The deal tossed a financial lifeline to 40 to 50 local businessmen and doctors who had invested in Wren Dale and faced substantial losses. One of them was Richard H. Lenny, then-chief executive officer of the Hershey Co. and a member of the charity board that approved the purchase.
Notwithstanding the seeming conflict of interest, the Wren Dale purchase and construction of a well-appointed clubhouse appear to violate the strictly worded directives of Milton S. Hershey for spending his $7.5 billion fortune on behalf of the school and its poor students:
"All revenues must be spent directly on the care and education of the children. No monies are allowed to be or are spent for any other purpose; there are no grants to other organizations or non-MHS related spending."
Using the golf course as a buffer property between new student homes and the community falls under Milton Hershey's mission regarding care of children, Hershey School officials said. They said they feared a developer's purchasing the course, rezoning the land, and building high-density housing.
The school, for prekindergarten through the 12th grade, is free to students who qualify.
The Wren Dale purchase was supported by LeRoy S. Zimmerman, a former two-term Pennsylvania attorney general who was the designated chairman of the Hershey Trust board in 2005. An avid golfer, he now holds the chairman title.
Neither Lenny nor Zimmerman would comment, despite repeated attempts to seek their accounts.
As CEO of the candy company, Lenny had close ties to the school. He sat on the board of the Hershey Trust, which administers Milton Hershey's philanthropic legacy. The board's role is to act on behalf of the students at the Hershey School.
