Mount Union College established the Mary W. & Eric A. Eckler Endowment in Literature and Drama in 1981 through a trust given by the late Mr. and Mrs. John A. Cummins. Both Dr. and Mrs. Eckler were long-time faculty members in Mount Union's English department.
Mrs. Cummins, formerly Dorothy Nelson, was a 1929 graduate of Mount Union and was a student of the Ecklers. The trust was given in appreciation of the Ecklers' years of service to the College and the community. The income from the trust is used annually to bring a person to the campus for one or more programs in literature and drama.
Dr. Eckler was a member of the English department at Mount Union from 1922 until the time of his death in 1955. Known to hundreds of students through the years as "Pop," Dr. Eckler served in many campus and community capacities. In addition to his position as a professor of English language and literature, he was chairman of the department from 1922 to 1954.
A graduate of Washington and Jefferson College, he earned his master of arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his doctoral degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Eckler's wife, Mary W. Eckler, was an associate professor of English at the College from 1922 until 1964. Known as "Mom" to many Mount Union students, Mrs. Eckler earned her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Michigan and her master of arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
She received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Cabinet of Mount Union Women in 1962. She was named one of Mount Union's first McKinley Fellows in 1993.