|
A BRIEF HISTORY
 Our beginnings were humble. An abandoned, condemned elementary school at the corner of School Street and West Avenue served as our first home.
As the city's population grew, Buffalo's two high schools, Central and Masten, became overcrowded. There was a need for a third school on the outskirts of the city. The site at the corner of Baynes and Lafayette was chosen as ideal to meet the need.
The land on which our current building stands was described by an observer as "a meadowland fair blooming with purple and white violets."
Tradition has it that the land was cleared of all violets late in the afternoon of the first day of construction. The next morning, when the workers returned, they found that the hearty purple and white violets had bloomed again. It was from that moment in 1900, even before the foundation was placed, that the school colors became violet and white; and we became, forevermore, "Mighty Lafayette Violets."
 The school was officially opened on September 10th with a first day attendance of 1,050. Mr. Arthur Detmers, the first principal, and a faculty of thirty six members began making Lafayette history from the very first day the oak doors opened. Mr. Detmers summed up his philosophy of education in the following quote by Dean Briggs of Harvard University:
"In every school there should be an effort from the start to make a youth imbibe that wonderful tonic called school spirit, to make him feel that from the moment he enters a school he has become forever a part of it, one of its makers, and that throughout his life, wherever he goes, he takes with him, exalting it, the name of his school."
School was very different in 1904. There were daily morning assemblies with musical performances by Principal Detmers, who enforced a strict ban on "ragtime and popular" music.
Cafeteria services consisted of light refreshments sold by the janitor in a small area located under the present auditorium.
Lafayette was "turned on" to electricity in 1904 and students no longer had to work under gaslights.
 Mr. Detmers resigned in 1906, and Calvert King Mellen took over the principalship. Calvert "Cap" Mellen promised to continue the Lafayette traditions begun by Principal Detmers.
The faculty and student body were deeply affected by the U.S. entry into World War I, the Great War. "Cap" Mellen, himself, had a military background and during the war, and personally trained two companies of men on the front lawn of the school with wooden guns.
As enrollment continued to rise, additional facilities were needed. In 1920 construction was begun on the "new" addition, which was opened in the fall of 1921.
The Great Depression meant dark days for our country. However, the atmosphere remained bright at Lafayette. We were still the home of champions. In 1931, the Harvard Cup, the Syracuse Cup, the Cornell Cup and the Debate Trophy all assumed their places in the trophy case in the center hall. Foremost among the achievements of that year was the national recognition received by our powerhouse football team which finished the season undefeated, untied and unscored upon.
"Cap's" formal career ended with a flourish in 1934. He was honored by the city of Buffalo; the Common Council declared a Captain Mellen Week; and all sorts of affairs were given in his honor. It was reported in the newspaper that "Never has there been such a demonstration of regard for any person in this city."
 Once again, the cloud of war hung over the country. Many past and present members of Lafayette's family were drawn into the global conflict that was World War II.
On the homefront, we met the challenge. We sent subscriptions of Readers Digest and Christmas cards to our Lafayette brothers and sisters overseas; we raised $40,000 to purchase War Bonds, and we published letters from troops in The Triangle and the Oracle.
In 1953 fifty golden years were celebrated with songs and pageants. A special assembly presided over by Frank Gott, principal, was held on May 3, 1953. Old and current faculty joined to sponsor a luncheon that saw many LHS alumni brought together for the first time in many years.
 Principal Gott retired in 1955. Abraham Axelrod became our new principal.
Community troubles spilled over into the halls of Lafayette. The fifties were characterized by strife and unrest precipitated by gang warfare
in the community among large Westside fraternities. It culminated in 1958 with the death of Abraham Axelrod of a heart attack after breaking up a gang incident that had occurred within the building.
 Robert C. McGowan became principal. With the new leader came new ideas. Lafayette students adopted the first dress code in the city. The Westside Kiwanis helped found the Key Club here. Music teacher, Salvatore Scamacca, directed the Lafayette concert and dance with the "LHS Twisters."
It was with much regret that Lafayette greeted the retirement of Robert McGowan in 1968. A former guidance counselor, one of our own, Mr. Gerald S. Hare, assumed the principalship.
Mr. Hare was able to launch a drive for the renovation of the building. He enlisted the aid of the Board of Education and the Common Council in seeking improvements in the classroom, cafeteria and gym. This was the groundwork for Phase I remodeling, which was done under the next principal.
 Mr. Hare was transferred to City Hall in 1972, and the young and energetic Frederick D. Ganter became the seventh principal.
Arming himself with a faculty handbook, a strict code of rules and regulations for students and a cooperative faculty and staff, he "dug in" to restore order and provide an atmosphere conducive to learning at the "Old Plant."
Order and discipline were followed by a loving booster shot of school spirit.
The tradition of the Junior-Senior Prom was restored in 1973. Starry-eyed students attended the dance and dinner held at Eduardo's. The faculty also came in record numbers reflecting their desire to be part of the renewal.
Clubs and activities, floundering with apathy, were gradually restored as students made their desires known. From a handful in the early 70s, Lafayette students now belonged to a record number of clubs -- fifty-two, each requiring a faculty advisor.
No one can forget 1977 -- the year we won the Triple Crown in high school sports in the city. The mighty Lafayette Violet football team punted and passed their way to the Harvard Cup; the mighty Lafayette Violet baseball team pitched and hit their way to the Cornell Cup and the mighty Lafayette Violet basketball team dribbled and shot their way to the Yale Cup.
The single most important event of 1978 was the 75th Anniversary of Lafayette High School. Three days of festivities marked three-quarters of a century of education on the West side of Buffalo.
If there is any person who ever doubted that Lafayette spirit is a special spirit, he could not help being convinced of its reality after the anniversary celebration. No other high school has ever had a reunion to rival our 75th; no other high school can boast such a loyal alumni; and no other high school can give you the same feeling of pride those 1,800 people shared.
An important "new," annual event made its debut during the spring of 1978. Our productions class put on their first full-length musical, "Anything Goes." It played to large crowds and proved to be a most worthwhile adventure for the cast, the audience and the school.
The school year 1978-79 saw the Cornell Cup in baseball retired to Lafayette's trophy case -- forever. The Cup's possession is the result of three consecutive baseball championships -- 1977, 1978 and 1979.
In 1980, a singularly impressive honor was bestowed on the "Old Plant." The building that serves us all so well was officially declared an historic landmark by the Preservation Society of Buffalo. The continued efforts of Mrs. Nan Gordon, an alumna, saw the building placed on the National Historic Register in 1981. Lafayette has, therefore, been recognized by the whole nation as a special place -- architecturally and historically.
The gift of the class of 1981 was an extraordinary one indeed. The center entrance is adorned with a huge stained-glass angel -- the symbol of our school. It serves as a daily reminder of the generosity of our students as they leave tangible reminders of their contributions to their Alma Mater.
The Academy of Finance opened at Lafayette in 1986. The Academy is sponsored by the National Academy Foundation in New York City. The mission of the Academy of Finance is twofold. The first is to prepare students for college and university experiences after high school. To that end the core curriculum includes a New York State Regents diploma program stressing math, science, and languages. The Academy also includes National Academy Foundation curricula to instill in Academy students the fundamentals of the American business system. These curricula are current and industry specific, having been developed with the expertise and financial support of Corporate America.
With the inception of the Academy of Finance magnet school program, Lafayette High School's long-standing tradition of educational excellence became available to students from all over the city of Buffalo. The Lafayette experience is no longer limited to only those students who live within its district boundaries.
In 1986 and again in 1991, Lafayette High School was evaluated by the New York State Education Department. On both occasions, Lafayette was recognized as a New York State School of Excellence.
 In 1997 we bade farewell to Mr.
Ganter, who retired after 25 years at the helm of Lafayette.
Miss Sharon Lanza, who had been an assistant principal at LHS in
the early 1990s, was named principal.
The autumn of 2000 saw another addition to Lafayette's curriculum, The Academy of Travel and Tourism, a National Academy Foundation program, and welcomed the first freshmen to this program.
The physical plant of Lafayette received a much-needed "sprucing up" during the winter and spring of 1999-2000. Windows that replaced the original double-hung wood-framed units in the late 1970s were themselves replaced with more energy efficient and architecturally accurate windows. Lafayette once again from the outside appears much as it did when it first opened in 1903, which made the inconvenience of daily classroom re-assignments to accommodate the workmen worthwhile.
Almost 100 years of northeastern winters took their toll on our roof. The original roof
received extensive repairs during the fall of 1999 and spring of 2000 by a crew of dedicated workers who braved our ever-changing weather to hopefully solve all of our pesky leaks and drips that have plagued us for the last 10-15 years.
 Through the federal government's e-rate program and other grants, our library was remodeled and expanded. Lafayette has always had a physically small library space, but has managed to deliver quality service to her students. Finally, after almost 100 years and innumerable delays in the expansion project, LHS now has a library space worthy of its students and heritage. The new library was dedicated in the spring of 2001 with a special ceremony attended by alumni, Board of Education officials, and the media.
The renovations at Lafayette haven't been restricted to the Library, either. The summer of 2000 saw the complete rewiring and updating of Lafayette's computer labs, as well as the addition of our very own high-speed link to the Internet. Now, along with a computer lab area that is part of the new library, Lafayette now sports no less than five computer labs in which Lafayette's students will finally be able to prepare for a world of work and advanced study in the Information Age.
The 2001-2002 school year finds Lafayette expecting yet more improvements to its technology program. It is anticipated that very soon all of Lafayette's classrooms will be "wired" for full Internet access. The Buffalo Public Schools are in the middle of an ambitious program to "phase in" technology in all of its schools, and Lafayette is indeed fortunate to be one of the first schools to benefit from this.
During the 2001 holiday season Lafayette's faculty and students showed their concern for the greater Buffalo community with its annual canned food drive. Almost 3,000 cans of food -- a school record -- were donated by the "Lafayette Family" to be distributed by local food pantries, ensuring that many families in Buffalo and Western New York will have a better holiday.
In 2003, Lafayette celebrated the
100th anniversary of its opening with a gala three-day celebration
in May of that year. Over 1,600 alums and friends came from
literally all over the world to help honor the institution that
prepared them for the world beyond high school. Grads from the
early 1930s through the late 1990s were in attendance; nearly
every class in that range was represented. Activities included a
back-to-school night with tours of the school and a musical revue
in the Mellen Auditorium, a dinner-dance at the Buffalo Convention
Center -- with former music teacher and administrator Sam Scamacca
in the band -- and a Sunday send-off at the Delaware Park casino.
It was a special, once-in-a-lifetime weekend that will be always
remembered by everyone who attended.
Miss Lanza retired in 2004 and Mrs.
Jacquelyn Baldwin was named Lafayette's next principal.
While new herself to LHS, relatives of both Mrs. Baldwin and her
husband were graduates of Lafayette. Indeed, Mr. Baldwin's
uncle is a member of our Distinguished Alumni Wall of Fame.
The year 2005 saw the establishment of
the Lafayette Sports Wall of Fame by the Alumni Association. In
conjunction with the introduction of the Sports Wall of Fame, the
Lafayette Distinguished Alumni Wall of Fame was refurbished and
rededicated at a ceremony held at the school. Making up for lost
time, over 30 individuals were named to the Sports Wall, covering
the entire sports history of the school, along with two additions
to the Distinguished Wall of Fame. This has reestablished
a tradition of new inductees to both walls being added every
other spring.
The complete history of Lafayette is available in a book, from which the preceding was excerpted and updated, entitled:
The History of Lafayette High School by Lala Placey and Marilyn Wittman..
|
