Arlin Marvin Adams, SBM '41, CLA '51

Everyday in my life, I think of the depression. Very few of my classmates had a job, let alone an opportunity to go to college. I got a job with the Philadelphia Inquirer. I did go to Temple.

Well, it was nowhere near the size of the campus today; there were just a few buildings. The Law School was at 9th and Chestnut Street in the Gimbel building. When I got my honorary degree, Miller Gladfelter was the president. During most of his administration, schools like Temple, and Pitt and Penn State were having financial difficulties and that’s why they became state related. It was looked at primarily as a poor boys and girls school. There was more emphasis in my days with the athletic program than there is now.

It had a very strong football team, with a couple of all-American football players. An outstanding basketball team, national champion. I think there’s more emphasis on globalization and academia, and spreading the wide-net to attract all types of ethnics, minorities.

And I think Temple is one of the best inner-city schools, I think, in the United States. Philadelphia without Temple would not be what we regard as a city today.