James Madison High School (Brooklyn) Explained

James Madison High School
Address:	3787 Bedford Ave
Zipcode:	11229
Country:	United States
Principal:	Jodie Cohen
Enrollment:	3,630 (2022-2023)
Teaching Staff:	211.60
Ratio:	17.16
Campus:	City: Large
Mascot:	Knights
Colors:	Black and Gold
Newspaper:	Madison Highway
Yearbook:	Log

James Madison High School is a public high school in Midwood, Brooklyn. It serves students in grades 9 through 12 and is in Region 6 of the New York City Department of Education.

Established in 1925, the school has many famous graduates, among them the late United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Judge Judy Sheindlin, two sitting U.S. senators, Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and former Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN).

In January 2024, the school building was temporarily turned into a shelter for asylum seeking migrant families, and students from the school were temporarily switched over to remote learning.

Notable teachers

• William Frauenglass
• Clarence Taylor

Notable alumni

Notable alumni of James Madison High School include:^[1]

• Cal Abrams (1924–1997, class of 1942), Major-League Baseball player.^[2]
• Maury Allen (born Maurice Allen Rosenberg; 1932–2010, class of 1949), sportswriter.
• Roger Andewelt (1946–2001, class of 1963), attorney, federal judge US Court of Federal Claims
• Arthur Ashkin (1922–2020, class of 1940), Nobel Prize winner, physics.^[3]
• Julius Ashkin (1920–1982, class of 1936), Manhattan Project physicist.^[4]
• Gary Becker (1930–2014, class of 1948), Nobel Prize winner, economics.^[5]
• Paul Bender, attorney, author, judge, law professor, and former Dean of the Arizona State University College of Law.
• Mimi Benzell (1918–1970), opera singer.
• Walter Block (born 1941, class of 1959^[6]), Austrian School economist, anarcho-capitalist theoretician, professor of economics
• Harry Boatswain (1969–2005, class of 1987), former professional NFL football player.^[7]
• Andrew Dice Clay (born 1957 as Andrew Clay Silverstein), comedian.^[8]
• Stanley Cohen (1922–2020, class of 1939), Nobel Prize winner, medicine.^[9]
• Norm Coleman (born 1949, class of 1966), former US Senator (Republican of Minnesota).^[10]
• Paul Contillo (Born July 8, 1929, New Jersey State Senator)
• Robert Dallek (born 1934, class of 1952), historian.
• Roy DeMeo (1942–1983, class of 1959), mobster.^[11]
• Harry Eisenstat (1915–2003, class of 1935), Major League Baseball player
• Devale Ellis (born 1984), professional football player.^[12]
• Harvey Feldman (1931–2009, class of 1949) US Diplomat: known for planning the 1972 Nixon trip to China, US Ambassador to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, Alternative US Representative to the United Nations
• Sandra Feldman (1939–2005, class of 1956), President of the American Federation of Teachers.
• Stan Fields (born 1955, class of 1973) US biologist: discovered the two-hybrid system
• Norman Finkelstein (born 1953) political scientist, activist, professor, author.
• Sonny Fox (1925–2021), TV personality.
• Kevin Francis, (born 1993, class of 2011) CFL player
• Fran Fraschilla (born 1958, class of 1976), American basketball commentator and former college basketball coach ^[13]
• Leonard Frey (1938–1988, class of 1956), actor.^[14]
• Joseph S. Fruton (1912–2007), born Joseph Fruchtgarten, Jewish Polish-American biochemist and historian of science.
• David Frye (1933–2011; born David Shapiro), comedian.^[15]
• Sid Ganis (born 1940, class of 1957), motion picture executive.
• William Gaines (1922–1992, class of 1939), founding publisher of Mad magazine.^[16]
• Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933–2020, class of 1950), Associate Justice, US Supreme Court.
• Richard D. Gitlin (born 1943, class of 1959) – National Academy of Engineering, co-inventor of DSL while at Bell Labs
• Lila R. Gleitman (1929–2021), 2017 Rumelhart prize recipient^[17]
• Marty Glickman (1917-2001, class of 1935), Olympian and broadcaster.
• Ron Haigler (born 1953, class of 1971), basketball player.^[18]
• Stanley Myron Handleman (1929–2007, class of 1947), comedian.^[19]
• Deborah Hay (born 1941, class of 1957), Dancer, artist
• Ellis Horowitz (born 1944, class of 1960), computer scientist, professor
• Garson Kanin (1912–1999, class of 1927), writer and director of plays and films.
• Stanley Kaplan (1919–2009, class of 1935), test preparation entrepreneur.^[20]
• Buddy Kaye (1918–2002), songwriter, musician, producer, author and publisher.
• Donald Keene (1922–2019, class of 1939), Japanese scholar, historian, writer, and translator.^[21]
• Carole King (born 1942 as Carole Klein, class of 1958), singer and songwriter.^{[22] [23]}
• Paul L. Krinsky (1928–2023, class of 1946), U.S. Navy rear admiral.
• Martin Landau (1928-2017), Academy Award-winning actor.^[24]
• Rudy LaRusso (1937–2004), five-time All-Star NBA basketball player.
• Mell Lazarus (1927–2016), cartoonist.
• Andrew Levane (1920–2012, class of 1940), professional basketball player.^[25]
• David Lichtenstein (born 1960), billionaire real estate investor^[26]
• Elaine Malbin (born 1932, class of 1948), opera singer.
• Marvin Miller (1917–2012, class of 1933), MLB players union executive director.^[27]
• Bruce Morrow (born 1935, class of 1953), radio personality.
• Herbert S. Okun (1930–2011, class of 1947), diplomat.
• Martin Lewis Perl (1927–2014, class of 1942), Nobel Prize winner, physics.^[28]
• Sylvia Porter (1913–1991, class of 1930), economist and journalist.
• Deborah Poritz (born 1936, class of 1954), N.J. Attorney General then Chief Justice, N.J. Supreme Court.
• Shais Rishon (born 1982, class of 1999), rabbi, activist, and writer.^[29]
• Chris Rock (born 1965), comedian and actor.^[30]
• Norman Rosten (1913–1995), poet, playwright and novelist.
• Dmitry Salita (born 1982), professional boxer.^[31]
• Murray Saltzman (1929–2010, class of 1947), Reform Jewish rabbi.
• Bernie Sanders (born 1941, class of 1959), US Senator, (Independent of Vermont) as well as a 2016 and 2020 U.S. presidential candidate.^[32]
• Larry Sanders (born 1935), British politician and brother of Bernie Sanders.^[33]
• Babe Scheuer (1913–1997), American football player
• Harvey Schlesinger (born 1940, class of 1958), US District Judge for the Middle District of Florida
• Ted Schreiber (1938–2022), Major League Baseball player.
• Chuck Schumer (born 1950, class of 1967), U.S. Senate Majority Leader (New York)
• Irwin Shaw (born Irwin Gilbert Shamforoff; 1913–1984, class of 1929), playwright, screenwriter and novelist.
• Judith Sheindlin (born 1942, class of 1960), television personality (Judge Judy).^[34]
• Janis Siegel (born 1952, class of 1969), vocalist for Manhattan Transfer and winner of ten Grammys.^[35]
• Barry Simon (born 1946, class of 1962), IBM Professor of Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Caltech.
• Robert Solow (1924–2023, class of 1940), Nobel Prize winner, economics.^[36]
• Irving Terjesen (1915–1990, class of 1934), All-American college basketball player for NYU and early professional.^[37]
• Frank Torre (1931–2014, class of 1950), professional baseball player.
• Sidney Verba (1932–2019), political scientist.^[38]
• Stephen Verona (1940–2019) filmmaker.^[39]
• David Wohl (born 1954, class of 1971) television and film character actor.
• Larry Zicklin (born 1936), Neuberger & Berman Chairman of the Board^[40]
• Joel Zwick (born 1942, class of 1958), film, television and theater director.^[34]

External links

• James Madison High School
• James Madison High School Jewish Culture Club

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Wall of Distinction. https://web.archive.org/web/20180129004327/http://www.jamesmadisonalumni.org/wall.html. dead. January 29, 2018.
2. Web site: Madison (Brooklyn, NY) Baseball. https://archive.today/20130203223550/http://www.thebaseballcube.com/hs/hs_alumni.asp?H=5345. dead. February 3, 2013. The Baseball Cube. February 13, 2011.
3. News: 2,291 Are Graduated by Boro High Schools. June 26, 1940. Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 6. October 3, 2018. December 24, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181224184517/https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/53864766/. live.
4. News: Madison High Graduates Told; Rev. Cornelius Greenway Tells Class to Prove School Benefit. June 24, 1936. Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 30. October 3, 2018. October 4, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181004021314/http://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52846571/. live.
5. Fuchs, Victor R. "Nobel Laureate – Gary S. Becker: Ideas About Facts", Journal of Economic Perspectives, Volume 8, number 2 – Spring 1994, pp. 183–192. Accessed June 11, 2013.
6. Web site: Senator Bernie Sanders, President? – LRC Blog. LewRockwell. April 30, 2015. July 30, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150730191120/https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/senator-bernie-sanders-president/. live.
7. Eskenazi, Gerald. "Keeping Offense in Protective Custody, Jets Lose to Oilers", The New York Times, August 4, 1996. Accessed June 11, 2013.
8. Daly, Sean. "The return of Andrew Dice Clay", New York Post, August 21, 2011.
9. [James Gleick|Gleick, James]
10. O'Shea, Jennifer L. "10 Things You Didn't Know About Norm Coleman", U.S. News & World Report, January 7, 2009. Accessed June 11, 2013.
11. Dickson, Michael M. "Roy Albert DeMeo – Leader of the Gambino Family Murder for Hire", American Mafia History, October 18, 2012. Accessed June 11, 2013.
12. Rock, Tom. "JETS, Ellis spreading Pride in NFL", Newsday, October 21, 2006. Accessed June 11, 2013.
13. Web site: Tmmadison. January 19, 2021. January 11, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240111034417/https://wilburcoach0.tripod.com/tmmadison.html. live.
14. Gussow, Mel. "Leonard Frey, Actor, Dies at 49", The New York Times, August 25, 1988. "Mr. Frey was born in Brooklyn and attended James Madison High School."
15. Grimes, William. "David Frye, Perfectly Clear Nixon Parodist, Dies at 77", The New York Times, January 29, 2011; accessed June 11, 2013.
16. Tebbel, John Robert. " What, Me Gone?", Instant Classics, June 5, 1992; accessed June 11, 2013.
17. Landau. Barbara. 2020. Editor's Introduction: 2017 Rumelhart Prize Issue Honoring Lila R. Gleitman. Topics in Cognitive Science. en. 12. 1. 7–21. 10.1111/tops.12484. 31904915. 1756-8765. free.
18. Missanelli, M. G. "Temple Adds Two Top Scholastic Talents from alabama", The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 25, 1992; accessed June 11, 2013.
19. Brantley, Robin. "Beverly Hills Brooklynites; A Brooklyn Evening in Beverly Hills", The New York Times, October 1, 1980; accessed June 11, 2013.
20. Campbell, Loriann. "Mad About Madsion 1,000 Alumni Of A Brooklyn High School, From 1927 Through 1970, Plan A South Florida Reunion.", Sun Sentinel, December 18, 1988; accessed June 11, 2013.
21. Web site: The Wall. 2022-10-21. James Madison Alumni Association. en-US. October 21, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221021211829/https://www.jamesmadisonalumni.org/the-wall. live.
22. Web site: Carole King Biography. biography.com. March 17, 2013. March 7, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130307130101/http://www.biography.com/people/carole-king-17169764. live.
23. Book: The Words and Music of Carole King. 3. James E. Perone. Greenwood Publishing Group. 2006. October 29, 2014. 9780275990275. January 11, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240111034350/https://books.google.com/books?id=e5lgPm5eq40C&pg=PA2. live.
24. Behrens, David. "The Reunion/The Class of '35", Newsday, November 23, 1995; accessed June 11, 2013.
25. Berkow, Ira. "Sports of The Times; He Made Music of His Own", The New York Times, March 4, 1999. Accessed June 11, 2013.
26. Web site: How Real Estate Billionaire David Lichtenstein Bounced Back from A $7.5 Billion Hotel Bankruptcy. Forbes. September 1, 2020. October 25, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201025150945/https://www.forbes.com/sites/chloesorvino/2016/03/23/how-real-estate-billionaire-david-lichtenstein-bounced-back-from-a-7-5-billion-hotel-bankruptcy/#6c55c1066403. live.
27. Web site: Marvin Miller, union head who revolutionized sports, dies at 95. Associated Press. November 27, 2012. Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel. June 26, 2018. June 26, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180626030516/https://www.centralmaine.com/2012/11/27/former-baseball-union-head-miller-dead-at-95/. live.
28. https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1995/perl-autobio.html Autobiography of Martin L. Perl
29. Web site: MaNishtana. 2021-10-29. MaNishtana. en. October 29, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211029004725/https://manishtana.net/. live.
30. via New York Post. "Chris Rock Gets Show Based on Childhood", Fox News, June 18, 2005. Accessed June 11, 2013.
31. Farrell, Bill. "A NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS The 73rd Daily News Golden Gloves", Daily News (New York), April 28, 2000; accessed June 11, 2013.
32. http://www.sanders.senate.gov/about/ About Bernie
33. Stein, Ellin.Growing Up With The Bern, Slate, February 4, 2016. Accessed February 11, 2016.
34. Abruzzo, Shavana. "Judge Judy inducted with elite alums on Madison's wall of fame", New York Post, June 1, 2010; accessed June 11, 2013.
35. Web site: Home. janissiegel.com. October 10, 2020. September 29, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200929144007/http://janissiegel.com/. live.
36. Zahka, William J. The Nobel Prize Economics Lectures: A Cross Section of current Thinking, p. 47. Avebury, 1992. .
37. News: Six Boro Men get Violet Letters. Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 7, 1936. 19. Brooklyn Public Library. February 22, 2015. July 16, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190716221248/https://bklyn.newspapers.com/image/52699134/. live.
38. Verba, Sidney.A Life in Political Science Annual Review of Political Science.2011.14:i-xv.
39. Barnes. Mike. Stephen Verona, 'Lords of Flatbush' Writer, Director and Producer, Dies at 78. July 15, 2019. The Hollywood Reporter. December 5, 2021. December 4, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211204194436/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/stephen-verona-dead-lords-flatbush-writer-director-producer-was-78-1224469/. live.
40. News: The New York Times. The Great Money Game. Murray Teigh Bloom. January 16, 1972. July 5, 2021. July 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709213825/https://www.nytimes.com/1972/01/16/archives/the-great-money-game-take-an-imaginary-100million-and-see-how-high.html. live.