Employees of Pension Corp. of America can feel a touch of history as they move around their new office - the Lunkenheimer mansion at 2133 Luray Ave. in Walnut Hills, overlooking the Ohio River.

More than 100 years ago, this was the home of Frederick Lunkenheimer, founder of the Lunkenheimer Co., a pioneer in valve manufacturing in Cincinnati.

As the 35 employees move about the 12,000-square-foot, three-story building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, an air of importance permeates.

James R. Eckerle Jr., vice president of Pension Corp. of America, recently helped his company move into the historic Lunkenheimer mansion in Walnut Hills. This photo was taken in the rooftop tower of the mansion. The Cincinnati Enquirer/JEFF SWINGER

"The uniqueness and character of this building provide a great work environment for our employees while maintaining a centrally located meeting place to conduct business with our clients,'' said Jim Eckerle, vice president of Pension Corp. of America. PCA provides consulting and investment services for retirement and employee benefit plans.

The company bought the mansion in January, completed minor renovations and moved into the building in February.

The building, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, is near the Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park.

"There is still a lot of history here,'' said Tom Seitz, president of Pension Corp. of America. "We have a breakout room on the third floor that gives a good view of surrounding buildings and parts of the Ohio River in the winter. The river is shut off by trees in the summer.''

For more information, go online at www.pencorp.com.

Shriners honor nurse

Jackie Mulholland, a Licensed Practical Nurse, has acted as the mother to countless patients at Shriners Burns Institute, offering them comfort when they had no family around.

She has done that for 30 years.

Last week, she was honored by the hospital with the 2004 Marilyn Jenkins Memorial Nursing Excellence Award, which is given to a nurse each year for dedication to the profession.

Jenkins, a former director of nursing at the hospital, died in 2002.

Mulholland, who was nominated for her professionalism, was a night nurse. She enjoyed the time with those patients who don't have family members with them.

Breast Cancer Registry

A $10,000 grant from the Breast Cancer Alliance of Greater Cincinnati to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Department of Environmental Health, will be used to establish a Breast Cancer Registry of Greater Cincinnati.

The alliance continues to work with UC and Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center researchers looking at links between the environment and breast cancer.

Researchers have determined that there are not enough breast cancer data available to fully study the association.

"BCA wanted to give a gift that was not only meaningful and long lasting, but one that also recognized the vision our founding members had 10 years ago when BCA was formed,'' said Ann Hernick, president of the Breast Cancer Alliance.

Robertson Scholar

Lena Eastin of Kennedy Heights has been selected as a Robertson Scholar at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The senior at Seven Hills Upper School was one of 15 students chosen from nearly 19,000 applicants to UNC.

Robertson Scholars receive full tuition, room and board, a stipend, summer enrichment opportunities in the United States and abroad (including a $6,000 grant in the junior summer), support for research and related travel, and a laptop computer.

Lena, also a National Achievement Scholarship winner, plans to study international relations, French and Spanish.

Naval Academy appointee

David Nicolas has received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and will begin this summer as a member of the Class of 2008.

The son of Maria and David Nicolas of West Chester Township is a graduate of Lakota West High School and attends the New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, N.M.

Intern for House panel

David Greenberg, a junior government major at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., spent his fall semester studying in Washington, where he worked as an intern for the House subcommittee on international relations.

The son of Pamela Meyers and Gerald Greenberg of Evendale also was named to his fifth consecutive dean's list at Cornell.

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