Burgard Vocational High School - Craftsman Yearbook (Buffalo, NY)

Page 13 text:

SILVER ANNIVERSA . BROADWAY VO CA showing the way. Here was born the school that showed the way which finally culminated in the build- ing of the new Burgard Vocational High School. The earliest printed circular in existence that tells about Broadway Vocational School is dated July, 1910, and states that '4The Department of Industrial Training offers courses in Printing and Bookbinding. The aim of the school is to furnish a practical education for the boys who expect to work at skilled trades and vocations without neglecting their general training. - ln 1910 there was a meeting of the Typothetae of Buffalo in the Washington room of the Old Genesee Hotel which stood on the site of the present Genesee Building, and the Needs of the Printing School were discussed. The speakers were Mr. R. J. Hausauer, Dr. Arthur Dean, Mr. F. H. Wing, Dr. Louis J. Knell, Mr. William B. Kamprath, and Mr. E. T. Welsh. About the same time the members of Typographical Union No. 9, with Mr. Charles Kinskey as president, held a meeting in which they offered their co-operation and support. Efforts of public vocational schools in many cities to teach boys how to work, to think, and to play have not always availed against civic apathy, but as. Mr. Wing says, 4'Some ideas have within them, a triumphant qual- ity that is bound to win. This has been the case in Buffalo. Our four fine new vocational high schools tes- tify eloquently to the quarter century of progress that has been made. This silver anniversary book strikes a note of con- gratulation for all who have had a part in this great enterprise. It is hoped that this effort on the part of our printing students may be inspiring enough to open a few windows through which the sunlight may stream as it did in those basem-ent panes in 1910 and throw more light on the problems of the vocational high school and its heroic possibilities in the new industrial and scientific era now dawning.

Page 12 text:

F S 'VV4 I ,I7?W,I,,U,., , F...-f-. -rn--H-We ---- I r 6' V ' V' .h , ' or 1 A -.. . . . .. .,.... ,- .-.. -. . .. . .. . VV- V -Y,-Y V . - .-', .- .,...-- -.s-Q.- V..Y -.-,--f-V--Q---7-v--L---f.--Y-W-u-f vt---sv--:ft-3-1.- - , ,., -,.. .-,. -1 .. ,. .1 ,asf -..L - BRO DWAY VOCATIONAL SCHOOL .... With the publication of this Silver Anniversary year- book, THE CRAFTSINIAN pays tribute to a quarterfcentury- long struggle in this city, which began formally for us in 1910, when the Broadway Vocational School was started. lt was the forerunner of the present Burgard Vocational High School, and was established by Mr. Henry P. Emerson, Superintendent of Schools, for the purpose of offering vocational education in the printing trades. Messrs. Francis H. Wing, Director, William B. Kamprath, Principal, Edward T. Welsh, and John C. Heinike witnessed and took an active part in this struggle during its earliest stages and followed it through to the present date. They have seen the whole develop- ment from beginning to end and can recall many of the important miles-tones in vocational education passed during these twenty-five years. Our school was born in the basement of School No. 44 on Broadway and Krupp Streets. Dr. Louis .l. Knell was principal, and he, together with Mr. Kamprath and Miss L. Spinner, ninth grade teacher, purchased a little press and some type to get out a school paper. Two small rooms, one for shopwork and one for bookwork, located at opposite ends of a long basement corridor, were used by this first vocational printing experiment. Our equipment consisted of 20 frames containing 200 cases of type arranged in series and 50 cases of body type, one C. 81 P. 10x15 Gordon press, one Boston wire stitcher, one Potter proof press, one C. Sz P. proof press, one C. 81 P. paper cutter, one Rouse mitering machine, one New York drying rack, two imposing stones and other necessary printing office accessories. The slit basement windows permitted the afternoon sunlight to stream into the shop in long narrow streaks and illuminate the Hframes and casesw in real cloister style. Dr. Arthur D. Dean, then chief of the State Divi- sion of Vocational Education, wrote on the flyleaf of one of his books which he presented to us in 1911, MThe School of Tomorrow will have a printing press. You are

Page 14 text:

H E C R A F T s M A N THE SCHOOL OF PRINTING .... A short time after the basement experiment which was known as the Broadway Vocational School began, there was a concerted movement started to lift this struggling infant from the cradle of its birth and place it in an environment which would be more conducive to its growth. Sponsoring this movement were some of the leading employing printers of the city as well as representatives of the printers' union. The interest shown by these two groups culminated in a meeting at which all present were agreed on the advisability of moving the school to a point nearer the heart of the printing industry. After the facts were presented, resolutions were adopted requesting the city officials to acquiesce in the proposal, and a committee was appointed to present the proposi- tion to the proper authorities. Fortunately for the future of the school the authorities saw the wisdom in the request and approval was immedif ately granted. Now that the first step in our desire to get closer to the heart of the printing industry was accomplished, the next move was to find a building suitable for school purposes. After a time a store, located at Michigan and Tupper Streets, which seemed to have the floor space needed for our enterprise, was rented by the City, and we were delighted with the prospects of setting up shop in the new quarters. There were two large rooms on the first floor and several smaller ones on the second floor. The first floor rooms were chosen for the shops, and the rooms on the second floor for bookwork. During the summer vacation of 1912 the trek from Broadway and Krupp Street was begun, and by the time school opened in September we were moved in and rarin' to go. At the time the Broadway School equipment was being moved another exodus was taking place. Seneca, which began a year before the Broadway School, also had a printing department. This was moved from Seneca to the Michigan and Tupper building and combined with the Broadway unit. Thus the union of these two units formed the School of Printing. Like most new ventures, the start of the School of Printing was small. .lust a handful of pupils showed up