LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION congratulating Brown School upon the occasion of
its 120th Anniversary

WHEREAS, The State of New York takes great pride in acknowledging
significant milestones in the distinguished histories of its esteemed
entities; and
WHEREAS, Brown School, under the luminous direction of Patti Vitale,
Head of School, will celebrate its 120th Anniversary during a gala to be
held at the River Stone Manor on April 13, 2013; and
WHEREAS, Brown School opened in 1893, with a class of 12 kindergarten
students; and
WHEREAS, The school originally operated from the Liberty Street home
of its founder, Helen "Nellie" Brown; and
WHEREAS, Brown School offered an alternative to public education,
focusing on small class sizes and an individualized approach to learn-
ing, and was originally intended to serve the children of General Elec-
tric employees; and
WHEREAS, The school grew quickly, and, in 1904, a small building was
erected on donated land in the G.E. Realty Plot; eventually, the house
next door was also purchased for additional classes and expanded facul-
ty; and
WHEREAS, At the school on Rugby Road, students enjoyed extraordinary
academic instruction as well as extracurricular activities such as
drama, glee club, bicycling, horseback riding, skiing, ice-skating, and
an active newspaper/literary journal titled THE BABBLER; and
WHEREAS, From the 1940s through the 1960s, Brown School offered
programs through sixth grade; it became a primary school in the mid
1970s; and
WHEREAS, At the urging of parents in the early 1980s, the school
expanded again to include third grade and increased one grade per year
until fifth grade was also included; and
WHEREAS, Additional space was now needed, and Brown School moved to
the former Van Antwerp Middle School for eight years; and
WHEREAS, The school returned to its Rugby Road home from 1991 until
1996; and
WHEREAS, Brown School students began the 1996-1997 school year in
their new home on Corlaer Avenue, where the school is still located
today; and
WHEREAS, The school began a middle school expansion and graduated its
first eighth graders in 1999; and
WHEREAS, Brown School has a long and distinguished history in the
community for providing quality education and enriching extracurricular
activities; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate Brown School upon the occasion of its 120th Anniversary;
and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Patti Vitale, Head of School at Brown School.