Stanley G. Peschel `52, of Pawling, N.Y., an
entrepreneur whose gifts to the College made possible the Stanley G.
Peschel Computer Center, died March 29. He was 71.
A native of Hudson, N.Y., he studied electrical engineering
at Union.
He received an honorary doctor of science degree from
the College in 1982.
In 1962, he founded Hipotronics, which became
the country's leading designer and manufacturer of high voltage
test equipment. Peschel sold his stake in Hipotronics in 1982, but
soon founded High Voltage Inc., of Copake, N.Y., which designs
and builds lightweight, portable testing equipment for
electrical utilities.
He held about two dozen patents, and designed and
built the Boston Corners (N.Y.) Golf Club.
A 1983 profile in Forbes described him as a
“classic entrepreneur and tinkerer” who landed one of his first
contracts after constructing a prototype from coat hangers.
He once credited his success in design to Union's machine
shop foreman, Walter Mathias, who “taught us to be machinists
and gave us a practical education in designing and building a
product.”
As a student, he was a member of WRUC and a member of Psi Upsilon.
Besides his gift for the computer center, he gave
the College a gift of $2 million in 1998.