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Watkins Glen Middle School ...

A Look Back --- A Look Forward: Part 4

By Brian J. O'Donnell

IRVING D. GOODRICH,
DR. LLOYD N. PEAK
MRS. CHARLENA (CURRY) BROWN and
MILFORD (BUD) WARNER

* IRVING D. GOODRICH: born into a family of teachers & administrators (his father was a District Superintendent and he, his four sisters and two brothers all became teachers; his son was also a teacher); graduated from Tioga Central & Owego Free Academy and attended SUNY @ Oswego for Teacher Training; taught in a two-room schoolhouse in Vestal Center; graduated from Geneseo Teachers' College and received his B.S. degree from Buffalo State and earned a Masters Degree from St. Lawrence University; accepted a position in Williamsville as a Math Teacher then Junior High Principal (from "Seneca SPECTATOR by FRANK STEBER).

-- came to Schuyler County in 1936 as Supervisor for West Side of the County (Schuyler County became a sole Supervisory District in 1940 with Irving D. Goodrich as County Superintendent of Schools, a position he held until 1968);
-- in 1940 there were 72 Schuyler County school districts which were composed of independent one- and two-room schoolhouses plus the Montour, Odessa and Watkins Glen Schools;
-- as County Superintendent Mr. Goodrich spearheaded the Centralization of the Watkins Glen schools in the 1950s and also led the unification of Montour Falls and Odessa in 1958;
- as County Superintendent he also was Superintendent of the "separate" Schuyler County BOCES while Pauline Bush was Superintendent of the Chemung/Tioga BOCES; in 1968 Schuyler merged with Chemung & Tioga Counties to form the SCT-BOCES with Irving D. Goodrich serving as the 1st District Superintendent until 1975.

In addition, Mr. Goodrich was highly involved in the building of the WG Elementary School in 1953 and the major addition added to the WG K-12 facility (current Middle School) in 1958 resulting in the new Girls' gymnasium, Band Room and two Industrial Arts classrooms. He also was the administrator responsible for the closing of the final County one-room schoolhouse in 1963.

Irving D. Goodrich truly bridged the gap from all the one- and two-room schoolhouses to centralization of the District,and no history of the WG District can be complete without including him as one of the "giants" in that history. I was privileged to be able to spend some time with "Irv" on many occasions and he shared the following with me:

-- he had the utmost respect for former Board Presidents DON J. WICKHAM and DR. THOMAS (JACK) LOVE (as well as all the other Board Members he was privileged to work with) for "their extraordinary contributions to our school district."
-- one of his own prized accomplishments was fighting for the inclusion of the swimming pool in the new high school in the 1960's;
-- one little-known fact about him was his service as Watkins Glen High School Principal (from April to September of 1953, the interim between Mr. Hertenstein's resignation and the hiring of John R. Cook);
-- one-time Board President Jack Love wanted the Board to discuss a particularly sensitive issue and asked Irv to close the door to the Board room; the following day the headline in the newspaper read, "Goodrich Closes Door on Press."

From 1936-1968, the Watkins Glen Central School District was directly under the supervision and care of IRV GOODRICH in so many ways, and his influence, part of our heritage, is also a big part of our present day. We were most fortunate he chose to devote his professional life to Schuyler County!

* DR. LLOYD N. PEAK (right): born in Pennsylvania, graduated from Falls-Overfield High School and received his teaching degree from Bloomsburg State Teachers' College; received his Masters' Degree from the University of Scranton and his Doctorate from the University of Rochester; began his professional career as a Gr. 6 teacher (Clarks Summit-Abington, Pa.), then served as elementary teacher & building Principal (Swiftwater, Pa.), then Assistant to the Superintendent & Curriculum Coordinator in Pelham, NY before coming to Watkins Glen in 1967.
-- Dr. Peak's tenure at Watkins Glen is synonymous with the school configuration we had up until a few years ago, when we began phasing the grades out of the Middle School (a Gr. k-4 building, a Gr. 5-8 building and a Gr. 9-12 building) ;
-- Dr. Peak inherited the building project (for the new High School) begun by his predecessor JACK TERRY and was very instrumental in establishing the Middle School program (1969) when Gr. 9-12 students went to the newly-constructed High School;
-- Dr. Peak's career in Watkins Glen spanned the days of both bulging enrollment of the 1970s-1980s and the beginning of the declining enrollments of the late 1980s on;
-- Dr. Peak was highly instrumental in beginning the Computer Technology program in the District and seeing to it that Watkins Glen students could compete with any other Districts' students
-- Dr. Peak was very committed to and proud of the CORE concept in the Middle School whereby Gr. 5/6 students spent 1/2 of every school day with their "CORE" teacher, then the other 1/2 of each school day moving about to other classrooms for Math, Science, Specials, etc., which was a great transition to the Gr. 7/8 program whereby students rotated each class period for their academic subjects and specials just as Gr. 9-12 students did.

I think it's safe to say that Dr. Peak was the "Father of the Middle School Program" in our District and his influence was greatly felt then as it still is now in the academic programs and procedures of the District. I also believe he would be 100% behind District consolidation onto one campus, specifically for the cost savings, the additional program opportunities and the overall "Safe & Orderly" environment we want for ALL students and staff. (In my many conversations with Dr. Love, he too dreamed of a consolidated campus and he would also be much in favor of the District consolidation plan.)

* CHARLENA CURRY BROWN: born in Tyrone, NY as Charlena Richtmyer and a member of the WG Class of 1939; graduated from the University of Michigan with a BS Degree in Zoology, then successfully completed numerous courses at Cortland State Teachers' College and Ithaca College; received Masters' Degree in Science through Cortland State;
-- taught Gr. 3 in WG District from 1951-1955, then taught Gr. 5/6 until 1960;
-- beginning with the 1960-1961 school year she was Burdett School Principal and Gr. 5 teacher
-- in 1969 she was appointed as the 1st WG Middle School Principal, remaining there until her retirement at the end of the 1976-1977 school year.

Charlena took extensive in-service workshops throughout her career, including one in which her attendance & participation were highly complemented at the very first Chemung Area Reading Council's READING FAIR held at the Arnot Mall on April 10, 1976. Her educational career in our District is perhaps best known for her dedication, professionalism and tireless efforts in firmly helping establish the Watkins Glen Middle School with the Gr. 5/6 CORE model with 1/2 day Departmental approach to the fully Departmentalized Gr. 7/8 program we still follow today.

She devoted literally hundreds of hours in taking the Middle School from theory to practicality with the very best educational programs & procedures for our District's middle-level students. As a young Gr. 4 teacher in the District I remember Charlena hosting meetings with the Gr. 4 teachers (there were 7 of us in those days) to strengthen the transition of Gr. 4 students to Gr. 5 and the Middle School. Charlena was also very instrumental in assisting me with the "100 Years Book," helping compile personnel and statistical information relating to our faculty/staff. She remains today a vital, vibrant and contributing member of our Community.

* MR. MILFORD (BUD) WARNER: came to Watkins Glen from Wayland, NY by way of Cornell University (1942-1943) and Springfield College (1946-1949); taught Junior High Math & Science from 1949-1955, then Chemistry, Physics & Math to Gr. 9-12 students from 1955-1963; from 1964-1966 Bud was Assistant to the District Principal specifically responsible for overall student discipline and all transportation services; from 1967-1969 he served as the "last" High School Principal for the District facility we know today as our Middle School; he moved on to the newly-constructed High School in 1969, returned to the classroom from 1969-1974 while the Chief School Officer (DR. PEAK) did double-duty as High School Principal; Bud returned to administration as HS Principal from 1974-1981, then "retired" to become District Transportation Supervisor from 1981-1984.
-- "Bud" was Junior Class Advisor in 1950 and JV Basketball Coach (he led the 1951-1952 team to a 17-1 season, winning the Southern Counties Championship); in 1954 he began the District's 1st "formal" Wrestling Team; additionally Bud was an Assistant Varsity Football Coach and a Tennis Coach;
-- Bud and his wife Ruth (HS Math Teacher) contributed a combined 60 years of service to the youth and educational programs of the Watkins Glen Central School District!

Photos in text: An artists' rendering of the Middle School, and Dr. Lloyd Peak.

Look for Part V in this series in a few weeks for a more in-depth look at the Middle School years.....

To read Part 1 of this series, click here.

To read Part 2 of this series, click here.

To read Part 3 of this series, click here.