Introducing the 2022 Cultural Hall of Fame Inductees

Temple University: BS – 1958; MS – 1963.

Gene has taught in eight decades. He started as a mathematics teacher at Southern in 1958, was head of the mathematics departments at Germantown and Southern High Schools, and taught computer classes at SPHS Evening School. In 1993, he became an adjunct professor at Camden County College, where he still teaches.

At Southern, Gene sponsored the Student Association and the Class of 1965. He trained many teachers (from Temple, Penn, Penn State, and the Peace Corps), received a $100,000 grant from IBM for a computer lab, helped to create computer classes for many students, and coordinated with Drexel U. to send Southern’s best there for free calculus classes while they were students at Southern; he taught calculus to those students and helped them and others to prepare for the SAT. He created a math team that won competitions in Philadelphia and the suburbs.

As a member of the SPHS Alumni Exec Committee, Gene chaired the Cultural Hall of Fame and Award of Excellence Cmtes, and presented the recipients at annual dinners.

With two classmates, Gene created audio-visual presentations of The Singers of Southern High and The Musicians of Southern High. The singers’ presentation has been requested often and received well in the Philadelphia area.

Gene co-authored books by Dr. Anthony Evangelisto, et al:

South Philadelphia High School: School of the Stars, Amazon, 2021.

The Stars of Southern High: Profiles of former graduates…, Amazon, 2019.

South Philadelphia High School, The Campus History Series, Arcadia Publishing, 2018.

He is the recipient of the SPHS Alumni Award of Excellence, the CCC Teacher Excellence Award, and the CCC Impact Award.

Gene said that he is “rewarded by the successes of thousands of students through 64 years of teaching. Priceless!”

FALAKA FATTAH CLASS OF JUNE 1949  –  COMMUNITY ACTIVIST

Falaka Fattah was born Ellen Frances Brown and took the name Fattah with her husband David in the late sixties After graduating SPHS she attended Temple University taking writing courses. She worked as a writer and/or editor for the Philadelphia Tribune, The Philadelphia Independent and The Philadelphia Afro-American, The Bulletin and national magazines. She founded and is the CEO of the House of UMOJA as a publishing company She has received over 100 national and local awards for community service and journalism. Queen Mother Fattah is one of the co-founders of the Black United Front and has served on many local and national boards including: The Historical Society of Philadelphia, The Eisenhower Foundation, National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, Mayor’s Commission on Women and Drug and many more

JOSEPH MARRELLA CLASS OF 1961-MUSICAL PRODUCER

Joseph Marrella has been selected to seven different Drum Corps Halls of Fame. Because of his exposure to creating different competitive musical productions, Joe developed an interest and desire to be involved in live Theater. He began directing both plays and musicals and was nominated for Best Direction twice by the Perry Awards of NJ . Because this specific background qualified Mr. Marrella to apply and become a Barrymore Awards voter, which is sponsored by the Phila. Theater Alliance. As a result of his varied theatrical experiences, Joe was engaged to create a summer program at West Chester University titled “How to Create an Entertaining Production”. It was presented to music educators where they earned graduate credits. Joe also created, designed, and presented communication courses at Harvard University Cambridge, MA., Saint Joseph University, Phila. PA, West Chester University, West Chester ,PA. Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ and Lafayette College, Weston, PA. He also presented seminars on “ Overcoming Adversity “ to all 22 Sport teams both men and women at St. Joseph Univ. and 300 different high schools throughout PA, NJ, and Maryland. He has created a musical and video segment for NFL Films entitled “This is the Moment”. This segment has been shown on National Television on Super Bowl Sunday for the last few years. Joe has been published several times. Most recently, Joe wrote an interesting story that was published in the new book, “Bandstand Diaries”, which is in its second printing. Joe is also the co-author of the upcoming book, “Your New You After 65”: