Brother Emery C. Mollenhauer, first provost at La Salle University, dies at 94
An avid reader, he took special interest in La Salle’s Connelly Library.
Brother Emery C. Mollenhauer, 94, of Philadelphia, the first provost at La Salle University, and an effective administrator during the school’s expansion over the last 60 years, died Sunday, March 14, of heart failure at De La Salle Hall, a nursing home for members of the Christian Brothers in Lincroft, N.J.
Known for his friendly and quiet commitment to education and religious principles, Brother Mollenhauer served La Salle’s campus in Northwest Philadelphia as provost, dean of the evening program, academic vice president, and English professor.
As dean in the 1960s and 1970s, he created new evening classes and admitted female students for the first time. He became provost when the position was created in 1977, and oversaw a dramatic expansion of the school’s campus and academic standing.
As a teacher, he inspired students to outperform their expectations.
“We are deeply indebted to Brother Emery, whose commitment and service to La Salle were nothing short of iconic,” said La Salle president Colleen M. Hanycz.
Over his 52-year career, Brother Mollenhauer helped La Salle obtain university status from the state in 1984, add a master’s degree program for nurses in 1987, and elevate the business school to accreditation from the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
After leaving the administration in 1990, Brother Mollenhauer returned to the English department until his retirement in 2012. He continued to live and minister at La Salle, and was believed to have the longest active tenure among Christian Brothers on campus.
A mentor to students, faculty, staff, and family, he gave subtle advice and treated even new and younger colleagues like peers. In recognizing his humility and dedication to others, the La Salle faculty senate endowed a commencement award in his name for the graduating senior who most represents the school’s values.
The Brother Emery C. Mollenhauer Learning Center, sponsored by the School of Business, was dedicated in College Hall in 2002.
“He was thoughtful, modest, funny, independent, and generous with his time,” said Elizabeth Langemak, an associate professor of English at La Salle.
Charles Joseph Mollenhauer was born in Southwest Philadelphia on Feb. 16, 1927. One of three children, he graduated from West Catholic High School and Catholic University of America. He earned a master’s degree and doctorate in the arts from the University of Pittsburgh, and joined La Salle in 1960.
An indefatigable reader and the coeditor of his high school newspaper, Brother Mollenhauer took special interest in La Salle’s Connelly Library, advising on its design and delighting in its dedication in 1988.
He published 20th Century Writers: The Pageant of Literature in 1969, and was known in the classroom as a meticulous English teacher. His nephew, Mitch Yanak, asked his uncle to review one of his essays, and it came back with so many comments and corrections in red ink that Yanak compared it to a Christmas tree.
“He was a great listener,” Yanak said. “He was there when anyone needed him, always pushing us to do our best.”
Brother Mollenhauer loved to walk. His sister, Joan Santangelo, said he marched from Southwest Philadelphia to Chinatown, and over the Walt Whitman Bridge as a teenager. La Salle’s public safety staff knew him by name due to his many strolls around campus, and he often hiked the length of the Ocean City beach during summer vacations.
He collected pipes as Christmas presents, liked to talk politics over the dinner table, and was known to carry a little notebook so he could jot down reminders and notes to himself. He was especially fond of writing congratulatory notes to faculty, staff, students, and his family for their achievements.
“I would pass his office at 8 a.m., and he would be there,” Yanak said. “Then I would pass it again at 9 p.m., and he would still be there. He was unbelievable.”
In addition to his sister and nephew, Brother Mollenhauer is survived by other relatives. A sister died earlier.
Viewings under COVID-19 restrictions are scheduled for 4-6 and 7-8 p.m. on Thursday, March 18, at the De La Salle Chapel at La Salle, 1900 W. Olney Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19141. A private Funeral Mass is set for Friday, March 19. A livestream of the Funeral Mass will be available on Facebook.
Donations in his name may be made to the La Salle Student Emergency Fund, La Salle University Alumni Association, 1900 W. Olney Ave., Philadelphia, Pa., 19141.