With gratitude for his many gifts to the Prep community, we remember Carl DeLorenzo, ’67, who taught history (and occasionally Latin) at Saint Peter’s Prep from 1972-2017. Mr. DeLorenzo was honored as a Legend of Prep in 2009. Generations of his students and colleagues will remember the humor, passion, and style he brought to his work, and the warmth and friendship he brought to the halls of Grand & Warren. Please join us in prayer for “DeLo” and his family.
Read Mr. DeLorenzo’s 2009 Legends of Prep biography below.
Carl S. DeLorenzo, or “DeLo,” as he is affectionately known in the hallowed halls, has become as defining an element of Prep life as JUG, Latin class and the corner of Grand & Warren. In the midst of his 38th year as a member of the history department, he remains one of the most respected and beloved members of the faculty — among students, alumni and colleagues alike. His irrepressible sense of humor and his unmistakable passion for the material have brought history to life for generations of Prep men, and continued the proud Prep tradition of outstanding teachers.
Born in Jersey City in 1949, Carl attended Saint Boniface grammar school before following brother Vincent, ’63, to Prep. During his years as a Prep student, Carl worked at Zampella’s Clothing Store on Newark Avenue, where he met several noted Jersey City politicians, not to mention his future wife Annette Tagliareni, whose family owned the neighboring deli. Upon his graduation in 1967, he entered Saint Peter’s College, where he earned a degree in classical languages and European history. He would later earn a master’s degree in history from Fordham University.
Carl’s return to Grand & Warren to embark on an illustrious teaching career began unexpectedly. Mike Gray, then chair of Prep’s history department, invited him to campus for a social visit. To Carl’s surprise, Gray offered him a teaching position being vacated by future Prep president Jim Joyce, S.J. In the years that followed, he would teach a full range of history courses: Western Civilization, U.S. History, French & Russian Revolutions, The Modern Middle East and many more.
When asked recently what keeps him in the classroom year after year, Carl brandished the legendary DeLo wit, quipping, “Two things: the free parking, and the summers off,” before revealing the deeper truth: “How many people have an opportunity to do for a living what they have a passion for?”
That passion has carried him to teaching assignments beyond his alma mater as well. This past summer, he lectured at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on the history of the modern Middle East. He has also spoken on the same topic to officers and NCOs at Fort Carson, Colorado. During Fox News’ 2008 Election Day programming, Carl appeared as a panelist to offer historical perspective on the election.
Although it might be hard to imagine Carl outside the classroom, he is a family man as well. He and Annette currently reside in Belleville, having moved from Jersey City to Millstone Township and back to Jersey City over the years as they raised their two sons, C.J. and Gerard.
Asked about his hopes for the future, with the 40-year mark for his teaching career on the horizon, Carl remarked, “I hope I’m not late for class tomorrow morning. Really, I don’t even think about retirement because I still love what I do. I feel
invigorated every September.”
In addition to his Legends induction in 2009, Carl DeLorenzo was also honored with the dedication of the 1987 Petrean, and with the Insignis award upon his retirement. In 2022, his longtime colleague and neighbor on the second floor of the English Building, Dr. Richard Kennedy, shared a reflection on their 50+ years of friendship in Prep Magazine.