October 25, 2010
The history of St. John’s University is a mosaic of people, places
and events, many of which relate to the University’s former campus
on Schermerhorn Street in the heart of downtown Brooklyn. For
years this thriving location maintained St. John’s presence in the
borough in which it was founded in 1870, and today continues to
hold a special place in the hearts of the men and women who
attended this vertical campus.
Photo Gallery
On
Sunday, October 24, 2010 over 100 alumni gathered at Pete’s
Downtown Restaurant under the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge for the
4th Annual Schermerhorn Street Reunion. They were eager for the
opportunity to meet and share memories with old friends and former
classmates who were an important part of their student days.
“There’s something very special about our Schermerhorn Street
alumni,” noted William G. Schaeffer ’73CBA, Director, Office of
Alumni Relations. “They have a strong sense of identification with
that campus, and it’s nice to see so many getting together here
today. It really shows how important St. John’s still is for them,
even after all these years.”
There was laughter in the air and smiles all around as alumni
mingled and told stories about what it was like to spend their
college years on Schermerhorn Street.
“I
went there for my first two years,” recalled Robert W. Decker
’73CBA, ’77MBA. “I remember going up and down all day in the
elevators. They actually had manned elevators with elevator
operators back then, which was fun for us. I had so many good times
there, and I came back today to see if any of my old buddies were
around. For me, St. John’s has always been about the people, and
that’s certainly true today.”
“I’m here today because I really want to see some of my old
friends,” agreed Fleurette E. Colucci ’61UC. “I have very pleasant
memories of my time on Schermerhorn Street. The social life was
good and our professors were great. I was a Social Studies major
and finished my degree in three and a half years, and I have to say
that I liked going to school on that campus very much.”
As a member of the Schermerhorn Street Reunion Committee, Thomas
P. Joyce ’73CBA, ’77MBA was instrumental in orchestrating the
impressive turnout of alumni for what has become an increasingly
popular event. Although he spent only two years on that campus
before completing his degree on Staten Island, the friendships that
he developed during those early days have lasted a lifetime.
“One
of the good things about Schermerhorn Street was that everything
was pretty much in one building and we all got to know each other,”
he said. “No matter what our individual majors were, we got to know
pretty much all of the students. We were able to come in every
morning and see all of our friends, and after going to class, we’d
come back at lunchtime and everyone would be together again. It was
a really friendly, family atmosphere. I was a member of Sigma Chi
Epsilon Fraternity when I was a student, and my fraternity brothers
and I have always been close to St. John’s. This particular event
is one that we really like to support.”
Supporting the University has always been important to Rudolph
Funke ’66CBA, ’69L. As an undergraduate he was President of the
Student Council, and today continues to demonstrate his loyalty to
St. John’s through membership in The McCallen Society. He recalled
that as a double alumnus, he “…went to the Schermerhorn Street
campus for seven years. When I think back, I remember spending lots
of time in the elevators and eating many of my meals in the Quonset
hut. I made so many good friends there, and got a great education
from truly exceptional professors. St. John’s has made wonderful
things possible in my life, which is why the University will always
be so important to me. Everyone should have been as lucky as I was
to spend so much time on Schermerhorn Street.”
For information about events of interest to Schermerhorn Street
alumni, please call Susan Damiani ’87CBA, Director, Office of Gift
Planning, at (718) 990-7562 or e-mail damianis@stjohns.edu
For information about events of interest to alumni in general,
please call Mark Andrews, Associate Director, Office of Alumni
Relations at (718) 990-5897 or e-mail andrewsm@stjohns.edu