Gettysburg College alum donates $2 million to support athletic-recreation facility

Robert Ortenzio, class of 1979

GETTYSBURG, Pa. - Robert Ortenzio, of Camp Hill, Pa., has committed $2 million to support the construction of a new athletic, recreation and fitness center at Gettysburg College, from which he graduated in 1979.

"Athletics was an important part of my educational experience at Gettysburg and I am happy that I can support this important project - a project that will further the strong athletic tradition at the college," said Ortenzio, CEO of Select Medical Corporation in Mechanicsburg, Pa. "The new center will also add vitally needed recreation and fitness space for all members of the campus community."

"Generosity of this magnitude is rare and special, and we are very thankful to Bob for his extraordinary gift," Gettysburg College President Katherine Haley Will said. "It is the largest single outright gift made by a living individual in the history of Gettysburg College, and it will benefit students for generations to come."

Ortenzio's gift will support a 120,000-square-foot addition to Gettysburg College's Bream/Wright/Hauser Athletic Facility. The new construction will include: an eight-lane competition natatorium with a four-lane warm-up pool and 350-seat spectator gallery; a 10,000-square-foot weight and fitness room; multipurpose spaces for aerobics, yoga, Pilates, spinning and martial arts classes; a renovated athletic training room with a Hydroworx therapy pool; and expanded facilities for campus recreation and experiential education programs.

At Gettysburg College, Ortenzio excelled both in the classroom and on the wrestling mat. In 1978, he received the Marguerite Fisher Memorial Award for earning the highest grade-point average among all varsity athletes. He also held the college's record for career wins with a tally of 97-17-3. He earned NCAA All American status three times and placed third in the NCAA Tournament. He was also a three-time Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) champion and a two-time winner of the Outstanding Wrestler Award at the MAC Tournament. He was inducted into the Gettysburg College Hall of Athletic Honor in 1999 and received the Young Alumni Achievement Award for Career Development from the college in 1994. He currently serves as an alumni representative on the Strategic Planning Committee for the college.

After graduating from Gettysburg College with a major in political science, Ortenzio attended Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pa. From 1982 to 1986, he served as vice president and general counsel to Rehab Hospital Services Corporation and from 1986 to 1997 he became co-founder and president of Continental Medical Corporation. In 1997, he became CEO and president of Select Medical Corporation, a provider of specialty health care that operates 97 specialty hospitals and approximately 605 outpatient rehabilitation clinics and provides medical rehabilitation services to nursing homes, hospitals, assisted living and senior care centers, schools, private homes and worksites. The company was founded in Mechanicsburg, Pa., in 1996 and employs 20,000 people throughout the United States.

"This gift is only the latest chapter in Mr. Ortenzio's long history of generosity directed toward his alma mater," said Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations Victoria Dowling. "We hope others will emulate Bob's consistent support of Gettysburg College and in so doing will contribute significantly to the college's commitment to providing a superb liberal arts education that includes the development of the whole person."

For Ortenzio, the project forms a personally meaningful link between his passion for athletics and his alma mater. "Gettysburg College does an excellent job educating students and training athletes in a Division III environment and it is my hope that this gift will further those efforts," he said.

Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences. With approximately 2,600 students, it is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. The college was founded in 1832.

Issued 12/1/06