All the towns in Kings County were settled by the Dutch with the exception of Gravesend, which was first settled by a colony of English people under the leadership of Lady Deborah Moody, a woman of considerable wealth and education, who took a prominent part in public affairs, and whose home was on Neck Road. According to the New York City Ward Map of Kings County in 1899, the school is located on the former property of John Carter. The land was originally swampy, sandy soil covering about 10 acres (40,000 m2). Lafayette High School, the first building of its type, was designed to accommodate about 4,000 pupils. The cost of the site was $211,350 while the building itself necessitated an outlay of $2,820,000. There are two other high schools in the city, which are duplicates of this type – Christopher Columbus and William Cullen Bryant. Dr. Frederick William Oswald was asked to assume the principalship of the new school. As the new building was not ready, the school had to meet in three annexes. These annexes were P.S. 180, with Mr. Joseph Grady in charge, assisted by Mr. Freilich and Mr. Abraham Margolies; P.S. 126, under the direction of Miss Dorothy K. Lewis and Mr. Robert Buda; and P.S. 192 with Mr. Walter Jacobsen in charge. On March 1939, the faculty had been increased to 156 members and the student population numbered some 4,500 boys and girls. On November 13, 1939, the formal exercises dedicating Lafayette High School took place in the auditorium. Among those present was Mayor Fiorello H. School activities early became an important part of life at Lafayette. On November 21, 1940, the first G.O. elections showed the following candidates victorious in the contest for school officers: Theodore Blinder, president; Gladys Deatsch, vice-president; Lillian Antin, secretary; Sabina La Salle, treasurer. Through the years principals, whether Mary Buda, Joseph Bellafiore, Leo Weitz, Irving I. Cohen, or Sheldon R. Friedberg 1986, recognized the importance of student activities and the Student Organization
FAMOUS ALUMNI:
Bob Aspromonte (Baseball)
Ken Aspromonte (Baseball)
Kevin Baez (Baseball)
Larry KingTony Balsamo (Baseball)
Roz Chast (Cartoonist)
Herb Cohen (Author, Negotiator)
Alex Coletti (Producer)
Vic Damone (Singer)
Benny Distefano (Baseball)
Jerry Della Femina (Author, Restaurateur, Advertising Agent)
Pete Falcone (Baseball)
Al Ferrara (Baseball)
Mike Fiore (Baseball)
John Franco (Baseball)
Gary David Goldberg (Producer/Sitcom creator)
Larry King (Interviewer)
Hall of Famer Sandy KoufaxSandy Koufax (Baseball)
Richard LaGravenese (screenwriter)
Michael Lerner (actor)
Luis Lopez (Baseball)
Peter Max (born Peter Max Finkelstein; Artist)
Larry Merchant (Sportswriter)
Vickie Natale (Singer/Songwriter/CBS Star Search Champion)
Eric Ober (President CBS News 1980s)
Rochelle Owens (Poet/Playwright}
Rhea Perlman (Actress)
Steve Schirripa (Actor/Author)
Maurice Sendak (Artist)
Paul Sorvino (Actor)
Elliott Stein (Film critic and historian)
Michael Steinhardt (Financier)
Fred Wilpon (New York Mets Owner)
Larry Yellen (Baseball)
Larry Weinberg (Collections)
