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WHEREAS, Larry Glasco was born in 1940 in Xenia, Ohio; and,
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WHEREAS, Larry received a B.A. from Antioch College and earned both a master’s degree and a PhD from the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he completed a thesis on the racial philosophy of Mexican thinker Jose Vasconcelos and a dissertation mapping the ethnic social structure of Buffalo in the mid-19th Century; and,
WHEREAS, Larry joined the University of Pittsburgh’s History Department in 1969; and,
WHEREAS, also in 1969, Larry and his wife Ingrid were married on August 2, and will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary later this year; and,
WHEREAS, over the past five decades, Larry has researched, written, and taught on the important subjects of race, urban society, and Pittsburgh culture, with a particular focus on the history of Black Pittsburghers; and,
WHEREAS, this scholarship has cast an important light on the “double burden” faced by Black Pittsburgh, high culture in that community, Black radio, jazz, prominent Black Pittsburghers, the migration from the Shenandoah Valley, and many other topics; and,
WHEREAS, Larry has authored or co-authored six books, including biographies of notable Black Pittsburghers August Wilson and K. LeRoy Irvis, as well as editing The WPA History of the Negro in Pittsburgh, a collection of Depression Era essays written by Black Pittsburghers with the support of the federal Works Progress Administration; and,
WHEREAS, Larry has also written numerous scholarly articles, provided commentary to local and national media, participated in several documentaries, and held regular public talks on issues of importance to the community; and,
WHEREAS, Larry was the concept and design creator for the amazing African Heritage Nationality Room in the Cathedral of Learning; and,
WHEREAS, Professor Glasco’s classes regularly enrolled hundreds of students per semester, a testament to his credibility and skill as an instructor; and,
WHEREAS, Larry’s service as a professor, academic, and community voice have positively impacted not only his students, but our City, region and country as a whole.
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby celebrate the 55 years of outstanding contributions Larry Glasco has made to our society, and;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare Wednesday, May 28, 2024, to be “Larry Glasco Day” in the City of Pittsburgh.