News Release
March 2003
(Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) -- Christopher
Scott Seifert ’97,
a U.S. Army captain serving in the 101st Airborne Division in Kuwait,
was one of the first American casualties of the Iraq war. He was 27
and was reportedly killed by a hand grenade thrown into his tent by
a troubled fellow soldier.
He was married to another Moravian graduate, Theresa
L. (Terri) Flowers ’97,
and leaves a 4-month-old son, Benjamin.
Moravian College president Ervin J. Rokke said: "Chris
was a vital presence among the students, faculty and staff who lived
and
learned with him at Moravian. We are proud to count him among Moravian's
alumni, we are grateful for his service, and we are humbled by his
sacrifice."
Chris was an active member of the Moravian College
family. He majored in history, and his advisor, professor Robert
Stinson, remembers him
as quiet and respectful, an outstanding student who "always had
a smile on his face."
As a member of ROTC, he often wore his combat boots
and Army fatigues to class, Stinson said. "He was glad that he was in the ROTC
program," he added. "This wasn’t something that he
was doing to get some money for school. He thought that it would be
a good line of work."
While at the College, Chris was a founding member
of Delta Tau Delta fraternity, whose current brothers wrote: "Although the actions
of the war are thousand of miles from Bethlehem, the effects of this
tragedy are felt by all. … Let us think about those serving our
country, and the families of those abroad."
Chris was a 26-Pointer, a campus "ambassador" who took
prospective students and their parents on tours of the College and
answered their questions and concerns, recalls Bernard Story ’80,
vice president for enrollment. Jack Ramsey remembers that Chris was
a lighting technician for theater productions and a member of the drama
club.
Seifert gave his community service time to Big Brothers and Big Sisters
of the Lehigh Valley. His family requested that memorial contributions
be made to this organization.
His wife, Terri, also was an engaged member of the College community,
as president of United Student Government and a member of the former
Alpha Epsilon Pi sorority (which became Zeta Tau Alpha while she was
a student), yearbook staff, governing board of the Haupert Union Building,
and senior class gift committee. She also was a resident advisor. She
graduated magna cum laude.
Moravian College is a private, coeducational, selective liberal arts
college located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Tracing its founding to
1742, it is recognized as America's sixth-oldest college. For more
information call (610) 861-1491 or visit the web site at www.moravian.edu.
