Louis J. Nocco, a longtime resident of Homer City, was a lifelong sports fan. His interest centered on football, basketball, golf and track and field. He played on Indiana High School’s 1938 undefeated football team, and during the 1940s he was active in the Indiana County Umpires League. A regular at IUP sporting events his entire life, he passed away in 1987. The Louis J. Nocco Memorial Scholarship supports the IUP?football team.
Dr. Willis E. Pratt served as university president from 1948 through 1968, guiding it from a state teachers college of 1,500 students to a university with 9,600 students. Not only did IUP grow in numbers during that period, but it developed the diverse academic program that led to university status in 1965. Dr. Pratt was also a longtime director of the S&T Bank. Dr. Pratt passed away in January 1992 at the age of 85. S&T Bank, along with alumni, colleagues and friends, established the Willis E. Pratt Football Scholarship to honor his distinguished career and support of athletics at IUP.
After 11 years as a teacher and coach in the Purchase Line School District, Gerald Stossel, a 1972 IUP graduate, changed careers to become a partner in GARD Mining of Barnesboro. He passed away in 1987 and is survived by his wife Darlene and daughter Kelly. In announcing the establishment of the Gerald Stossel Memorial Football Scholarship in honor of her husband Darlene Stossel said, “Football was one of the loves of his life.”
S. W. Jack, a highly successful businessman, was a generous benefactor of the university and many other community organizations and causes. He had been a member of the IUP Council of Trustees and chaired a capital cam-paign that raised more than $4 million for campus projects. He made possible the construction of an extensive addition to the Indiana Regional Medical Center, a headquarters building for Citizens Ambulance and the restoration of IUP’s John Sutton Hall. He was also responsible for the creation of a new sports complex and fine arts building at the Kiski School. He has been sadly missed since his death in 1990. The S.W. Jack Athletic Scholarship supports student-athletes participating on the IUP football team.
Sam Smith made many contributions to the IUP football program. As the head coach from 1949 to 1961, he left an indelible impression on everyone with whom he came in contact. Among his players was former IUP head coach Frank Cignetti. In addition to serving as coach, Smith was athletic director, intramural director, baseball coach and a member of the physical education faculty. He retired in 1972 and passed away in 1982. The Sam Smith Memorial Football Scholarship provides financial assistance to talented and deserving student-athletes.
Michael Gendich, a 1935 graduate, was named a member of IUP’s pre-1960 all-time football team. After teaching and coaching for five years at Moon High School in Pittsburgh, he moved to Detroit to become a tool designer/engineer and, ultimately, a highly successful industrialist. President and general manager of Manor Industries, he received the distinguished IUP Alumni Citation in 1959 and was a 1997 IUP Athletic Hall of Fame inductee. Gendich served as director of Detroit’s Eco¬nom¬ic Development Corp., to promote new industry in the city and contributed to that area’s public library system, zoos, museums, churches, Boys Club activities and sports leagues. Mr. Gendich passed away in May 1999. The Michael Gendich Scholarship supports IUP football.
The Ward C. and Sally B. Johnson Memorial Scholarship was established by David L. Johnson, a 1953 IUP graduate and a former Council of Trustees member who passed away in February 2009, in honor of his parents. Both Mr. and Mrs. Johnson had lifelong interests in athletics. Mrs. Johnson, who passed away in 1974, was a 1921 graduate of then Indiana Normal School and a former trustee of Indiana State Teachers College. Johnson Hall on the IUP campus is named in her honor. Ward Johnson, who passed away in 1976, was a graduate of Illinois State University, where he excelled as a basketball player. In addition to a teaching career at Indiana High School, he served for many years as a football and basketball official on both the high school and college levels.
Joseph and Judy Kovalchick of Indiana established their scholarship in honor of Joe’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nick Kovalchick. The Kovalchick family was among the first major contributors to the IUP athletic program, supporting the 1952 improvements of the old Memorial Field, where the university played football from 1948 until 1961. The senior Kovalchick founded Kovalchick Salvage in 1928. Joe Kovalchick took charge in 1969. The firm expanded internationally in 1972 and was renamed the Kovalchick Corp. to reflect its diverse interests related to steel, coal, railroads, real estate development and warehousing. Judy Kovalchick is a 1965 IUP graduate and served as a member of the IUP Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Foundation for IUP Board of Directors.
The Cecil and Ann Spadafora Scholarship benefits players on the IUP football team. The Spadaforas founded Colonial Motor Mart in 1946 as a Cadillac and Oldsmobile franchise. Today, it is also the Indiana dealership for Pontiac, GMC Truck, Mazda, Mitsubishi and Toyota. Since 1972, Cecil Spadafora, a 1935 Penn State graduate, concentrated his efforts on building Colonial Land, a family corporation which operates Wyoming Hall (a private residence hall) and Meadow Lane Golf Course. Mr. Spadafora passed away in April 2006. Also supporting the scholarship are their children, Chuck, W. H., Cecil Jr. and Jo-Una.
Virgil and Virginia Vaughn established the Vaughn Foundation Scholarship in rec¬og¬ni¬tion of Mrs. Vaughn, a 1942 graduate, and sons Larry and John, graduates of the IUP classes of 1970 and 1979 respectively. Larry resides in Indiana and heads the Graphic Visions firm. John, who resides in Greensburg, manages Parcel Service of America. That enterprise, founded by Virgil Vaughn in 1984, now has 300 agencies in 13 states and works cooperatively with United Parcel Service (UPS). The senior Vaughn, who passed away in 1993, had headed Shick Printing of Indiana for 31 years, starting in 1953. The scholarship is awarded annually to an incoming freshman football or men’s or wom¬en’s basketball player enrolled in IUP’s Eberly College of Business.
Saul and Louise Waxler were community figures and business owners well known to generations of IUP students. The scholarship was first initiated in Mr. Waxler’s memory by Mrs. Waxler, who with her husband had owned and op¬er-at¬ed Waxler’s Men’s Store until 1984. Since Mrs. Waxler’s death in 1988, the scholarship was renamed the Saul and Louise Waxler Memorial Scholarship to honor them both.
The Larry R. Panaia Endowed Scholarship for Football was established in May 1996 by friends and colleagues in honor of Mr. Panaia’s tenure as president of the Foundation for IUP Board of Directors. Larry, a 1965 and 1971 graduate of IUP with a bachelor’s degree in education and master’s in counseling services, played football during his undergraduate years. He also served as an assistant coach for the IUP team for 13 seasons. He recently retired as regional sales manager for QSP, Inc., a subsidiary of the Reader’s Digest Association. His wife, Carole, is a 1988 graduate of IUP. Panaia passed away in January 2008.
The Raymond P. Phillips Memorial Scholarship provides scholarship support to talented student-athletes with the IUP?football team. Mr. Phillips, a 1948 graduate of Indiana State Teachers College, played guard on the ISTC football team. He was also an active member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. After teaching math and science, Mr. Phillips became an investment broker, travel agency owner and property developer in California. This scholarship is dedicated in his memory by his loving wife, Meriam, and his children.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul E. Spears graduated from IUP in 1949 and 1948, respectively, and have maintained a close affiliation with their alma mater. In 1995, they established the Paul E. and Josephine F. Spears Scholarship for Football to provide scholarship awards to talented and deserving student-athletes at IUP. Mr. Spears currently is president of Hanover Shoe Farms, Inc., in Hanover. He received the IUP Distinguished Alumni Award in 1980 and was inducted into the IUP Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997.
Indiana native Bob McQuaide Sr. was the first Indiana High School football player to be recognized as a member of the all-state football team in 1951. He earned a scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh, and his athletic ability enabled him to play in the East-West Shrine Game, the only all-star game in existence for colleges at that time. Bob enjoyed the game of football all of his life, playing on the Inter-Service Championship League Team while on active duty during the Korean War and with the Saskatchewan Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League. After his playing days were over, Bob turned to coaching for several high school teams in western Pennsylvania. In 1969 Bob returned to Indiana to operate a family restaurant, The Coney. He also coached football at IUP for several years under Bill Neal. Bob passed away on April 2, 1992. To recognize his love of football and to provide young student-athletes with the opportunity to pursue an education while continuing to play ball, family and friends established the Bob McQuaide Sr. Memorial Scholarship for Football.
In 1985 the Sons of Italy Recreative Club created an endowment fund to award academic scholarships to students who further their education at IUP. In 1998 Lodge 1279 of that organization established the Indiana Sons of Italy Recreative Club, Inc., Athletic Endowment Fund for IUP athletes who participate in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, softball, football or golf. The scholarship benefits deserving student-athletes who excel in both their athletic and academic pursuits.
Edwin H. Long attended Indiana Normal School and attained nine letters for his achievements in football, baseball and track. He was a star running back on the football team and was a member of the 1907 mile relay champions of Pennsylvania. His wife Dorothy Marcy Long joined the faculty of Indiana State Teachers College in 1925. The Edwin H. and Dorothy M. Long Memorial Scholarship for Football was established by their son, Edwin M. Long, and his late wife Linda, who passed away in May 2009.
The Philip and Rose Condino Memorial Scholarship has been established by Dr. Frank J. Condino, director of intercollegiate athletics at IUP, and his wife, Marty, as a lasting tribute to his late parents. The scholarship provides financial assistance to talented and deserving student-athletes participating in the IUP football program.
Jack Dee Ferguson from Marion Center has established the Nancy L. Ferguson Memorial Scholarship in honor of his late wife, an oncology nursing specialist who worked with the Veterans Administration Medical Center. Mr. Ferguson attended IUP in the late 1950s and was a member of the football and wrestling teams. A native of Blairsville, he returned to Indiana upon his retirement. The scholarship provides financial assistance to talented student-athletes associated with the football team and playing in a lineman position.
The S&T Bank Athletic Scholarship was established to assist IUP students who reside within the S&T market area and participate in athletics. From community to community, and branch to branch, S&T continues to demonstrate our dedication to providing the best financial products and services to our customers, right where they live and work.
And we share in the responsibility for a better community in the way we provide loans to municipalities and nonprofit organizations, donations to qualified charities and assistance to local housing authorities in providing affordable housing for low-income families and senior citizens. Relationship Banking…One Customer at a Time.
The children of Chuck and Joann Klausing established the Chuck and Joann Klausing Scholarship for Football as a holiday gift for their parents in December 2002. This scholarship honors Coach Klausing’s dedication to the sport of football and his wife Joann’s dedication as the team’s lead ‘cheerleader’ and as Klausing’s ‘head assistant coach‘ over the years. (Mrs. Klausing passed away in July, 2011.) Coach Klausing has worked with thousands of young athletes throughout his 50-plus years of teaching and couching around the world. Coach Klausing has been recognized nationally and internationally with his election to the College Football hall of fame; for his undefeated record as coach at Braddock High School; for taking IUP to the Boardwalk Bowl in 1968; for winning the Lambert Trophy in 1979; for being named ABC-TV’s “Coach of the Year’ in 1979 and 1983; and for introducing the finer points of football and sportsmanship to generations of student-athletes.
The Frank Scerbo Memorial – Scerbo Pharmacy Athletic Scholarship honors the long-standing relationship between the Scerbo family of Clymer and Indiana County athletics. The late Frank Scerbo was an avid sports fan and athletic booster as well as a respected and generous benefactor in his community. He passed away in 1986. He and his wife Mary Jane raised three children, Lou, Mary Beth (Scerbo) Marcoline and Luci (Scerbo) Holuta, who have followed their parents examples of community goodwill. Lou, a 1983 graduate of IUP, was a kicker on the football team for three seasons from 1979-81. A licensed pharmacist, Lou works with The Reschini Group as a consultant. Mary Beth, also a pharmacist, operates Scerbo’s Pharmacy along with Mary Jane and Luci, a 1989 graduate of IUP with a degree in accounting. The scholarship will provide financial assistance to talented and deserving graduates from Penns Manor, Purchase Line or Marion Center high schools who are members of the IUP football team with secondary preference given to the team’s placekicker. Consideration will be given to additional athletic teams if no football players are eligible.
Timothy J. Singel was a junior safety science major and a starting safety on the IUP football team at the time of his unexpected death in 2001. To honor the memory of this exceptional young man and his love for sports, family, friends, coaches and classmates established the Timothy J. Singel Memorial Scholarship for Football to provide a living legacy for his brief life and his spirit of teamwork. During his high school years at Laurel Valley High School in New Florence, Tim participated in a variety of extracurricular activities. He was a member of the football and basketball teams, served on the student council and was a member of Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD). Well-liked by everyone at school and throughout the community, Tim served as an example to his fellow students and neighbors. He was elected Homecoming King of Laurel Valley in his senior year – 1998-99. Tim enjoyed competitive athletics as well as working out and running for personal fitness. Close to his family and friends, he also absolutely loved his dog, Alex.
Mr. Joseph A. Massaro Jr., founder of Massaro Corporation, a Pittsburgh-based construction company offering services in construction management, general contracting, disaster response and real estate, has established the Joseph Massaro Jr. Quarterback Scholarship. As a student-athlete at Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Joe led the Vikings football team as quarterback in 1952. He continued to play at Saint Francis College, and today is an advocate of students and college athletics. Joe comes from a close family where they share a common love for the game. His brother, Gene, was the starting right guard at the University of Louisville, and his brother, Gerard, was a running back for Thiel College. Joe and his wife, Carol, reside in Pittsburgh and are proud to support IUP student-athletes through this scholarship.
Frank Cignetti retired as head coach at IUP following the 2005 season as one of the most successful coaches in Division II history. During his tenure leading the IUP program, the team won 182 games, made 13 playoff appearances, reached the semifinals six times and played in the 1990 and 1993 national championship game. Including 17 wins as head coach at West Virginia University from 1976-79, Cignetti was on the sidelines for 199 victories in his career. That total made him the third winningest coach in Division II football at the time of his retirement. Cignetti began his relationship with IUP in 1956 as a student and was an All-American end from 1957-59. He earned his bachelor’s degree in education in 1960 and a master’s in education in 1965. Cignetti returned to his alma mater in 1982 as athletic director before assuming the head coaching duties four years later. For all his accomplishments and the pride he brought to IUP, alumni Don Gill ’62, Bob Cleminson ’59 and George Glarner ’56 established The Frank Cignetti Scholarship to aid deserving student-athletes who are members of the IUP football team.
Bill Hoffman led the Indiana Indians on the field as their quarterback during the late 1950s. A 1960 graduate, Mr. Hoffman enjoyed a successful career in business, retiring as president of Coca Cola in France. In recognition of the knowledge, skills and friendships acquired at his alma mater, he has established the William J. Hoffman Scholarship for Football to provide scholarship support to talented and deserving student-athletes playing the quarterback position on the IUP football team. Mr. Hoffman and his wife, Marti, live in Sarasota, Fla. In 2007, Mr. Hoffman established the William J. Hoffman Scholarship for Baseball, which is given to an outstanding student-athlete participating on the baseball team.
Jack H. Reefer Jr. ’69 has established the Jack H. and Dorothy A. Reefer Memorial Endowment for Football in memory of his parents to benefit the football program. A native of western Pennsylvania, Jack Reefer Sr. played football at Apollo High School, where he graduated in 1941. He began his career as a fireman and engineer that summer with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Drafted into the Army during World War II, part of his service took place in the Southwest on the Santa Fe’s oil-burning steam locomotives which were an important component in the transport of troops, munitions and supplies to the Pacific theater of conflict in a time prior to the existence of the Interstate Highway System. He returned to Pittsburgh after the war and worked for the Pennsylvania, Penn Central and Conrail until he retired in 1982.
Dorothy came from Delaware County and received her education at Haverford Township High School and Drexel University. She enlisted in the U. S. Navy WAVES during the Second World War and served in the use and maintenance of military codes and security. She worked for private firms as well as the U. S. Bureau of Mines and the Customs Service in Pittsburgh. Two of their three sons – Jack Jr. and Bill – are graduates of IUP while Tom is a Pitt alumnus.
This endowment is established in recognition of and gratitude for Jack and Dorothy’s constant emphasis to those three sons of the importance of obtaining a good education, not just “enough to get by.”
Graduating from IUP in 1967, Barry “Buck” Lippencott played football from 1963 to 1966. His education at IUP provided him a solid background for his future endeavors. Entering the U.S. Army through the ROTC program at IUP, he served 22 years on active duty. Barry paid for his education at IUP by working in construction in and around the coal mines of southwestern and central Pennsylvania. “Buck” and his brother Bob, a California University of Pennsylvania graduate, wanted to pay tribute to all of the coal miners and the coal industry in southwestern and central Pennsylvania for their hard work and contributions to the local communities. The Lippencott brothers established the annual “Coal Bowl” game in 2009 between IUP and Cal. As part of the “Coal Bowl,” Barry and his wife Pattie (’68) established a scholarship to recognize an IUP football player.
The Bill and Cass Neal Football Scholarship was established in 2013 to honor and recognize Coach Neal and Cass for their tremendous contributions to IUP football, the IUP Health and Physical Education Department, and the Indiana community. Bill was IUP’s head coach from 1970 to 1978 and was an Associate Professor in the Health and Physical Education department for 26 years. He also played an active role in the Indiana community by serving as the director of Camp Orenda, a residential summer camp for children and adults with disabilities. Spearheaded by Jim Mill, Rich Hornfeck, and Jim Haslett, as well as many former players, the scholarship will be awarded to an IUP football player who participates in community service activities beyond what is expected.
In 2010, a group of former players established the Coach Chuck Mills Scholarship for Football in honor of their head coach who was inducted into IUP’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Coach Mills was the head coach at IUP for only two seasons, but the impact he had on the university’s football program continues to this day. He won twelve games against only three losses and two ties, and in 1963 the Indians earned their first national ranking.
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The Bob Prokay Memorial Football Scholarship was established by Kathleen Prokay as a lasting tribute to her late husband. It is said that the measure of a man’s life is not how long he lives but how fully. Few have lived their life more fully than Bob Prokay. Unfortunately, his days were all too few, as he passed away at the age of 50 following a two-year battle with brain cancer. Many at IUP recall Prokay as the 1968 Boardwalk Bowl and 1969 football team captain who became one of coach Chuck Klausing’s best offensive linemen after never having played football in high school. He was selected to the 1969 Associated Press All-Pennsylvania team, one that included both Division I and II players, was named to the Pittsburgh Press all-district team and was voted to IUP’s all-sixties football team. Married in 1971 to the former Kathleen Darkes, they are the parents of three children – Kecia Newman, Ryan and Karah.
The Tom and Jamie Ellis Scholarship for Football was established in memory of Tom, who died in 2012. Before their marriage, Tom wanted to take Jamie on a date and asked if she would like to go to an IUP football game; little did he know what would follow. They became avid fans of the program, going to all games home and away, even taking a drum when the band couldn’t make the trip. Tom also convinced Jamie to continue her education. Both are alumni of IUP.
A scholarship honoring Richard “Moe” Smith was established by teammates and friends in 1994 after his untimely passing. “Moe,” who played football at IUP in the 1960s and later coached at his alma mater, is remembered for his love of the game and the sportsmanship he displayed as a player and coach.
Barry D. Gasdek ‘64 lettered in football, wrestling, and track in every season he participated. He entered military service through the ROTC program and spent several tours in Vietnam and Korea. He is recognized in the IUP Sports Hall of Fame and was the inaugural Inductee for Excellence in the IUP ROTC Hall of Fame in 2013. In recognition of the ROTC program, IUP athletics, and the football program, Barry has established the following scholarships: Captain Barry D. Gasdek Scholarship, Frank C. and Eleanor M. Gasdek Scholarship for Football (in honor of his parents), and the Walter F., and Barry D. Gasdek Sports and ROTC Hall of Fame Scholarship for Football.
Dr. Debra Joseph Bell ‘77, M’85, her husband, Kermit ‘80, Bill Joseph ‘79, his wife, Deb, and their families have established the William and Jean Joseph Family Scholarship. William and Jean have a lifelong dedication to family and education, serve as examples of generosity and humility, and believe in service to country and community. The endowment will provide scholarship support to the football program, in which William participated in the 1940s and ‘50s, and the music department, from which Jean graduated in 1952.
Friends, teammates and the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon have joined together to establish the John William “Whitey” Schrock Football Scholarship to recognize his passion for athletics and life. Whitey was an outstanding athlete, serving as a member of the varsity wrestling team and anchoring the Indiana football team at center. After his graduation from IUP in 1965 with a degree in mathematics education, Whitey became a teacher and football coach, ultimately serving as the wrestling coach at Dickinson College. An unfortunate and untimely accident left Whitey with devastating injuries; however, the same discipline and determination that served him so well as an athlete and coach enabled him to recuperate after several difficult years of rehabilitation. John R. Kennedy ’67 and Ron Peters ’65, Sig Ep brothers of Whitey, initiated the scholarship fund at their alma mater to serve as an example for future generations of students-athletes.
The 1968 Boardwalk Bowl Football Team Endowment was established in recognition of the 1968 IUP football team, under the direction of Chuck Klausing, that went into Atlantic City’s Convention Hall as a prohibitive underdog to play for the NCAA Atlantic Region Football Championship. Despite a valiant effort, Delaware scored a touchdown in the final fifteen seconds to win the game 31-24. Led by Jerry Clark ‘69, a defensive back on that squad, members of the team joined together and have been providing support since 2012. In
2015, Jerry Clake, Bob Strouse, and Bob Tate fortified this endowment by making planned gifts to the university in support to the football program.
