Mary Louise (Duplaga ’50) DiCostantino

World War II had recently ended when the College of Steubenville opened its doors in 1946. So, most students who enrolled in the brand-new school were men receiving the GI Bill for their military service. But a handful of women also walked into the classroom. One of them was Mary Louise Duplaga.

Mary Lou had been attending St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, but she wanted to be closer to her home in Wheeling, West Virginia. She enrolled at the College of Steubenville to study business since her family operated Fulton Grocery,The Swing Club, and other establishments in Wheeling.

“I was born and raised in it,” she says. “Coming home from school, you went to the store, and you had chores to do.You had to know how to sweep the floor, and certain things needed to be done well or you needed to do them over.”

Every day, her father dropped her off at the bus stop around 6:30 a.m. She arrived in Steubenville by 8:00 a.m., went to class in the College’s few downtown buildings, and then caught the bus home for dinner. Those long rides gave her plenty of time to read or complete homework.

She remembers learning from the College’s founding teachers, including business professor Dr. Kathryn Duffy. Some of the lessons have stuck with her over the years, including one from a salesmanship class: “Quality is long remembered after price is forgotten.”

In June 1950, Mary Lou graduated during the College’s very first commencement ceremony. She had attended Catholic school from first grade through college, saying she was “fortunate and very blessed” to do so.To celebrate her graduation, she took a cruise to Europe with other Catholic young adults and toured Rome and the Vatican; a photograph of her on the ship holding a Steubenville sign was even printed in the 1951 yearbook.

Mary Lou met her husband, Alfonso “Fonce” DiCostantino, at The Swing Club (now called Generations).They married in 1952 and raised four children.Together, they operated Fonce’s Market in Wellsburg. Mary Lou was involved with all the purchasing and other day-to-day operations. Now, at 97 years of age, she enjoys spending time with her three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

This past July, Mary Lou visited Franciscan University with her family. She shared memories and toured the current hilltop campus, which was just fields when she attended more than seven decades ago. But for all the growth of Franciscan University throughout those decades, Mary Lou and her 1950 class were the foundation that made it possible