School Histories Wiki
Advertisement
LaFayette High School
Loyalty, Honor, Service
Buffalo 005.JPG
The Front of the LHS building
Address
370 Lafayette Avenue
Buffalo, NY
West Side
Buffalo, New York, Erie County, 14214
USA
Information
School type Public, Coeducational High School
School board Buffalo Board of Education
School district Buffalo Public Schools
Oversight New York State Education Department
Superintendent Amber M. Dixon (interim)
School number 204
Principal Naomi Cerre
Assistant principals Craig Brodnicki
Julie Horn
Yulanda Middleton
Grades 9-12
Hours in school day 6
Color(s) Violet and White
Website

Lafayette High School is the oldest public school in Buffalo, New York that remains in its original building; a stone, brick and terra-cotta structure in the French Renaissance Revival style, by architects August Esenwein and James A. Johnson. Although classes began off-site during construction of the school, the building was completed, and graduated its first class, in 1903. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The current principal is Ms. Naomi Cerre, and the current assistant principals are Mr. Craig Brodnicki, Ms. Julie Horn, and Ms. Yulanda Middleton.

History[]

Lafayette High School was the third high school built in Buffalo, New York. It has fallen into recent struggles with academics and has been placed on New York State's Watch List of Persistently Underperforming Schools. Currently, the school feeds students in from nearby International School 45.

Former principals[]

Previous assignment and reason for departure denoted in parentheses

  • Mr. Arthur Detmers–1903-1906 (unknown, resigned)
  • Mr. Calvert King Mellen–1906-1934 (unknown, retired)
  • Mr. Frank Gott–1934-1955 (Vice Principal - Lafayette High School, retired)
  • Mr. Abraham Axelrod–1955-1958 (unknown, passed away)
  • Mr. Robert C. McGowan–1958-1968 (Assistant Principal - East High School, retired)
  • Mr. Gerald S. Hare–1968-1972 (Assistant Principal - East High School, transferred to Buffalo Public Schools District Offices)
  • Mr. Frederick D. Ganter–1972-1997 (Assistant Principal - East High School, retired)
  • Ms. Sharon A. Lanza–1997-2004 (Assistant Principal - Lafayette High School, retired)
  • Dr. Jacquelyn M. Baldwin–2004-2008 (Assistant Principal - City Honors School, transferred to Office Of School Performance)
  • Dr. Phyllis F. Morrell–2008-2011 (Principal on Assignment - McKinley Vocational High School, named Principal of Lydia T. Wright School of Excellence)

Selected former assistant principals[]

Previous assignment and reason for departure denoted in parentheses

  • Mr. Charles E. Rhodes–1918-1925 (English Teacher - Lafayette High School, named Principal of Bennett High School)
  • Mr. Frank Gott–1925-1934 (unknown, named Principal of Lafayette High School)
  • Mr. Irvin H. Himmele–1934-1941 (unknown, placed on military leave)
  • Mr. Carl S. Walz–1941-1948 (unknown, named Assistant Principal of East High School)
  • Mr. Frank J. Kelly–1948-1957 (unknown, named Principal of Kensington High School)
  • Mr. Salvatore J. Scamacca–1969-1990 (Instrumental music instructor - Lafayette High School, retired)
  • Ms. Patricia C. Kormash (Unknown, named Assistant Principal of North Tonawanda High School)
  • Ms. Mary Elizabeth Dougherty (Guidance Counselor - Lafayette High School, named Director of Business Education for Buffalo Public Schools)
  • Mr. Thomas P. Kopera–?-1990 (Teacher - Buffalo Public Schools, named Principal of Burgard Vocational High School)
  • Mr. Elzie B. Fisher–1990-1995 (Assistant Principal - Kensington High School, named Principal of Buffalo Alternative High School)
  • Ms. Patricia C. Kormash–?-1994 (unknown, named Assistant Principal of North Tonawanda High School)
  • Ms. Sharon A. Lanza–1994-1997 (Assistant Principal - Grover Cleveland High School, named Principal of Lafayette High School)
  • Mr. Thomas N. Kalenik–1995-2005 (unknown, retired)
  • Ms. Lisa K. Robinson–1997-2006 (Computer teacher - Hutchinson Central Technical School, named Assistant Principal of Herman Badillo Bilingual Center)
  • Mr. Gregory K. Pigeon–2004-2005 (Business Teacher - Riverside Institute Of Technology[1], named Assistant Principal of Erie 1 BOCES - Harkness Center)
  • Mr. Philip M. Martin–2005-2006 (Assistant Principal - Hutchinson Central Technical School, resigned[2])
  • Mrs. Denise E. Clarke–2006-2009 (Assistant Principal - City Honors School, named Assistant Principal Of Riverside Institute Of Technology)
  • Mr. Gregory D. Mott–2006 (Assistant Principal - Lydia T. Wright School of Excellence, named Principal of Academy School 131[3])
  • Mr. John E. Evert–2006-2008 (Social Studies teacher - Burgard Vocational High School, named Vice Principal of Lewiston-Porter High School)

Selected former administrators[]

Year Superintendent Principal Asst. Principal Asst. Principal Asst. Principal
1903-1904 Art Detmers
1904-1905 Art Detmers
1905-1906 Art Detmers
1906-1907 Cap Mellen
1907-1908 Cap Mellen
1908-1909 Cap Mellen
1909-1910 Cap Mellen
1910-1911 Cap Mellen
1911-1912 Cap Mellen
1912-1913 Cap Mellen
1913-1914 Cap Mellen
1914-1915 Cap Mellen
1915-1916 Cap Mellen
1916-1917 Cap Mellen
1917-1918 Cap Mellen
1918-1919 Cap Mellen
1919-1920 Cap Mellen
1920-1921 Cap Mellen
1921-1922 Cap Mellen Charlie Rhodes
1922-1923 Cap Mellen
1923-1924 Cap Mellen
1924-1925 Cap Mellen
1925-1926 Cap Mellen
1926-1927 Cap Mellen
1927-1928 Cap Mellen
1928-1929 Cap Mellen
1929-1930 Cap Mellen
1930-1931 Cap Mellen
1931-1932 Cap Mellen
1932-1933 Cap Mellen
1933-1934 Cap Mellen
1934-1935 Frank Gott Irvin Himmele
1935-1936 Frank Gott Irvin Himmele
1936-1937 Frank Gott Irvin Himmele
1937-1938 Frank Gott Irvin Himmele
1938-1939 Frank Gott Irvin Himmele
1939-1940 Frank Gott Irvin Himmele
1940-1941 Frank Gott Irvin Himmele
1941-1942 Frank Gott
1942-1943 Frank Gott
1943-1944 Frank Gott
1944-1945 Frank Gott
1945-1946 Frank Gott
1946-1947 Frank Gott
1947-1948 Frank Gott
1948-1949 Frank Gott
1949-1950 Frank Gott
1950-1951 Frank Gott
1951-1952 Frank Gott
1952-1953 Frank Gott
1953-1954 Frank Gott
1954-1955 Frank Gott
1955-1956 Abe Axelrod
1956-1957 Abe Axelrod
1957-1958 Abe Axelrod
1958-1959 Rob McGowan
1959-1960 Rob McGowan
1960-1961 Rob McGowan
1961-1962 Rob McGowan
1962-1963 Rob McGowan
1963-1964 Rob McGowan
1964-1965 Rob McGowan
1965-1966 Rob McGowan
1966-1967 Rob McGowan
1967-1968 Rob McGowan
1968-1969 Gerald Hare
1969-1970 Gerald Hare Sal Scamacca
1970-1971 Gerald Hare Sal Scamacca
1971-1972 Gerald Hare Sal Scamacca
1972-1973 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1973-1974 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1974-1975 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1965-1976 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1976-1977 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1977-1978 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1978-1979 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1979-1980 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1980-1981 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1981-1982 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1982-1983 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1983-1984 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1984-1985 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1985-1986 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1986-1987 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1987-1988 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1988-1989 Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca
1989-1990 Eugene Reville Rick Ganter Sal Scamacca Tom Kopera
1990-1991 Albert Thompson Rick Ganter Elzie Fisher
1991-1992 Albert Thompson Rick Ganter Elzie Fisher
1992-1993 Albert Thompson Rick Ganter Elzie Fisher
1993-1994 Albert Thompson Rick Ganter Elzie Fisher Sharon Lanza
1994-1995 Albert Thompson Rick Ganter Elzie Fisher Sharon Lanza
1995-1996 Albert Thompson Rick Ganter Tom Kanelik Sharon Lanza
1996-1997 Jim Harris Rick Ganter Tom Kanelik Sharon Lanza
1997-1998 Jim Harris Sharon Lanza Tom Kanelik Lisa Robinson
1998-1999 Jim Harris Sharon Lanza Tom Kanelik Lisa Robinson
1999-2000 Marion Canedo Sharon Lanza Tom Kanelik Lisa Robinson
2000-2001 Marion Canedo Sharon Lanza Tom Kanelik Lisa Robinson
2001-2002 Marion Canedo Sharon Lanza Tom Kanelik Lisa Robinson
2002-2003 Marion Canedo Sharon Lanza Tom Kanelik Lisa Robinson
2003-2004 Marion Canedo Sharon Lanza Tom Kanelik Lisa Robinson
2004-2005 Yvonne Hargrave Jackie Baldwin Tom Kanelik Lisa Robinson Greg Pigeon
2005-2006 James Williams Jackie Baldwin Philip Martin Lisa Robinson
2006-2007 James Williams Jackie Baldwin Denise Clarke Mott/Every
2007-2008 James Williams Jackie Baldwin Denise Clarke John Every
2008-2009 James Williams Fatima Morrell Denise Clarke John Every
2009-2010 James Williams Fatima Morrell Craig Brodnicki Julie Horn
2010-2011 James Williams Fatima Morrell Craig Brodnicki Julie Horn
2011-2012 Amber Dixon* Naomi Cerre Craig Brodnicki Julie Horn Yulanda Middleton

Notable alumni[]

  • Fran Striker (class of 1922), author, creator of the radio serial The Lone Ranger.
  • Gary Mallaber (class of (N/A)), Multiple platinum selling drummer and producer involved with acts such as The Steve Miller Band, Van Morrison and Eddie Money.
  • Bruce Shanks (class of 1927), Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist.
  • Gordon Bunshaft (class of 1928), noted twentieth-century architect.
  • Robert J. Donovan (class of 1932), Washington Bureau Chief, New York Herald Tribune and Los Angeles Times. President, White House Correspondents' Association. Author of 12 books including PT-109. Only journalist to ever address a Joint Session of Congress.
  • Frank Kelly Freas (class of 1938), famed science-fiction cover artist.
  • Jeremiah Goodman (class of 1939), artist, known simply as "Jeremiah", painter of interior still lifes of famous residences.
  • The Modernaires (Hal Dickinson, Chuck Goldstein, and Bill Conway, late 1930s), the popular harmony group renowned for its performances on record and motion pictures with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
  • Douglas L. Turner (class of 1949), Executive Editor, Buffalo Courier-Express, Washington Bureau Chief and columnist for the Buffalo News.
  • Ted Lewin (class of 1953), artist, author and illustrator of children's books.
  • Angelo Coniglio (class of 1954), first Civil Engineering graduate of the University of Buffalo, engineer, professor of engineering, author, archivist of the American Football League, genealogical author.
  • Elizabeth L. Dribben (class of 1954), first female news anchor on Buffalo television, copy writer at CBS News for Dan Rather, Walter Cronkite, and Charles Kuralt. Member of the Buffalo Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

References[]

  1. http://notes2.buffalo.k12.ny.us/doc/BoardMee.nsf/bf25ab0f47ba5dd785256499006b15a4/571da6540243501885256eaf005ef068/$FILE/Elementary%20Principal%20Appointments.pdf
  2. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named MartinComes
  3. Herod-Zak, R. (2006). 10-23-06 Administrative Board Changes. Board of Education Meeting October 23, 2006 (p. 1). Buffalo: Buffalo Public Schools.

External links[]

Advertisement