George Washington High School - Hatchet Yearbook (New York, NY)

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NEW LEADER AND a new type of leader- ship came to the George Washington High School as it opened for the Fall Term of 1950. At that time Dr. Leonard J. Fliedner began 'his duties as our new Principal, and during the months that have followed he has earned the respect and af- fection of both faculty and students. School ad- ministration was indeed not a new field for him, since his career had included principalship of a junior high school, and he had come to us from his post as Principal of 178. Moreover he was not unknown to many of the veterans of our faculty, for he had been one of us for some time back in 1934 when he was Chairman of the Physi- cal Sciences Department. When he was formally introduced to the faculty at its first meeting of the Fall term, Dr. Fliedner announced his intention to adopt the role of a careful but sympathetic observer for some time be- fore suggesting any changes in the school's man- agement. He followed this role conscientiously during the greater part of the Fall term, but as the present edition of The Hatchetn goes to press we are well along toward the end of the Spring term of '51, and already some significant changes of routine and policy have been tried out with considerable success. It is with great pleasure, moreover, that we are privileged to include in the present writing the substance of an interview which a member of the Hatchet staff had with Dr. Fliedner in the latter part of March. Prominent among Dr. Fliedner's plans is one calling for three more or less distinct types of curriculum. These will include an academic cur- riculum made up largely of the traditional courses in English, History, Science, Mathematics, and Languages, with special Honor classes for better students. A second curriculum will be the stand- ard commercial course which will include our present accounting and secretarial courses and in addition Merchandising and Business Machines. And finally there is to be a broader curriculum in a general course which will include a number of subjects hitherto unknown to G.W. such as Ceramics, Woodworking, Metalworking, Shop and Home Economics. With such a variety of courses to choose from, Dr. Fliedner feels that it will be possible for every boy and girl to find a pattern of instruction that will fit his needs and abilities. In the field of extra-curricular activities Dr. Fliedner has many hopes and plans for a reju- venated school spirit and for the continuance of our tradition of championship athletic teams and up-to-date modern clubs. With Mr. Richard El- liffe, the chairman of our Health Education de- partment, he believes in the development of as much intramural athletics as possible so that every student of the school may get the benefit of par- ticipation in competitive sports, but he also defi- nitely looks forward to a future in which G.W. will have championship teams as famous as those of the past in baseball, basketball, and other sports. He is also keenly aware of the history of our many outstanding theatrical productions, and anticipates a marked revival of activity for the Rehearsal Club and the classes in dramatics. In due time he feels that the numerous clubs which have featured our after-school activity in the past will be even larger than ever and even more stimu- lating to the students, and he intends to encourage the Motion Picture Group that is responsible for our prize-winning orientation films, and to foster a new Camera Club that will enable students in- terested in photography to get considerable expert advice and practice in that field. In all these plans Dr. Fliedner realizes that the faculty must play a very large part, and he is fully determined to practice a modern democratic policy in his rela- tionship to the teachers as well as to the students in making ours one of the foremost high schools of the nation. For the record we should like to include here an account of the formal installation of Dr. Flied- ner on Wednesday afternoon, November 29, 1950. The ceremony took place in our auditorium, and Mr. Max Schottland, Administrative Assistant, presided. The program opened with an organ

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l-IIUIRII prelude by Mr. Luther Gloss, and then the invo- cation was given by Rt. Rev. Msgr. john S. Mid- dleton, Secretary of Education of the Archdiocese of New York. Dr. Moses L. Isaacs, Dean of Yeshiva College of Arts and Sciences, brought greetings from Yeshiva University. The Hon. Vito F. Lanza, Vice- President of the Board of Education, offered to the-new principal the congratulations of the Board of Education. Dr. Frederick J. Moilit, Executive Assistant of the State Department of Education represented Dr. Lewis A. Wilson, Commissioner of Education. I Following the singing of Jacob's This Is My Country by the Glee Club, conducted by Miss Mazona Don, the Hon. Solomon Klein, Assistant to Deputy Mayor Horowitz, representing the Mayor, gave his felicitations. Greetings were extended from the students by Miss Lorraine E. Ludwig, from the alumni by Mr. Frank Cavallon, Vice-President of james Mc- Creery and Co., from the faculty by Mr. E. Pen- nington Meyer, from the parents by Mrs. Bella Kaswin, President of the Parents Association, and from the community by Mr. L. Fresco Thompson, an alumnus, Vice-President of the Brooklyn Na- tional League Baseball Club. Directed by Mr. Luther Gloss, the G.W.H.S. band played Bells Across the Meadows by Ketelby. The Hon. Maximilian Moss, President of the Board of Education, spoke for the Board. Dr. Harrison C. Thomas, Assistant Superintendent, High School Division, pronounced the formal in- stallation decree. Dr. Fliedner expressed his appreciation to the Board of Education and his gratitude to his many friends and associates. The Rev. James H. Morgan of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine gave the benediction. The playing of the recessional by Mr. Gloss at the organ brought the ceremony to a close. After the formal installation ceremonies, a re- ception was given in our library. The Honor Guard, in beautiful colonial costumes, acted as hostesses. Among the honored guests were Mrs. Leonard J. Fliedner, a daughter Patricia and son Leon- ard, jr., Mr. John Fliedner, father of the Principal, ZOPNS and Mr. and Mrs. Ralph' E. Fliedner, Dr. Flied- ner's brother and sister-in-law. Other notables were Associate Superintendent Dr. Elias Lieberman and Assistant Superintend- ents John F. Conroy, representing Superintendent of Schools William Jansen, Dr. Frank D. Whalen, Dr. George Zukerman, Dr. Clare C. Baldwin, and Dr. Harry N. Wfright, President of City College. High school principals present were Mr. Joseph C. Driscoll, Miss Elizabeth T. Fitzpatrick, Dr. Henry E. Hein, Mr. Michael Katzoff, Mr. Stuart C. Lucey, Dr. Mary E. Meade, Dr. Morris Meister, Mr. Edward P. O'Connor, Mr. Fred Schoenberg, Mr. Louis A. Schuker, Dr. john V. Walsh, and Mr. Harry A. Wolfson. Principals Emanuel Gross, Daniel C. Krane, and Miss Veronica Myers represented the elementary and junior high schools, and Dr. Samuel Solender and Dr. Matthew Slate, Local School Board No. 14. Prominent personages in public life who at- tended to extend their good wishes to the new principal were the Hon. james J. Lyons, President of the Borough of the Bronx, Hon. Robert Wag- ner, jr., President of the Borough of Manhattan, Hon. Maurice A. Fitzgerald, President of the Borough of Queens, Hon. Anthony J. Di Gio- vanna, justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Agnes M. Craig, Hon. john Splain, Commis- sioner of Purchase, Hon. james A. Phillips, rep- resenting the Comptroller, Hon. Samuel Roman, Member of the Assembly. Rev. Henry Fisher, Pastor of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Mrs. David L. Don, mother of Miss Mazona Don, Mrs. Anne Lee Jacobs, Chair- man, Board of Directors, Youth Aid, Inc., and Mrs. Dorothy Greiner, leader in a number of community activities in the Manhattan area, were among the guests. Many members of the faculty of jr. H. S. 178, Brooklyn, and james Monroe H. S., at both of which Dr. Fliedner served, Brigadier General Edwin A. Kane, former Chairman of the Speech Department at G.W., and Mrs. John F. Conroy, a former teacher at G.W., were present. Among the alumni present were Al Campanis, Mrs. Florence M. Ferguson, Mr. james C. Healey, and Mr. Dominick Torpe.