Dettwiler commits portion of estate to support CU-Mansfield choral music
MANSFIELD, Pa. (12/19/2025) — Peggy Dettwiler, retired director of choral activities at Commonwealth University-Mansfield, has committed a portion of her estate to support choral music at Mansfield through the Mansfield University Mountaineer Foundation.
Dettwiler served as director of choral activities at Mansfield for 35 years, transforming a small rural program into an internationally recognized choral powerhouse through her visionary leadership and commitment to students. She retired from her role at Mansfield in June 2025.
"I am deeply honored to provide financial support for students attending Mansfield," said Dettwiler about her gift. "Mansfield is located in the rural mountains of northcentral Pennsylvania. As a farm girl from northern Illinois, I can relate to rural life here in northern PA and the challenges to find funds to attend college.
"Some say that we are in the middle of nowhere, but I believe that we are in the middle of everywhere. I hope that this scholarship will help some students to attend Mansfield in the endless mountains of northern PA," she added.
At Mansfield, Dettwiler led nine European concert tours highlighted by major international competition awards, including recognition in Germany, Austria, Wales, Bulgaria, France and Latvia. Due to its reputation for musical excellence, Mansfield received multiple invitations to perform at Carnegie Hall. Her Mansfield choirs drew praise for performances in productions such as "The Sound of Music" and "Candide," and helped bring national attention to the university's music program. In honor of her decades of dedication and "brilliant choral leadership," alumni established an endowed scholarship in her name earlier this year.
Dettwiler earned a bachelor's degree in voice performance and a master's degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin, a second master's in choral conducting from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a doctorate from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.
Mansfield offers academic programs in vocal and instrumental music performance, music education and music technology along with a variety of instrumental, vocal and theatrical ensembles for students to explore and grow as performers and teachers.
To learn more about the Mansfield University Mountaineer Foundation or to make a gift, visit mountaineerfdn.org.
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Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
Julie Stellfox, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications, jms833@commonwealthu.edu, 570-484-2280Share this Story
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