From 1965 through 1967, 12 young men ventured out of South Philadelphia each day. They rode a trolley, then they descended into the subway, and at the last stop, they took the steps back up to Broad Street and hopped on a bus.

Finally, they walked a half-mile down a suburban street without sidewalks in all kinds of weather. Their destination? Penn State Ogontz, now known as Penn State Abington. 

“It took two hours each way to get there, but it was well worth it. It opened our eyes and gave us a view of a new world,” John Paone, class of 1969, said. 

Their two years at Abington built lifelong bonds among the men, who celebrate their “love story,” as Paone calls it, at an annual pull-out-all-the-stops holiday party with multiple generations of their families. 

“It got so big that we hosted it at one of the casinos, but we started at restaurants in South Philly, which is what we are doing again in 2023. We have entertainment and singers and dancers. The parties are a big deal with gifts, and Santa Claus makes an appearance,” he said.  

Beyond the holiday bash, they meet frequently for casual lunches and dinners and they travel and celebrate weddings, bar mitzvahs and other landmark occasions with their families. 

The men met thanks to their common drive for education, but their roots in the heart of South Philly sustained them through sometimes difficult adjustments of leaving the neighborhood, succeeding at Abington, and eventually moving to University Park to complete their degrees.  

Most were sons of Italian immigrants who didn’t speak English and didn’t have much formal education.  

Paone and his friends “loved every minute” of their time at Abington, and they often reminisce about relaxing by the duck pond, participating in athletics, attending mixers (dances) on the weekends, with some of them meeting their future spouses on campus.

Today, the boys from South Philly support Penn State Abington, which still welcomes a diverse pool of students, including those who are the first in their families to attend college and the children of immigrants alongside those from suburban and international schools. 

Students today know about the group thanks to plaques in two classrooms: Room 209 Sutherland is dedicated to the “Boys from South Philly,” and a Woodland Building classroom honors the fathers who inspired them. 

Read more about the heartwarming story of friendship and drive for education on Penn State Abington’s website.

Penn State Abington: One Community Impacting Many