A century of Elder runs in the family
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Five Panthers, four generations, 103 years of Elder pride. Photo: Courtesy of Dennis Daly Jr.
As Elder and St. Xavier renew their storied football rivalry Friday night, Dennis Daly Jr. has more than a century's worth of reasons to root for the Panthers.
Why it matters: The family's Elder lineage stretches back to 1924, nearly the entire history of the Price Hill institution that opened in 1922.
Meet the family: One photo tells the story through five yard signs:
- Daly (class of 1986), stands alongside his father, Dennis (1962), and sons Cedric (2026) and Carson (2027).
- Beside them is a superimposed photo of Daly's grandmother Margie, class of 1924 — just two years after Elder opened.
Flashback: Elder was coeducational for its first five years.
- The girls' department moved to neighboring Seton High School in 1927, leaving Elder an all-boys school.
- That makes Margie part of a little-known chapter of Elder history.
How it happened: The signs came from Elder's centennial celebration during the 2022-23 school year, Daly tells Axios, and people who see the family photo are often most surprised by Margie's sign.
- "The vast majority of people are quite surprised to learn Elder once enrolled female students."
What changed: Daly says the Elder his sons experienced looks very different academically from the one his father attended.
- The earlier curriculum was more basic, while computers were just becoming part of school life when Daly attended in the 1980s.
- Today, he points to a broader range of academics, trades and athletics — including hockey, which both his sons played.
What hasn't changed: "The one thing that has never changed about Elder through the years is the brotherhood and the feeling of community," Daly says.
- "A long time ago, my family discovered something good — not just an excellent, spiritual educational institution, but another family. We are, and have always been, Elder proud."