Over the years, James Madison High School has produced a long line of highly skilled graduates who went into a myriad of careers that brought honor upon themselves and the school that began their training. One of them is Donald S. Harris, class of 1949. While at Don spent a lot of time in the gym and performed as a member of the gymnastics team. But even after school, he was busy. Shortly after graduation, Don was hired as an usher at the Avalon Theatre on Kings Highway and in a manner to be expected from a Madisonian, worked his way up to Assistant Manager and Chief of Service.
But Don would again to answer yet another call of service. He joined the U.S. Air Force and by 1951, he found himself in Korea with the very important assignment, flying wounded soldiers out of the war zone.
In 1952, he was attached to the US Air Force Exhibit Group and in that capacity traveled the country explaining to audiences how the Air Force spent our tax money. And to put the emphasis on equipment, he carried with him the belly section of the historic ENOLA GAY, the B-29 that dropped an A-bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.
Don survived Korea and the service. Upon his return to stateside in 1953, he moved to California where he soon had a successful insurance agency. But that was not enough for him and in 1965 it was off to Southwestern Law School. Upon passing the bar exam, he began his practice until 1974 when he formed a new corporation, Educational Community Insurance Services, Inc. It was through that company that he began negotiating benefit packages for teachers all across the state of California.
Don and his wife loved travel and travel they did…to every country in the world except India. In 1996, Don retired and began taking care of his wife who passed away a year later. But Don still has not settled down into an easy chair. First, he watches with pride as his only child, a daughter, practices law in California. And Don is back in uniform, this time as a major in the USAF Auxiliary (CAP) Squadron 35 in Southern California, also known as the Civil Air Patrol. As such, he flies search and rescue missions for downed aircraft as well as lost skiers and hikers in local mountains and across the border in Mexico. Donald S. Harris is truly a Madisonian we and the school can be very proud of.
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Two years after Don Harris graduated from the hallowed halls of James Madison High School, Karl Bernstein, Class of ’51 accepted his diploma and went off to college to eventually become a science teacher. Thus began a 32 year career that included not only science classes but also a long and distinguished stint as an Assistant Principal. Karl says he feels he contributed a great deal to the youth of our society and we have to agree.
For Karl though, attendance at Madison had an unusual payoff. Karl played the cello in the Madison High orchestra and the young lady seated next to him always admired his musical abilities. It may be a good thing that she did not pursue music as a career because that young lady grew up to become United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Many years after orchestra rehearsals ended for them, Karl Bernstein was selected by PS 238 on East 8th Street,to present Justice Ginsberg with a special alumni gift. Just before the ceremony, Karl asked the distinguished jurist if she remembered him playing the cello in the orchestra and sitting next to her? She answered that she did indeed remember him and added that he played much better than she. Karl is still impressed by that compliment.
Karl, a dedicated teacher, a skillful Assistant Principal in the borough of Brooklyn and someone all Madisonians can be extremely proud of. That includes the long parade of students who were lucky enough to be recipients of his knowledge and his concern for them.
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The purpose of these bios was to see the paths taken by various Madisonians as they followed careers in later life. Tales of wonderful, fulfilling and valuable endeavors were shared.
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Another such tale is that of Arlene Kay class of 1956. Arlene's career path was not only one of service to others in the form of real estate sales but it was special because of the distance covered. First, lets take a quick look at the various aspects of her career. After Madison and traversing Kings Highway countless times with her best friend Glo, Arlene went to night school to get her college degree. She then begins teaching while at the same time getting married and having two kids. Then, unexpectedly, she got unmarried (is that a valid term?) All this happened on New York's Fire Island where for thirty years, she established a successful real estate agency. It was at the thirty year marker that Arlene made a major decision. It was on Fire Island, in 10 degree weather that Arlene decided she was in need of a change....to a warmer climate. And boy, was it some change......Acapulco, Mexico, where you can find those divers jumping off cliffs into the surf.
Acapulco is where Arlene can be found most of the year, engaging in her field of real estate. She does makes visits back to New York in the summer but she loves her home down there, calling it one of the most beautiful places.
Life is good Arlene, enjoy
Sherry
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