News Release

NORTH MANCHESTER — A retired Elkhart County schoolteacher gave $1.5 million to Manchester University, the bulk of it via a bequest to her alma mater.

“Receiving an unexpected and unrestricted realized bequest is always an exciting day in the office. We are overwhelmed with gratitude,” said Melanie Harmon, MU vice president for advancement.

Alice R. Dentler died Jan. 1, 2023, at the age of 95.

The Elkhart resident was an elementary schoolteacher for at least 30 years in Elkhart Community Schools, according to information gathered by the Elkhart County Historical Museum. Records indicate she worked much of that time at Samuel Strong School.

A close friend described Dentler as an “old-school” teacher with a giving spirit who shared her love of poetry with her elementary school students and played games with them outside, even in winter. Because Dentler grew up poor, she also especially liked to work with children who had their own struggles.

“I know that she paid fees for some students so that they could do school activities,” her friend said.

She said Dentler made the bequest because her time at Manchester were the best years of her life.

“Alice Dentler was a hero, a quiet hero. She was a regular contributor to Manchester over the years, but she never let on that she planned such a large bequest,” Harmon said.

A 1946 graduate of Bristol High School in Elkhart County, Dentler grew up in Mottville, Mich., just north of the Indiana state line, according to records found by the museum. In her one year at the Indiana high school, Dentler was a member of the Girls Athletic Association and a copy editor for the school newspaper. She must have expressed a desire to teach even then because her class prophesy was that in 10 years, she would be teaching first grade.

Right after high school, Dentler lived in Elkhart and worked as a clerk at Miles Laboratories, according to the museum. She graduated from what was then Manchester College in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. By 1955, records show, she had begun teaching at Samuel Strong. The museum said she continued to teach for Elkhart Community Schools until she retired in 1985.

“Manchester graduates make connections for life and work to make the world a better place,” said Manchester President Stacy Young. “Alice Dentler’s legacy will live on in generations to come. I wish we could have thanked her in person.”

Manchester University thanks Michelle Nash, curator of collections at the Elkhart County Historical Museum, for aid in researching and collecting information about the late Alice R. Dentler.