Portville Hall of Fame
Thomas Pollock was born to Arthur and Crystal Pollock on April 9, 1925, in
Smethport, Pa. He was later joined by a younger brother, Robert.
For the first year and a half of his life, he lived in a house situated in the middle
of an oil lease. This is where Tom’s life-long interest in the oil industry began.
Leaving Smethport, the family moved to Portville about 1927 to their home at
70 North Main Street.
Tom attended Portville into his high school years. In the Fall of 1941, he left to
attend Wyoming Seminary School in Kingston, Pa. In April of 1943, he turned
eighteen and was drafted. He served in the Army Air Corps and trained as an
Army Pilot, piloting B-25s. During this time, he also enrolled in classes at
Springfield College in Massachusetts. In 1945, with the war winding down, he
left the Army Air Corps and returned to Portville.
Tom attended St. Bonaventure University for a year and a half, then
transferred to the University of Pittsburgh and graduated with a degree in
Geology in 1950.
Tom then worked as a seismologist for several years, testing for oil and gas
reserves all across the country. He returned to Portville in the late 1950’s and
owned an oil lease on the Barnum Road with his brother, Bob, that had been in
the Pollock family. Since that time, Tom has used his time to manage his
financial affairs and work most often behind the scenes for the betterment of
the Portville Community.
At Christmas time in 1960, Tom married Ronda Shaner at the First
Presbyterian Church of Portville. They have been a part of the Portville
community all of their married lives. They have two children, Melody and Ron,
both graduates of Portville Central School. Together, Tom and Ronda initiated
the Portville Historical and Preservation Society in 1976, and have been an
integral part of that organization.
Other accomplishments:
• Tom and Ronda co-edited “An Early History of Portville” which grew
out of the Bicentennial Celebration in 1976. Tom was Bicentennial Chairman.
• Tom served as president of the Board of Directors of the Portville
American Legion.
• Tom served as head of the Heart Fund Drive of Cattaraugus County.
• Tom served as Portville Town Justice.
• Tom served as General Contractor of the PCS building project in the
1950’s.
• Tom is a lifetime member of the PCS Parent-Teacher Association.
Tom and Ronda’s home on Maple Avenue is listed on the State and National
Register of historical places. Tom has managed its restoration and done much
of the work including the artistic detail himself.
(From Gary Swetland's award presentation at the Alumni Banquet on
7/13/2012)
Smethport, Pa. He was later joined by a younger brother, Robert.
For the first year and a half of his life, he lived in a house situated in the middle
of an oil lease. This is where Tom’s life-long interest in the oil industry began.
Leaving Smethport, the family moved to Portville about 1927 to their home at
70 North Main Street.
Tom attended Portville into his high school years. In the Fall of 1941, he left to
attend Wyoming Seminary School in Kingston, Pa. In April of 1943, he turned
eighteen and was drafted. He served in the Army Air Corps and trained as an
Army Pilot, piloting B-25s. During this time, he also enrolled in classes at
Springfield College in Massachusetts. In 1945, with the war winding down, he
left the Army Air Corps and returned to Portville.
Tom attended St. Bonaventure University for a year and a half, then
transferred to the University of Pittsburgh and graduated with a degree in
Geology in 1950.
Tom then worked as a seismologist for several years, testing for oil and gas
reserves all across the country. He returned to Portville in the late 1950’s and
owned an oil lease on the Barnum Road with his brother, Bob, that had been in
the Pollock family. Since that time, Tom has used his time to manage his
financial affairs and work most often behind the scenes for the betterment of
the Portville Community.
At Christmas time in 1960, Tom married Ronda Shaner at the First
Presbyterian Church of Portville. They have been a part of the Portville
community all of their married lives. They have two children, Melody and Ron,
both graduates of Portville Central School. Together, Tom and Ronda initiated
the Portville Historical and Preservation Society in 1976, and have been an
integral part of that organization.
Other accomplishments:
• Tom and Ronda co-edited “An Early History of Portville” which grew
out of the Bicentennial Celebration in 1976. Tom was Bicentennial Chairman.
• Tom served as president of the Board of Directors of the Portville
American Legion.
• Tom served as head of the Heart Fund Drive of Cattaraugus County.
• Tom served as Portville Town Justice.
• Tom served as General Contractor of the PCS building project in the
1950’s.
• Tom is a lifetime member of the PCS Parent-Teacher Association.
Tom and Ronda’s home on Maple Avenue is listed on the State and National
Register of historical places. Tom has managed its restoration and done much
of the work including the artistic detail himself.
(From Gary Swetland's award presentation at the Alumni Banquet on
7/13/2012)
| The Portville Historical and Preservation Society |
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| 17 Maple Avenue Portville, NY 14770 www.portvillehistory.org |
Portville, New York
| Thomas C. Pollock PCS Wall of Fame Class of 2012 Inductee |
