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

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an lx, eat me Ulyef . . .Hin Qalua Qenhersun On October 15, 1955 Burgard Vocational lligh School lost one of its most outstanding faculty, members, Mr. Alva VV. Henderson, Head of the Aviation Department died of a heart attack at the Buffalo General Hospital. He lived at 108 Paramount Pkwy. Kenmore and was 61 years of age at the time of his death. Mr. Henderson started teaching automobile mechanics at Elm Vocational High School in 1922. ln 1930 he transferred to the aviation department and became a teacher of hydraulics and propellors. Mr. Henderson first learned to Hy with the Burgard Flying Club and his interest in aviation had since been unbounded. llc was a member of the Burgard High School Band and also a member of the 65th Infantry Begi- ment Band for a number of years. He belonged to the Buffalo Schoolmasters Association and the Master Builder Lodge F8zAlVl. ln his years at Burgard Mr. Henderson was one of our best liked teachers. He has in- spired many former graduates to fine positions in the aviation world. As head of the Aviation Department, Mr. Henderson was respected by both students and teachers alike and his untimely death has struck a blow that Burgard will feel for many years. ima ifgigarlra Quinta' This year Burgard Vocational lligh School is without one ol' its finest instructors, a real pioneer in Vocational Education. The retirement of Mr. Charles Decker will be felt in Burgard for many years tO Come. lkrlr. Decker was born April 10, 1886. lle attended Canisius 1 Iigh School and after graduation went to the Buffalo State Normal School, now State Teachers College. He graduated from that in- stitution in 1918 and came to the Buffalo School Department at Peckham Vocational High School. 1n September of 1920 Mr. Decker was assigned to Elm Vocational School, the forerunner of Burgard. Mr. Decker has been associated with the drawing department of Burgard since that time, and by hundreds of former pupils he will be remembered and respected. While still teaching Mr. Decker never gave up his own search for knowledge and he recieved his Masterys Degree from Can- isus College. He was a firm believer in the value of education as a background for success. Being a very active man Mr. Decker also worked in the Buffalo Post Office and was also a credit investigator. Mr. Decker was an avid stamp collector and under his leadership the Bur- gard Stamp Club was an interesting and importiant adjunct to our extracurricular activities. We will all miss Mr. Charles Decker.

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I 0 he rnwluufQa.- his month of Iune marks the close of the 46th year of Burgarcl's history. We are rapidly approaching the fifty year mark. You graduates now join a great company of alumni of this school, and it's predecessors - Old Elm C1914 - 19301 The Vocational School of Printing C1912- 1914D, and the Broadway Vocational School C1910-19121 Fortunate indeed have you been to have inherited the choice things in Vocational Education that have resulted in nearly a half century of progress. In checking over the archives of this school and delving into the records of olden days, I found that the first graduates numbered four and the exercises were held in the Y. M. C. A. auditorium. 'These were the first alumni and they were from the Printing Department. It is well to note that this year, 1956, is the 250th Anniversary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin-universally hailed as the Patron of the Printing lndustry in America. He was a printer, an author, an inventor, and a diplomat. He taught himself to read French, Spanish, Italian, and Latin. He wrote an autobiography which is still a classic. He printed Poor Richards Almanac. He is one of many great Americans about whom this world should know more. We, at Burgard, always have celebrated his birthday with an appropriate assembly program. This year our Printing Department is marking a special milestone because of the retirement of Mr. john Heinike,-for over forty years-teacher, counsellor, guide, and like Franklin, patron of the Printing Arts. We pay tribute to him with this issue of the CRAFTSMAN. Yes, indeed, you graduates of '56 are to be congratulated. May you ever remember with thankful hearts and real gratitude your years at Burgard and your prized opportunities for the Ugrowth in wisdom and stature and favour at your Alma Mater. Our best wishes go with you.