GROVE CITY, Pa. – Renowned economist and legendary Grove City College professor Dr. Hans Sennholz died the morning of June 23, 2007. He was 85.

Sennholz was born Feb. 3, 1922, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He is survived by his wife of nearly 53 years, Mary, a son Robert, a 1975 Grove City College graduate, his wife, Lyn, and two grandsons, Roland and Emil, all of Grove City.

Friends and family will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. today at Cunningham Funeral Home, 306 Bessemer Ave., Grove City. A funeral service is planned for 11 a.m. tomorrow at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 819 Columbia Ave., Grove City. Friends will also be received from 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at Bethesda Church, Swamp Church Road, Farmer’s Mills, Pa. A second service is set for 10 a.m. Wednesday at Bethesda Church in Farmer’s Mills with interment to follow.

Sennholz earned his master’s degree at the University of Marburg in Germany and his first doctorate from the University of Cologne. He later earned a second Ph.D. at New York University in 1955. He also holds at least two honorary doctorates, including an honorary Doctor of Laws degree awarded from Grove City College this past May.

During World War II, Sennholz served as a fighter pilot for the German Air Force. The war years were difficult for Sennholz. He experienced both the Great Depression and the rise of Hitler’s National Socialism. During World War II, he lost his mother in a bombing in his hometown and his father in a mining accident. His only brother, who served in the German army, did not return from Russia. Sennholz was drafted into the Luftwaffe and flew numerous missions in France, Russia and North Africa. While on a mission over Egypt, Sennholz was shot down and taken as a prisoner of war. He spent time in captivity in several countries and finally in some U.S. states, where he was able to be supported by American relatives and continue his studies.

A well-known Austrian-school economist, Sennholz helped shape the thinking of upwards of 10,000 students at Grove City College, where he taught from 1956-92, as well as the views of economists around the world through his work with think tanks and via his many writings. His first teaching job was as an assistant professor of economics at Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y.

Sennholz met his wife, Mary Elizabeth Homan, at NYU and married her on July 25, 1954. A renowned thinker in her own right, Mary worked as a court reporter for the Pennsylvania Department of Education in the 1930s. Soon after the Pearl Harbor attack of 1941, she was offered a job in the White House, where she managed a pool of secretaries under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman.

Sennholz was the author of 17 books and booklets, from “Divided Europe” in 1955 to “Reflection and Remembrance” in 1997, and had some 500 essays and articles published in American publications and 36 in German journals and newspapers. Other works include “Debts and Deficits,” “The Politics of Unemployment” and “Age of Inflation.” He also wrote almost daily on his web site, www.sennholz.com, and was quoted on other web sites even as late as May 30, 2007.

At Grove City, Sennholz served as professor of economics and chairman of the department of economics until he retired after 36 years. While there, he also conducted a graduate program for International College in Los Angeles, conferring master’s and doctorate degrees.

After his retirement from Grove City, and at the age of 70, he became president of the Foundation for Economic Education in Irvington, N.Y. In just five years, he revived the defunct organization and celebrated its 50th anniversary with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He retired from there as President Emeritus at the age of 75.

Over his lifetime, he was recognized frequently for his academic achievements, writing and speaking. In 2004, the Ludwig Von Mises Institute presented him its highest award, the Schlarbaum Prize, for lifetime achievement in liberty. In 1990, he was honored with the Outstanding Teacher Award from the Pennsylvania Academy for the Profession of Teaching.

Even 15 years after his retirement, he continued to be an integral part of Grove City College. On Feb. 3, 2003, his 81st birthday, the beloved professor gave the inaugural lecture in the Sticht Lecture Hall, just weeks after the Hall of Arts and Letters was dedicated. In April 2005, Sennholz gave the closing lecture at “The Road From Poverty to Freedom: A Look Backward and Forward at The War on Poverty” inaugural conference of The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College, a newly formed public policy center and think tank. Also that spring, he was featured on the cover of the Grove City College alumni magazine. Then just five weeks before his death, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the College during Commencement ceremonies on May 19.

“The passing of Dr. Sennholz stills the voice and pen of one of our nation’s most articulate, intellectual voices for ordered liberty, limited government and free markets,” said Grove City College President Richard G. Jewell ’67. “He was a fierce advocate for consumers and savers as he warred incessantly against the evils of inflation. As a classroom teacher he had few peers. His lucid and clearly reasoned written work inspired and informed the many who relied on his economic guidance.”