Anthony Petropulos


Portrait of Anthony Petropulos in policeman's uniform, Lewiston, 1940

Portrait of Anthony Petropulos in policeman's uniform, Lewiston, 1940
Item 102755   info
Maine Historical Society

Petropulos became a U.S. citizen in 1906, but waited until 1946 to legally change his first name from "Adon" to Anthony. The Lewiston Evening Journal reported in 1943 that Petropulos, "… so well typifies the American spirit, so fully demonstrates how the man or woman, born on another shore, born to speak another language, born to customs greatly at variance with ours can come here and thoroughly absorb our ways and our spirit.”

Stories of Petropulos's patriotism abound. During World War II, Anthony's son asked what would happen if Greece entered the war, to which he replied, “You and I are Americans, son, and we’ll fight for the stars and stripes against Greece or any other country!”

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