Dr. Donald G. Tritt, 1931-2024

Donald Tritt, or Don as he liked to be called, was a widely known and respected leader in the Swiss American community, a clinical psychologist and Dennison University professor.  

Don realized the Swiss were among the few immigrant groups that did not have a national heritage center. When he broached the idea of a Swiss center at the 1998 annual meeting of the Swiss American Historical Society he was given approval to gauge interest among the members. The interest was there, and with support, fundraising and hard work, the Swiss now have their heritage center.

Don enjoyed travel, and with each trip he searched for books in the U.S., England, Scotland, Wales, Canada, Australia, and not surprisingly Switzerland. Why did he start this collection? “As a little kid, I remember stories being told that were so exciting about people who lived somewhere else (Switzerland). As I grew older, I realized I needed to know my own identity.”  

As he explored his personal Swiss roots, Tritt collected not only written material, he also accumulated 17,000 Swiss postcards from 1895 to 1945; stereoviews from 1860 to 1940, early advertising art and binders filled with fascinating pins. We believe the Swiss Center is the largest focused library on Switzerland and emigration/settlement.  

Don's sentiments--" the sense of relief that my library is now safely planted in its next home and that its current home is of the highest quality.”