The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-08-06

AS guest speaker Tuesday, at
Ansonia, when the cornerstone wal
laid for the first modern public
high school In tho United States
architect william Lescase OF New
York City made the following
speech:
This "a @ memorable day-An-
sonia IL about TO have the high
school building which II deserves. !
need not 90 into oil the details Of
past history; how the first referen"
dunn was defeated; how your far
seeing Representatives pass the me-
cessary Legislative act; how the fed
eral administration established the
kind OF grants from which your
community, and others, are benefit"
Ing today; how your mayor succeed
cd In obtaining the promise OF such
q federal grant; how tho second ref
erendum was then successful; how
the state board OF education helped
and advised. These, and many
others, are steps with which you are
oil familiar. TO me they clearly show
that this memorable day has come
which will give you, soon, o good
school buildipg-not because OF o
single mans efforts, but because OF
collective efforts, because Of this
community's efforts.
This school--yotr Bchool-wlll ~.
deed be o monument 10 many, ana "
Is right that II should be 10.
cannot name them here one BY
one, but want very much TO ack-
nowledge Our indebtedness TO Two
groups and to their RESPECTIVE efforts.
The first one-the mayors advisory
committee. You couldn't have found
O more open-minded, unprecedented
group Of men. They had their hearts
set on q good, sound building, bet
ter looking, more efficient and diff
crent from other conventional types
Of school buildings and, Of course,
as much building, as large rs posi-
bic, for the money available. They
worked hard; investigated left and
right. Finally this group OF men
selected us-Sears, my associate
and myself--as Your architects. II
Is not appropriate that we should
fgive them thanks todayp And while
most Of them ore here with US, may
deplore with you the premature
death Of one OF LhLm. Mr.. Elwooo
Webb, who wanted 10 much, with al
OF US. that school building TO be
right and good?
And now the second group
would like to mention u your own
children. All the school children
who went from house to house ex-
planning how very much O bettei
school building was needed; who
convinced lazy or Indifferent voterl
that II was their duty to make that
second referendum successful; anc
they. the children, made II so.
Auditorium Erected
All thes, efforts shall not have
been In vain, / am happy TO say
You see only his cornerstone TO-
day, but before the end Of the veal
you all will see what Vernon Seari
and myself have, for many month";
now cherished in our dreams:
simple and good-looking schoo
building. A building which invite
you to come In; lots and lots OF pil
windows; class rooms with 80 mucr
light that It Is fun TO work In; gym
nagIum and showers so arranged
that 1t rs fun; auditorium 30 sim
pie that It Is good to be In; tha
auditorium so accessible that II car
be used either by the school or 2,
the community at large. And ell O
that with good, sound materials. Al
OF that Cor much less money. TO Gu
knowledge, than most school build
lngs in other communities. All o
that because you decided for good
lModern architecture.