From Disadvantaged to Advantaged
Anna Galloway was pregnant when Philip died. Another son, Arnold, was born to her in 1906, but he died before the year was out. She never remarried; Leon grew up as an only child, raised by a mother whose avalanche of personal loss made the two of them exceptionally close. Like many other poor women, Anna worked in a cigar factory, and her pay would not have been high. It appears that the family’s financial difficulties were well known; even the 1921 yearbook from Binghamton Central High School seems to allude to them.
Well, maybe his face wasn’t ALWAYS shining and gleeful. Nonetheless, Leon Galloway was a brilliant student. He went on to graduate from Syracuse University, earn a Masters at Columbia, and later in life, earn a Doctorate.
At Syracuse, his abilities were recognized by his being named to Alpha Kappa Psi, an elite business fraternity, whose members have included the heads of some of the largest multinational American businesses, as well as powerful politicians (including U.S. Presidents). Being a member would help open doors for Leon, even in “the sticks” of 1930s Hicksville. He would have access to many local businessmen and government officials, especially those who were members of the Kiwanis service organization, as he was.
