Often called “the Great Northeast,” Northeast Philadelphia is an area of approximately forty-four square miles bounded by the Delaware River to the east, Bucks County to the north, Montgomery County to the west, and the Tacony and Frankford Creeks to the south. It is an area with a distinguished history that has been enriched by the contributions of countless individuals who have lived and worked here over the years.
The Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame, sponsored by Holy Family University in partnership with, the Northeast Times, the Historical Society of Frankford, and State Representative Dennis M. O’Brien, will honor those Northeast Philadelphia citizens whose contributions and achievements have been particularly noteworthy.
The goal of the Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame is to foster the development of civic values and a sense of community in Northeast Philadelphia, along with a greater awareness and appreciation of the area’s rich history, by honoring the lives and accomplishments of its most distinguished citizens.
To that end, the Northeast Philadelphia Hall of Fame will honor those Northeast Philadelphia residents past and present whose lives or careers have been marked by high achievement or those individuals who have had a lasting, significant, and positive impact on the Northeast Philadelphia community.
2009 Inductees
http://www.frankfordhistoricalsociety.org/fame1.html
Thomas Holme
Henry and Mary Disston
Katharine Drexel
Tom Gola
Joan Krajewski
Harry C. Silcox
Aid for Friends
Thomas Holme, 1624-1695 http://www.frankfordhistoricalsociety.org/fame3.html#holme
Appointed by William Penn as Surveyor General of Pennsylvania in 1682, Thomas Holme laid out the original plan for the City of Philadelphia. He drafted the first map of the City in 1683 and the first map of the settled parts of Pennsylvania in 1687. He served in Pennsylvania’s first Assembly in 1682 and on its first Provincial Council, 1683-1686. He often presided over the Council, the highest governing body in Pennsylvania, in William Penn’s absence. He also served as Justice of the Peace for Philadelphia County, as Commissioner of Property, and in a number of other official positions.
Thomas Holme was also a leader in the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers. Prior to coming to Pennsylvania, he had served as Captain in the British Army under Oliver Cromwell and as a surveyor in Ireland, where he had settled after Cromwell’s Irish campaign. While in Ireland he would embrace the Quaker faith and meet William Penn. A trusted friend and advisor to Penn, Holme came to Pennsylvania in 1682 and played a key role in its formation. He oversaw the surveying and early settlement of the Province, helped establish its government, and participated in important treaty conferences with the Lenape Indians and in negotiations between Penn and Lord Baltimore to resolve the dispute regarding the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Thomas Holme established his country estate, Wellspring, in what is now the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia and is buried there, off of Holme Avenue east of Holme Circle.
Henry Disston (1819-1878) and Mary Disston (1822-1895) http://www.frankfordhistoricalsociety.org/fame3.html#disston
Henry Disston founded one of the
nation’s major manufacturing companies in the nineteenth century and with his
wife Mary pursued a vision of developing Tacony into an ideal family-centered
community for the company’s workers. Henry founded what would become Disston Saw
Works in 1840 in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia and began
relocating it to Tacony in the 1870s. Under his guidance, and later that of his
sons and grandsons, the company grew into one of the world’s largest saw
manufacturers, employing thousands of workers and selling its products the world
over.
Concerned
that Disston workers should have affordable housing and a pleasant community in
which to live and work, Henry and Mary created the Mary Disston Estate to
purchase land, build homes, and provide amenities for company employees. After
Henry’s death in 1878, Mary oversaw the work of the Estate, ensuring that
Disston workers had access to decent homes while also donating land for schools,
churches, parks, and other civic uses. Upon Mary’s death in 1895, the Mary
Disston Estate Trust was created, which continued to provide these services to
the community until 1940. Through their foresight and benevolence, Henry and
Mary Disston played a major role in shaping the history and development of
Tacony.
Katharine Drexel, 1858-1955 http://www.frankfordhistoricalsociety.org/fame3.html#drexel
Born into great wealth, Katharine Drexel
devoted her life to the service of America’s poorest citizens. As the daughter
of a wealthy financier, she enjoyed a life of luxury and privilege. However, she
was a deeply spiritual and compassionate woman whose life’s work was shaped by
her Catholic faith and a commitment to help those less fortunate. Her parents
had instilled in Katharine and her sisters a sense of Christian stewardship and
service to others. In her travels in the American South and Southwest she saw
firsthand the poverty in which Native Americans and African Americans lived,
while in her counsels with her family and spiritual mentors she sought to find
meaning and purpose in her life. In 1891 she professed her vows as the first
member of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, a religious order that she
established. In addition to vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, she
pledged “to be a mother and servant of the Indian and Negro races.” The order
was originally based at the Drexel family homestead in Torresdale, but later
relocated to the Mother House that Katharine had built in nearby Bensalem.
Under
Katharine Drexel’s guidance, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament established
schools and missions throughout the United States and ministered to countless
African Americans and Native Americans. Mother Katharine also supported Father
Augustus Tolton, a former slave and the nation’s first known African American
Catholic priest, and his ministry in Chicago. The Sisters of the Blessed
Sacrament remain active today in both rural and urban areas and continue to
fulfill their founder’s vision of helping the poor and needy. Katharine Drexel
died in 1955 and is buried on the grounds of the Mother House in Bensalem. On
October 1, 2000 she was canonized a saint by Pope John Paul II.
Tom Gola http://www.frankfordhistoricalsociety.org/fame3.html#gola
Tom Gola has had a distinguished career
in sports and public life. After a stellar basketball career at La Salle
University, where he was the first modern, four-time college All-American and
was named the 1955 College Player of the Year, he went on to a ten-year NBA
career playing for the Philadelphia Warriors, San Francisco Warriors, and New
York Knicks. Elected to the NBA Hall of Fame in 1976 and the National Collegiate
Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 — he is considered one of the greatest college
players ever — he is one of a select group of players to win an NIT, NCAA, and
NBA title. He returned to La Salle University as basketball coach for two
successful seasons in 1968 and 1969. The University’s Tom Gola Arena is named
for him.
Following
his playing career in basketball, Tom Gola went into politics, serving as
Pennsylvania State Representative for the 170th Legislative District from 1967
to 1970 and as Philadelphia City Controller from 1970 to 1974. He also ran for
Mayor of Philadelphia in 1983. He was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as
Regional Administrator for the Department of Housing and Urban Development,
served on various boards, including the original board for the Pennsylvania
Convention Center, and was involved in a number of business ventures.
Joan Krajewski http://www.frankfordhistoricalsociety.org/fame3.html#kraj
Longtime Philadelphia City Councilwoman Joan Krajewski has been
serving the citizens of Northeast Philadelphia for many years. Born in Port
Richmond into a large family with supportive parents, she began her career as a
public servant in 1972 as an investigator for the Philadelphia Department of
Revenue and later served as President of Local 1660 — School Board Employees,
District Council 33, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal
Employees Union. She was elected Ward Leader of the 65th Democratic Ward in 1978
and to Philadelphia City Council in 1979. She has represented the 6th District
on City Council since 1979.
Councilwoman Krajewski is chairwoman of the City Council’s Appropriations
Committee and sits on numerous other committees. She is the first woman in
council history to hold the position of Majority Leader. She has been a longtime
advocate for quality of life issues in Northeast Philadelphia and founded the
successful Community Life Improvement Program (CLIP), which addresses a wide
range of quality of life issues in area neighborhoods. She has also worked to
ensure the development of the Delaware River waterfront for the benefit of the
community. Known as the “Queen of Constituent Service,” her office has answered
over 300,000 calls for help and service from the people of Northeast
Philadelphia. Joan Krajewski was honored as Best Councilperson in Philadelphia
Magazine’s Best of Philly awards in 1987, 1990, and 1991 and was inducted into
the magazine’s Hall of Fame in 1993.
Harry Silcox (d. 2009) http://www.frankfordhistoricalsociety.org/fame3.html#silcox
Educator and historian Harry Silcox first came to prominence in
the 1950s as a star basketball player for Temple University. He earned a
doctorate in education from Temple and had a long career at Abraham Lincoln High
School, where he started as basketball coach in 1957 and later moved into
administration. He served as Assistant Principal of Lincoln High from 1967 to
1976 and as Principal from 1976 to 1992. An innovative educator, in 1987 he was
recognized with the prestigious Marcus Foster Memorial Award, given annually to
a Philadelphia public school administrator who exemplifies leadership,
compassion, and intellectual curiosity. A leading proponent of service learning,
a teaching strategy that integrates community service with instruction and
reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and
strengthen communities, he sought to integrate this philosophy into his work for
the Philadelphia School District.
After
retiring from the School District in 1992, Harry Silcox established and served
as Director of the Pennsylvania Institute for Environmental and Community
Service Learning at Philadelphia University. Through the Institute, he consulted
on service learning programs nationally and internationally and oversaw many
local service learning projects, including a number that brought together
students, seniors, and community members to document Northeast Philadelphia
history. Best known in his later years as a historian, he has written numerous
books and articles and lectured widely on Northeast Philadelphia history and is
generally considered the foremost historian of the area.
Aid for Friends
http://www.frankfordhistoricalsociety.org/fame3.html#aid
Aid for Friends has been providing meals
and services to homebound elderly residents of the area since 1974. Begun by
founder Rita Ungaro-Schiavone as an effort to provide meals and friendship to a
poor elderly woman in Frankford, it soon grew into helping other area shut-ins
and eventually into an organization that services thousands of people annually.
Prior to founding Aid for Friends, Rita Ungaro-Schiavone had worked on a
volunteer basis as Director of Volunteers for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s
Cardinal’s Commission on Human Relations, where she developed a Community Food
Distribution Centers program and managed various social services and relief
programs. After leaving the Cardinal’s Commission, she began volunteering at the
Frankford YWCA, where she became aware of the needs of one elderly shut-in woman
and then of the many other frail, elderly, homebound residents of the area. She
began cooking and delivering meals and providing companionship to these needy
shut-ins — and Aid for Friends was born.
With the
help and support of family, friends, volunteers, and area religious
organizations, particularly St. Jerome’s Catholic Church, the Aid for Friends
organization grew. Working first out of the Schiavone home, then from a trailer
provided by St. Jerome’s, then a storefront at Holme Circle, and finally to the
organization’s new headquarters in Far Northeast Philadelphia, Aid for Friends
has grown into a major social service organization whose staff and volunteers
provide a wide range of services to thousands of the area’s elderly residents
annually. Since its founding it has provided 14 million meals to over 11,700
shut-ins and offered 1.5 million hours of compassionate visiting. Both the
organization and its founder Rita Ungaro-Schiavone have received countless
awards and much recognition for their important work.
2010 Inductees
Benjamin Rush
Robert Purvis
George “Butch” Ballard
Special People In Northeast - S.P.I.N.
Sister Mary Scullion
Benjamin Rush (1745-1813)
Benjamin Rush lived in the Byberry and
Frankford sections of the Northeast, was a pioneer in the study and treatment of
mental illness. He was a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania and authored
the first American textbook on chemistry. He also assisted citizens during
Philadelphia's yellow fever epidemic in the late 18th century.
In addition, he served as a delegate to the Continental Congress; was a signer
of the Declaration of Independence; served as surgeon general for the
Continental Army during the Revolutionary War; was a leader in the effort to
secure Pennsylvania's ratification of the U.S. Constitution and in the
development of the Pennsylvania Constitution; was a founder of Dickinson
College, Franklin and Marshall College and the College of Physicians; and served
as treasurer of the U.S. Mint.
Robert Purvis (1810-1898)
Robert Purvis was an abolitionist and
social activist who lived in the Byberry section of the Northeast. He worked in
business and as a farmer. He helped establish the American Anti-Slavery Society
and served as its vice president for several years. He contributed to The
Liberator, an abolitionist newspaper. He helped establish the Philadelphia
Library Company of Colored People. He drafted the Appeal of Forty Thousand
Citizens Threatened with Disenfranchisement. He was president of the
Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society and used his home as a station on the
Underground Railroad, helping more than 9,000 slaves escape. He helped recruit
black soldiers for the Union Army during the Civil War. He was vice president of
the Woman Suffrage Society and was active with the Committee of 100 for the
Purification of Municipal Affairs in Philadelphia.
George "Butch" Ballard
"Butch" Ballard is a 91-year-old
Frankford resident, was a professional jazz musician for more than 70 years. His
career took off after serving in World War II. He played and recorded with such
jazz luminaries as Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Duke
Ellington. He has been a trustee of Second Baptist Church, been active with the
23rd Ward Democratic Committee, served as a block captain, taught young
musicians and performed at community events. He earned the Mellon Bank Community
Jazz Award in 2006.
Sister Mary Scullion
Sister Mary Scullion is an Oxford Circle
native, attended St. Martin of Tours Elementary School and Little Flower High
School before entering the Sisters of Mercy religious order in 1972. She has
been involved in service work and advocacy for the homeless and mentally ill
since 1978.
In 1989, she and Joan Dawson McConnon co-founded Project H.O.M.E., which
provides supportive housing, employment, education and health care to
chronically homeless and low-income people. The organization has 447 units of
housing and three businesses that provide employment to formerly homeless
people. It has leveraged more than $50 million in equity toward housing and
economic development. She has received numerous awards, including being named
last year by Time magazine as one of the world's 100 most influential people.
Special People in Northeast (SPIN)
S.P.I.N. began in 1971 as a summer camp
for children with developmental disabilities and has grown into one of the
region's leading human services organizations. It is headquartered in the Far
Northeast and manages facilities throughout the region. It has a staff of more
than 900 providing a range of services for nearly 3,000 children and adults.
Under the leadership of David and Trina Losinno, it was recently named by the
Philadelphia Inquirer as the sixth-best large company to work for in the
tri-state area.
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The Hall of Fame is seeking sponsors, and the ceremony will feature a
commemorative booklet.
Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor or advertising in the program can
contact Jack McCarthy at 215-824-1636 or
jacksnotes88@verizon.net
Donations can be sent to Holy Family University, 9801 Frankford Ave.,
Philadelphia, PA 19114,
Attn.: Judy Klein. In the memo field, write "NE Phila. Hall of Fame."