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Kenneth Cashdollar was an internationally renowned scientist in the field of gas and dust explosions, and his research efforts continue to have far-reaching safety benefits for miners and petro-chemical workers. Not so well known was his commitment to service and social justice, which is reflected in the bequests he made through his estate.
"There are barely any good causes that don't have his name associated with them," says his surviving older brother, Charles. "But he never talked about the good he was doing. He was a quiet man and he did things quietly."
Ken ensured that he would continue to do good past his lifetime through generous bequests in his will to a number of organizations including Habitat for Humanity, The American Friends Service Committee, the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, the Meadowcroft Rockshelter and the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. He also gave to his alma maters, Dickinson College and the University of Wisconsin.
He admired the concept at the foundation of Habitat's work: that housing is a human right and that safe, decent, affordable housing should be within the reach of every family and community. "Ken thought homeownership was important and gave stability to families and communities," says Joan Dickerson, a close friend. Charles adds, "Keep in mind that Ken was a scientist and liked things that had evidence behind them, things that were provable and concrete. There is nothing more concrete than a home."
From Childhood Chemistry Sets to Honor Societies
Born in 1947 in a rural area near Mars, Pa., Ken grew up in a close-knit community with his parents, Chester and Grace Cashdollar, older brother, Charles, and younger sister, Jean. He showed an early inclination toward science. "Ken would carry a rock hammer to collect specimens on family outings and created colorful concoctions with a chemistry set," Charles recalls. "He also spent hours watching for meteor showers on clear summer nights."
Ken fulfilled the early promise he showed in science, winning the Bausch and Lomb Science Award at Mars High School and excelling at physics at Dickinson College. At Dickinson, he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's most widely known honor society, in recognition of his excellence in science.
A Matter of Conscience
Ken's concern for his fellow man was also evident at a young age. "At home, we always talked about social issues and politics," Charles says. "Social justice was important to Ken." Ken went on to become a conscientious objector, and after two years of alternative service with a National Institute of Health project at Yale University, began graduate studies in astronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Recognizing that there were few paying jobs in his chosen discipline, he changed his course to optics and related fields of physics at Wisconsin and later at the University of Pittsburgh. Although he pursued a different career, Ken's interest in astronomy never waned. He loved scanning the heavens with his telescope and also made a bequest to the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in his will.
In 1973, Ken went to work for the U.S. Bureau of Mines research facility south of Pittsburgh, conducting studies into large-scale explosion hazards and developing equipment for explosibility testing. His work spanned a 35-year career at what is now the Pittsburgh Research Laboratory, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). During that time, Ken authored more than 100 technical publications and chaired the American Society for Testing and Materials national subcommittee on explosibility and ignitability of dusts for nearly a quarter of a century.
Ken was also a key member of the NIOSH special team that assisted in the investigation of the Sago Coal Mine explosion in West Virginia in January 2006, which trapped 13 miners for two days, with only one miner surviving. At the time it was the worst mining disaster in the United States since the Jim Walter Resources Mine Disaster in Alabama in 2001, which killed 13 people.
A World of Hope
"Ken felt a kinship to Jimmy Carter, whose values he admired and who was a strong supporter of Habitat for Humanity," Joan says. As a scientist, Ken labored to make jobs safer for workers dealing with explosive materials. As a philanthropist, he chose to help build a world of hope through his bequest to Habitat, trusting in the "concreteness of a house," as he said, to help ensure social justice and provide paths out of poverty for families and communities. Countless people will benefit from his knowledge and compassion.
How Will You Be Remembered?
If you would like to leave a lasting legacy of your values, contact our Planned Giving Department at 800-422-4828, Ext. 6750, or PlannedGiving@habitat.org. You can also learn more at our website.
Copyright © Habitat for Humanity, All rights reserved.
The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For legal or tax advice, please consult an attorney. Figures cited in examples are for hypothetical purposes only and are subject to change. References to estate and income taxes apply to federal taxes only. State income/estate taxes or state law may impact your results.
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