Eastern District High School - Eastern Senior Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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the bridge would mean in terms of increased opportunity in trade and industry. So it was that in 1901, Eastern acquired an annex at PS. 143. But the bridge kept pouring more people into this rapidly developing section of Brooklyn and, with the inauguration of trolley service over the bridge in 1905, the population influx really hit its stride. There were no two ways about it. The new school needed a new building and the cornerstone of the present Eastern building was laid on June 26. 1906. With appropriate ceremony and speeches, a copper box was placed inside the cornerstone. Some future archaeologist will. perhaps, discover it some day and perhaps he will find its contents interesting: records of the Board of Education, newspapers. an American flag, and a Bible. The new school building was opened on February 3, 1908, and dedicated formally on October 16. ln the same year, elevated train service over the new bridge went into operation. The world was certainly rushing at a dizzy pace. The automobile was proving to be more than a passing fad. Horse-drawn trolleys were giving way to electric ones. W0mCl17S ankles had begun to appear in public. The pace was getting terrihc. Life at Eastern. too, was getting more complex. Five courses were being offered: the classical. the Latin. the scientific, the modern language. the English and the commercial courses. Numerous clubs were being formed. all enthusiastically sup- ported. Dr. William T. Vlymen, Eastern's First principal, found his school growing by leaps and bounds. In 1924. Princeton Lniversiiy conferred honorary degrees on a number of notables, among whom was our first principal. Dr. Wm. T. Vlymen. L. to r.: Frank Calvin Roberts. Michael 1. Pupin. Edward Robinson, Sec'y. of State Chas. Evans Hughes, President Hibben, Ambas- sador ,lohn Wm. Davis, Chas. Albert Coffin. Philip Ashton Rollin, Wm. T. Vlymen. Nine

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World War ll- Eastern contributed an ambulance to US. Army qv And then Vtforld War l shattered the old existence. Eastern rallied to the colors and acquitted herself nobly. Many of the students joined the armed forces. Others sold Liberty liouds. President Wilson. in a personal letter to Dr. Vlymen. commended the school on her excellent showing. ln May of 1920, a Pageant of Peacei' was presented to secure funds for a memorial to the teachers. graduates and students of Eastern who had served during the war. The memorial look the form of the mural at the Rodney Street entrance to the school, which was unveiled on October 31, 1922. The roaring twenties had begun to roar. The flapper was here with her boyish silhouette. .Xutomobilcs were now cars and they really began to speed things up. Prohibition and prohibition hooch inspired all sorts of nonsense. People did any- thing to attract attention, from sitting on llagpoles to bathing in milk. Eastern was a quiet oasis in all this uproar. It continued steadfastly on its way. adhering strictly to its appointed task of giving its students the best kind ol' educa- tion to meet a rapidly whirling world. ln l9f'iU, hve years after celebrating the sehool's silver anniversary, Ur. Vlyrnen retired and was succeeded by Dr. Frederick W. Oswald. liy 1923i Eastern had added two annexes. one on Meeker Avenue and one on Mclfibben Street. liy l9Ii9. when Dr. Oswald left to become principal ol' the new Lafayette High School. these annexes had been dropped. Dr. Oswald was succeeded by the present principal. Dr. Samuel D. Moskowitz. The fabulous' twenties had been followed by the depressed thirties. Tensions increased all over the world. When Wo1'lcl Wlar II broke out. Eastern did her duty again. '4Liberty7, bonds were now 'lDefense'l bonds and then 'lWar'7 bonds and Eastern bought her share and more. The school supported all the war drives and contributed an ambulance besides. Once again. her teachers and students joined the armed forces and sacrificed much to hasten the day of victory. So here it is 1950 and Easternls golden anniversary Ends her still full of vigor, adding an annex on Humboldt Street, extending the range of her courses, adapting herself to a radically changed and changing environment. fullilling new needs as they arise. always serving her community in a thousand ways. a 5 1 . X' irzv--'ik new . fs be :pimp l..,'l TIEQEM OUT World War ll-Easternites do their part OE