Emmert Bittinger ’45 met his future wife, Esther Landis ’48, when they were students at Bridgewater College in the 1940s. When they attended BC, the student population was fewer than 300 students, and coed groups of students were required to have a chaperone to leave campus. The couple met on a hike around campus, and Emmert remembers their first date: “Esther was wearing new high heels and as she descended the steps of the dorm she tripped and fell into my arms.” They married in 1947.
Their favorite memories from their time at BC included singing in a choir organized by Director of Music Nelson Huffman ’25 and participating in a campus hiking club with Bob Richards ’47, who went on to become an Olympic gold medal pole vaulter.
After earning additional degrees, the couple returned to Bridgewater. Emmert taught sociology at BC for more than 25 years, and Esther taught in Rockingham County Public Schools. The Bittingers have given to Bridgewater for 55 consecutive years and have included BC in their estate planning.
Originally published in the Bridgewater College Annual Report of Donors, 2023-2024. Photo courtesy of Bridgewater Retirement Community.
