"Remember the Titans" coach presents Centofanti Symposium Sept. 10

Herman Boone, legendary high school football coach featured in the film, “Remember the Titans,” speaks 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, in Beeghly Center on the campus of Youngstown State University.

The lecture is part of the Centofanti Annual Symposium and is free and open to the public. No tickets are required. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, email jmleviseur@ysu.edu or call 330-941-2136. Parking is available on campus for $5.

“Remember the Titans” tells the story of racial tensions in Alexandria, Va., in 1971, as three schools were integrated to form T.C. Williams High School. Boone, portrayed by Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington, faced the challenge of uniting black and white players from previously rival schools in the newly-created Titan football team.

Boone is now retired but continues to motivate and inspire audiences with presentations on respect, teamwork, community involvement, and the importance of character.

The Centofanti Symposium was established at YSU to bring outstanding speakers to the university and the community, with the goal of raising consciousness about the challenges facing vulnerable groups in society. YSU created the James and Coralie Centofanti Center of Health and Welfare for Vulnerable Populations in 2012 under a $1 million gift from the James and Coralie Centofanti Charitable Foundation. James Centofanti of Canfield, a successful business owner, philanthropist and horseman, died in 2010. His wife, Coralie, died in 1999. Centofanti was a long-time member of the Board of Directors of Farmers National Bank in Canfield, a generous supporter of numerous educational and community-based activities in and around the Canfield area, and the recipient of numerous awards for his humanitarian efforts.