The photo is of an empty and deteriorating D Building at the deserted Pennhurst State School and Hospital. I worked there from 1970—when I was about to turn 18—through 1972. During that time, we moved from D-4 (second floor, upper right) to D-1 (first floor, lower left), then up on the hill to C-2. C-2 has been torn down. I met some wonderful people: some worked there, but most lived there. There’s been negative press and non-judgemental exposé, and I’ve found that my memories differ from most of what I’ve read. As I’ve gotten older, and been privileged enough to have had a good time doing so, I’ve often thought about the guys I knew at Pennhurst and how their lives turned out.
I remember them clearly, most by name but some are just faces. I see little mental vignettes of interactions. Larry saying, “that butt?” as he tried to bum my lit cigarette. Max saying, “Be in tomorrow?” and laughing when I said yes. Joey clapping his hands and spinning in place with a big smile. Recently I read an obituary for one of the youngest residents: a young man with Down syndrome who was two years older than me at the time. There were pictures and he looked happy. I imagine most have passed. Each of them deserves a memoir. Each deserves to be remembered. The very least that I can do is to try to remember each of the residents and list their names if I can.
Guys? I remember you, and wish I could’ve done more. I wish I would’ve known more.
- Philip Allen
- Larry Arnold
- Eugene Dolan
- William Edwards
- Dennis Eshinour
- Anthony Felicione
- Rocco Ferra
- Randy Garner
- Max Goldman
- Norman Glassman
- Edgar Graham
- David Heintzelman
- Frankie Hinkle
- Jerome James
- Joey Johnson
- Clifford Jones
- Larry Klinger
- Bobby Keown
- Richard Kutz
- Joe Langoon
- Hetadora Lopez
- Bill McKeever
- Merritt Miller
- John Milton
- Bobby Montgomery
- Tommy Moorehead
- Vern Nicholson
- Chester Olshefski
- Arthur Ressler
- Glenn Rhodes
- Nelson Rivera
- Freddie Rogers
- Joey Rozman
- Richard Savage
- Tony Scarcella
- Dominic Scaramazzini
- Donald Scurry
- Danville Sharp
- Arnold Sokolof
- Arthur Tonkins
- Barry Van Pelt
- Tommy Wartowski
- Bobby Watts
- Walter Washington
- Tommy Weaver
- Byron Welser
- Tommy White
- Arnold Wood
- Joe Zelinski