With the $10.9 million purchase of the former Pennsylvania Academy of Music’s building at 42 N. Prince Street by Millersville University, philanthropist Paul Ware is relieved of debt in the form of guarantees of loans which he incurred to launch construction when he was PAM’s chair and enthusiast.
Moreover, with the closing of PAM on the same day, Ware also achieved his goal of dissuading the bankruptcy court from allowing addition distributions from the approximately $800,000 endowment for the schools continued operation. (Don’t be surprised if much of that endowment money ends up going to Millersville University.)
There can be no question about Ware’s altruism. Unlike sponsors of the ill begotten convention center project, he never stood to make a dime… quite the opposite. He has long been a generous friend to Lancaster.
But when the pinch was felt, Ware harnessed top notch attorneys and advisors. As is often the case when rich people are faced with losses due to their folly or unforeseeable circumstances, a way out was found…and at public expense.
Nevertheless, even if the state overpaid, it is good that Millersville will use the building for educational purposes. All has not been lost.
So if Ware is “The most happy fellow” (the name of a 1956 Broadway musical), who are probably the most unhappy couple? Fran Veri and Michael Jamanis, Sr. devoted a quarter century of their careers to bringing musical culture and education to Lancaster. They were known to be accomplished musicians and teachers but nothing in their background suggested business acumen. They spun a sincere dream; boards are supposed to be more in touch with reality.
Veri and Jamanis entered their retirement without severance or pension. Too bad they couldn’t afford high priced attorneys. Perhaps the state would also have also tossed them a million or two.
“The most happy fellow?” Really?
I do not know Paul Ware personally, but I’ve been appalled by the implicit (and often explicit) allegations on your pages that he should shoulder the blame for PAM’s demise, and that he somehow reneged on promises to the Academy. From what I’ve read, the man donated millions to PAM. When he tried to straighten things out, his efforts were rebuffed (remember the article about the consultant brought in to help fix the mess there—she was let go), and he finally decided not to throw any more good money after bad. No reasonable person can blame him for that.
Given the fact that many board members and successive boards didn’t see the need to press PAM’s leadership on what was really going on, one has to wonder if Mr. Ware, or any of the board members, was given accurate information on the true financial picture of the place or was being told repeatedly that donors lurked around the corner and all would be well if they continued to have faith.
No, the founders didn’t seem to have business acumen, as you state. But most people in that circumstance cede control to others who do. They didn’t seem willing to do so, as evidenced by quotes from those who tried to wrest control from them in order to save PAM.
One hopes they are living peaceful lives, even if they are doing so under more modest circumstances. And I hope that Mr. Ware has some peace now, too, knowing he did what he could for PAM while there, but ultimately must have come to the conclusion that the BEST thing he could do was to stop enabling horrendous business decisions with his continued support, even though walking away laid himself open to the kind of criticism he’s received from these pages.