Tocqueville Society
The United Way Tocqueville Society recognizes local philanthropic leaders and volunteer champions in the United States, France and Romania who have devoted time, talent, and funds to create long-lasting changes by tackling our communities’ most serious issues.
Renowned French political philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville admired three elements in North American society: liberty, equality and the spirit of neighbor helping neighbor. These same elements are embraced in the French national motto: “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité.” Tocqueville believed that by achieving these elements of democracy, all people would choose to pursue freedom, knowledge and prosperity, or indépendance, connaissance, and prospérité.
Today over 25,000 Tocqueville members strong, since 1984 over $9 billion has been contributed by Tocqueville members. Membership in the Society is granted to individuals
who contribute at least $10,000 annually to United Way. National Society Membership is granted to individuals who contribute $100,000 or more per year to the United Way. Partnership with the United Way’s Million Dollar Roundtable is limited to individuals who have contributed $1,000,000 or more to the United Way mission and impact work. With heartfelt appreciation for our local Tocqueville members.
Peter Herdic Society
Born in Fort Plains, New York, in 1824, the promise of lumber riches brought Peter Herdic to Pennsylvania in 1853. In 1857, he and two other local businessmen purchased the Susquehanna Boom Company. Using his political influence, Herdic then convinced the legislature to raise boom tolls from $.50 to $1.25 per thousand feet of logs. In its peak year in 1873, the boom processed nearly 320 million feet of logs, earning considerable
profits for Herdic and his partners.
In 1869, Herdic was elected as the third mayor of Williamsport. He owned the gas works and sold land to the railroads to bring them into the city (routing them through other Herdic property to increase its value). He built office buildings, a waterworks, an urban railway, and a bridge over the Susquehanna River. Herdic also owned the local newspaper. But in addition to his business enterprises, he donated homes to the working class, erected churches on donated land, and constructed public buildings and signed them over to the city. Some sources claim his philanthropic activities severely depleted his finances and that he hovered between wealth and ruin on a yearly basis.