Freddy won many dance contests, incorporating back-flips and acrobatics. He even received $50 and an album at AG Hall, where he easily danced his way under the “limbo bar” set at 11 inches. Freddy created his own cartoons on large wall murals in car garages. He lettered up stock cars for Dorney, Grandview, and Vargo race tracks for the drivers here in the Lehigh Valley. While in high school at William Allen sometimes he worked straight through the night and he never missed school. The summer of 1965 Fred was the color mixer and spray man for the International Division of Raleigh Display Co.

Fred was an avid Runner and ran 30 miles a week for 34 years. He competed in more than 45  10k’s, 20k’s, and ½ marathons. Between Philadelphia and the Poconos. He always told everyone that he learned all his art skills from his high school teacher James P. Musselman. Jim taught Fred how to Draw, Paint, and Design, but most importantly how to think like an artist. He graduated from William Allen High School in 1964. He was a Silversmith and Hand Wrought and designed jewelry at “Cinruss Creations” for 3 and ½ years. Fred learned quickly the craft of a Silversmith, forging, cutting, soldering, and polishing. He learned all these skills from Bob Singley.

Fred had a stand at the Allentown Fair for 2 years, 1964 – 1965, with Michael Molovinsky. He made airbrush custom Hot-Rod Cartoon T-shirts and was known as “Freddy Flathead”. His characterizations he called “Weirdo’s”, he sold 51,000 T-shirts. All with his own cartoons at 17 years old of age. Every dollar earned was used for art school. He always used a “Buzzing Fly” as his trademark, logo. The summer after high school Fred packed up his blank shirts, compressor, and airbrush. He took the northern tour with the carnival and sprayed his cartoons at 4 State Fairs. Finishing up at Trenton, all the proceeds were used for art school.

The summer of 1963 Fred worked as assistant sign designer with Johnny Slumpack at Lehigh Advertising. There he designed the logo for the Carriage House Laundromat, in use still today. He also designed many logos in Allentown, like Big Brothers Big Sisters, Heart Disease Research Foundation, and many more.

Fred designed many T-shirts over the years for 10k races: Grandview hospital, ASHHC Hospital, The Chamber of Commerce Organizations, Associated with health. One of the most interesting design was the graphics of the WSAN Radio Station News Helicopter, for Hal Fulmer. Sadly the chopper only flew a year. Fred was an active member of the Allentown Federation of Teachers, AFL – CIO (Allentown Federation of Teachers), for 30 years.

While studying at the School of Visual Arts he carried his sketchbook under arm and a 35mm Exa , on his chest, concealed in his P-coat. He roamed the Big Apple with his best friend Earl Dotter, taking photographs and drawing people on the subway. He would occasionally see a sad old lady sitting with two shopping bags , sleeves rolled up, to show their concentration camp tattoo.

Fred graduated as one of the top students from The School of Visual Arts, in New York 1968. He was chosen, only 12 in the nation, for the Champion Paper Scholarship and studied at the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, stayed & housed at Carnegie – Mellon University in Pittsburgh. In 1968 while living in New York, He did graphic design at Typo Art at 17th. Street and Seventh Avenue.  In1970 he made the Lay-Out and lettered – up 2 Indianapolis 500 Race cars. Everything but the number.  Though all weather for one period Fred hitch-hiked with artwork and books in shopping bags, to & from Kutztown State teachers College. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Art Education in 1971. He did mural paintings there and was the Editor-in-Chief of the Keystonia. The college yearbook ‘71, and was the college sign painter for 3 years.

Fred worked his way through school every week end. He was the Only artist for Dorney Park from 68-72. A job he enjoyed very much. Fred earned a Master of Fine Art Degree in Sculpture with a Minor in Art Education, 1977, from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore. He then obtained 32 more credits beyond a master’s. He did additional seminars locally and studies at Houston Texas, Bedford Springs, PA, Boston, Mass. and The Arrow Mount School of Crafts at Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

He had a pottery studio at 8th and Gordon St., and created handmade high fire stoneware and porcelain pottery for 8 years. 1975-1983. He participated at 5 craft shows a year.

Fred re-designed and restored 4 houses in “Old Allentown”, a historical district, one of the houses was on the cover of a magazine. Two of his restored doors are pictured on The Allentown Art Museums, “Doors of Allentown Poster”. He taught art in the Allentown School District for 31 & ½ years, was assistant wrestling coach, and had art club & running club.

 Fred taught 4 classes, drawing, painting, calligraphy, and ceramics a week for 18 years at the Baum School of Art. He missed leaving. Fred’s license plate for his car reads “TCH-ART2”. Over the years Fred taught art for our community many times at: Allentown Art Museum, Crafts Shows; Rodale Farm, Mayfair; 17 years, Lehigh Career & Technical Institute, The Boys Club; Bethlehem YMCA, Moravian College, Group organizations & Street Fairs. He was one of the founders of: 1. Old Allentown Preservation Association, 2. Lehigh Valley Crafts Association, and 3. Mountainville – South-side Gang Association. A few of the topics Fred has taught for our community at colleges, businesses, seminars, public schools, social events, and craft shows, over the 40 years are listed in the following. Advertising art, airbrush, Allentown architecture, architectural restoration, art education, calligraphy, candle making, cartooning, ceramics, collage, design drafting, drawing, face painting, fractures, fratuage, graph design, jewelry, kite building, lettering, many crafts, mechanical drawing, model building, metric system, oil painting, pollution, puppets (paper), weaving; yarn and paper, paper making, sidewalk art, pottery, sculpture, tie dying, silk screening, printmaking, time capsules, recycling, art history, assemblage, hieroglyphics, paper mache, molas in paper, wood cuts, linoleum cuts, etching, how to stretch a canvas. His favorite medias were collage & crayons.

Fred’s art work has been hung at a few places in our area: City hall offices, Allentown Art Museum, art shows, Allentown & Bethlehem, Lehigh Valley Galleries, Jim Thorpe shows, doctor’s offices, Kutztown Alumni Shows, studio open house, Harrisburg State Show, Swain School, Wm. Allen High School offices, and art in the park. Fred’s artwork is a “Pop Space Art Collage”. When he made his work it would be in paint, pencil, and collage. Fred’s theme was outer space, looking into the 4th dimension. Only to find the likeness of Marilyn Monroe. She’s caught somewhere between deep space & time, immortal.

Fred had some education at a seminar in the 1970’s. The Boston Area Guild of Craftsmen s developed a week-end course in Styrofoam aluminum casting. He worked at a Jr. high school outside of Boston that had an aluminum foundry. Fred caste a few pieces less than 10” high and designed/made 3 unusual brass buckles. He also had some education from summer classes Fred took during the summer of 1981. They were for adventure and enrichment advanced studies in ceramic and rak-ku at The Arrowmont School of Crafts at Pigeon Forge TS. Which there he broadened his interest and studied a very old hand craft of basket making. He cut bark from trees and prepared it for use, this was very difficult. By the end of the summer his fingers were sore from the manipulation of the raw materials.

Fred has a nice collection of non-rip nylon kits of various designs Paraphole, Delta, Box, etc. and of various colors. Over the years he taught kit building many times while teaching at Jr. high. The Allentown Art Museum invited him to instruct a class on kit making for an upcoming kite contest and rally. The kids had a great time, the event was a success. While teaching ceramics at The Baum School of Art and having a shop and studio at 8th & Gordon Sts. in Allentown. He handmade stoneware & porcelain pottery for eight years, 1975 – 1983.He purchased two tons of dry clay for the shop. It took seven years to use all the clay, he used one electric wheels and two homemade kick wheels and a kiln. Fred did five shows a year, demonstrated the potters wheel hand building for most of the shows and sold his work. Including handmade multi colored stoneware beads and jewelry. The best craft shows and most profitable were Skippack Pennsylvania and “Super Sunday” on Hamilton street in Allentown. The Rodal Show at the Rodal Farm was very good also. 1976 he entered one of his largest hand built pieces of pottery of many, in the Harrisburg State Crafts Show. The mushroom shape pot was four feet high. he only made about six or seven four feet high pieces. He sold them as fast as he made them.