What will be the legacy of Emanuel Catsoules?

Emanuel Catsoules, who died Sunday at 70, distinguished himself as the longest-serving superintendent of Youngstown city schools, leading the district through one of its most tumultuous eras from 1978 to 1992.
Catsoules' distinction, however, transcends mere longevity.
As a Youngstown city councilman, council president, community activist, teacher, principal and chief schools administrator, he brought passion to his mission of serving pupils, teachers and all residents of the community over the past four decades.
Man of 'unusual ability'
Back in 1969, when Catsoules was seeking re-election to his second term on Youngstown City Council, The Vindicator recommended the Republican to voters, saying he "demonstrated unusual ability." Catsoules' next quarter-century of public service would prove the accuracy of that perception.
As a city councilman, Catsoules championed front-line constituent service in his 3rd Ward. He stood in the forefront of campaigns to keep streets safe, to shut down nuisance bars and to rid areas of prostitution.
As an advocate for clean government, he testified against the mob on Capitol Hill long before fighting organized crime became a consuming Valley campaign. He squealed about organized crime figures who tried to sully his 1977 campaign for mayor with promises of big campaign bucks in return for decision-making authority in his administration.
As an advocate for structural change in state education policy, Catsoules proved to be forward-thinking as well. As early as 1968, he publicly called for state tax reform to relieve residents of the unfair burden over-reliance on the property tax had created. Decades later, the state Supreme Court would come to that same conclusion.
A difficult era
As the top school administrator of the largest district in the Mahoning Valley, Catsoules toiled through one of the urban system's most complex periods, dealing with such daunting tasks as desegregation, declining enrollments, financial fallout, pupil discipline, school closings and consolidations.
At times, his relations with board members became contentious. Indeed, he cited the growing politicization of some on the school board as one of his reasons for choosing to leave the helm 12 years ago.
Despite these sometimes adversarial relationships, it was clear that overall board members respected his leadership. In 1985, for example, the board rewarded him with a contract extension offer a full year before his current pact had expired.
Part of that respect no doubt owed itself to the bedrock commitment Catsoules delivered to pupils without fail.
A Vindicator news story published days before his retirement described the outgoing superintendent's connection with the student body. "He shakes their hands, hugs them. He's like a proud parent, a favorite teacher and a best friend rolled into a Santa Claus body."
The most compelling legacy of Catsoules' distinguished career may lie there, on the positive impact he wielded directly or indirectly on the lives of tens of thousands of this community's most precious resources, its young people.