Scarborough "Country Day" School

Reminiscence

Some people have sent stories of their time at Scarborough.I'll publish some of them here - with the authors' permission, of course - in hopes it will bring back memories for others, and may inspire some to share their memories of what the experience of Scarborough was for them

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Dear Ned, Scarborough '63:

I was very happy to stumble on your webpage. When our family moved in 1920 (I age 7) from 216 W 100th St, NYC, to Tarrytown, I spent my gr 3 year (1921-2, I age 8-9) at Tarrytown Elementary (now Washington Irving High School); then from gr 4 (1921, I age 8) through graduation (1929, I age 16) I attended Scarborough School with 1 year exception: I thought in 1926 (I age 13) I'd like a boarding school and thus went to Phillips Academy, Andover MA.

But I was so bullied for being (1) younger than my Lower Middler (gr 10) classmates, (2) also smaller than they, and worst of all (3) being Jewish, [no other boys of Shylock's tribe there] that I told Father I wanted to return to Scarborough, which I did in 1927 (gr 11).

The Andover Headmaster, Dr Alfred E. Stearns, was so upset about a boy withdrawing from Andover that he sent 2 telegrams wanting to know why. "Don't you want to follow your Dad to Yale? Andover is a springboard for Yale." But Father and I found it too embarrassing to give the real reason--the anti-Judæism of the other boys. Father sent a telegram in the 10 words Western Union then allowed: EUGENE WISHES COMPLETE HIGHSCHOOL AT SCARBOROUGH WE RESPECT HIS DESIRE.

I got into Yale in 1929 anyway in the class of 1933 (I age 16-20). We will return to New Haven in June 2008 (I age 95) for our 3/4 Century '33 Reunion. Although in the early years I tried to find some of my Scarborough '29 classmates to have a Reunion, no one was interested. If you can arrange an 80th Reunion in 2009 of all 20 of us I will surely be there. I regret that Scarborough School was so financially depressed that it doesn't exist anymore.

I knew all 6 of Frank A. Vanderlip's children. #5, Kelvin, was in my class. Where are they now? Did any fall gloriously in WW II? My brother Godfrey graduated from Scarborough in 1933. I hope he answers you. My wife of 46 years, Shirley, and I live in Québec, Canada. I am Professeur des Mathématiques (à la retraite) de l'Université du Québec à Trois-Riviéres. I had 5 kids, 4 grew up, and 5 grands, none of whom attended Scarborough and only one, Sean, who graduated ('84) from Yale. Now I teach full time as bénévole in the elementary schools of both English Montral School Board and Commission Scolaire de Montréal

Love,

Eugéne Lehman, '29