Connections of Individuals as Keys to Greatness

There’s no question that Aurora grew for many years in large measure due to a strong manufacturing base with large employers meeting worldwide demand. Aurora may have flourished, however, because those company owners and business leaders, through their friendships with one another, had and a vision of as well as supported a comprehensive community with a plethora of services and amenities.

With the subsequent and active involvement of spouses and, over time, grown children and other relatives, industry leaders helped build churches, schools, banks, parks, and hospitals. Social services were chartered to help meet the emerging needs of the working population. Community groups, service clubs, entertainment venues, and country clubs were founded and nurtured.

The homegrown, locally based leaders and their families either gave or raised the financial resources for many community projects. They served on boards of directors and as volunteers, took government posts, and remained present in and supportive of Aurora.

This segment on How We Connected will focus on examples of these personal and business relations and connections. This will illustrate how many of the founding families and business leaders were related and together made significant contributions to the overall social fabric and quality of life in Aurora beyond the workplace.

The legacy of philanthropy, service, and commitment to community is their legacy. They passed it on to their spouses, children, friends and our whole community. This proved vitally important to the development of a strong and lasting societal infrastructure. And it is this infrastructure that provided the skill and strength to carry out our transition from manufacturing past. More importantly, this legacy enables us to best face the challenges and opportunities of today as well as of Aurora’s future.

Please join us with your contributions to build and document this very important and critical personal component of we connect with each other in Aurora to serve the best interests of us all.

Frank H. McWethy: International Manufacturing Leader

William B. Greene and Civic Affairs

H. Ashley Barber Impact Locally and Around the World

Sam Alschuler and a Family’s History in Development

Sten G. Halfvarson: Musician, Composer, Educator, Director

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