Philip W. Gergen

• Post by: mcalibrary
• January 11, 2024
• Comments off

INDUCTEE

Phil was a three-year letterman for the Mount Carmel High School basketball team in the later 40’s and early 50’s. He also played on a number of intramural championship football and basketball teams while in college at Susquehanna and Bloomsburg. But let’s get serious here! Phil isn’t being inducted today for what he did as an athlete; but for what he has done for Mount Carmel Area Athletic programs over the last 30 years. Phil’s commitment, dedication, loyalty, and love for good old MCA are second to none, and have earned him his place as an inductee to the Ed Romance Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.

Gergen started his involvement with Tornado sports as the stadium announcer in 1975 for varsity football. He handles his “Voice of Tornado Football” duties with as much attention to detail as is possible. He was named “Sports Information Director” in 1983 and has distributed his “media paclets” to radio, TV, and written media personnel before all major sports events. He has collaborated with his pal Jose Gonzalo in producing 2 MCA Football Guides in 1997 and 2000, complete with every game ever played by Tornado football since 1893.

Since 2003, Phil has been working on a project to preserve all of Mount Carmel Football movies to DVD for future generations to enjoy. It began by sorting all of the old cans of 16mm tape and putting them in chronological order and burning them to DVD, complete with music and play-by-play.

Gergen was commissioned as a naval officer following graduation from college and assigned to naval security in Washington, DC. During his 21 years in the service, Phil participated in football, baseball, basketball, bowling and volleyball, while stationed in England, Germany, and Hawaii. After retiring, Phil returned to Mount Carmel Area as a Problems in Democracy instructor and later served as Assistant Principal before his retirement.

Phil was married to the former Joan Boyle in a military wedding at Our Lady’s Church in 1958. They are the parents of two children: Susan, and Intelligence Systems Engineering Power Projection System Manager for John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Columbia, MD and Robert – a Director of Strategy and Capital Planning at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals Global Headquarters in Collegeville, Pa.