Under the baobab: Sue Paterno, local engine behind the PA Special Olympics, is a community treasure
“Let me win but if I cannot win, let me brave in the attempt.” —Special Olympics oath
We are blessed with treasures scattered throughout our central Pennsylvania communities, people who have been sculpted and compressed into diamonds, that brighten the anthracite of our ordinary lives. People, who with generosity of spirit and effort, struggle to make our lives better.
One is Sue Paterno. In her 80s, still active and robust, she contributes to the positive cohesiveness of the village. Like Eleanor Roosevelt and Coretta Scott King before her, she continues to polish the luster of a revered name.
Engraved on buildings and hearts, Paterno is probably the most well-known family name in our area. It is not the name of the largest indoor sports arena, but it could be. Nor is it the name of the field at the football stadium, but it should be. Beaver is not just a sports stadium but one of the primary generators of jobs and revenue in central Pennsylvania, with the second largest seating capacity in the country. Millions of dollars are generated every home game weekend. It was built on the success of Joe Paterno. He did not do it alone. He was ably partnered by his wife of 50 years, Sue. He built a world class football team from an ag/working class school. He became the winningest coach in the history of college football with 409 victories. A Hall of Fame coach, he appeared in an NCAA record 37 bowls with 24 wins.
So where is the Paterno name engraved?
It is carved on the Pattee-Paterno University Library. The Paternos led the way in raising millions for the new wing of the University Park library, saying, “without a great library you can’t have a great university.” They have endowed faculty seats and nonathletic scholarships. They pledged a million dollars to build a new wing at the Mount Nittany Medical Center. Their name is on the Suzanne Pohland Paterno Catholic Student Faith Center, which serves as a gathering place for Catholic youth activities. The center exists primarily because of the fund raising and leadership of Sue Paterno.
Sue is the local engine behind the PA Special Olympics. This week thousands of people will gather as competitors, volunteers and spectators on the Penn State campus to celebrate. A major part of the funding comes from the Paterno Beaver Stadium Run, which every year attracts nearly 4,000 participants and raises over a half million dollars.
Sue, along with the late Barbara Palmer, were benefactors for the Shakespeare at the Palmer, which provided free outdoor performances on the steps of the old Palmer Museum. Wilson Hutton, the late Susan Riddiford Shedd and yours truly were privileged to provide professional theater entertainment to the community. It’s where I first met Sue. She and her friend Barbara came to the shows. Sue was also a regular Eucharistic minister at mass for the Penn State Catholic community.
She lives in the same house that the couple purchased in 1968, where they raised five children, all of whom graduated from Penn State. Their son Jay serves as a member of the Penn State Board of Trustees. There is hardly an institution at Penn State that doesn’t have Sue’s fingerprints on it. When the board re-erects Joe’s statute, Sue should be right next to him.
Around town
This weekend, 3 Dots Downtown, Gorinto Productions, and Open Music hold the artist-run, exploratory music and arts Rhoneymeade Fest. The new Palmer Museum of Art plans its grand opening at the Arboretum. The Palmer is the largest art museum between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and one of the finest university art museums in the country.
Sisters and brothers, we are trying to save democracy; we must also save civility. Let’s be brave in the attempt.
Charles Dumas is a lifetime political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for U.S. Congress in 2012. He was the 2022 Lion’s Paw Awardee and Living Legend honoree of the National Black Theatre Festival. He lives with his partner and wife of 50 years in State College.
