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

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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

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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.

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SILVER ANNIVERSARY . . . . THE SCHOOL OF PRINTING on the opening day. No time was lost, however, in devis- ing plans to recruit a sufficient number of boys to B11 the classes. A contest was started, and a small hand-lever printing press was offered as a prize to the boy who brought in the greatest number of new students. This method of recruiting may have had its faults but it was highly successful, for it was not long until all the classes had their full quota of embryo printers. The School of Printing went along serenely for two years offering courses in typesetting and presswork as well as the customary bookwork. Both day and evening classes were conducted and some of Buifalo's successful master printers and many of her capable journeymen got their start in this institution. lt is interesting to note that the first part-time class in the State of New York was begun in this school. A class of printers, apprentices receiving instruction in hand composition, presswork, English and Mathematics met one afternoon a week. A number of employers permitted their apprentices to attend this class with no loss of pay. Another interesting bit of history which had its origin in the School of Printing was the organization of the Ben Franklin Club. This Club is still in existence but oper- ates under a different name. The Club is now known as the Junior Craftsmen's Club and is affiliated with the Buffalo Club of Printing House Craftsmen. Membership is confined to Fourth Year Printing Students of Burgard, and it is considered a distinct honor to claim member- ship in this club. ln two year's time we had completely outgrown the Michigan and Tupper building. The popularity of voca- tional education warranted the expanding of our print- ing courses and the introduction of additional types of work. To do this the School of Printing must find larger quarters. About this time the new Technical High School at Bennett Park and Clinton Street was opened and the School of Printing inherited the building on Elm Street made vacant by the removal of Tech. The School of Printing, as a name, then passed from the picture for in the new building we became Elm Vocational School. New and greater things were done here, the story of which is told on an accompanying page.