Derby History Quiz

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Manhattan College President

Brother Adelphus Patrick (James McKenzie)

This quiz was suggested by Rob Novak with help from Randy Ritter.

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. An earlier quiz noted the accomplishment of Rev. John Jordan Dillon who 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.

This quiz proved to be a bit more difficult, but correct answers were received from: Millie from Ansonia, Jim Bartlett, Angelo DiRubba, Kimberley Shelton, Marc J. Garofalo, Fred Grant, Joe Dedo, Eileen Krugel and Jim Bartlett.

To see our other earlier quizzes and learn more about Derby's unique history, click here.