Since its founding in 1961, the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament and Joe Divico have been synonymous - and inseparable. For forty-three years, the A.C.I.T. was Joe’s life. On March 20, 2003, within the week following the 43rd annual A.C.I.T., Joe died suddenly while attending to tournament business.

Joe was born December 28, 1925, the son of Benjamin C. and Inez Marie (Grande) Divico He was a graduate of LaSalle High School, Cumberland, MD and St Francis College, Loretto, PA. He served as a member of the U.S. Army in World War II, and retired as a lab technician at Sacred Heart Hospital.

Joe joined the Alhambra in 1954 as a charter member of Wamba Caravan No. 89. He was elected Grand Commander of Wamba Caravan in 1962. In 1965, he was appointed as Deputy Regional Director, and in 1967 was named Regional Director for the state of Maryland. In 1969, at the Supreme Convention in Atlantic City, Joe was elected as Grand Vizier (international Board of Directors) of the Order of Alhambra. Among his other activities, Joe founded and served as general chairman of the Alhambra Bedford Springs Reunion throughout its history, and of the Alhambra Ocean City, Maryland Reunion from its founding in 1961 until the time of his death.

Both of these events annually attracted Sir Nobles and Sultanas from the eastern United States, and some visitors from all areas served by the Order of Alhambra. Throughout his membership, Joe remained active on he international level in numerous capacities, and was serving as Program Chairman for the 2003 supreme convention at the time of his death. In 1961, Joe and a small group of Wamba Caravan members organized the first Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament (see link to "About A C.I.T. - History" for details.) Joe served as General Chairman for the first forty-three years of its history. During that time, his efforts caused it to grow from a small school tournament to an international competition featuring the finest Catholic high school basketball teams in the United States and Canada. Many A.C.I.T players have become well known college and professional basketball ranks. Many of the coaches have earned reputations which make their names household words among basketball fans. All who have participated in the Alhambra Tournament, in any capacity, have benefitted from the experience of competition, sportsmanship, and friendship, which have become synonymous with the A.C.I.T . The man who originated the concept, planned the details, and supervised the operation of the first forty-three tournaments was Joe Divico. The A.C.I.T. was Joe’s life.!

Since 1961, Joe’s philosophy has been that a high school basketball tournament should involve much more than basketball. From its earliest days, the A.C.I.T. has emphasized the development of social relationships among its participants, students and adults. Some of the events which have been held have included Tip Off Diners, featuring , in earlier years, sports celebrities, and in later years, comments by student speakers from each school; team luncheons, featuring "skits" by each team; teen dances; operat ion of adult and student hospitality rooms; occasional parades and performances by local vocal and musical groups; "Coaches Brunches" , when coaches of the eight teams have the opportunity to exchange compliments (?). comments, and observations (usually concerning the opposing coaches and tournament officials); the annual "Mass of Thanksgiving" celebrated on Saturday afternoon at the Church of St. Patrick; and, the unsanctioned, unplanned, and unofficial, but highly popular, "auction" of school memorabilia , conducted by team players in the lobby of the Holiday Inn, following the championship game on Saturday night.

Since Joe’s death, the tournament directors have received numerous expressions of gratitude for is work for the tournament, and its beneficiaries. Comments have arrived from participants in the earliest years of our tournament and from those who have supported it until the present. The common theme of these comments has been that Joe’s legacy to us, and to the community, is the AC.I.T, and that his hope would be that it continue indefinitely in the future. In response to suggestions received from Joe’s fri ends, the tournament directors established, for the 2004 tournament, the "Joseph F. Divico Memorial Fund". Contributions to this fund were used to make donations in Joe’s name to the developmentally disabled children and adults of Western Maryland, the newly named "Joseph F. Divico Seminar" at Frostburg State University, for the teachers of our special children, the International Order of Alhambra Charity and Educational Fund, and the Alhambra Developmentally Disabled Research Program.

THE PLEDGE OF THE TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS IS THAT WE SHALL , AS A LIVING MEMORIAL TO OUR FRIEND, JOE DIVICO, CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AND OPERATE THE ALHAMBRA CATHOLIC INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT FOR AS LONG A PERIOD AS PEOPLE LOVE BASKETBALL, FRIENDSHIP, AND THE IDEALS WHICH JOE EXEMPLIFIED.

Those who worked with Joe, and knew him well, could spend many pages relating our experiences, memories and "stories", (some serious, many humorous, and all sincere) concerning Joe Divico. Our observations are obviously affected by the close connection and the affection which we have for him. Perhaps the best description of Joe, and the reasons why we shall always remember and respect him, are stated in the tribute published in the Cumberland Times-News, by Sports Editor Mike Burke, on March 26, 2003. Noth ing more need be said!

FOR JOE, IT WAS DEEDS, NOT WORDS

"The only thing I ever heard Joe Divico say about himself was "fine," and that came only after you asked him how he was doing.

I never knew Joe to say another word about himself. Of course, to know Joe was to know a man who was not much on talking. But really, what else was there to say other than "fine?" Joe Divico was fine. Joseph F. Divico was a fine man.

In the view of some, the world is made up of givers and takers. The way Joe saw it, the world was made up of givers and needers. Joe saw people who needed help, and for his entire life he gave his help to those who needed it.

The founder, then general chairman of the Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament for all 43 years of its existence, passed away last Thursday afternoon. Ironic, some have said, that he would pass on just five days after his latest success story — the 43rd ACIT — was in the books. Not so ironic, really, for Joe, at the age of 77, had been encountering serious health problems. There was, however, no way they would get in the way of his putting on what has become one of our community’s real treasures.

The ACIT gave Joe life, not just in the waning days of his life, but for 43 years of his life. Along with his many other charitable works, the ACIT gave him life because it allowed him to help developmentally disabled children and adults. It helped to develop and nurture programs for Friends Aware and the Brandenburg Center.

Don’t misunderstand, Joe was a great basketball fan, and he loved the great basketball that’s been played here for 43 years, but nearly a half-century ago, he saw a way to funnel his passion for the game to avenues where it could do the most good. And because he had had that foresight, thousands of people who have needed help have received it.

Sure, Joe reaped benefits for his efforts — the benefits of helping others, and the friendships that came with it. It is not an exaggeration to say Joe Divico had a thousand friends. In fact, it may be an understatement.

"He was a great person," said Joe Carter Jr., who, for at least 25 years, has worked alongside Divico in annually producing the basketball classic. "He did so much for our area. For one weekend in March, he brought people from all over the country and Canada (to Allegany County). He made friends with everyone that came. He made people want to come back and not just for basketball."

One of those friends was Speedy Morris, the great Philadelphia basketball coach. For nearly 40 years, Speedy has come to every ACIT he could, whether his team was invited or not. And for many of those years, his teams weren’t invited because those teams were the LaSalle University women’s and men’s basketball teams. Speedy’s loyalty and friendship toward the ACIT is because of the loyalty and friendship he shared with Joe Divico.

Another dear friend of Joe’s was former DeMatha coach Morgan Wootten, possibly the best basketball coach/teacher who ever held tryouts.

"He lived his life for others," Wootten said in remembering his friend. "The world would be fabulous if everyone was like Joe. I can’t say enough about him — it is impossible. I never met anyone who I respected more."

Not many of us have, and it’s with a real sense of sadness that we understand we won’t be meeting up with Joe again. A man of few words, he performed many great deeds.

Joe Divico was fine. Joseph F. Divico was a fine man."