Academic and Career Accomplishments
Larry DeYoung grew up on the family farm off Wall Street in Ravenna Township, the first child of John and Jane DeYoung. He attended Ravenna Township School, Brown Junior High, and Ravenna High School, graduating in 1965. During school years he participated in instrumental music and 4-H. He was selected for National Honor Society and was a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist. At Hiram College, Larry majored in economics and was in instrumental music. In his college freshman year, RHS and Hiram-classmate Jessica Webb introduced him to Erie, Pennsylvania, native Joyce Lewis, whom he would marry after graduation. Larry graduated magna cum laude from Hiram in 1969, and got his master’s degree at Purdue University in 1970.
Back in Ohio after Purdue, he was a charter staff member of the then-new Legislative Budget Office in Columbus while Joyce got her PhD at OSU. They then moved to Cincinnati where Larry worked at the University of Cincinnati. In 1978, the couple moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia and Larry began work in the freight railroad business, first in marketing, then in government affairs and later in economic development, all at Conrail. He was involved in the privatization of Conrail in 1987. In 1994 he set up a consulting firm which in 1996-99 helped Norfolk Southern Corp. with its takeover and split of Conrail. In 2001 he became a board member of the short line Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad and remains on that and two affiliated railroad company boards of directors. His railroad career was capped by serving as Chief Operating Officer of the parent company of those three railroads. He retired as an officer in 2016.
Larry has written eight books and numerous articles, has had several prize-winning photos published, has been a leader in multiple historical societies, and has played trumpet in the Chester County Concert Band and other ensembles since 1982. Larry and Joyce are enthusiastic supporters of Hiram College, where he is a member of the College Board of Trustees and in 2017, was selected for membership in the Garfield Society for service to the institution.