MHS Alumni Who Knew Mr. Hershey Visit HERSHEY Movie Set

On a dimly lit movie set on the outskirts of Pittsburgh on a hot June day in 2025, two centenarians took a glimpse into their past. In front of them stood Milton and Catherine Hershey. Of course, not the real people, but characters portrayed by Finn Wittrock and Alexandra Daddario, respectively, in the upcoming movie HERSHEY.

The men, Lee Owen ’40 and Tony Perry ’42, were two of just a small number of living Hershey Industrial School (now Milton Hershey School) alumni who attended the school during Mr. Hershey’s lifetime. MHS gave them the opportunity to visit the movie set as a token of appreciation for their decades-long commitment to their alma mater.

“I liked the way they seem to cover everything,” Owen, who at the time was 103 years old, said of the experience. He has since passed away.

Perry, 102 years old, said he had never been on a movie set before and was amazed that MHS was still providing him with new experiences. 

HERSHEY tells the story of how a man who failed in business multiple times before creating an iconic chocolate empire chose to turn his success into a legacy of education and community that continues to transform lives today. Mr. Hershey was in his 80s when Owen and Perry were students at the school, and they have fond memories of him traveling around the Derry Township campus to greet students with a smile.

“He loved to come down to the pheasant farm,” Perry said. “He would stop and talk to us, ask us how we were doing, and if we liked what we were doing.”

Milton and Catherine Hershey signed the school’s Deed of Trust in 1909. More than 80 years after their graduations, Perry and Owen maintain that enrolling in the school was the best thing that ever happened to them.

“I feel really lucky, the staff of Hershey Industrial School made my life what it is,” Owen said. “Mr. Hershey did a wonderful job. Thanks to him, I got a great education and training for my career.”

After graduation, Owen joined the United States Navy during World War II as an engine repairman, using skills he first developed in Hershey. Perry is also a World War II Navy veteran. Both men said that adjusting to Navy life was easier for them than for others because of the discipline instilled in them at HIS.

Perry and Owen often returned to Hershey after their graduations to reconnect with old friends during events such as Homecoming Weekend or Alumni Fellowship Weekend. Their visits and time on the HERSHEY movie set are opportunities to reflect on their experiences and express gratitude for the Hershey legacy.

“If Mr. Hershey were here, I would thank him from the bottom of my heart that he shaped me into the guy I turned out to be,” Perry said.

The school has changed since their days as students, but Perry and Owen agree that the values Mr. and Mrs. Hershey instilled through the Deed of Trust have not wavered. To date, more than 12,000 alumni have benefited from Milton and Catherine Hershey’s vision and generosity. Both men encourage anyone seeking an exceptional educational experience to explore MHS.