James Monroe High School is a former

comprehensive high school Comprehensive high schools are the most popular form of public high schools around the world, designed to provide a well-rounded education to its students, as opposed to the practice in some places in which examinations are used to sort students in ...

located at 1300 Boynton Avenue at East 172nd Street in the Soundview section of

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Opened in 1924, the original school ran for seventy years before being shut down in 1997 for poor performance. The original building now houses seven smaller high schools: the Monroe Academy for Visual Arts and Design (H.S. 692), the Monroe Academy for Business and Law (H.S. 690), the

High School of World Cultures The High School of World Cultures is one of the five schools housed in the James Monroe High School in the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westcheste ...

(H.S. 550), The Metropolitan Soundview Highschool (X521), Pan American International High School (X388), Mott Hall V (X242) and the newly opened Cinema School (first opened its doors for the 2009–2010 school year). The building also used to house an elementary school, The Bronx Little School. The building was designed by William H. Gompert, who was the

New York City Superintendent of School Buildings The Superintendent of Schools Buildings was a position assigned by the School Building Commission of the New York City Board of Education. BOE Superintendents of School Buildings Brooklyn Board of Education (until 1898) *1879-1898 — James W ...

. The building was built by the T.A. Clarke Co., and is substantially identical to a handful of other high school buildings that were built in the city at the same time.

Notable alumni

Danny Aiello Daniel Louis Aiello Jr. () (June 20, 1933 – December 12, 2019) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous motion pictures, including '' The Godfather Part II'' (1974), '' The Front'' (1976), ''Once Upon a Time in America'' (1984), ''Hide ...

, actor, who attended Monroe for two weeks before dropping out to enlist in National Guard *

Saul Bass Saul Bass (; May 8, 1920 – April 25, 1996) was an American graphic designer and Oscar-winning filmmaker, best known for his design of motion-picture title sequences, film posters, and corporate logos. During his 40-year career, Bass wor ...

, graphic designer, movie title sequence designer, and filmmaker *

Edward J. Bloustein Edward Jerome Bloustein (January 20, 1925 – December 9, 1989) was the 17th President of Rutgers University serving from 1971 to 1989. Biography He was born in New York City, and he graduated from James Monroe High School in the Bronx in 19 ...

, 17th president of

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...

* Milton Cardona ('63), musician who recorded with Willie Colon, Hector Lavoe and Tito Puente * Darren Carrington ('84), 8-year NFL player (Broncos, Lions, Chargers, Panthers), played in two Super Bowls * Cornelius H. Charlton, U.S. Army soldier and

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of val ...

recipient in

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Judy Craig Judy Craig (born June 11, 1944, New York City) is the lead singer of the American girl group, The Chiffons. She left the group in 1969, but returned in 1992 after the death of Barbara Lee. Fronted by Judy Craig Mann along with her daughter and nie ...

, Patricia Bennett, and Barbara Lee of singing group the Chiffons *

Larry Eisenberg Lawrence Eisenberg (December 21, 1919 – December 25, 2018) was an American biomedical engineer and science fiction writer. He is best known for his short story "What Happened to Auguste Clarot?", published in Harlan Ellison's anthology '' ...

, biomedical engineer, science fiction writer and limericist *

Jules Feiffer Jules Ralph Feiffer (born January 26, 1929)''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; Page 107 is an American cartoonist and author, who was considered the most widely read satirist in the country. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 as North- ...

(‘47), cartoonist for ''Village Voice'' (won

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...

in editorial cartooning); author, playwright and screenwriter *

Paul A. Fino Paul Albert Fino (December 15, 1913 – June 16, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician from New York. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a New York State Senator, a member of the United States House of Representatives and a ju ...

, GOP Congressman and State Senator, representing the Bronx *

Art Fleming Arthur Fleming Fazzin (May 1, 1924 – April 25, 1995) was an American actor and television host. He hosted the first version of the television game show ''Jeopardy!'', which aired on NBC from 1964 until 1975 and again from 1978 to 1979. E ...

('41), original host of TV's ''

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'' and former Monroe football star *

Anna Gajar Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 1221) ...

, Professor Emeritus at Pennsylvania State University *

Stan Getz Stanley Getz (February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre ...

, jazz saxophonist * Nathan Glazer, sociologist who co-authored ''Beyond the Melting Pot'' * Izzy Goldstein, Major League Baseball player *

Hank Greenberg Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...

('29), Major League Baseball player with

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

, 2-time American League MVP and Hall of Famer; led Monroe to PSAL basketball championship in 1927 and PSAL baseball title in 1929, three-sport All-City selection in soccer, basketball and baseball *

Lenny Hambro Leonard William Hambro, known as Lenny Hambro (October 16, 1923 – September 26, 1995), was a journeyman jazz musician who played woodwinds, primarily alto saxophone, with a host of bands, orchestras, and jazz notables from the early 1940s through ...

, jazz musician (woodwinds), notably with bands of

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of " Sing, Sing, ...

Glenn Miller Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the US Army Air Forc ...

, Machito, and Chico O'Farrill *

Jonathan Harris Jonathan Harris (born Jonathan Daniel Charasuchin, November 6, 1914 – November 3, 2002) was an American character actor whose career included more than 500 television and film appearances, as well as voiceovers. Two of his best-known roles w ...

('31), actor *

Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...

, first Black American to serve as the

Bronx County District Attorney The Bronx County District Attorney is the elected district attorney for Bronx County, which is coterminous with the Borough of the Bronx, in New York City. The office is responsible for the prosecution of violations of New York state laws. (Federa ...

(January 1, 1989) in history of New York State; in 2005, he became longest-serving District Attorney in Bronx County history; Monroe graduate and U.S. Navy veteran * Herbert E. Klarman, American public health economist *

Martin J. Klein Martin Jesse Klein (June 25, 1924 – March 28, 2009), usually cited as M. J. Klein, was a science historian of 19th and 20th century physics. Biography Klein was born in the Bronx, New York City. He was an only child and both his parents we ...

('39), historian of modern physics and senior editor of ''The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein'' (Princeton University Press) from 1988 to 1998; first winner (2005) of Abraham Pais Prize, first major award for history of physics *

Karen Koslowitz Karen Koslowitz was the Council member for the 29th district of the New York City Council. She is a Democrat. The district includes Forest Hills, Forest Park, Kew Gardens, Rego Park, and Richmond Hill. Life and career Koslowitz's parents i ...

, New York City Council member representing Queens * Ed Kranepool ('62), Major League Baseball player, signed by

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...

just days after his 1962 graduation from Monroe, one of 1962 Mets and member of 1969 World Series champions * Leon M. Lederman ('39), Nobel Laureate in Physics in 1988 *

Samuel Lubell Samuel Lubell (November 3, 1911 – August 16, 1987), born Samuel Lubelsky, was an American public opinion pollster, journalist, and author who successfully predicted election outcomes using door-to-door voter interviews. He published six books ...

, public opinion pollster, journalist, and

National Book Award for Nonfiction The National Book Award for Nonfiction is one of five U.S. annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation to recognize outstanding literary work by U.S. citizens. They are awards "by writers to writers". The panelists ...

finalist (1957) *

Juliet Man Ray Juliet Man Ray (née Browner; 1911 – January 17, 1991) was an American dancer and model, who became the wife and muse of the artist Man Ray. Early life She was born Juliet Browner, the daughter of Henry Browner, who had emigrated from Romania ...

, dancer and model, wife and muse of artist

Man Ray Man Ray (born Emmanuel Radnitzky; August 27, 1890 – November 18, 1976) was an American visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris. He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealism, Surrealist movements, although his t ...

Judith Merril Judith Josephine Grossman (January 21, 1923 – September 12, 1997), who took the pen-name Judith Merril around 1945, was an American and then Canadian science fiction writer, editor and political activist, and one of the first women to be wid ...

, science-fiction author and editor *

Stanley Milgram Stanley Milgram (August 15, 1933 – December 20, 1984) was an American social psychologist, best known for his controversial experiments on obedience conducted in the 1960s during his professorship at Yale.Blass, T. (2004). ''The Man Who Shock ...

, social psychologist * Dan Monzon ('64), baseball infielder, manager and scout * Malloy Nesmith, Sr ('88), streetball player * Estelle Reiner ('32), actor and singer *

Regina Resnik Regina Resnik (born Regina Resnick, August 30, 1922 – August 8, 2013) was an American opera singer who had an active international career that spanned five decades. She began her career as a soprano in 1942 and soon after began a lengthy and ...

, opera singer and actor *

Ellie Rodríguez Eliseo Rodríguez Delgado (born May 24, 1946) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1968 to 1976 for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, California Angel ...

('64), former Major League Baseball player *

Lennie Rosenbluth Leonard Robert Rosenbluth (January 22, 1933 – June 18, 2022) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), but he is remembered, first and foremost, for his college basketball player days. He play ...

('52), college and NBA basketball player *

Mickey Rutner Milton "Mickey" Rutner (March 18, 1919 – October 17, 2007) was a third baseman in Major League Baseball who played briefly with the Philadelphia Athletics during the 1947 season. Listed at , 190 lb., Rutner batted and threw right-handed. He ...

, Major League Baseball player * Nancy Savoca,

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Grand Jury Award-winning filmmaker * Paul R. Screvane, politician *

Art Shay Art Shay (March 31, 1922 – April 28, 2018) was an American photographer and writer. Biography Born in 1922, Shay grew up in the Bronx and then served as a navigator in the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, during which he flew 52 bomber ...

('39), photographer and writer * Robert Strauss, actor, Academy Award-nominated for role in '' Stalag 17'' *

Anthony Velonis Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the ''Antonii'', a ''gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descendants of Anton, ...

, WPA artist who helped introduce silkscreen printing to mainstream as fine art form * Cora Walker, one of first black women to practice law in New York *

Doris Wishman Doris Wishman (June 1, 1912 August 10, 2002) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. She is credited with having directed and produced at least 30 feature films during a career spanning over four decades, most notably in the ...

, filmmaker * Wilbur Young ('67), former

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Philip Zimbardo Philip George Zimbardo (; born March 23, 1933) is an American psychologist and a professor emeritus at Stanford University. He became known for his 1971 Stanford prison experiment, which was later severely criticized for both ethical and scient ...

, social psychologist

References

Defunct high schools in the Bronx Educational institutions established in 1924 Public high schools in the Bronx Soundview, Bronx * James Monroe 1924 establishments in New York City {{Bronx-school-stub