P. S. 173/Maxwell Vocational High School Located on the east side of Pennsylvania Avenue, between Liberty and Glenmore, the school opened as a grade school in 1913. The location was previously occupied by a church. In the 1940s, while still serving as a grade school, it also housed 900 students as an annex for the East New York Vocational School for Girls. The original ENY Vocational resided at 2416 Atlantic Avenue and as early as 1937 the city was trying to allocate funds for a separate girl's vocational facility. P.S. 173 was converted to William H. Maxwell Vocational School in 1950. William Maxwell was a former Superintendant of Schools who strongly supported vocational training.
REUNION ANNOUNCEMENT William H. Maxwell is having a high school reunion for all the years! It is scheduled for Sunday, July 4th, 2010 at the Cordon Bleu in Queens . The information is in classmates.com website and there is also a William H. Maxwell group in face book. When you get a chance join the group so you can see if you recognize any of your classmates which are attending. Please RSVP:Monserrate Santiago by email thru facebook (maxwellreunion90@yahoo.com) and send your payment to: 1328 Buckingham Cir Franklin, TN 37064 Attn: Maxwell Reunion Her phone number is (646) 641-0661 The tickets are $85.00 each. Anyone having difficulty contacting via facebook may also email Evelyn Nieves at Enieves@ymail.com.
		Public School 173, Pennsylvania Ave. Dated:1910s Maker: Unk Status: Need Pennsylvania Ave. and Public School No. 173 Dated: 1915 Maker: P. Miller Status: Need Constructed in 1913, P.S. 173 began as a grade school. Sylvia Fine, a neighbor and future wife of Danny Kaye, attended 173 (and later Jefferson High.) In the story my aunt provides below, the school served as one of the first junior high schools in the 1930s. Although it was considered a girls vocational school when it opened in 1950, we know boys also attended the school. Helen Mesa attended in the 1970's and confirmed it was an all girls school then so we are investigating the story on that. My aunt has some recollections that shed light on the school.
		Pennsylvania Avenue, 1938 A great photo from the Brian Merlis collection showing P.S. 173 covered with ivy in 1938.
		Public School 173 documents A number of relatives attended 173. My aunt Mary Cornell explained to me in the 1930s my aunts and uncles attended P.S. 63 up to grade six, then attended 173 for two years prior to high school. That's my uncle's 1942 graduation certificate from 173 on the left. By the mid-1940s, P.S. 149 replaced 173 as the local "junior high". On the right is my grandfather's 1932 literacy certificate, based on an exam held at P.S. 173. I assume this was for voting registration. He was not an immigrant, but may not have been able to document his education.
	I was surprised to discover in this Feb 2, 1944 Eagle article that at one time Franklin K. Lane was supposed to incorporate the girl's vocational school. It would be another six years before P.S. 173 was converted into Maxwell.
		William H. Maxwell Vocational Yearbook, 1960 Entitled "Crystal", the 1960 yearbook commemorated the 10th anniversary of the school. I included two class pictures, one to clearly show boys attended the school.
		William H. Maxwell Vocational Yearbook, 1960 The next group offers insight into the course offerings. The Commercial Art course seems to be a draw for the few male students.
		William H. Maxwell Vocational Yearbook, 1960 Typing, stenography, office machines were all typical fare. Can someone explain the "gowns" they are wearing in the garment class?
		William H. Maxwell Vocational Yearbook, 1960 Lo and behold, another school that celebrated the tradition of 'Baby Day' for seniors. On the right, a shot of the stage after a performance of "Matchmaker".
		William H. Maxwell Vocational , 1964 Thanks to Augusto Torres and his wife Dorca Roman, who attended Maxwell and provides pictures of two classrooms in 1964. That's Mrs. Hirch's Commercial Art class on the left and the economics class on the right. Those old school desks are a link to the early days as a public grade school.
		William H. Maxwell Vocational , 1964 Two shots courtesy of Dorca Roman's 1964 yearbook.
		William H. Maxwell Vocational yearbook, 1975 Thanks to Evelyn Nieves who sends over a cover and inside shot of the 1975 yearbook.
		William H. Maxwell Vocational, 1979 We see the stage again as Nilda Ruiz sent in this shot of herself performing at the school in 1979. On the right, the school today. The new addition on the right was done in 1997.