THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE RESOLUTION

INTRODUCED BY CONKLIN, O'NEILL, HANNA, GEORGE, DERMODY, BENNINGHOFF, ADOLPH, BAKER, BARRAR, BEAR, BISHOP, BRENNAN, BROWNLEE, BURNS, BUXTON, CALTAGIRONE, CARROLL, CLYMER, D. COSTA, P. COSTA, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, DALEY, DAVIS, DAY, DELOZIER, DeLUCA, DENLINGER, DePASQUALE, DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO, DONATUCCI, ELLIS, J. EVANS, EVERETT, FABRIZIO, FARRY, FLECK, FRANKEL, GABLER, GEIST, GILLEN, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOODMAN, GROVE, HAHN, HARHAI, HARKINS, HARPER, HARRIS, HELM, HENNESSEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, HORNAMAN, KAVULICH, F. KELLER, M. K. KELLER, W. KELLER, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, KRIEGER, KULA, LONGIETTI, MAHONEY, MAJOR, MANN, MARKOSEK, MASSER, MICOZZIE, MILLARD, MILLER, MIRABITO, MOUL, MULLERY, MURT, MUSTIO, MYERS, M. O'BRIEN, PASHINSKI, PAYNE, PEIFER, PERRY, PETRI, PICKETT, PRESTON, PYLE, QUINN, READSHAW, ROCK, ROSS, SAINATO, SCAVELLO, CULVER, SIMMONS, SONNEY, STABACK, STERN, STEVENSON, STURLA, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TAYLOR, TURZAI, VEREB, VITALI, WATSON AND YOUNGBLOOD, JANUARY 25, 2012

INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35, JANUARY 25, 2012  

A RESOLUTION

Honoring the life and contributions of Mr. Joseph Vincent

Paterno and extending condolences to his family, friends and

colleagues.

WHEREAS, Lovingly known as "Joe Pa" amongst many of the

Nittany Lion faithful, Coach Paterno revolutionized the Penn

State football program by emphasizing academic excellence and

toughness both on and beyond the confines of the gridiron; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Vincent Paterno was the son of Italian

immigrants and was born on December 21, 1926, in Brooklyn, New

York; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Paterno attended the Brooklyn Preparatory School

and excelled in athletics, particularly in the sport of

football; and

WHEREAS, In 1945, Mr. Paterno graduated from Brooklyn

Preparatory School and shortly thereafter enlisted in the United

States Army; and

WHEREAS, Following his time in the military, Mr. Paterno

received and accepted an athletic scholarship to Brown

University; and

WHEREAS, In addition to studying English literature, Mr.

Paterno played the dual positions of quarterback and defensive

back for the Brown University Brown Bears; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Paterno attained a considerable amount of

success during his collegiate football career, including 14

total interceptions, a school record that continues to stand to

this very day; and 

WHEREAS, In 1950, Mr. Paterno graduated from Brown University

with both a degree and desire to make his mark in collegiate

sports; and

WHEREAS, Upon graduating from college, Mr. Paterno joined his

former Brown University football coach, Charles "Rip" Engle, in

the capacity of Assistant Coach at The Pennsylvania State

University; and

WHEREAS, In 1966, after faithfully serving in the role of

assistant coach for 16 years, Coach Paterno finally got the

opportunity to take over the reins of the Nittany Lion football

program and was named The Pennsylvania State University's 14th

Head Coach; and

WHEREAS, On September 17, 1966, Coach Paterno made his debut

as head coach and the Nittany Lions went on to beat the Maryland

Terrapins 15-7; and

WHEREAS, In 1968, Coach Paterno continued to significantly

impact the Nittany Lion football program by achieving an

unbeaten record of 11-0 and earning a trip to the 1968 Orange

Bowl, where the Nittany Lions defeated the Kansas Jayhawks

15-14; and

WHEREAS, During the subsequent 1969 season, Coach Paterno and

his Nittany Lions once again produced an unbeaten season of 12-0

and earned another invite to the Orange Bowl, where they emerged

victorious in a 10-3 win over the Missouri Tigers; and

WHEREAS, Coach Paterno continued to develop and revolutionize

The Pennsylvania State University football program, which

culminated in another unbeaten season of 13-0 in 1973; and

WHEREAS, Capping off the stellar 1973 season, The

Pennsylvania State University's star tailback, John Cappalletti,

became the deserving recipient of the illustrious Heisman Trophy

Award; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his tenure as head coach for the Nittany

Lions, Coach Paterno turned down multiple offers to coach

professional football, opting to direct his focus toward

building The Pennsylvania State University football program into

a perennial winner; and

WHEREAS, On November 6, 1976, Coach Paterno achieved the

milestone of scoring his 100th victory as the head coach of the

Nittany Lions in a decisive 41-20 win over the North Carolina

Tar Heels; and

WHEREAS, During the 1978 season, Coach Paterno and the

Nittany Lions finished the regular season 11-0, but fell short

to the Alabama Crimson Tide 14-7 in the Sugar Bowl; and

WHEREAS, In 1982, the Nittany Lions rose to the occasion by

defeating the Georgia Bulldogs by a score of 27-23 in the Sugar

Bowl, earning the school its first national championship under

Coach Paterno; and

WHEREAS, Returning to championship form in 1986, the Nittany

Lions went on to upset the overwhelmingly favored Miami

Hurricanes by a score of 14-10 in the Fiesta Bowl, earning Coach

Paterno his second national championship; and

WHEREAS, On September 5, 1987, Joe Pa achieved another

significant milestone, winning his 200th game in a 45-19 victory

over the Bowling Green Falcons; and

WHEREAS, During the 1993 season, Coach Paterno and the

Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten Conference, effectively

establishing themselves as a perennial powerhouse; and

WHEREAS, In 1994, Coach Paterno and the Nittany Lions once

again produced an unbeaten season of 12-0; and

WHEREAS, In recognition of Coach Paterno's contributions to

its institution and its football program, The Pennsylvania State

University broke ground for the Paterno Library at the school's

main campus; and

WHEREAS, Coach Paterno's longstanding investment in the

university both on and off the field was further underscored by

the millions of dollars which he and his family have donated

toward faculty positions, scholarships and university-related

building projects; and

WHEREAS, On September 12, 1998, Coach Paterno captured his

300th victory in the team's 48-3 win over the Bowling Green

Falcons, and earned the prestigious "Eddie Robinson Coach of the

Year Award"; and

WHEREAS, On October 7, 2001, Joe Pa achieved the

extraordinary feat of becoming the winningest coach in NCAA

Division I-A history, following a 29-27 victory over the Ohio

State Buckeyes; and

WHEREAS, Coach Paterno's 324 career victories surpassed that

of the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant; and

WHEREAS, In 2002, Joe Pa received the distinguished "Amos

Alonzo Stagg Award," which is awarded to those who exhibit

exemplary service and excel at advancing the best interests of

football; and

WHEREAS, In 2005, Coach Paterno led his team to an 11-1

record, a share of the Big Ten Conference Title and their first

Bowl Championship Series appearance in the Fed Ex Orange Bowl,

where they defeated the Florida State Seminoles by a score of

26-23; and

WHEREAS, In that same year, Joe Pa would be named the

National Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches

Association for an unprecedented fifth time, in addition to

being recognized for his outstanding coaching efforts by the

Associated Press, Bobby Dodd, Home Depot/ESPN, Maxwell Football

Club (George Munger), the Pigskin Club of Washington, DC, The

Sporting News and the Walter Camp Football Foundation; and

WHEREAS, In 2007, as an ultimate gesture of honor and

recognition, Coach Paterno was inducted into the College

Football Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, Coach Paterno and his family remained humble

benefactors in their many philanthropic pursuits, including the

Pennsylvania Special Olympics Summer Games; and

WHEREAS, In 2008, the Paternos were recognized for their many

selfless contributions by being inducted into the Pennsylvania

Special Olympics Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, In 2009, the Paternos continued their longstanding

spirit of generosity and investment in The Pennsylvania State

University by making a $1 million pledge to the Mount Nittany

Medical Center; and

WHEREAS, In that same year, Coach Paterno was also granted

the distinguished honor of receiving a "Lifetime of Achievement

Award" by the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association; and

WHEREAS, A National Collegiate Athletics Association Division

I-A Graduation Rates Report highlighted that The Pennsylvania

State University's football program earned an astonishing 89%

graduation rate and an 85% graduation success rate, which was

ranked first amongst AP top 25 teams; and

WHEREAS, On November 6, 2010, further solidifying an already

illustrious and iconic coaching career, Coach Paterno captured

his 400th victory in a 35-21 win over the Northwestern Wildcats;

and

WHEREAS, In 2011, the President of the National Collegiate

Athletic Association, Mark Emmert, presented Coach Paterno with

the distinguished "Gerald R. Ford Award," which honors those who

provide significant leadership and advocacy in the realm of

intercollegiate athletics; and

WHEREAS, On October 24, 2011, at age 84, Coach Paterno earned

his 409th and last victory as Head Coach of the Nittany Lions;

and

WHEREAS, Coach Joe Paterno was the deserving and humble

recipient of innumerable awards and honors and concluded his 61-

year tenure with the Nittany Lions as the winningest coach in

NCAA Division I-A history; and

WHEREAS, Sadly, on Sunday, January 22, 2012, icon and legend

Joseph Vincent Paterno succumbed to his battle with lung cancer

at the Mount Nittany Medical Center, located in State College,

Pennsylvania, at the age of 85; and

WHEREAS, Joseph Vincent Paterno left behind a winning legacy

both on and off the field in his many acts of philanthropy,

athletics and overall mentorship; therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives express its

profound sorrow over the passing of Mr. Joseph Vincent Paterno

and extend its heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and

colleagues; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to

Mrs. Suzanne Pohland Paterno at 830 McKee Street, State College,

PA 16803.