Franklin High School (Sussex County, New Jersey)

Franklin High School was a public high school in Franklin in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. The school closed in 1982, with the opening of Wallkill Valley Regional High School.

History

Known originally as Franklin Industrial School, the school's first graduating class was in 1924, while the first regular class graduated four years later. During an era when Sussex County had a limited number of high schools, Franklin High School at various points served students from Hamburg, Hardyston Township, Jefferson Township, Ogdensburg and Vernon Township.

In the face of "badly overcrowded conditions" at Franklin High School, voters approved a pair of referendums in November 1972 for the creation of Wallkill Valley Regional High School, while voters in Vernon approved the construction of a new high school for township students.^[1] Students from Vernon Township were given the option to complete their education in Franklin or switch over to Vernon Township High School when it opened in September 1975.^[2]

For the 1978-79 school year, Ogdensburg withdrew from Franklin High School and began sending students to Sparta High School.^[3]

The school closed in 1982, with the opening of Wallkill Valley Regional High School, at which point the high school building was repurposed for use as Franklin Elementary School.^[4]

Notable alumni

Gertrude M. Clarke (1932–2020), science educator who primarily taught high school physics and nucleonics and extensively engaged in nuclear physics research^[5]
Mike Ferrara (born 1958), retired basketball player best known for his collegiate career at Niagara University and Colgate University^[6]
Bill Glynn (1925–2013), played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians^[7]
Bob Gunderman (born 1934), National Football League (NFL) football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers^[8]^[9]
Steve Nagy (1919–2016), MLB pitcher who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1947 and the Washington Senators^[10]

References

^ "Voters in Sussex Approve 2 of 3 School Referendums", Paterson Evening News, November 29, 1972. Accessed November 18, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The final tally was 1138 to 282 in approving the creation of a new regional high school district for grades 9 through 12 for students in Franklin, Hamburg, Hardyston and Ogdensburg.... By that vote, the four districts have paved the way for the formation of a regional board of education and granted authorization for a current expense budget of $30,000 for the regional board. High school youngsters from all four municipalities plus Vernon, are now attending Franklin High School under badly overcrowded conditions.... In Vernon, the vote was 3 to 1 in approving a $6.5 million high school to house township students new attending Franklin High School."
^ Sullivan, Ann Marie. "They're Proud At Vernon High", Paterson News, October 30, 1975. Accessed April 17, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "In spite of the fact that the opening date of the high school was postponed for a week this past September because of construction difficulties, the 830 students In the first year's enrollment felt at home immediately in the new environment.... Seniors were given an option at the end of last year either to continue and graduate with their class at Franklin High School (for which Vernon was a sending district) or become part of the first graduating class at VTHS."
^ Fitzmaurice, George. "Sussex Towns May Merge Police Forces", Paterson Evening News, December 5, 1977. Accessed November 18, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Franklin, with its own high school and a sending district for Hamburg and Hardyston, overwhelmingly rejects a Wallkill Valley Regional High School. Ogdensburg, once in favor; now votes no. It will remove its students from Franklin High in 1978 and send them to Sparta."
^ School History, Franklin Borough School. Accessed October 23, 2017. "In 1924, the graduating class of Franklin Industrial School, as it was known then, consisted of nine students, and by 1928, its first regular high school class of 14 students was graduated.... Franklin operated on split sessions and rented outside classrooms at a local church in order to school all the students. In addition to Franklin residents, the school also educated high school students from Jefferson, Hardyston, Hamburg, Vernon, and Ogdensburg.... The class of 1982 was the last class to graduate from Franklin High School because in September 1982, Wallkill Valley Regional High School opened its doors, and Franklin High School closed theirs."
^ Gertrude Margaret Clarke obituary, The Star-Ledger, May 22, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. "Gert, as she was known to friends and family, was born on May 28th, 1932 in Franklin, N.J. She attended Franklin High, earned her baccalaureate degree from Douglass College in 1954, attended pre-doctoral courses at Rutgers University, and studied atomic, nuclear, and solid state physics at Yale University Graduate School."
^ Harrigan, Will. "Franklin High put county on the map in 1970s", New Jersey Herald, February 27, 2017. Accessed October 23, 2017. "Mike Ferrara and Earl Hornyak could not have played more different roles on Franklin High School's basketball team during the 1975-76 season. Ferrara — a future NBA draft pick out of Colgate — was on his way toward setting the Sussex County scoring record in those days.... And in that campaign, Franklin — gone as a high school since 1982 when Wallkill Valley opened its doors — won the inaugural Sussex County Interscholastic League crown with a perfect 16-0 mark, and racked up unbelievable scoring numbers to boot."
^ Marsh, Richard. "Bill Glynn". SABR.org. SABR. Retrieved August 11, 2016. William Vincent Glynn, who played for three seasons with the Indians in a four-year major-league career, was born on June 30, 1925, in Sussex, New Jersey, the second son of Marshall Nelson, a laborer in a zinc mine, and his wife, Esta. A premier athlete at Franklin High School, Glynn lettered as a first baseman in baseball, a running back in football, and a forward in basketball.
^ Bob Gunderman Archived 2015-04-21 at the Wayback Machine, Database Football. Accessed March 9, 2016.
^ Miller Jr., Vern. "Where Are They Now? Bob Gunderman", New Jersey Herald, April 1, 2007. Accessed July 22, 2019. "Bob Gunderman has always been a pacesetter. He was the first in his family to go to college, and the first Sussex County athlete to earn a spot on a National Football League team... At Franklin High, Gunderman played for legendary coach and SCSHOF inductee Reg Purdy, earning All-State honors and a full basketball scholarship to the University of Florida."
^ Steve Nagy, Baseball Reference. Accessed August 29, 2024. "Born: May 28, 1919 in Franklin, NJ... High School: Franklin HS (Franklin, NJ)"

41°07′03″N 74°34′58″W / 41.117390°N 74.582873°W / 41.117390; -74.582873

[1] "Voters in Sussex Approve 2 of 3 School Referendums", Paterson Evening News, November 29, 1972. Accessed November 18, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "The final tally was 1138 to 282 in approving the creation of a new regional high school district for grades 9 through 12 for students in Franklin, Hamburg, Hardyston and Ogdensburg.... By that vote, the four districts have paved the way for the formation of a regional board of education and granted authorization for a current expense budget of $30,000 for the regional board. High school youngsters from all four municipalities plus Vernon, are now attending Franklin High School under badly overcrowded conditions.... In Vernon, the vote was 3 to 1 in approving a $6.5 million high school to house township students new attending Franklin High School."

[2] Sullivan, Ann Marie. "They're Proud At Vernon High", Paterson News, October 30, 1975. Accessed April 17, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "In spite of the fact that the opening date of the high school was postponed for a week this past September because of construction difficulties, the 830 students In the first year's enrollment felt at home immediately in the new environment.... Seniors were given an option at the end of last year either to continue and graduate with their class at Franklin High School (for which Vernon was a sending district) or become part of the first graduating class at VTHS."

[3] Fitzmaurice, George. "Sussex Towns May Merge Police Forces", Paterson Evening News, December 5, 1977. Accessed November 18, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Franklin, with its own high school and a sending district for Hamburg and Hardyston, overwhelmingly rejects a Wallkill Valley Regional High School. Ogdensburg, once in favor; now votes no. It will remove its students from Franklin High in 1978 and send them to Sparta."

[4] School History, Franklin Borough School. Accessed October 23, 2017. "In 1924, the graduating class of Franklin Industrial School, as it was known then, consisted of nine students, and by 1928, its first regular high school class of 14 students was graduated.... Franklin operated on split sessions and rented outside classrooms at a local church in order to school all the students. In addition to Franklin residents, the school also educated high school students from Jefferson, Hardyston, Hamburg, Vernon, and Ogdensburg.... The class of 1982 was the last class to graduate from Franklin High School because in September 1982, Wallkill Valley Regional High School opened its doors, and Franklin High School closed theirs."

[5] Gertrude Margaret Clarke obituary, The Star-Ledger, May 22, 2020. Accessed February 27, 2023. "Gert, as she was known to friends and family, was born on May 28th, 1932 in Franklin, N.J. She attended Franklin High, earned her baccalaureate degree from Douglass College in 1954, attended pre-doctoral courses at Rutgers University, and studied atomic, nuclear, and solid state physics at Yale University Graduate School."

[6] Harrigan, Will. "Franklin High put county on the map in 1970s", New Jersey Herald, February 27, 2017. Accessed October 23, 2017. "Mike Ferrara and Earl Hornyak could not have played more different roles on Franklin High School's basketball team during the 1975-76 season. Ferrara — a future NBA draft pick out of Colgate — was on his way toward setting the Sussex County scoring record in those days.... And in that campaign, Franklin — gone as a high school since 1982 when Wallkill Valley opened its doors — won the inaugural Sussex County Interscholastic League crown with a perfect 16-0 mark, and racked up unbelievable scoring numbers to boot."

[7] Marsh, Richard. "Bill Glynn". SABR.org. SABR. Retrieved August 11, 2016. William Vincent Glynn, who played for three seasons with the Indians in a four-year major-league career, was born on June 30, 1925, in Sussex, New Jersey, the second son of Marshall Nelson, a laborer in a zinc mine, and his wife, Esta. A premier athlete at Franklin High School, Glynn lettered as a first baseman in baseball, a running back in football, and a forward in basketball.

[8] Bob Gunderman Archived 2015-04-21 at the Wayback Machine, Database Football. Accessed March 9, 2016.

[9] Miller Jr., Vern. "Where Are They Now? Bob Gunderman", New Jersey Herald, April 1, 2007. Accessed July 22, 2019. "Bob Gunderman has always been a pacesetter. He was the first in his family to go to college, and the first Sussex County athlete to earn a spot on a National Football League team... At Franklin High, Gunderman played for legendary coach and SCSHOF inductee Reg Purdy, earning All-State honors and a full basketball scholarship to the University of Florida."

[10] Steve Nagy, Baseball Reference. Accessed August 29, 2024. "Born: May 28, 1919 in Franklin, NJ... High School: Franklin HS (Franklin, NJ)"

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