As someone who has built a successful career in real estate and outdoor advertising, it might be surprising to learn that John Trone, CLA ’79, never took a business or a real estate course. He wasn’t a marketing or an advertising major, either. And still, without question, Trone can trace the origins of his success to his days at Temple University.

“Growing up in Central Pennsylvania, not many people I knew graduated from Temple,” he said. “I had such confidence telling people I was a Temple graduate—that’s where it all started.”

Hailing from York, Pennsylvania, Trone was originally accepted to Temple Ambler Campus, but went on to spend all four years on Main Campus. There, he pursued a degree in [major] at the College of Liberal Arts, which proved to play an influential role in his professional and personal development.

“Today, I own and operate two businesses, but I never took a business course,” Trone said. “The College of Liberal Arts provided such a wide range of skills that I felt I was ready to take on anything when I left college.”

Following graduation, Trone did just that, accepting a job as a zoning officer for the City of York. There, he crossed paths with a Temple alum who would later recruit Trone and become his boss at Penn Advertising.

“I think the reason I got the position was because I was also a Temple graduate, which ended up working out well because I learned so much on the job,” he recalled. “I worked there for three years before I realized I could probably do it on my own—so I did. I bought 32 billboards from a guy who was retiring, and today, I’ve grown that to about 500.”

Now, more than 45 years after graduation, Trone’s ties to his alma mater are as strong as ever. He serves as a member of the Board of Visitors for the College of Liberal Arts and previously sat on the Political Science Advisory Board. He also continues to give back through his company, Trone Outdoor Advertising, donating advertising space for the university on billboards stretching from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.

But Trone’s philanthropy extends even further than the 300-mile Pennsylvania Turnpike corridor. In 2006, he established the John Trone Scholarship Fund to support students enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts who have demonstrated financial need.

For Trone, who himself received scholarship aid as a Temple student, the gift has special significance as it bridges two meaningful places in his life: his hometown of York and his alma mater.

“I see scholarships as a way to do more than contribute just to the university; it’s a way to help a student who might not otherwise have the chance to get their degree at all,” he said.

“When I went to Temple there weren’t many other students from York, and I thought this might encourage local students who are interested in attending Temple, but ultimately, it’s there to help any student,” Trone added.

Over the course of the last 18 years, Trone has had an opportunity to see that impact firsthand, meeting and reading letters from his scholarship recipients. The endowed fund, which will exist as long as the university does, reassures him that this impact will continue to grow well into the future, one that—by the looks of it—is quite bright.

“I’ve always been so impressed with Temple, and now, with a new president and a renewed focus on student scholarships, I think there are great things ahead of us,” he said.