Charged with caring for the past Moravian alumni work together to keep the past alive. Photos and text by Dana Grubb ‘72 As board members of the South Bethlehem Historical Society, we accept that we are caretakers of South Bethlehem’s past—a position we take seriously, even as we enjoy our charge thoroughly. The Society was founded 25 years ago to preserve and make known the second chapter of Bethlehem’s history (1850 to the present) by focusing on the individuals, ethnic groups and material evidence which helped make possible the industrialization of South Bethlehem. Immigrants seeking employment and opportunity in the burgeoning steel industry flocked here in the early 1900s. They settled with others of similar cultural backgrounds throughout the borough’s neighborhoods, and stayed segregated at work. For example, the Hungarians worked in the blast furnaces and the Portuguese in the coke works, as each ethnicity filled the ranks of steelworkers. Bethlehem Steel shut its doors in the early 2000s, and its iconic, hulking blast furnaces exist now as a backdrop to the arts and entertainment district at SteelStacks. The coke works is home to a growing industrial park. The SBHS strives to preserve that part of the city’s history so that current and future residents of the area will never forget the community’s roots, culture, buildings and people who were instrumental in creating and helping to grow the industry that was a forerunner to Bethlehem’s changing economy in today’s fast-paced technological world. The Moravian Effect Five of us who serve on the board—and in fact, three of the four executive committee members—are Moravian graduates: Mary Pongracz ’52; Kathryn Broczkowski Klein ’67, vice president; Lance Metz ’70; Dana Grubb ’72, president; and Tom Kwiatek ’73, secretary. Four of us grew up in and around South Bethlehem, and all of us love this town and work for its betterment in various ways. We constitute nearly one-third of the board, and have Mary to thank for bringing us together. A Bethlehem native and accomplished musician who taught in the Bethlehem Area School District for years, Mary has been involved with several Bethlehem area organizations, serving on their boards, getting to know many people in the community and forming friendships wherever she went. Mary has always had a sensitivity to cultural differences and was a member of the International Relations Club at (what was in 1952) the Women’s College.
FALL 2011
Moravian College graduates serving on the South Bethlehem Historical Society’s board of directors are Mary Pongracz ’52, Tom Kwiatek ’73, Kathryn Broczkowski Klein ’67, Lance Metz ’70 and Dana Grubb ’72.
Kathie calls her journey to the society a natural progression. Also a native, she was active at Moravian, serving as student government secretary and secretary of her class. Working with Dan Gilbert, professor emeritus of history at Moravian, and volunteering at Historic Bethlehem Inc. had a profound impact on her, fostering her dual passions of history and volunteerism. Tom’s earliest memories are of life on the South Side, and he has honored Bethlehem’s rich ethnic traditions through a festival he founded, Spirit of Bethlehem, designed to emphasize the city’s diverse population. He also has been a trustee of Moravian College and president of the Moravian College Alumni Association. Lance, who majored in history and English, agrees with me, a political science major, that Moravian and our studies there set the tone for our careers and reinforced a desire to be of service to the community. Lance, who went on to work as the historian at the Canal Museum in Easton, is renowned for his work. And I was employed by the City of Bethlehem for more than 27 years, managing federal, state and local grant programs. Through that position, I bonded with many non-profits on the South Side. Moravian encourages its students to give freely of their time and talents, and we point to our dedication and commitment to our community as a direct result of our experiences there. And so at SBHS, we remember the past by celebrating it in the present through lectures and films, installation of historic markers, a photography contest, ethnic-themed dinners and our annual ethnic Christmas tree exhibit. The diversity of South Bethlehem continues to inform its ambiance now and, with our help and others like us—as we engage the community and continue our rich traditions—for a long time to come. W
MORAVIAN COLLEGE MAGAZINE
3