William H. Gompert
Encyclopedia
William H. Gompert was the Architect & Superintendent of School Buildings for the New York City Board of Education
. According to research http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/reports/nytrainingschool.pdf published by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
, Gompert was educated at Adelphi Academy
,
Pratt Institute
, and the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. The Landmarks Commission report on Gompert was included in its study of its decision to grant landmark status to the building that once housed The High School of Music & Art
. It states:
"After employment in the firms of McKim, Mead & White, Maynicke & Franke, and Harding & Gooch, he established his own practice around 1906 and specialized in the design of commercial and institutional buildings. He was elected president of the Brooklyn chapter of the
American Institute of Architects
in 1923. Gompert was hired in February 1923 by the New York City Board of Education
as an expert to assist in the reorganization of the Bureau of Construction and Maintenance and to facilitate the construction of public schools; his initial six-month contract gave him the 'powers and duties of Superintendent of School Buildings.'
"According to The New York Times
, Gompert had 'much experience in the directing of large building construction enterprises.' After a six-month extension of his contract, Gompert was appointed in January 1924 to the position of Architect and Superintendent of School Buildings for the Board of Education, and became the third-highest paid official in the administration of Mayor John Francis Hylan.
"Gompert was the first successor to the noted Charles B.J. Snyder, Superintendent of School Buildings from 1891 until January 1, 1923, who had been responsible for the vast school construction program following the consolidation of New York City
in 1898, and had been 'virtually forced out of the post under pressure by. . . Mayor Hylan.'
"To alleviate the serious overcrowding in the schools caused by immigration after World War I
,
New York City undertook another extensive program of school construction in the mid-1920s. Gompert was forced to contend with a significant shortage of bricklayers in the citywide building industry, as well as a lack of interest on the part of major construction firms in bidding on public
school construction projects. He attempted to bring about economy and change in the process of school construction, including standardizing design and construction, employing general contracts instead of individual construction contracts, and instituting double shifts to shorten construction time. In 1925, however, charges began to surface, first by a mayoral candidate, that many of the schools constructed under Gompert were defective. By the end of 1927, three separate investigations were underway and Gompert resigned in December. Former Mayor Hylan responded to critics that
Gompert was under attack because he had 'built too many schools to suit those that do not want the
children educated.'
"The Board of Education's Joint Committee of Architects and Engineers issued
its report in 1928 and called Gompert's schools 'in general honest, safe, efficient and appropriate to the purpose.'
"In his nearly five years as school architect,Gompert was credited with overseeing the design
and construction of some 170 new schools and
additions, including The High School of Music & Art
(in 1924), DeWitt Clinton High School
and Theodore Roosevelt High School
(1929), the Bronx; James Madison High School
(1926), Brooklyn; and
Jamaica High School (1927) and Far Rockaway High School
(1929), Queens, in austere versions of
such contemporary institutional styles as Collegiate Gothic, Georgian, and Spanish Colonial. The
towered Public School 101 (1929), Forest Hills Gardens, has been considered Gompert's most
stylistically interesting design."
New York City Board of Education
The New York City Board of Education is the governing body of the New York City Department of Education. The members of the board are appointed by the mayor and by the five borough presidents.-Rise, fall and return of Mayoral Control:...
. According to research http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/reports/nytrainingschool.pdf published by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...
, Gompert was educated at Adelphi Academy
Adelphi University
Adelphi University is a private, nonsectarian university located in Garden City, in Nassau County, New York, United States. It is the oldest institution of higher education on Long Island. For the sixth year, Adelphi University has been named a “Best Buy” in higher education by the Fiske Guide to...
,
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
, and the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. The Landmarks Commission report on Gompert was included in its study of its decision to grant landmark status to the building that once housed The High School of Music & Art
The High School of Music & Art
The High School of Music & Art, informally known as "Music & Art", was a public alternative high school at 443-465 West 135th Street, New York, New York, USA that existed from 1936 through 1984, and then merged into the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing...
. It states:
"After employment in the firms of McKim, Mead & White, Maynicke & Franke, and Harding & Gooch, he established his own practice around 1906 and specialized in the design of commercial and institutional buildings. He was elected president of the Brooklyn chapter of the
American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
in 1923. Gompert was hired in February 1923 by the New York City Board of Education
New York City Board of Education
The New York City Board of Education is the governing body of the New York City Department of Education. The members of the board are appointed by the mayor and by the five borough presidents.-Rise, fall and return of Mayoral Control:...
as an expert to assist in the reorganization of the Bureau of Construction and Maintenance and to facilitate the construction of public schools; his initial six-month contract gave him the 'powers and duties of Superintendent of School Buildings.'
"According to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Gompert had 'much experience in the directing of large building construction enterprises.' After a six-month extension of his contract, Gompert was appointed in January 1924 to the position of Architect and Superintendent of School Buildings for the Board of Education, and became the third-highest paid official in the administration of Mayor John Francis Hylan.
"Gompert was the first successor to the noted Charles B.J. Snyder, Superintendent of School Buildings from 1891 until January 1, 1923, who had been responsible for the vast school construction program following the consolidation of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1898, and had been 'virtually forced out of the post under pressure by. . . Mayor Hylan.'
"To alleviate the serious overcrowding in the schools caused by immigration after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
,
New York City undertook another extensive program of school construction in the mid-1920s. Gompert was forced to contend with a significant shortage of bricklayers in the citywide building industry, as well as a lack of interest on the part of major construction firms in bidding on public
school construction projects. He attempted to bring about economy and change in the process of school construction, including standardizing design and construction, employing general contracts instead of individual construction contracts, and instituting double shifts to shorten construction time. In 1925, however, charges began to surface, first by a mayoral candidate, that many of the schools constructed under Gompert were defective. By the end of 1927, three separate investigations were underway and Gompert resigned in December. Former Mayor Hylan responded to critics that
Gompert was under attack because he had 'built too many schools to suit those that do not want the
children educated.'
"The Board of Education's Joint Committee of Architects and Engineers issued
its report in 1928 and called Gompert's schools 'in general honest, safe, efficient and appropriate to the purpose.'
"In his nearly five years as school architect,Gompert was credited with overseeing the design
and construction of some 170 new schools and
additions, including The High School of Music & Art
The High School of Music & Art
The High School of Music & Art, informally known as "Music & Art", was a public alternative high school at 443-465 West 135th Street, New York, New York, USA that existed from 1936 through 1984, and then merged into the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing...
(in 1924), DeWitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School
DeWitt Clinton High School is an American high school located in the Bronx, New York City, New York.-History:Clinton opened in 1897 at 60 West 13th Street at the northern end of Greenwich Village under the name of Boys High School, although this Boys High School was not related to the one in Brooklyn...
and Theodore Roosevelt High School
Theodore Roosevelt High School (New York City)
Theodore Roosevelt High School is a public high school located in The Bronx, New York City, United States. It was first organized November 14, 1918. When Theodore Roosevelt died on January 6, 1919, the Board of Education decided to give the school his name...
(1929), the Bronx; James Madison High School
James Madison High School (New York)
James Madison High School is a public high school located at 3787 Bedford Avenue, in the Madison section of Brooklyn, New York, and educates grades 9 through 12. It is part of Region 6 in the New York City Department of Education...
(1926), Brooklyn; and
Jamaica High School (1927) and Far Rockaway High School
Far Rockaway High School
Far Rockaway High School, a public high school in the public school system of New York City, was located on Bay 25 Street in Far Rockaway in the borough of Queens, as part of the New York City Department of Education. The school was founded in 1897, with Sanford J. Ellsworth as principal for over...
(1929), Queens, in austere versions of
such contemporary institutional styles as Collegiate Gothic, Georgian, and Spanish Colonial. The
towered Public School 101 (1929), Forest Hills Gardens, has been considered Gompert's most
stylistically interesting design."