Joseph V. PaternoDec. 21, 1926 — Jan. 22, 2012“They ask me what I’d like written aboutme when I’m gone. I hope they write I madePenn State a better place, not just that I wasa good football coach.”A special edition of the Nittany Lion Club Newsletter

Photo by Steve Manuel

By Fran FisherI first met Joe Paterno in 1960 at a Lewistown, Pa.,Lion’s Club father-son night. He accompanied PennState freshman football coach Earl Bruce, who was thespeaker.The last time I saw Joe Paternowas Nov. 24, 2011. As I left hishome, he said, “Remember the goodtimes, Fran.” The memory of thosegood times sustained me throughtwo emotionally draining, sorrow-ful experiences: the way his careercame to an abrupt end and his sub-sequent passing.For me there were no bad timesassociated with my relationshipwith Joe Paterno, either as a broad-caster or as a member of the ath-letic administration.Early on Joe guaranteed goodtimes for me when, in 1966, myfirst year as a member of the Penn State Football RadioNetwork broadcast team, he and Sue welcomed Char-lotte and me (and Jeff and Jerry) to the Penn State foot-ball family. A lasting, unforgettable relationship.Later as executive director of the Nittany Lion Club,my travels with Joe to many dinners and fundraisers

gave me the opportunity to see first hand the positiveand inspiring effect of his charisma.I was in awe. Still am.Penn State will never be the same without Joe Paternoand neither will I.As I write this I still can’t believewe’re without him. Without him?His presence will be forever feltfar beyond this community and thiscampus through the players hecoached, their children and theirchildren’s children; by osmosisthrough the hands he has shaken;by the Paternoisms he uttered;through a huge alumni base, col-lege football fans everywhere,teachers, coaches, school childrenof all ages, Presidents, celebrities,royalty … and Penn State studentsfrom the classes of 1966 through2012 who can proudly say “Joe Pa-terno was the coach of my football team!” Hundreds ofthousands of people touched by Joe Paterno.Oh, how I will miss him.Every time I was with him I felt the exhilaration ofbeing in the presence of greatness.No more.

JOSEPH VINCENT PATERNO / Dec. 21, 1926 — Jan. 22, 2012

Remembering Joe Paterno

Fran Fisher was the first executive di-rector of the Nittany Lion Club. He wasalso the longtime radio voice of PennState sports, an athletic administrator atthe University, co-host of “TV Quarter-backs” (with Paterno, above), a radiopersonality known across the state ofPennsylvania and beyond, and so muchmore. At 88, he’s a living legend who reg-ularly attends Penn State sporting eventsand remains active with Penn State In-tercollegiate Athletics as well as manyactivities in the community. In this piece,he shares some perspectives and memo-ries about Coach Paterno.

Fran Fisher (inset left), the first executive director of the Nittany Lion Club, called Joe Paterno his friend for more than a half century. Fisher also served as thevoice of Penn State football, calling games for years on radio with George Paterno (inset right).

JOSEPH VINCENT PATERNO / Dec. 21, 1926 — Jan. 22, 2012

Paterno as a Coach and Family ManHis records for career victories (409) and bowlvictories (24) were important, but not as cherished as and his fivechildren, 17 grandchildren and hundreds of former student-athletes.

“With coach Paterno it was always team.Football was his experimental lab for that,because there was no greater place toteach the value of team than the footballfield, with 11 people having to be on thesame page and sacrifice individual desiresfor the benefit of the team.”— Todd Blackledge

Photo by Mark Selders

JOSEPH VINCENT PATERNO / Dec. 21, 1926 — Jan. 22, 2012

Paterno as an EducatorWith his Ivy League degree from Brown, Paterno understood theimportance of a quality education, and he emphasized that to thestudent-athletes in his program and others at the University.

Photo by Joe Rokita

“My eligibility was over,I was finished, and I geta call saying, ‘Joe wantsto see you in his office.’I went in there and hesaid, ‘What are youdoing? Look at yourclass schedule. This isbeneath you.’ It justshowed his true com-mitment to what wasreally important to him.It was family, it wasfaith, it was education.”— Jimmy Cefalo

JOSEPH VINCENT PATERNO / Dec. 21, 1926 — Jan. 22, 2012

Paterno as a PhilanthropistJoe and Sue contributed more than $4 million to Penn State duringhis career. The libraries, the liberal arts and the campus spiritualcenter were among the biggest benefactors.

“Joe and Sue have been steadfast support-ers of the academic mission of Penn State.They have not only given generously them-selves, but they’ve invited alums into theirhomes, planted seeds for major gifts withother donors and helped solicit many ofthose gifts. Just by being at an event, Joecalled attention not to himself but to ourstudents and programs.”— SusanWelch,Dean, College of the Liberal Arts

JOSEPH VINCENT PATERNO / Dec. 21, 1926 — Jan. 22, 2012

Paterno in PhotosHis success brought adoration from fans, respectfrom coaching colleagues and a place in the public eye that enabledhim to make an impact far beyond Happy Valley.

Photo by Steve Manuel

JOSEPH VINCENT PATERNO / Dec. 21, 1926 — Jan. 22, 2012

Paterno: By the Numbers139,000

Square feet in Paterno Library,which opened in 1999

60,288Increase in capacity of Beaver Stadiumfrom Paterno’s first season as headcoach, 1966 (46,284) to his final

season, 2011 (106,572)

1,077Penn State lettermen

888Number of coaching changesin Football Bowl Subdivision

(Division I-A) while Paterno wasthe only coach at Penn State

548Games as head coach, second all-time

400Earned 400th win vs. Northwestern

(35-21) on Nov. 6, 2010

324Earned 324th win and establishedDivision I-A career wins mark

vs. Ohio State (29-27) on Oct. 27, 2001

300Earned 300th win vs. Bowling Green

(48-3) on Sept. 12, 1998

279Academic All-Big Ten selections under

Paterno, most in the conferencefrom 1993 to 2011

250Earned 250th win at Iowa (31-0)

on Sept. 18, 1993

231Victories in in Beaver Stadium

under Paterno (231-54)

200Earned 200th win vs. Bowling Green

(45-19) on Sept. 5, 1987

162Victories by Paterno-coached teams

as members of the Big Ten

150Earned 150th win at Pitt (48-14)

on Nov. 28, 1981

100Earned 100th win vs. North Carolina

State (41-20) on Nov. 6, 1976

87NCAA Graduation Success Rateunder Paterno (October 2011)

69Length of Paterno’s game-winning punt

return for Brown vs. Holy Crossin 1949

66Different stadiums Paterno coached

in as head coach

66First team All-Americans(79 selections overall)

62Years on the Penn State coaching staff

50Earned 50th win vs. Maryland (63-27)

on Nov. 6, 1971

47Academic All-Americans

46Years as head coach,

most by FBS coach at one school

41Shutouts by Penn State under Paterno

37First-team Academic All-Americans

37Bowl trips as head coach,

the all-time leader

36Paterno’s jersey number at Brown

35Teams ranked in the final Top 25

31Longest unbeaten streak

(30-0-1; 1967-70)

26Father-son combinations coached

21Number of teams to finish season

with at least 10 wins

18NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

winners

17New Year’s Day bowl wins

16National Football FoundationHall of Fame Scholar-Athletes

9Number of U.S. presidents who served

while Paterno was head coach

1Earned first win vs. Maryland (15-7)on Sept. 17, 1966, before a Beaver

Stadium crowd of 40,911

THE PATERNO RECORDYear W L T Bowl Game1966 5 5 01967 8 2 1 Gator: Tied Florida State, 17-171968 11 0 0 Orange: Beat Kansas, 15-141969 11 0 0 Orange: Beat Missouri, 10-31970 7 3 01971 11 1 0 Cotton: Beat Texas, 30-61972 10 2 0 Sugar: Lost to Oklahoma, 14-01973 12 0 0 Orange: Beat LSU, 16-91974 10 2 0 Cotton: Beat Baylor, 41-201975 9 3 0 Sugar: Lost to Alabama, 13-61976 7 5 0 Gator: Lost to Notre Dame, 20-91977 11 1 0 Fiesta: Beat Arizona State, 42-301978 11 1 0 Sugar: Lost to Alabama, 14-71979 8 4 0 Liberty: Beat Tulane, 9-61980 10 2 0 Fiesta: Beat Ohio State, 31-191981 10 2 0 Fiesta: Beat USC, 26-101982 11 1 0 Sugar: Beat Georgia, 27-231983 8 4 1 Aloha: Beat Washington, 13-101984 6 5 01985 11 1 0 Orange: Lost to Oklahoma, 25-101986 12 0 0 Fiesta: Beat Miami (Fla.), 14-101987 8 4 0 Citrus: Lost to Clemson, 35-101988 5 6 01989 8 3 1 Holiday: Beat BYU, 50-391990 9 3 0 Blockbuster: Lost to Florida State, 24-171991 11 2 0 Fiesta: Beat Tennessee, 42-171992 7 5 0 Blockbuster: Lost to Stanford, 24-31993 10 2 0 Citrus: Beat Tennessee, 31-131994 12 0 0 Rose: Beat Oregon, 38-201995 9 3 0 Outback: Beat Auburn, 43-141996 11 2 0 Fiesta: Beat Texas, 38-151997 9 3 0 Citrus: Lost to Florida, 21-61998 9 3 0 Outback: Beat Kentucky, 26-141999 10 3 0 Alamo: Beat Texas A&M, 24-02000 5 7 02001 5 6 02002 9 4 0 Capital One: Lost to Auburn, 13-92003 3 9 02004 4 7 02005 11 1 1 Orange: Beat Florida State, 26-232006 9 4 0 Outback: Beat Tennessee, 20-102007 9 4 0 Alamo: Beat Texas A&M, 24-172008 11 2 0 Rose: Lost to USC, 38-242009 11 2 0 Capital One: Beat LSU, 19-172010 7 6 0 Outback: Lost to Florida, 37-242011 8 1 0

TOTALS 409 136 3 BOWLS: Won 24, Lost 12, Tied 1

Photo by Mark Selders“At Penn State JoePaterno would find a wayto deliver on his promiseto make an impact. Hedelivered in a way thatroared out of this valleyand across the world.”— Jay Paterno

JOSEPH VINCENT PATERNO / Dec. 21, 1926 — Jan. 22, 2012