Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Teachers in the 1950's


above: Mr Thomas J Lyons; Mr Lyons grew up in Hoboken

                above: Miss Virginia Von Breitenfeld from 1956 William and Mary yearbook;
                                                             She was from Staten Island

above: Mary Lou Koehler from 1958 Teachers' College of NJ yearbook 

                        below: Betty Ann Boyson from 1958 University of Maine yearbook
                                                    Miss Boyson was from Massachusetts

Above: Mr Hooper's photo is from the 1963 Clifford Scott yearbook;
Mr Hooper was from Maine

                        Below: Frank Capasso in the 1959 Montclair State Teacher's College yearbook; Mr Capasso grew up in East Orange

Above: Sarah Catherine Hoper in the 1958 U. of Colorado yearbook

Below: Miss Robina Martin (but, by 1954, Mrs. Haluska) from a photo of her second grade class in January, 1952; Mrs. Haluska grew up at 88 Wainwright Street in Newark near Irvington Park with parents William J (born in Scotland) and Cornelia Martin

Above: Cora Burns Parker, 1st Grade Teacher, 1953/54

Above: Ethel Louise Stewart, 1951/52, kindergarten teacher

My teachers from 1952 to 1959 were Miss Velma Anne Todd (kindergarten), Mrs Cora B Parker* (1st), Mrs. Robina Martin Haluska (2nd), Ms. Bess R. Orr (3rd), Miss Virginia Von Breitenfeld (4th), Mr Thomas J Lyons (5th), Miss Sarah Catherine Hoper (6th), Mr Frank Capasso (7th homeroom) and Mr Lyons and Miss Betty Ann Boyson (also 7th). In addition, Miss Boyson was the advisor for the school newspaper in 1959/60.

Mr. Lyons went on to become a school principal in the Roxbury Township area of NJ, first at Franklin Elementary School in the mid-1960's and then, in 1969, at the newly built Nixon Elementary Elementary School. He retired in 1976.

Mr. Leonard Hooper (Leonard Nelson Hooper) was a teacher in the upper grades who was the advisor to the audio/video club (the club ran the projectors and sound equipment in the auditorium) and he was probably best known for his singing ability, especially his annual performance of "Oh, Holy Night."  Mr. Hooper then taught English at Clifford Scott High School from 1960 to 1975 when he moved back to his home state of Maine and taught in Machias Memorial High School till his death in 2008 at age 80.

A teacher list from 1950 to 1959 (courtesy of Seth McQuillan): Miss Todd (K), Ms. Madden (1st), Miss Mildred K Linder** (2nd), Mrs. Haluska (nee Martin) (3rd), Ms. Dupuy (4th), Mrs Frances B Jarvis*** (5th), Ms Decker (6th), Ms. Ten Broeck (7th at Columbian School), and Mr Lyons (8th).

Another teacher list from the 50's (courtesy of John Hoagland): Miss Ethel Louise Stewart (K), Ms. Cora B Parker (1st), Mrs. Whitmore (2nd),  Ms Kroll (3rd), Ms Bisteline (sp?) (4th), Mr. Lyons (5th), Ms. Booker (6th), and Ms. Webb (7th). And another (courtesy of Barbara Mondino): Miss Todd (K), Miss Madge Geddis (1st), Mrs Whitmore (2nd), Mrs. Lefkowitz (3rd), Miss Mary Lou Koehler (4th), Miss Geddis (again, 5th).

Principals in the 1950's: John Thomas Greenan (1940-1952), William George Hayward (1952-55), Paul Alfred Shelly (1955-60).

*Mrs. Parker had recently married and her maiden name was Cora Silvara Burns.
** In the 1940 census Miss Linder is shown as age 40, living with her parents at 50 N. 22nd St near Columbian School
***There is a Mrs. Frances M Jarvis, teacher, listed in the 1940 census at 199 North Oraton Parkway.

2 comments:

  1. I remember Mrs. McIntyre as my first grade teacher at Stockton School would have been 1948-49. Ms. Stewart for kindergarten, my recollection is that Ms. Todd was also in the room. Is this possible. Fred Briard

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  2. When I had Miss Todd as my teacher in 1952/53, Miss Stewart had her own kindergarten class in another room. They may have worked together at recess though.

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