| Power Memorial Academy | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| 161 West 61st Street New York, New York, 10023 USA |
|
| Information | |
| School type | all boys Catholic High school |
| Motto | Pro Christo Rege |
| Founded | 1909 |
| Opened | September 1931 |
| Status | closed |
| Closed | June 1984 |
| Campus | urban |
| Athletics conference | Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) |
| Website | powermemorialacademy.com |
Power Memorial Academy (PMA) was an all-boys Catholic high school in New York, New York, USA that existed from 1931 through 1984. It was a basketball powerhouse, producing several NBA players including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar[1], Len Elmore[2], Mario Elie[3], Chris Mullin[4], NBA referee Dick Bavetta and a record 71-game winning streak. Its 1964 basketball team was named "The #1 High School Team of The Century".
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In 1909, Monsignor Power of All Saints Parish asked the Christian Brothers of Ireland to open a school in New York City to teach the boys of the largely Irish immigrant parish. A few years later, the school (named All Hallows) opened at 15 West 124th Street. Enrollment grew and a new building was acquired at 164th Street and Walton Avenue in 1931. The new school was named Power Memorial Academy after Monsignor Power, who died in 1926. Power Memorial opened to thirty-one first year students on Monday, September 21, 1931. Again the school grew, requiring more space. In 1938, the Brothers purchased the former NY Nursery & Childs Hospital at 161 West 61st Street and moved the school there. The school remained at this address until it closed in mid semester 1985.
On March 15, 1948, Marko L. Markovich opened fire on students practicing for the St. Patrick's Day parade, killing one, Thomas Brady, and wounding six others. "Mad gunman kills boy here, wounds six before capture" read the front page headline on the NY Times. In memoriam, the academy marched in the parade without music, their flags and drums wrapped in black. The parade was attended by President Harry S. Truman and Governor Thomas E. Dewey.
In June 1984, Power Memorial Academy closed its doors for financial reasons. The building was sold the following year for $13 million.[5] The Power Memorial Academy building was demolished and a luxury apartment building was built on the site.
Power Memorial started a basketball program in the late 1930s, winning All-City championships in 1937 and 1941; and the Metropolitan Championship in 1942. Over its history, it won a total of eight New York City Catholic High Athletic Association (CHSAA) championships.
In 1962, 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) freshman Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) joined the basketball team. Alcindor led the team to 27 consecutive victories and the 1963 CHSAA championship. The winning streak continued as the team went undefeated and won the CHSAA in 1964. The streak finally ended at 71 games on January 30, 1965 when DeMatha High School of Hyattsville, Maryland defeated Power, 46-43. That was one of only 6 losses in Alcindor's high school career (96–6). The 1963-64 team was named "The #1 High School Team of The Century" by National Sports Writers[6] and was inducted into the CHSAA Hall of Fame as the team of the century.
Power Memorial continued to be known as a basketball powerhouse, although it never repeated the total dominance of the early 1960s. All-Americans Len Elmore, Ed Searcy and Jap Trimble were on the 1970 team that won the CHSAA and was named "Number 1 Team in the Country". Mario Elie played and Chris Mullin also played at Power in the late 1970s, although Mullin later transferred to Xaverian High School.
The Power Memorial basketball teams were coached by:
Three PMA players were drafted by major league teams:[7]
In 1989, former faculty member Rich Coppolino organized a reunion, attended by 200. It has grown into a larger Annual Reunion. In 2002 a formal alumni association was created under the name Power Memorial Academy Alumni Association. Each year since 2002, the Alumni Association has made an annual appearance in the New York St. Patrick's Day parade. The Association has won seven consecutive awards for its performance in the Parade.
Several alumni died in the events of the September 11 attacks: