The Youngstown State Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is pleased to announce the creation of the Nunzio S. Lombardozzi Scholarship to enhance the YSU Athletics Scholarship Endowment Fund.
Frank and Gretchen (Beede) Dawson established this scholarship in memory of Nunzio Lombardozzi, former Wellsville, Ohio, Mayor and lifetime community booster, organizer and volunteer. While attending Wellsville High School, Lombardozzi served as a football and basketball manager, graduating in 1952.
Gretchen is the daughter of the first football coach in school history, Dwight Beede. Beede coached the Penguins from 1938 to 1972. He had posted a record of 147-118-4 during his tenure with the program.
The annual recipient will be a qualified member of the YSU equipment room who is at least a sophomore at Youngstown State. The award will go to a native of Columbiana, Mahoning or Trumbull County on Alvy Armstrong and Tim Gallo’s undergraduate staff.
For 31 years, he was associated with the former Crucible Steel Company, and had been a foreman in the general labor department for 26 years. Following his retirement from Crucible in 1982 when the mill closed, Lombardozzi began a second career at Homer Laughlin China Company, where he served as Chief of Security for 27 years.
For over 13 years, Lombardozzi served as Wellsville Councilman, including 10 years as president pro-tem. He was the well-known and much-loved Mayor of Wellsville for eight years, and earned the unofficial title “Marrying Mayor of Wellsville” for officiating at over 330 weddings. Lombardozzi served his country as well for two years with the U.S. Army Medical Corps during the Korean Conflict and was on active duty for more than a year.
Always active in athletics, he had served as Director of Youth Baseball and was official timekeeper from 1952 to 1987 for the Wellsville High School football team. He also served as scorekeeper for the basketball team for 35 years.
“In recognition of the significant role played by equipment managers in all athletic endeavors, this award is presented to honor one of the best in Mr. Wellsville, Nunzio Lombardozzi,” Gretchen and Frank “Digger” Dawson said.
Paul McFadden, President of the YSU Foundation, said it was very thoughtful of the Dawson’s to honor someone who had an important impact on the Wellsville community.
“We are very proud to have a scholarship endowment to honor Mr. Lombardozzi here at Youngstown State,” McFadden said. “The equipment students work extremely hard from early August to the end May. When the football team reports to camp in the fall, they must be here as well and work long hours during the season. We are gracious to see that those efforts will be rewarded once again.”
For more information, or to endow an athletic scholarship at Youngstown State University, contact the YSU Foundation at (330) 941-3211 or contact Dan Kopp at dkopp@ysufoundation.org
