Lafayette High School was a public high school in Buffalo, New York. It was the oldest public school in Buffalo that remained 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.[1] It is located in Buffalo's Upper West Side at 370 Lafayette Avenue.
The name 'Lafayette High School' was phased out beginning in 2015, graduating its final class in 2018, and was replaced by the name Lafayette International High School and Newcomers Academy. Classes continue to be held in the historic building.
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. After the 2010–2011 school year, the school re-opened as a multicultural school with a new principal. The school also began housing seventh and eighth graders from nearby International School 45. This arrangement continued until 2015.
Former principals
Previous assignment and reason for departure denoted in parentheses
Mr. Arthur Detmers–1903-1906 (unknown, named Instructor of The Hill School)
Mr. Gregory K. Pigeon–2004-2005 (Business teacher - Riverside Institute of Technology,[3] named Assistant Principal of Erie 1 BOCES - Harkness Center)
Mr. Philip M. Martin–2005-2006 (Assistant Principal - Hutchinson Central Technical School,[7] named Associate Principal of Shenendehowa High School[8])
Mrs. Denise Clarke–2006-2009 (Acting Assistant Principal - City Honors School,[6] named Assistant Principal Of Riverside Institute of Technology[9])
Mr. Gregory D. Mott–2006 (Assistant Principal - Opportunity School at 331,[6] named Principal of Academy School 131 @ 44[10])
Lafayette High School currently serves as home to many Buffalo high school students learning English as a second language.
Bell schedule
Period Number/Activity
Beginning Bell
End Bell
Homeroom
8:25
8:33
Period 1
8:37
9:30
Period 2
9:21
10:01
Period 3
10:05
10:45
A Lunch
10:49
11:14
Period 4/5
10:49
11:29
Period 5/6
11:18
11:58
B Lunch
11:33
11:58
Period 6/7
11:33
12:13
Period 7/8
12:02
12:42
C Lunch
12:17
12:42
Period 8/9
12:46
1:25
Period 10
1:29
2:08
Period 11
2:12
2:30
Notable alumni
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.
Gary Mallaber (class of 1964), 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.
Winifred C. Stanley (class of 1927), attorney and first member of congress to introduce legislation prohibiting discrimination in pay on account of sex
Frank Kelly Freas (class of 1938), famed science-fiction cover artist.
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.
Tedd Lewin (class of 1953), artist, author and illustrator of children's books.
Edward C. Lawson (class of 1964), Edward won a landmark Supreme Court victory over racism and arbitrary stop and seizure practices by California police by defending himself before the Supreme Court of the US. [Lawson v. Kolender, 658 F.2d 1362 (9th Cir. 1981) October 15, 1981 et seq.].
Shanks (1927) and Lewin (1953), and all the art students in between were influenced by Elizabeth Weiffenbach, who taught art at the school for over forty years. These included Jack Smart (class of 1922), an artist who also played The Fat Man on 1940s radio; and Irving Jeremiah Goodman (class of 1939), a contemporary artist specializing in room still lifes. Turner rowed for the U.S. in the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, was executive editor of The Buffalo Courier-Express, and is a member of the exclusive Gridiron Club in Washington, D.C.
The public school is supported by the private Lafayette High School Alumni Association. In 1999, the association restored the building's landmark lantern or "cupola", which had deteriorated and been demolished for safety reasons in the 1970s. In May 2003, the association sponsored and ran a 100th Anniversary Celebration, attended by over 1,700 alumni and their guests, raising $30,000 for the school. The funds will establish the Ramsi P. Tick media room in memory of entrepreneur Tick, an LHS alumnus and philanthropist. The association also awards several annual grants and scholarships for worthy causes and students, and on Sunday, August 4, 2013 is holding a free All-Class Reunion to celebrate the school's one hundred and tenth year.
As their logos, the school and the Association use the LHS Triangle (Lafayette High School; Loyalty, Honor, Service), and the Lafayette Angel.
Gallery
Lafayette High School, ca. 1901
Lafayette High School, Entrance Detail, December 2009
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