Penn State Alum & Longtime Athletics Historian Lou Prato Dies At 87
Penn State alumni and historian Lou Prato died at 87 on Tuesday, Penn State Athletics confirmed on Thursday.
Prato was a university historian, author, journalist, and an avid Penn State fan. He served as the founding director of the All-Sports Museum and taught communications courses at Penn State for some time. Members of Penn State Athletics remember Prato for his dedication and passion for Penn State Athletics.
“Lou Prato was the authority on all things Penn State Athletics history,” Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Pat Kraft said in a release. “From the moment I met Lou, I could tell how much sharing the stories of Penn State meant to him and how important it was to him to keep those stories alive. His passion for this University was only matched by his love for his family. There will never be another Lou Prato, and we will miss seeing him around our Penn State Athletics events. Our thoughts are with Carole and Lou’s children during this difficult time.”
While at Penn State, Prato served as a sports editor for the Daily Collegian in 1958, later writing three books: “The Penn State Football Encyclopedia,” “100 Things Penn State Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die,” and “Game Changers: Penn State.”
Once he graduated in 1959, Prato became a news director in Detroit and Dayton for 40 years before directing Northwestern’s journalism program in Washington, D.C. Prato dedicated more than three decades to the Radio and Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), serving as the treasurer for its board of directors.
One year before becoming the first director of the All-Sports Museum, RTDNA began to grant one communications student the Lou and Carole Prato Sports Reporting Scholarship. The annual award honors Prato’s work and dedication to sports journalism.
In 2002, when Penn State’s first sports-dedicated museum opened its doors, Prato was at the forefront of the project, dedicating thousands of hours to his alma mater. Beyond the museum, he was an original member of the Bellisario College Alumni Society Board, mentored numerous Penn Staters, and spoke at national events.
Prato won the Alumni Achievement Award from the Bellisario College Alumni Society Board in 2016 for his contributions to the university, achievements within his craft, and passion for Penn State.
His wife, Carole, his son, Scott, and his daughters, Vicki Rearick and Lori Keating, survive and mourn his death. The university will announce arrangements at a later date.
You can read more about Prato’s impact on the Penn State community here.
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