Biden’s former home has rich legacy
One section of Pa. city has spawned many political bigwigs
President-elect Joe Biden likes to joke how he had to leave Scranton’s Green Ridge neighborhood and move to Delaware because he knew that Casey guy down the street would block his political path in Pennsylvania.
The timelines don’t match up, of course. Biden was still a kid when his family moved around 1952 or ’53, and future Gov. Robert Casey Sr. graduated from Holy Cross College in 1953, but the joke carries a point.
Maybe other neighborhoods around the world have things to brag about, but it’s hard to imagine other neighborhoods with the track record of the nineblock stretch of North Washington Avenue in Scranton’s Green Ridge section.
Former and current residents who lived between the 1600 and 2400 blocks include a man set to take the oath of office as president Wednesday, a vice president, a governor, two state auditors general, a state treasurer, two U.S. senators, two congressmen, a federal judge, a mayor and two city councilmen.
Their names are Joseph R. Biden Jr., Robert P. Casey Sr., Robert P. Casey Jr., Joseph M. McDade, John W. Murphy, James A. Doherty and Christopher A. Doherty. All but McDade and James A. Doherty held at least two of the elected posts.
Biden served as one of Delaware’s U.S. senators from 19732009 and as vice president from 2009-17.
Casey Sr. served as state auditor general from 1971-79, and as governor from 1987-95. He died in 2000.
Casey Jr. served as auditor general from 1997-2005, as state
treasurer from 2005-07, and has been one of Pennsylvania’s U.S. senators since 2007.
McDade served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1963-99. He died in 2017.
Murphy served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1943-46, when he resigned to take an appointment as a U.S. District judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, a position he held until he died in 1962. McDade was a clerk to the judge.
James A. Doherty was a Scranton city councilman from 1964-80. He died in 1993.
Christopher A. Doherty, James A. Doherty’s son, served as a city councilman from 19982002, and as the city’s mayor from 2002-14.
Murphy grew up in Avoca and Biden spent his teen years in Delaware, but the others grew up in Green Ridge.
Trying to figure out how the street came to develop such a track record is difficult. Undoubtedly, the Green Ridge neighborhood, which includes the nine blocks, has always been home to middleto upper-middle-class families, and some really wealthy people, too. Wealthier families tend to engage in community activities and argue about politics. Green Ridge’s residents closely monitor politics.
Politics regularly came up during kitchen table conversations with older relatives and their friends when Biden visited his grandparents’ home at 2446 N. Washington Ave., the future president wrote in his 2007 autobiography, “Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics.”
“These men were educated, informed and eclectic — and they loved to debate,” Biden wrote. “They’d argue local politics, state politics, world events, Truman against MacArthur, Truman against the steel companies. They were Truman Democrats, working men or sons of working men.”
Tom Bell, one of Biden’s close childhood friends, points to a trait common to all seven men. They’re all from Irish-American backgrounds. In the first half of the 20th century, people of Irish ancestry began getting more involved in politics.
“That was the big reason, I think, at that time, that was the time of the Irish, all the politics and they were very, very, very big. And yeah, so that was their turn,” Bell said.
They included attorney Alphonsus Casey, Casey Sr.’s father, who ran unsuccessfully for a Lackawanna County judgeship in 1947, the first of many political losses the Casey family suffered.
That persistence helped further their careers. Casey Sr. lost three previous tries for governor before winning in 1986. Biden ran unsuccessfully for president in 1988 and 2008. Casey Jr. ran for governor in 2002 and lost.
“You know, seeing Bob Casey [Sr.] become governor, I remember that like it was yesterday. What a huge deal,” said Virginia Doherty McGregor, James Doherty’s daughter and Chris Doherty’s sister. “That was when we finally succeeded, and he had overcome such challenges. But, like everybody, I think, in this community, you’re just used to seeing in large families’ setbacks and then just brushing it off and moving forward. There was always a better day around the corner.”
Casey Jr. said his grandfather and father served as models.
“One origin of it certainly is what your parents teach you about your obligations and what you can do to help your community,” Casey said. “For some, that means a great number of years doing nonprofit work or doing work in a community in all kinds of ways to serve.
“And for others, it’s involve
ment in politics and public office, or government generally ... I think, at least for me, it was my parents didn’t preach a lot, but they made it very clear ... that we had to give back,” he said.
McGregor and her daughter, Grace McGregor Kramer, still live in the nine-block stretch. They said Green Ridge’s closeknit neighborhood contributed to the street’s track record. Knowing neighbors and living near close relatives leads to engaging with others and wanting to help the community, they said.
“I know from my parents, [they took the attitude that] if you weren’t going to solve the problem, then who was, and ... it was expected that you were going to be engaged,” McGregor said.
The Caseys, McDade and Chris Doherty all attended Scranton Preparatory School, where the Jesuit priests emphasize serving the greater good.
“Their whole mantra is you have to be a man and woman for others so you have to put others first. And, your life is going to be defined on how you helped other people,” McGregor said.
“Even though Biden did not go to Prep, I think he really he lives his faith in that way,” Kramer said.