The mayor of Cambridge yesterday officially proclaimed the intersection of Bow Street and Plympton Street as Patrick R. Sorrento Square, in honor of the longtime production supervisor of The Harvard Crimson.

Sorrento, deemed a "folk hero" and a "legend" by those who worked with him, retired this fall after 31 years.

About 50 people attended a dedication ceremony yesterday at 2 p.m. where Mayor Francis H. Duehay '55 presented Sorrento with a signed and sealed proclamation, issued last Monday after a unanimous vote of the city council.

"Isn't this something?" Sorrento said as he admired the official document. "Unbelievable."

The mayor, as well as current and former editors of the Crimson, praised Sorrento, who has seen the paper through numerous technological changes over the years.

"With Pat," Duehay said, "there was a lot more going on than just typesetting." According to the mayor, Sorrento has made as great an impact on the community as any Harvard faculty member.

"You were teaching, learning and helping to create a community," he said.

"I was on The Crimson for four years, and Pat made it what it was," said Jessica A. Dorman '88, former Crimson president. Dorman said she feels lucky that she resides in the Boston area and can visit Sorrento often.

Sorrento, who lives in Everett, said he was "flabbergasted" by the gesture, and thanked the city council, the mayor, Crimson editors past and present and his family.

"Every time I come through Cambridge now, I can say, 'This is my square,'" he said.

Sorrento began his career at The Crimson with very little production experience. He said he saw a listing for the position in a local newspaper when scanning the classified ads for part-time jobs.

In 1970, when The Crimson switched production methods from hot to cold type, Sorrento was the only assistant who was kept on the payroll.

"The kids wanted me to stay," he said.

Sorrento said the rapport he had with students continued to develop over the years. He said he will make frequent visits to the newspaper office, even in his retirement, which began in September.

"They treat me like a celebrity here," he said.