The Price of Education
Philadelphia
My dad never paid a penny for his education, a fact that he
bragged about all his life.
He went to Catholic schools in Philadelphia for grade school
and high school. In the 40s, there was
no tuition for the parishioners. He graduated from Roman Catholic High School
in 1946.
When he was in high school, he had a clear idea that he
wanted to study at the University of Pennsylvania. So, at 13, he got himself a job as a towel
boy at the Union League Club, a club that caters to rich, well connected
republicans in Philadelphia. He caught
the attention of several people and they helped him secure a full scholarship
to the Wharton School of Economics. He graduated Penn in 1950.
After college, he
served in the US Navy for four years as an officer. After he finished this
obligation, he enrolled in Temple Law School on the GI Bill. As he finished law school, he recruited ten
other classmates to register for an expensive bar exam study group and his
tuition was waived for his efforts. He earned his JD in 1960.
So, as a father, he did everything possible to make sure his
seven children received the best education possible, for which I am grateful.
We all went to our local parochial Catholics grade school. Then we all went to private high schools. And
we all had the opportunity to attend college.
And we all left college without any debt.
I continue to be very
grateful to my parents for their relentless focus to educate me.
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