Dittman retires after 36 years of service at Pitt-Bradford

Dittman, who retired effective Sept. 30 as an administrative assistant in Pitt-Bradford’s athletic department, has seen several buildings go up, student enrollment skyrocket and three presidents appointed. A retirement party took place Sept. 27.

“These 36 years just feel like one long year to me,” the 65-year-old Dittman said. “It has been a pleasure to work at Pitt-Bradford.”

Throughout her years of service, she has worked with six athletic directors and under three presidents, Drs. Livingston Alexander, Richard McDowell and Donald Swarts, and Dr. William Shields, who served as interim president for two years.

During Dittman’s retirement party, Alexander said her milestones will likely remain unmatched by anyone else.

In 1974, she became the campus switchboard operator in Swarts Hall. In addition to those duties, she helped faculty members and other offices. Dittman was the part-time secretary for the athletic department and also served as the sport center building manager every other Sunday for a year.

She said she remembers the days when the book store, admissions office, faculty offices and classrooms were housed in Swarts Hall, the university’s first academic building. The people who worked in Swarts Hall were close and knew each other’s family members, she said.

Co-workers got together more often back then, too, with being in one building. After work, many faculty and staff would socialize. They would play volleyball and softball, go on picnics at Allegany (N.Y.) State Park and have parties near where the old tennis courts used to be.

For a day on two occasions, Dittman took care of stray cats left behind when students went home for winter break. While the cats were housed in her office, she fed them her sandwich and a maintenance worker brought dirt for the cats.

In 1979, she made the move as switchboard operator to the Frame-Westerberg Commons. She also was the secretary for the director of the Frame-Westerberg Commons and student activities. As needed, she filled in at the campus mail center, helped with conference services, and assisted the part-time athletic department secretary.

“I got to know many students, faculty and staff members during those years,” she said of her time in the Commons.

Dr. K. James Evans, dean of student affairs, remembers Dittman as the main “greeter for the university” when she worked at the Commons information desk. He also said she assisted the student affairs office at that time with a variety of projects.

While she has enjoyed working at other Pitt-Bradford offices, her heart lies with the athletic department, where she became the full-time administrative assistant in 1987.

“It’s a whole different world over here,” she said. “Coaches’ schedules are not the average 9-to-5 day, and all sorts of situations can change what we’re doing in an instant.”

She called working in the athletic department “a relaxed atmosphere. We all have a sense of humor, and people are friends as well as co-workers.”

In his 13 years as Pitt-Bradford’s baseball coach, Bret Butler called Dittman a friend more than just a co-worker.

“I will miss Suzanne as a colleague and co-worker, but most of all I will miss our morning chats, afternoon laughs, and the camaraderie that comes with the friendship we share,” he said. “That will not be affected by her retirement. We all will miss her.”

Being a sports enthusiast, working in the department was nothing short of a dream job for Dittman. She said she enjoys exercising, the sports atmosphere and watching the Pitt-Bradford athletes play.

She considers having the chance to see the expansion and renovation of the Sport and Fitness Center in 2002 a fond memory.

Working in the offices isn’t the only thing she’s done at Pitt-Bradford, though. She was the cheerleading coach, and she also led the dance team for a year during its inception. She also taught aerobics as a non-credit class.

Just because she has retired doesn’t mean she won’t be setting foot at Pitt-Bradford. She said she plans to attend sporting events and walk the Richard E. McDowell Community Trail, which runs behind the campus, as well as the campus “loop.”

Dittman, who lives in Bradford, has one son, Michael, and two granddaughters.

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