Education Commons^™

Interview Of Helen Gidjunis, Helen Gidjunis, Paula Gidjunis

All Oral Histories

Interview topic: Mrs. Helen Gidjunis is a life-long resident of Philadelphia. The majority of her life she spent growing up in the shadow of La Salle College – now University. She moved to Uber Street in 1934, while La Salle’s groundbreaking occurred on February 29, 1928 at its fourth and current location at 20^th Street and Olney Avenue. She has observed the neighborhood change for seventy-nine years. When she married in 1949, she moved one street west to 20^th Street. She has been her block captain for many years and still retains that position and as such has …

Interview Of Peter J. Finley, Ph.D., Peter J. Finley Ph.D., Meghan Bassett

All Oral Histories

Peter J. Finley Sr. was born an only child to parents John J. Finley and Margaret Francis Dunn in 1931, in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. He grew up in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia. Peter attended St. Francis Xavier School for grade school, La Salle Prep School afterwards—located at 1240 North Broad Street at the time—and La Salle College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology in 1953. Peter’s connection to La Salle began early in his childhood; his father, John J. Finley, was in the College’s graduating class of 1924. Peter earned a master’s degree at the College …

Interview Of Eugene Colucci, Eugene Colucci, Robert G. Seelhorst Jr

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Abstract

Mr. Eugene Colucci (b. 1948) is a Spanish teacher at Buena Regional High School in Atlantic County, New Jersey. This is his twentieth year as an educator at BRHS in the New Jersey public school system. Before this, Mr. Colucci spent nineteen years teaching in the Catholic school system of Philadelphia (St. Peter’s Elementary, Bishop Neumann High School, and St. Maria Goretti High School). He has a unique perspective because he spent so much time in both the public and private school environments. He describes his youth in the Catholic school system of Philadelphia and describes growing up in …

Interview Of Cherylyn Rush, Cherylyn Rush, Linda Sago

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Cherylyn Landora Edwards Rush was born in 1959 in Shirley, Massachusetts. Mrs. Rush moved to Pennsylvania at a very young age. Her father, Lester Edwards, was in the military. After her parents divorced, Cherylyn’s mother Pearl developed ovarian cancer and passed away when Cherylyn was about seven years old. Her grandmother Louise Jackson then cared for Cherylyn until she went to live with their father. Mr. Edwards had remarried. When Cherylyn’s father and her stepmother divorced, she returned to Philadelphia, PA and attended William Penn High School. Cherylyn earned her high school diploma although she was pregnant with her son. …

Interview Of Edward J. Sheehy, F.S.C., Ph.D., Edward J. Sheehy, Lauren De Angelis

All Oral Histories

Edward J. Sheehy was born in 1946 to Edward and Rosemary Sheehy. His father was a naval commander and later the head of an aerospace company called Hercules. He entered the novitiate of the Christian Brothers in 1963, received his undergraduate degree in history from La Salle College in 1968, his Master of Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University in 1973, and his Ph.D. in History from George Washington University in 1983. He worked at St. Gabriel's Hall, Calvert College High School, Hudson Catholic High School, Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, PA, and La Salle University. A specialist on …

Interview Of John Mccloskey By John Fallon, John Mccloskey, John Fallon

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John McCloskey was born in 1920 in Philadelphia’s Olney section. Born into a working-class Irish Catholic family, McCloskey moved to Cornwell Heights, Pennsylvania, in Bucks County, in 1924. He graduated from Northeast Catholic High School in 1938. He held several jobs before settling in at Crown Cork & Seal’s seamless can manufacturing plant located at I Street and Erie Avenue in Philadelphia’s Kensington section. He joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942. He was selected to instruct future pilots in the operation of B-17 Bombers. He attained the rank of First Lieutenant. Following his time in the Army, McCloskey …

Interview Of Carl Clayton, F.S.C., Carl Clayton, John Young

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Brother Carl Clayton was born George Clayton in 1938, the youngest of four boys, whose family resided in Baltimore, Maryland. He attended Calvert Hall High School and received a scholarship to attend La Salle College in Philadelphia, PA, beginning in September 1956. After a brief time as a student, Mr. Clayton decided to enter the Christian Brothers order. He completed his spiritual and intellectual training and took the name Damian Carl. Eventually his name would change to just Carl. Br. Carl reported to Pittsburg Central Catholic in September 1961 and was later assigned to La Salle High School in 1963. …

Interview Of Richard Grande, Richard Grande, Frank Hopper

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Richard Grande was born and raised in South Philadelphia. He was educated in the Philadelphia Parochial System from kindergarten through high school. He graduated from Bishop Neumann High School in June of 1960. He attended La Salle College from September 1960 through May 1965. In 1964, he was on the team of scholars who brought national recognition to La Salle College through their appearance on the nationally televised quiz program, the GE College Bowl. He majored in English at La Salle College and received his Bachelors degree in May of 1965. He received a teaching assistantship from the University of …

Interview Of Robert S. Lyons, Jr., Robert S. Lyons Jr., Christina Becker

All Oral Histories

Robert S. Lyons, Jr. (1939-2013) graduated from La Salle College in 1961. The following is his obituary from McGhee Funeral Home:

"Robert S. Lyons, Jr., of Upper Southampton, died Wednesday, June 5, 2013. He was 73. Born June 29, 1939, in Philadelphia, PA, Bob was the son of the late Robert and Catharine Lyons. Bob is survived by his; beloved wife Joan M. Lyons (nee Lang); children, Joanne Jenkins (Ken), Robert P., M.D. (Renee), Richard (Leanne), David (Julie), and Gregory. He will also be missed by his 11 grandchildren. Bob Lyons, the author of Palestra Pandemonium: A History of the …

Interview Of John J. Seydow, Ph.D., John J. Seydow, Frank Hopper

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John J. Seydow was born and raised in Olney section of Philadelphia. He was educated in Philadelphia’s Parochial School System from kindergarten through high school. He graduated from Cardinal Dougherty High School in June of 1959. He attended La Salle College on a full time basis from September 1961 through May 1965. He majored in English at La Salle and received his Bachelors degree in May of 1965. The following September he began a graduate fellowship at Ohio University where he earned his Masters and Doctorial degrees in English by May of 1968. In August 1968, he returned to La …

Interview Of Paul Joslin, F.S.C., Paul Joslin, Donna Sharer

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Brother Paul Joslin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 3, 1946. He grew up in Colwyn, Delaware Country, Pennsylvania which is adjacent to southwest Philadelphia. He attended West Philadelphia Catholic High School for Boys where he was introduced to the Lasallian Christians Brothers. During the middle of Brother Paul’s junior year of high school, he became a Juniorate and on June 15, 1964 became a Novitiate in the Christian Brothers. Brother Paul studied Spanish at LaSalle University, then LaSalle College, as an undergraduate from 1965 – 1969. He earned a Masters degree in Spanish from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, …

Interview Of John J. Rooney, Ph.D., John J. Rooney Phd, Lauren Woodring

All Oral Histories

Dr. John J. Rooney was born in 1923 to a working class family in South Philadelphia. He went to primarily Catholic schools and during his childhood, witnessed three World Series from his house. He started attending La Salle University in 1940, majoring in chemistry. During World War II, he left school to join the Navy as a flight instructor. He came back to La Salle and graduated in 1946. From there, he went to Temple University to get a master’s and then Ph.D. in psychology. During this time, he simultaneously went to school, taught first chemistry and then psychology at …

Interview Of Marc A. Moreau, Ph.D., Marc A. Moreau Ph.D., Elizabeth Wagner

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Marc Moreau was born in 1948 in Lewiston, Maine. His family is French Canadian, and the part of town where he grew up was a pocket for French-speaking people. It was referred to as a "Petit-Canada." Lewiston's economy centered on textile mills. All of his grandparents and both of his parents worked in the mills during their lives. His mother later became a nurse during World War II, and his father served in the army during that time but later returned to the mills. Moreau has a younger sister and brother. He delivered French newspapers as a boy and attended …

Interview Of Bernhardt Blumenthal, Ph.D., Bernhardt Blumenthal Ph.D., Derek Casey

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Dr. Bernhardt Blumenthal (d. 2012, age 75) was a La Salle graduate of the class of 1955 where he majored in German. After graduating from La Salle he earned his master's in German from Northwestern University, earned a Fulbright scholarship to study in Germany for a year and returned to begin his doctorate in German Literature at Princeton University. Upon graduation from Princeton in 1963 he was hired by La Salle to begin his career as a professor of German language and literature. In 1969 he became the Director of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures and held that …

Interview Of Zane Wolf, Ph.D., R.N., Faan, Zane Wolf, Melissa Pompeo

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Dr. Wolf has been a faculty member in the nursing department (now the School of Nursing and Health Sciences) since its inception in 1980, when it was still a division of the School of Arts and Sciences. She was the first full-time faculty hired for the new department and worked under the leadership of Dr. Gloria Donnelly. At the time of the interview, she was Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences. The interview was conducted in her office in the School of Nursing and Health Sciences main offices on the Mezzanine Level of Wister Hall.

Interview Of Emery C. Mollenhauer, F.S.C., Ph.D., Emery Mollenhauer, Matthew Deininger

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Brother Emery Mollenhauer, a product of West Philadelphia, grew up in a good home where his father worked as an interior designer furnishing department stores and manufacturing curtains for the theater while his mother was a house wife. Brother Emery graduated number one in his class from Most Blessed Sacrament grade school. He attended West Catholic High School for boys under the direction of the Christian Brothers. By the time of graduation, Brother Emery was ranked third in his class and decided to become a Christian Brother. He received a Bachelor’s Degree graduating Magna Cum Laude with Phi Beta Kappa …

Interview Of Arthur Bangs, F.S.C., Ph.D., Arthur Bangs F.S.C., Ph.D., Caitlin Haug

All Oral Histories

This Interview was conducted in order to collect the oral history of Brother Arthur Bangs and his time spent as Brother of La Salle, which includes his time outside and within the campus of La Salle University. This interview was conducted in Brother Bangs' office in Olney Hall on the second floor at La Salle University. Brother Bangs was born in 1932 in Philadelphia, where he went to West Catholic High School. He then furthered his education by joining the Brothers of La Salle upon graduation and entered as a student at La Salle College. After graduating from La Salle, …

Interview Of Arthur Grover, Arthur Grover, Joseph M. Curley

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At the time of the interview in 2007, Mr. Arthur Grover was the Director of Security and Safety at La Salle University. He was appointed to this position in November of 2004. Since the interview his role and the work of his department has evolved. In 2013 he was Assistant Vice President of Security and Safety. Mr. Grover is a graduate of La Salle University, class of 1977, majoring in Criminal Justice. Following his graduation from La Salle, he joined the Philadelphia Police Department where he served for over 20 years. Mr. Grover held a number of positions as he …

Interview Of Leo D. Rudnytzky, Ph.D., Leo D. Rudnytzky Ph.D., Meghan Mccormack

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In this oral history, we cover Dr. Rudnytzky’s life from his early childhood in Ukraine and Eastern Europe to his formative years in the United States. He provides a detailed account of his time as an undergraduate student at La Salle University. The interview then spans his graduate studies and early years of teaching at La Salle, along with the differences between his time here, at Ivy League schools, and at foreign institutions. The subject discusses his involvement in various ethnic and religious groups and his impact on La Salle by way of symposiums, speakers, and programs, which he has …

Interview Of Daniel Burke F.S.C., Ph.D., Daniel Burke F.S.C., Ph.D., Christopher A. Thompson

All Oral Histories

Interview with Brother Daniel Burke FSC. Born in Pittsburgh, PA in 1926, Brother Daniel, an Irish-American, went to an all Italian grade school where he emerged as an art student and class valedictorian. His father fought in World War I and survived. After the war, Brother Daniel’s father, also Daniel Burke, was a automobile sales and repair man, then worked on the staff of the Registrar of Wills, Allegheny County, PA. His mother worked at the newspaper, the Pittsburgh Press during the depression. Brother Daniel went to high school at La Salle Hall in Ammendale Maryland, and College at Catholic …

Interview Of Thomas Mcphillips, F.S.C., Ph.D., Thomas Mcphillips F.S.C., Ph.D., Michael Roethel

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Brother Tom McPhillips is a man who dedicated his life to the Christian Brothers since the age of 17 in order to promote the Christian Brother ideals. The values and ideals of the Christian Brothers have played, and will continue to play a significant role throughout his life. Brother Tom McPhillips was born in 1949 to Louise and John McPhillips and was born in Einstein Hospital, located in Philadelphia. Louise was born in Belfast, Ireland, which is a staunch Roman Catholic country, and thus, Brother Tom McPhillip's upbringing was very much imbued with Christian values. All of this was reinforced …

Interview Of Barbara Millard, Ph.D., Barbara Millard Ph.D., Aviad Adlersberg

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An oral history of Dr. Barbara Millard, professor of English and former Dean of Arts and Sciences, La Salle University. The purpose of this interview is to gather information regarding her impact on La Salle University and her experience during her tenure at the University. This interview part of an oral history project for Dr. Barbara Allen’s’ History 650 Oral History course. Specifically, this interview deals with Dr. Millard’s views on sexism she experienced or witnessed, beginning in the 1970’s until today in 2007. The interview also seeks to explore her views on education, balance between work and life, and …

Interview Of Francis Tri Nguyen, F.S.C., Ph.D. Part 2, Francis Tri Nguyen Fsc, Melissa Schellinger

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Francis of Assisi Nguyen von Tri, was born in Shanghai, China in 1938. When the Communists took over China, his family left the country for Hanoi, North Vietnam. In 1954, when the French were defeated, they fled the Communists again, and settled in South Vietnam. He was raised a Catholic, and enrolled in the Christian Brothers order at a young age. While completing his formation for the Christian Brotherhood, Brother Francis began teaching students at various age levels. He entered into higher education, completed a Bachelors degree, and went on to pursue a Masters degree in Sociology after receiving a …

Interview Of Edward A. Turzanski, M.A., Edward A. Turzanski, Steven Gilligan

All Oral Histories

From the La Salle University website (12/5/2013):

Edward Turzanski is a political and national security analyst who has held a number of posts with the federal government, and can authoritatively comment on the following areas: International Relations; U. S. Foreign and Defense Policy; Intelligence and Counterintelligence: Terrorism and Counterterrorism, Domestic and Foreign policy issues related to the Middle East, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union; Congress and the American Presidency; Media-Political process and relations. In addition to his classroom work, Turzanski is also La Salle University's Assistant Vice President for Government and Community Relations. In that capacity, he maintains …

Interview Of Joseph Burke, F.S.C., Ph.D., Joseph Burke, Robert Robesch

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Br. Joseph Burke was born in 1945 and passed away in 2016. He grew up in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. He attended La Salle College High School, graduated in 1963 and joined the Christian Brothers. He earned his B.A. degree in English from La Salle College in 1969, a M.Ed. in Educational Administration from the University of Miami in 1971, and a Ph.D. in Human Behavior from United States International University in 1973. Brother Burke joined the La Salle College Psychology Department in 1973, and served as Department Chair from 1978-1986. In 1996 he was awarded a yearlong Fellowship …

Interview Of Gary K. Clabaugh, Ed.D., Gary K. Clabaugh, Lori L. Brown

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Gary Clabaugh was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania in 1940. He graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a major in geography, served in the armed forces, and then taught school in Red Lion, Pennsylvania while studying in Temple University Harrisburg’s graduate program. He received his Doctorate in Education from Temple University in Philadelphia. He began teaching in the Department of Education at La Salle University in 1969.

Interview Of Marianne S. Gauss, M.B.A., Marianne S. Gauss, James Brightman

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From the university website (11/19/13):

Professor Gauss has been a member of La Salle University’s faculty for over 20 years. Her primary responsibility has been teaching Strategic Management, International Management, Presentation Skills for Business, and Introductory and Intermediate Statistics. Additionally, she teaches in the MBA program and in an executive MBA program in Basel, Switzerland. She has won the Lindback Award for distinguished teaching and the University’s Faculty Distinguished Service Award.

Professor Gauss’ prior commercial banking experience, as both an internal auditor and financial analyst, has been redirected in a voluntary role to a local credit union. She was a …

Interview Of Rabbi Bernard Frank, D.H.L., Bernard Frank, Robert Friedrich

All Oral Histories

Rabbi Frank was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1932 and grew up in Houston, Texas. He graduated from San Jacinto Senior High in 1951 and from Brandeis University in 1955. He attended Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio, a reformed seminary, and was ordained a rabbi in 1960. In 1985, he earned a Doctor of Hebrew Letters.

Rabbi Frank first came to La Salle in 1964 or 1965 to instruct a course in Judaism. At the time, he was a pulpit rabbi at Beth Or. He remained at La Salle until 1982. He helped …

Interview Of George Stow, Ph.D., George Stow, Heather Mcgovern

All Oral Histories

At the time of the interview, George Stow was Professor of History and Director of the History Graduate Program at La Salle University. He received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Classical and Medieval History and immediately began a tenure-track position at La Salle College.

Interview Of Gerald Fitzgerald, F.S.C., M.A., M.B.A., Gerald Fitzgerald, Jeffrey Dewald

All Oral Histories

Br. Fitzgerald became a Christian Brother in 1965, graduated from La Salle College in 1970 with a degree in accounting and became a high school teacher. He returned to La Salle for his MBA in 1978-81. He served as Director of Admissions at La Salle.

From the La Salle University website (12/2/2013):

Accounting Professor Brother Gerald Fitzgerald, F.S.C., received his B.S. in Accounting from La Salle University, a M.A. in Psychology from Villanova University, and a MBA from La Salle University. He serves on the Board of Trustees and on the Finance Committee for the San Miguel School, Camden, NJ. …