Schools

New La Salle Academy Building

The new La Salle Academy building, located at 44-50 East Second Street in Manhattan, opened its doors to an enthusiastic student body on March 2, 1937. Among the outstanding features of the new building are “an ingenious public address system connected with every room in the building,” a combination gymnasium and auditorium, an outdoor recreation center on the rooftop, a library with a capacity of 10,000 volumes, 20 classrooms, three laboratories with the most modern equipment, three beautiful reception rooms, and ample quarters for the Brothers.

Bulletin of the St. La Salle Auxiliary (Barrytown), March 1937, p. 45.

St. John’s Celebrate King George VI Crowning

On May 12, 1937, King George VI was ceremonially crowned in London as the new British sovereign, and the day was celebrated as Coronation Day throughout the British Commonwealth (which of course included Canada). Flags and crowns to salute the event had been placed on the buildings at St. John’s Industrial School (Toronto), and wood had been collected for the big bonfire there that night. Classes were cancelled that day at St. John’s. That afternoon, the boys were the guests of the Kingswood theatre and enjoyed two feature films (one starring Clark Gable) and a cartoon. Rain fell heavily around the same time, but cleared sufficiently for St. John’s to salute King George VI with a bonfire and fireworks display for the large crowd which attended.

Annals of St. John’s Industrial School (Toronto), p. 168.

Public Speaking Contest at DLSI

The annual contest in public speaking among the high school students of the New York District was held on April 2, 1937, at De La Salle Institute under the auspices of Manhattan College. Vincent Gallagher of Bishop Loughlin Memorial HS (Brooklyn) won the top prize of $25 for his topic of “Communism, the enemy of Christianity.”

Bulletin of the St. La Salle Auxiliary (Barrytown), June 1937, p. 61

Manhattan College at Staten Island

On May 2, 1937, Cardinal Patrick Hayes of New York officiated at the solemn blessing of the new building of the Staten Island Division of Manhattan College. This division, which opened in 1935, is not a junior college, but rather offers the same courses prescribed at the main campus of Manhattan College, where the Junior and Senior years must be completed for the Manhattan degree. The building is located in the New Brighton section of Staten Island, and accommodates 115 students at the time of the blessing.

Bulletin of the St. La Salle Auxiliary (Barrytown), June 1937, pp. 52-53.

Graduates Celebrate 75 Years for St. Mary’s Parochial

Graduates of St. Mary’s Parochial School (Yonkers) converged at a banquet on May 3, 1937, to observe its 75th Jubilee. St. Mary’s was the first such school between New York and Poughkeepsie. The various speakers talked glowingly about the impact of St. Mary’s, which is known in the New York District “for its high standards in scholastic education.”

Bulletin of the St. La Salle Auxiliary (Barrytown), June 1937, p. 63.

Cardinal Hayes Blesses New La Salle Academy Building

On May 16, 1937, Cardinal Hayes returned to his alma mater to bless the new La Salle Academy building on Second Street (Manhattan). After the Cardinal blessed the exterior walls, the entrance, and the interior of the school, he proceeded to the auditorium where an audience of 2,000 had gathered. Various speakers addressed the throng, including Cardinal Hayes and Brother Amedy, the principal of La Salle Academy. Cardinal Hayes recalled that the teaching he received from the Brothers exerted “a great influence on my life at a time when I needed it the most.”

Bulletin of the St. La Salle Auxiliary (Barrytown), June 1937, pp. 58-59.

La Salle Institute “The Cadet” Honored as Best Newspaper

The Cadet, the school newspaper of La Salle Institute (Troy, NY), was given first place (competing against 37 others) in the military school division of high school newspapers at the Columbia University Scholastic Press Association.

Bulletin of the St. La Salle Auxiliary (Barrytown), June 1937, p. 61.

St. John’s Enrolls 106

The arrival of two new boys on March 9, 1937, at St. John’s Industrial School (Toronto) raised the enrollment to 106, the highest since late 1935.