About Frank Calandra, Jr.

Frank Calandra, Jr. (1937 – 2022) was born in Cresson, PA, the son of the late Frank and Mary Calandra. After graduating 10th in his class at Mercersburg Prep School, he enrolled in Carnegie Tech to study metallurgical lab work, and then attended St. Francis University where he majored in accounting and played on the golf team. He joined the National Guard after college, swiftly rising to the rank of Sergeant before returning home to Cresson to help with the family scrap business, Frank Calandra, Inc.

In 1972, Frank and his brother Jack Calandra founded Jennmar, a global, family-owned company that is leading the way in ground control technology for the mining, tunneling and civil construction industries. They aggressively began to re-shape production and safety methods in underground mining, and during Frank’s tenure as President, there was a direct correlation in reducing underground fatal mine injuries from 150 a year in 1972 to under 5 a year by 2018, when he retired from the presidency. He is responsible for creating over 20 patents in roof control design for underground mining and his companies are associated with well over 100 additional patents. Frank Calandra was inducted into the National Coal Mining Hall of Fame in 2019, and served as a board member for the National Mining Association.

A perfect day for Frank included taking his children to school in the morning and working 8 to 12 hours a day at the office with his esteemed co-workers at Jennmar. He would always end the day at the kitchen table with his wife and children. Frank was an avid golfer who enjoyed competition with business associates and friends. He loved to entertain family and friends and lived with a tenacious vigor for life. He left a lasting impact on his family and business.

Continuing a Legacy

According to the American Diabetes Association, in 2021, 38.4 million Americans—that’s 11.6% of the population—had diabetes. Diabetes is ranked the 8th leading cause of death among Americans, with just over 100,000 deaths from diabetes related complications every year. In 2022, Frank Calandra, Jr. became one of them.

The Frank Calandra, Jr. Family Foundation, led by Frank’s daughter Kim Calandra-Tohme, was created by the Calandra Family in honor of their beloved patriarch to help raise awareness for diabetes and its complications, as well as focus on the research of diabetes, so that one day, no one will have to lose their loved one to diabetes. The Calandra Family decided to partner with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and clinical partners at UPMC to create The Frank Calandra Jr. Research and Innovations in Diabetes Fund that will provide critical funding for ongoing diabetes research initiatives at the University of Pittsburgh.

Frank Calandra Jr. Foundation Annual Golf Outing

2023 was the Inaugural Frank Calandra Jr. Foundation Golf Outing. Read more about the event HERE.

The Frank Calandra, Jr. Innovations in Diabetes Honorary Lecture