On Nov. 20, 1787, Erasmus Hall Academy in Flatbush received a state charter. The school had opened in September 1787, a few days after the signing of the Constitution, and drew students to Brooklyn from near and far. It had a number of boarding pupils from other states, and many students from Manhattan lived during the week with well-to-do Dutch farmers who proudly hosted the young scholars.

Named after the Dutch scholar Desidirius Erasmus, the academy was financed by notable figures of the post-Revolution days, like Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, who, along with influential Brooklynites, had a craving for knowledge.

Erasmus originated the grade-advisor system and had the first school library in America. Erasmus later became Brooklyn’s first secondary school and also the state’s first public high school.

As the school expanded in the 20th century, its chapel, Gothic towers, and leafy courtyard were home for novelist Bernard Malamud, publisher Earl Graves of Black Enterprise Magazine, and basketball coach Billy Cunningham. By the 1980s, the once elite Erasmus — long part of the public school system — had stumbled on hard times. It had a dropout rate and attendance record among the worst in New York. The school’s broken windows, trash-strewn halls, and leaking ceilings led the faculty and students to feel abandoned by the Board of Education.

Just before Erasmus celebrated its 200th birthday, it received a coat of fresh paint from top to bottom, an infusion of money from the Board of Education, and along with both, a sense of fresh energy and optimism. There was hope that the golden age of Erasmus had not disappeared.

At its anniversary celebration, state Education Commissioner Thomas Sobol said the school’s message to the city and its students was loud and clear: “Young man, young woman, you are not allowed to grow up ignorant. This society needs you.�

Many Brooklynites who became world famous attended Erasmus, including the actress / singer Barbra Streisand; U.S. chess champion Bobby Fischer; soul and pop singer Stephanie Mills; actress / singer Lainie Kazan; singer / songwriter Neil Diamond; lyricist for Broadway musicals and movies Betty Comden; and opera star Beverly Sills — not to mention Eagle real estate editor Linda Collins.

— Vernon Parker

© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2009 All materials posted on BrooklynEagle.com are protected by United States copyright law. Just a reminder, though -- It’s not considered polite to paste the entire story on your blog. Most blogs post a summary or the first paragraph,( 40 words) then post a link to the rest of the story. That helps increase click-throughs for everyone, and minimizes copyright issues. So please keep posting, but not the entire article. arturc at att.net