JAMES MCKENZIE
FRANKLIN SCHOOL
PRESIDENT
MANHATTAN COLLEGE
1932-1938 |
Franklin School is long gone from the educational
landscape in Derby, but it can boast two of its students who went on to
a much greater educational role - president of a prestigious Catholic
college. Another member of the Derby Hall of Fame, Rev. John Jordan
Dillon, served as President of Providence College from 1936 to 1944.
Brother Adelphus Patrick pictured above served as President of Manhattan
College from 1932 - 1938 giving Franklin School the unique distinction
of having two of its former students serving as college presidents at
the same time!
Brother Adelphus Patrick was born James McKenzie on
March 19, 1893. His parents were John McKenzie and Ann Mullen McKenzie.
He had one brother and five sisters (John, Sadie, Mildred, Ester, and
Mary) and the family home was located on Bank Street. He attended
Franklin School until he reached the age of 13 when he was sent to a
boarding school in Maryland run by the Brothers of Christian Schools. He
went on to Columbia and Manhattan College and did post graduate work at
Columbia and Harvard.
He pursued a teaching career and taught at a variety of
Christian Brothers schools before becoming president of Manhattan in
1932. Church practice only allowed for two three-year terms as
president, so he moved on to a variety of other positions and at the
time of his death in 1953, he was a professor of English and Religion at
St. Joseph's Collegiate in Buffalo.