May 2017 News from the Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum

Last Updated on Wednesday, 26 April 2017 02:44

The Donora Historical Society recently announced the following events.

Smog Museum Visits

Along with their science teacher, students from Jefferson Morgan High School from Jefferson in Greene County visited the Smog Museum in February to reinforce their coursework on the 1948 Smog. A tour of the museum and industrial park followed.

Then in March, two vanloads of environmental engineering students from St. Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania visited the Smog Museum to learn more about the 1948 Smog event that helps shape their area of concentration. Along with their professor, the students toured the Smog Museum, received a presentation on the 1948 Smog, and then toured the industrial park to see the remaining buildings once used by the U.S. Steel mill.

We are in the planning stages of organizing visits with professional groups that are expected sometime this year.

High School Football Game Films

Among the many items that the Donora Historical Society has in its collection are over 90 reels of game film of football teams from all over the Mon Valley from 1963 to 19’70. There are even a few basketball games from the 1966, 1968, 1969, 1978 and 1979. They are original 16mm films that are still in the process of being converted to DVD, but after launching this project over a year ago, many games have already been converted. Some games even show brief as well as extended footage of cheerleaders, majorettes, band members and parents during senior night. The games that contain that content is noted on our website.

The games feature notable players such as: Larry Crawford, Bernie Galiffa, Malcolm Lomax and Ken Griffey, Sr. (Donora); Fred Angerman (Monongahela); Gary Seykoski and John Radic (Ringgold); Larry Hughes and Ken Burkes (Rostraver); Gary Cramer and Gene Belczyk (Belle Vernon); Jeff Petrucci and George Carlock (Charleroi); Joe Zdravecky and Lance Wall (Monessen); Jim Brumfield (Elizabeth Forward); and Jack Ham (Bishop McCort) to name just a few.

Some teams have multiple games per season. The high school teams from the Mon Valley that have at least one game in a given season include:

Donora: ‘63-’64, ‘64-’65, ‘65-’66, ‘6’6-’67, ‘67-’68, ‘68-’69
Charleroi: ‘63-’64, ‘65-’66, ‘66-’67, ‘67-’68, ‘68-’69, ‘69-’70, ‘70-’71
Rostraver: ‘63-’64, ‘64-’65
Belle Vernon: ‘65-’66, ‘66-’67, ‘67-’68, ‘68-’69, ‘70-’71
Monongahela: ‘64-’65, ‘65-’66, ‘66-’67, ‘67-’68, ‘68-’69
Monessen: ‘63-’64, ‘64-’65, ‘65-’66, ‘66-’67, ‘68-’69, ‘69-’70, ‘70-’71
Clairton: ‘63-’64, ‘64-’65, ‘65-’66, ‘66-’67, ‘67-’68, ‘68-’69, ‘69-’70, ‘70-’71
Elizabeth Forward: ‘63-’64, ‘64-’65, ‘65-’66, ‘66-’67, ‘67-’68, ‘68-’69, ‘69-’70
Brownsville: ‘63-’64, ‘65-’66, ‘67-’68, ‘69-’70
Mon Valley Catholic: ‘65-’66
Thomas Jefferson: ‘66-’67, ‘67-’68, ‘68-’69, ‘69-’70
Ringgold: ‘69-’70, ‘70-’71

If you have any interest or have questions on exactly which games we have, please consult the Historical Society by voice mail or email listed below, or see the full list of games on the website under the “Game Films” tab.

Due to the excitement generated from this project, our first “Game Film Get Together” is scheduled for Saturday, September 23, 2017 at the Croatian Club in Donora. The time has yet to be decided, but will probably take place sometime in the afternoon. The games will be shown in the club hall with food and drinks available for purchase.

We encourage audience participation with sharing their stories or memorabilia as we show portions of various games. We also encourage your ideas before September to make the day extra special by contacting the Historical Society beforehand. This will be a reunion of sorts, to show and relive Donora Dragon football games from the 1960s with former coaches, players, cheerleaders, band members and fans – a Return to Glory.

Dragon T-Shirt Sale

We are having a sale on our “Dragons through the Years” design T-shirts for $5. The T-shirts feature four different dragon logos in two-color ink: orange and black (of course). The T-shirts are available on Saturdays at the Smog Museum or during the week at the Donora Public Library. Sizes are becoming limited.

Additional Info

If you have additional questions about the subjects mentioned above, the society, museum, meetings or possibly volunteering, feel free to stop by on Saturdays or by special appointment (with at least 72 hours’ notice), email us at DonoraHistoricalSociety@gmail.com, call us at 724-823-0364 and leave a message, visit us on the web at www.DonoraHistoricalSociety.org, or follow us and Like Us on Facebook at “Donora Historical Society and Smog Museum.”