Francis A. (Skip) Giddings ‘46

Francis A. (Skip) Giddings ‘46 (d) was raised in the rural town of Jefferson, Ohio. He spent his childhood helping his grandfather tend to their small urban farm and delivering papers to the community with his dog Ginger. He was proud to acknowledge the historical legacy of his great great grandfather, Joshua R Giddings, who was a staunch abolitionist and helped to create the first draft of the Republican Constitution.

Upon graduating from high school, Skip decided to enroll in the Navy V12 program at Case Institute of Technology School of Engineering majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He graduated as an Ensign in 1946 and was put on reserves. In 1950 he was called up to serve in the Mediterranean on a destroyer, the USS Hennesy.

After the Navy, his career included managing various manufacturing operations including at Belle Vernon where he met his wife, Arline Malecek. He then worked for TRW for many years, but ultimately retired from Picker Xray / Phillips Electronics managing and negotiating real estate properties used as manufacturing facilities.

In retirement Skip was an ardent devotee of model railroading (N Scale) and belonged to local clubs both in Cleveland and Fort Myers. Skip and his wife also enjoyed traveling on Elder Hostels and River Cruising through Europe.

His volunteer work with the Case Alumni Association for many years, and his bequest to the scholarship fund reflects his passion and appreciation for education.