Countless Philadelphians of a certain age remember waking up to the a distinctive sound — the pleasing clink of glass bottles against a metal carrier meant that the Abbotts milkman was at the door.

Today, thanks to the vision and generosity of the late Christian R. Lindback, the president and principal owner of Abbotts Dairies, Inc. and a trustee of Bucknell University, along with his wife, Mary F. Lindback, excellence in education is celebrated through the foundation that bears their names.

This Foundation was initially established by a testamentary gift in trust under the will of Christian R. Lindback. The individual and corporate trustees were given broad discretion to support charitable purposes within the territorial United States. Educational goals and the support of distressed individuals in the City of Philadelphia through existing charitable organizations were given emphasis. The trustees have focused discretionary grant attention on the Greater Philadelphia area including South Jersey.

Since 1961, the foundation has been recognizing outstanding faculty members at colleges and universities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey with the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. Currently 52 institutions of higher learning are participating in the program. Peruse the curriculum vitae of Lindback Award recipients and you will note that the award is mentioned proudly and prominently, attesting to the universal prestige associated with the honor.