effort to leave a significant impact on the community.
Mr. Staiman was the owner, president and chairman of Staiman Brothers Inc., a scrap processing and recycling company founded by his grandfather in 1900 that continues to operate on Hepburn Street in downtown Williamsport.
He is the past president of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) and has served on several ISRI’s national committees.
He served as president of the Greater Williamsport Chamber of Commerce and was president of Hope Enterprises for five years. Staiman was president of the Susquehanna Council, Boy Scouts of America, and its predecessor organization. He also is past president and Crusade chairman for the Lycoming County Division of the American Cancer Society.
An advocate and patron of the arts, he served as president of the Williamsport Arts Council and is a member of the Williamsport Community Concert Association Board and a member of the Board of Governors of the Community Arts Center.
He is a past president of the West Branch Manufacturers’ Association, a former City Councilman and currently serves as chair of the Williamsport Planning Commission. In 1998, the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce honored him as the Business Person of the Year.
His other board affiliations include the North Penn AAA, Hope Enterprises, Susquehanna Health, YMCA, Philadelphia region of the Anti-Defamation League, Woodlands Bank Advisory and Ohev Sholom congregation. He is chair of the Central Pennsylvania Israel Bonds, a position he and his wife filled for more than 55 years.
He also is a past secretary for the Eastern Council B’Nai B’rith, has served as a chair of the Williamsport United Jewish Appeal, and served on the Board of Milton Eisner Hebrew High School of Scranton. He has also served on boards for the Visiting Nurses Association, Lycoming County Historical Society, National Jewish Council on Scouting, and the Lycoming County Brotherhood.
He was the recipient of numerous honors and awards for his civic and community involvement, and has participated in a number of fundraising activities and campaigns.
An Army veteran, he attended the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business, Philadelphia, and received an honorary doctor of humanities degree from Lycoming College in 2000.
For Jean Staiman, community service was the hallmark of her life.
A Summa Cum Laude graduate of Williamsport Dickinson Junior College (now Lycoming College), Mrs. Staiman worked for Staiman Brothers Inc. for 22 years.
She is past president for a number of organizations, including the J. Henry Cochran Parent-Teacher Association; Crittenton Services, for which she still serves as a current board member; the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra, for which she still serves as a member; the Eastern Pennsylvania Region of Hadassah; and of Ohev Sholom Sisterhood.
Her other community-board affiliations (past and present) include: the YMCA, Lycoming County Department of Children and Youth Services; Family Life Institute of North Central Pennsylvania Advisory; commissioner-appointed member of the Advisory Joinder Board of Mental Health and Retardation; Alumni Association at Lycoming College; Susquehanna Boy Scouts of America; Hemlock Girl Scout Council; and the Lycoming County United Way.
She, too, is the recipient of numerous honors and recognitions, including the Grit Award for Community Service; Alumna of the Year by Lycoming College; Lycoming County United Way Honoree of the Year; and Distinguished Citizen Award by the Susquehanna Council Boy Scouts of America, which she shared with her husband.
Along with her husband, whether separate or together, she participated in a number of fundraising campaigns and activities.
In addition to their local efforts, the two are founders at Hadassah Hospital Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, and Legacy of Light Builders at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.
Jean passed away on September 30, 2020, and Marvin passed away on January 17, 2021.