One of the things that has always puzzled me is why communities like Amsterdam have little problem recognizing and paying tribute to outstanding scholastic sports achievements while at the same time, pretty much ignoring outstanding achievement in the classroom. For example, go up to Amsterdam High School and take a look at the trophy case. Sports-related awards and tributes dominate the glass enclosed displays. Now look for similar tributes to student academic excellence. You’ll find a few but not many.
Why, for example isn’t there a permanent recognition of the Valedictorian and Salutatorian for each year’s graduating class? Once the public announcement takes place, the local newspaper shows up to take a picture and the two students honored get to make a speech at their graduation ceremony. After that it’s pretty much a “forget about them as quickly as possible” sort of recognition. It always bewildered me that students who put forth outstanding efforts in sports get their names or uniform numbers forever memorialized in impressive trophy cases that remain in place at the school just about forever so that future generations of students can be inspired by their accomplishments, while those who put forth outstanding efforts in the classroom receive no such lasting recognition. It’s backwards folks!
So I’m thinking of ways to formally memorialize the top two academic students of each graduating class in Amsterdam High School’s long history (perhaps SMI’s and Scully’s too). The first thing I need to do is complete my list of students who have been so honored, beginning with Amsterdam High School. My in-progress list appears below. As you can see there are a few holes in it and I’m asking for your help.
If any of the readers of this blog have AHS Yearbooks from 1998, 1996, 1990, 1989, 1987 or 1980, I believe the Valedictorian and Salutatorian winners for those years are included in them. Please use the comments feature of this blog to inform me of students I am missing. I also have blanks for 1979, 1975, 1924 and 1921 preventing me from having a century’s worth of the schools top students identified, so if you happen to have information for those years I’d greatly appreciate hearing from you.
Year | Valedictorian | Salutatorian |
2018 | Molly Monge | Kaylee Cappuccio |
2017 | Jessica Gardinier | Tazdyn Francisco |
2016 | Meagan Brodie | Adam Tatun |
2015 | Kristie Kaczmarek | Corey Tambasco |
2014 | Maxine Petrosino | Rebekah Izzo |
2013 | Lukas Brower | Benjamin Patrick |
2012 | Vincent Sobkowicz | Nicholas Bielawa |
2011 | Toni Tiemann | Erica Tuttle |
2010 | Paige Archinal | Kelsey McDermott |
2009 | Michael Natole | Alicia Roux |
2008 | Alexandra Petitti | Daniel Peter |
2007 | Deeanna Russell | Daniel Roginski |
2006 | Tiffany Petrosino | Andrew Gillis |
2005 | Victoria Petrosino | Timothy Gaugler |
2004 | Sam Pepe | Margaret Lyford |
2003 | Matthew Tobey | Ashleigh Simeon |
2002 | Matthew Korchinski | |
2001 | Elizabeth Sise | Jamie Walrath |
2000 | Peter Bryce | Jessica Sawicki |
1999 | Tom Adamson | Cassandra Reese |
1998 | ||
1997 | Malinda Reynolds | Erin DeRose |
1996 | Andrew Bryce | |
1995 | Courtney Redmond | Brett Riccio |
1994 | Robert Chan | Mark Vertucci |
1993 | Sarah Brownell | William Barbato |
1992 | Kristen Smrtic | Erin McKay |
1991 | Christina Beardsley | Ishmael Ortiz |
1990 | John Pawlowski | |
1989 | ||
1988 | Suzanne Marie Mucilli | James Teresco |
1987 | ||
1986 | Amy Rigatti | Michael Sinicropi |
1985 | Rick Sorbero | Liz Tse |
1984 | Jim Burch | Pam Dzikowicz |
1983 | ||
1982 | Felix Riccio | Tom Catena |
1981 | Bill Ziskin | Vincent Mautone |
1980 | Rob Kowalski | |
1979 | ||
1978 | Debra Swinarski, Sharon Flint, Bill Motyl, John Banta, Pamela Kenyon | |
1977 | Carole Reinig, Kathy Wawrzonek, Janice Bienek | |
1976 | Kevin Christian, Timothy Hawkins, Mark Siudy, Derek Snyder | |
1975 | Lori St Amour | |
1974 | Joseh Cappuccio, Sharon Curtis, Frederick Perillo | |
1973 | John Kadyszewski | Michael Wojnar |
1972 | Gerald Snyder | Susan Chriss |
1971 | Janet Urbelis | Linda Prymas |
1970 | Mary Ellen Lessick, Joan Lieckfeldt | |
1969 | Lynn Marcucci | Frances Perillo |
1968 | Deborah Ann Grzywacz | Ellen Christine Zyzes |
1967 | Donald Raila | Diane Gordon, Evelyn Riccio |
1966 | Judy Kupferberg | Walter Gavry |
1965 | James Wojcicki | Christina Zawisza |
1964 | Carolyn Ferris | Rae Rogers |
1963 | Bob Cudmore | S. Hayden Anderson |
1962 | Leonard W Silver | Keith L Smith |
1961 | William Bohlke | Charlotte E Sitrin |
1960 | Peter Orr | Patricia Robotham |
1959 | Edward Tyndall | Patricia Podolec |
1958 | Irvng Olender | Pamela Dillon |
1957 | Elliot Saroff | Lewis Corvene |
1956 | John Krawczuk | Walter Kolpakas |
1955 | Carl Robert Bahn | Marilyn Januszewski |
1954 | Joanne Mary Fratianni | Carol Howitt |
1953 | Jo Ann Tokarczyk | Lou Ann MacNaughton |
1952 | Beatrice E Cunniff | Walter J Rew |
1951 | Ambrose Krupczak Jr. | Sherwood Lasher |
1950 | Irene H Cerserlitch | Ann Frascatore |
1949 | Janet I Wells | Nancy Ann Aulisi |
1948 | Myron Komarzanski | Margaret DeGroff |
1947 | Marion Brennan | Goldie Breuer |
1946 | Ronald Hirschfeld | Mary Frances Kinsman |
1945 | Alfred Mockus | Burrell Pennings |
1944 | Winifred Rothmeyer | Mary Verde |
1943 | Robert Brennan | Rocco Petrone |
1942 | Helen DeGroff | Marjorie Kerbelis |
1941 | Leon Henry Huston | Thornton Lauber |
1940 | Angela Wierzbowski | Gwelda McPhee |
1939 | Vivian Solomon | George Douglass |
1938 | Sadye Zilinskas | Sanford Thompson |
1937 | Maria D’Arienzo | Marion Klappmeier |
1936 | Lewis Hallenbeck | Alvin Gallen |
1935 | Ruth Brodie | Douglas Rector |
1934 | Helen Goldmeer | Harriet Conant |
1933 | Raymond Griffiths | Bertha Kubas |
1932 | Betsy Conant | Dorothy Hughes |
1931 | Oscar Lurie | Hilda Locklin |
1930 | Matilda Dzikowacz | Evelyn Wells |
1929 | Leon Elwell | Ruth Perry |
1928 | Rodney Reston | Frank Skrzynecki |
1927 | Elizabeth C. McElwain | Hazel B. Cooper |
1926 | Rose Handler | Joseph Conrad |
1925 | William Sullivan | Herminie Williams |
1924 | Dorothy Lane | |
1923 | Mildred E. Currie | Helen M Purdy |
1922 | Ella Sullivan | Esther Gray |
1921 | ||
1920 | Sarah Gray | John C Ruback |
1919 | Putnam F. Jones | Elmina C. Currie |
1918 | Mary Lindsay | Hazlett Hubbs |
1917 | Dorothy B DeGraff | Margaret Kreisel |
1916 | Jerome S Lovenheim | Catherine Waterstreet |
1915 | Maria P. Dybdahl | Ellen M Scott |
1914 | Lillian Battenfield | Thomas David King |
1913 | Beatrce Lane | |
1912 | Charles McClumpha | Lottie Webb |
1911 | Edna Rivenburgh | |
1910 | Ruby Davis | Elizabeth Betz |
1909 | Elsa Lindsay | Edna Lindsay |
1908 | Elizabeth N. Clark | Mary E Clark |
1907 | William Inman | Marie Billington |
1906 | Stanley Hutchinson | Earl Smith |
1905 | J. Potter Hallenbeck | John B. Bostwick |
1904 | Walter Elwood | Lillian Waldron |
1903 | Ethel McCrossen | Boyd McCleary |
I graduated in 1983 and I believe it was JoAnn Callela and Bob Vitas?
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Thanks Andrea, I’ve now added both names.
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2002 Salutatorian Aaron Banewicz
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Thanks Christine. I’ve now added him to the above list.
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Hi Mike,
Thought I’d fill in a few blanks for you. More when I get a few spare minutes (LOL)
Jerry
1904 – Walter Elwood (V) and Lillian Waldron (S) – Amsterdam Recorder June 23, 1904
1907 – William Inman (V) and Marie Billington (S) – Amsterdam Recorder June 28, 1907
1909 – unable to find (yet)
1911 – Edna Rivenburgh (V), no Salutatorian shown in photos or listed in awards – Amsterdam Recorder June 23, 1911
1919 – Putnam F. Jones (V) and Elmina C. Currie – Amsterdam Recorder June 27, 1919
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Thanks Jerry! You’re the best!
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Hi Mike,
Found some information on Class of 1909 in the June Recorders from that year. None of the articles specifically list a student as Valedictorian or Salutatorian in the sense of academic standing. The graduation program listing does however identify who delivered the Salutatory (Elsie Lindsay) and the Valedictory (Edna Lindsay) speeches. I’ll send you a copy of that by E-mail. Don’t know if that equates to Valedictorian and Salutatorian in terms of class ranking.
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