Category Archives: Uncategorized

At the memorial on Saturday for engineer and former Philadelphia official Harry M. Perks, the only recognizable city representative was former Mayor W. Wilson Goode Sr., who provided reflections. I had never met Perks, but knew many of his accomplishments … Continue reading →

A memorial service for Harry M. Perks followed by a luncheon was held Saturday, October 26, at 11AM, at Central Baptist Church, 37 South Jackson Street, Woodbury, NJ. In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, memorial donations can be made … Continue reading →

By the time he was 23, Harry M. Perks had his life mapped out. “By then he had his master’s degree in engineering, he was married, he had a kid, a house and a professional job he would hold for … Continue reading →

I wanted to tell you about somebody today. He was the kind of guy more people should know about, especially folks who think everybody in government is corrupt, or lazy, or a cynical burnout holding on for a pension. I … Continue reading →

Harry M. Perks was the guy who got things done.Whether it was supervising the building of the Pennsylvania Convention Center and monitoring its expansion, building new public schools, renovating the library, the zoo and the Academy of Music, building Veterans … Continue reading →

Harry M. Perks, 85, a former Philadelphia streets commissioner who oversaw construction of the Convention Center, died Sunday, Sept. 29, at his home in Medford, after a long illness. Mr. Perks, an engineer who graduated from the Citadel and Yale … Continue reading →

Philadelphia Daily News Monday, December 29, 1997, Page 10 Harry who? He’s the man behind practically every thing good By Dave Davies For years, Harry Perks has scoffed when I’ve told him I should write a column about him. But … Continue reading →

The Philadelphia Inquirer Monday, July 2, 1990, Page 1D By Peter Binzen From his 28th-floor office at 1101 Market St., Harry M. Perks has a splendid view of the biggest construction project in Philadelphia’s 308-year history. The view is splendid, … Continue reading →

The Philadelphia Inquirer Monday, June 9, 1986, Page 1C Picking Up After Philadelphia By Michael Capuzzo, Inquirer Staff Writer The sun comes up over his Philadelphia, shining on his 25,000 city blocks, his 500 bridges, his fleet of 1,000 trucks, … Continue reading →

The Philadelphia Inquirer Wednesday, September 14, 1988, Page 1B Perks Found Turmoil In Office But Praise At End By Robin Clark, Inquirer Staff Writer Maybe the best a city streets commissioner can hope for is anonymity. If the job goes … Continue reading →

Courier-Post May 26, 1999 By EILEEN SMITH, Courier-Post Staff PHILADELPHIA The apes at the Philadelphia Zoo’s new Primate Reserve mightbe man’s closest relative in the animal kingdom, but they have nohead for figures. Neither do many humans. That is why … Continue reading →

Philadelphia Daily News January 29, 1993, Page 4 The Most Stressful Jobs in Philadelphia By  Staff writers Jenice Armstrong, Stu Bykofsky, Kitty Caparella, Joseph R. Daughen, Rose DeWolf, Tom Di Nardo, Scott Flander, Ellen Gray, Harriet Lessy, Nels Nelson, Kathleen … Continue reading →

Philadelphia Daily News February 1, 2006 Page 15 By MARY FLANNERY There’s no designated funding yet to pay for the expansion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center – and no one can say for sure how much it will cost – … Continue reading →

New York Times March 9, 1986 Section 1; Part 2, Page 48, Column 1 By WILLIAM K. STEVENS, Special to the New York Times PHILADELPHIA, March 8 On some mornings, 25 or 30 yellow trash-collection trucks line up at the … Continue reading →

Philadelphia Inquirer December 15, 2004 By Patricia Horn One day after receiving court permission to relocate its renowned art gallery from Merion to Center City, the Barnes Foundation learned yesterday exactly where it would be moving: to the site of … Continue reading →

Philadelphia Daily News October 25, 2004 Page 15 THE PENNSYLVANIA Convention Center is once again being held hostage. This is not exactly news for a building that must have an invisible “kidnap me” sign painted on its roof. This time, … Continue reading →

Courier-Post May 2, 1993 When Harry Perks, executive director of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, gives visitors a tour of the Convention Center, he is flush with pride. The facility is the second-largest convention center on the East Coast (only … Continue reading →