SUNY Brockport: A Legacy of Notable Alumni
SUNY Brockport, officially the State University of New York at Brockport, stands as a public university with a rich history in Brockport, New York. Originally established as a normal school, it has evolved into a comprehensive institution that has produced a diverse array of accomplished individuals. EduRank places SUNY College at Brockport at 1727th in the world, 605th in North America, and 569th in the United States based on the prominence of its alumni. This article explores the lives and achievements of some of SUNY Brockport's most notable alumni, showcasing the impact they have made in various fields.
From Normal School to SUNY Brockport: A Historical Overview
The institution's roots trace back to a period when normal schools were essential for teacher training. Over thirty years after its founding, under the leadership of Principal Malcolm MacVicar, the school was integrated into the New York-wide system of state-run normal schools in 1867, becoming the Brockport State Normal School. This transition marked a significant step in the school's development. In 1942, a pivotal moment arrived when the school was authorized to grant bachelor's degrees, leading to its renaming as the Brockport State Teachers College. The final transformation occurred in 1948 when the college became part of the newly formed State University of New York system, adopting its current name, the State University of New York at Brockport.
In 1869, with the assistance of Professor Charles Donald McLean, the principal of the school, Gamma Sigma fraternity was established at The Brockport Normal School. Gamma Sigma was the first fraternity to be formed at the high school level in the United States. On October 11 of that year, eighteen young men gathered in the chemistry room with the aim of enhancing their skills in debate, original composition, and other literary exercises. The founding members were: Edward L. Adams, John D. Burns, Charles Cunningham, William K. Dean, Martin L. Deyo, John Norris Drake, A. James Knox, S. E. Loomis, John M. Milne, A. Judson Osborn, Frederick Palmer, George T. Quinby, George Hebert Raymond, William H. Sybrandt, James W. White, Stephen D. Wilbur, Ara Wilkinson, and George F. Yeoman. Mr. On a side note, in later years Mr. Yeoman took the oath of office as a justice of the Supreme Court for the Seventh Judicial District of the State on November 15, 1893. In the book "Notable Men of Rochester" published in 1902 by Dwight J. Stoddard, there is a mention of Mr.
Arts and Entertainment
SUNY Brockport has fostered the talents of individuals who have made significant contributions to the world of arts and entertainment.
William Fichtner: Acclaimed Character Actor
William Fichtner, a SUNY Brockport alumnus, is a prolific American actor known for his versatile performances in film and television. Fichtner began his career with supporting roles in films like Virtuosity (1994), Heat, and Strange Days (both 1995). He gained recognition for his memorable performances in Contact (1997), Armageddon (1998), Go (1999), The Perfect Storm (2000), Black Hawk Down (2001), Crash (2004), and The Longest Yard (2005). To Western action movie lovers, Fichtner is known as Butch Cavendish, the villain and murderous ringleader of a band of outlaws in The Lone Ranger. Superhero fans know him best for his portrayal of the manager of Gotham National Bank in The Dark Knight. Some were introduced to Bill recently by tuning in to the CBS series Mom, which promoted him to a series regular as Bonnie’s season-4 suitor this past summer. During Bill’s junior year, he received a call from an academic advisor informing him that he had yet to fulfill one of two required Fine Arts courses in order to graduate. Within the confines of campus, Bill’s passion for performance came to light. He recalls that, back then, he did not imagine that his newly explored acting talent would become the basis for a career. Almost 40 years and a myriad of performances later, Bill continues to impress fans, co-stars, and the directors who recurrently cast him in feature films and award-winning television shows. “[It’s rewarding] to explore the human experience through characters, and in turn hopefully give meaning that would make a difference to those watching,” Bill expressed. He compares his acting career to the student experience. At home, Bill enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, watching movies, and rooting for the Buffalo Bills and Sabres.
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Paul Pape: From "Saturday Night Fever" to Voice Acting
Paul Pape is an American actor best known for his role as Double J in the iconic 1977 film Saturday Night Fever. Post Saturday Night Fever, he has appeared in over 20 films. He also played a supporting role in the 2008 racing video game Need for Speed: Undercover as Lt. Jack M. Keller.
Christine Lavin: Singer-Songwriter and Folk Music Promoter
Christine Lavin is a New York City-based singer-songwriter and promoter of contemporary folk music. She has recorded numerous solo albums and has also recorded under the name Four Bitchin' Babes with three bandmates. She is known for her sense of humor, which is expressed in both her music and her onstage performances. Many of her songs alternate between comedy and emotional reflections on romance.
Elizabeth Streb: Choreographer and Contemporary Dance Innovator
Elizabeth Streb is an American choreographer, performer, and teacher of contemporary dance.
Wayne Cilento: Choreographer (B.S.)
Wayne Cilento is a choreographer.
Literature and Journalism
SUNY Brockport has also nurtured talented writers and journalists who have made their mark in the literary world.
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James Howard Kunstler: Social Critic and Author
James Howard Kunstler is an American writer, social critic, public speaker, and blogger. He is best known for his books The Geography of Nowhere, a history of American suburbia and urban development, The Long Emergency (2005), and Too Much Magic (2012). In The Long Emergency, he imagines peak oil and oil depletion resulting in the end of industrialized society, forcing Americans to live in smaller-scale, localized, agrarian or semi-agrarian communities. He uses speculative fiction to portray this type of future in World Made by Hand.
Li-Young Lee: Award-Winning Poet
Li-Young Lee is an American poet. He was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, to Chinese parents. His maternal great-grandfather was Yuan Shikai, China's first Republican President, who attempted to make himself emperor. Lee's father, who was a personal physician to Mao Zedong while in China, relocated his family to Indonesia, where he helped found Gamaliel University. In 1959 the Lee family fled Indonesia to escape widespread anti-Chinese sentiment and after a five-year trek through Hong Kong and Japan, they settled in the United States in 1964. Li-Young Lee attended the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Arizona, and the State University of New York Brockport.
Bhanu Kapil: Poet and Author
Bhanu Kapil is a British-born poet and author of Indian descent. She is best known for her books The Vertical Interrogation of Strangers (2001), Incubation: A Space for Monsters (2006), and Ban en Banlieue (2015).
Politics and Government
A number of SUNY Brockport alumni have distinguished themselves in the field of politics and government, serving their communities and the nation.
Oliver North: Political Commentator and Military Veteran
Oliver Laurence North is an American political commentator, television host, military historian, author, and retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel.
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John Faso: Former U.S. Representative
John James Faso Jr. served as the U.S. Representative for New York's 19th congressional district from 2017 to 2019. A Republican, Faso previously represented the 102nd district in the New York State Assembly from 1987 to 2002 and served as Assembly Minority Leader from 1998 to 2002. Faso ran for New York State Comptroller in 2002 and for Governor of New York in 2006, but did not prevail in either race. He was defeated for re-election to Congress in November 2018 by Democrat Antonio Delgado.
Mike Foley: Nebraska State Auditor
Mike Foley is an American politician who has served as the Nebraska State Auditor since 2023, having previously served in the same position from 2007 to 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 41st lieutenant governor of Nebraska under Governor Pete Ricketts between 2015 and 2023, and a member of the Nebraska Legislature from 2001 to 2007.
Joseph Griffo: New York State Senator
Joseph A. "Joe" Griffo is an American politician serving as a member of the New York Senate from the 53rd district since 2023, and the 47th district from 2007-2022. The 53rd district includes parts of Chenango, Oneida, and Madison Counties. Prior to his election to the Senate, Griffo served as mayor of Rome, New York and as Oneida County executive. A Republican, Griffo serves as deputy minority leader of the State Senate.
Raymond J. McGrath: Former U.S. Representative
Raymond Joseph McGrath (born March 27, 1942) is an American educator and politician who served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 1993. He was a Republican from New York.
Antoine Thompson: Former New York State Senator
Antoine Maurice Thompson is an American politician from Buffalo, New York. A Democrat, Thompson represented the 60th District in the New York State Senate from 2007 to 2011. Thompson previously served as the Masten District councilman on the Buffalo Common Council from 2001 to 2007.
Karl Kassel: Former Mayor of Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska
Karl W. Kassel is an American independent politician and former Mayor of Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska, serving from 2015 to 2018. He is a retired businessman and government administrator.
Gerald Jennings: Former Mayor of Albany, New York
Gerald David "Jerry" Jennings is an American former politician from the state of New York who was the 74th mayor of Albany. A Democrat, Jennings won five terms as mayor of Albany and served in that capacity for 20 years. At the time of his retirement in 2013, Jennings was the second longest tenured mayor in the city's history.
Jamie Romeo: Monroe County Clerk
Jamie Romeo is an American politician from the state of New York. A Democrat, Romeo has served as Monroe County Clerk since 2020. She previously represented the 136th district in the New York State Assembly, covering parts of Rochester and its inner suburbs, from 2019 until 2020.
Athletics and Sports
SUNY Brockport has produced notable figures in the world of athletics, including coaches and commentators.
Stan Van Gundy: Basketball Coach and Commentator
Stanley Alan Van Gundy is an American former basketball coach who is a television commentator for NBA on TNT and College Basketball on CBS. Prior to TNT, he was most recently the head coach for the New Orleans Pelicans of the NBA. He also served as the head coach and president of basketball operations for the Detroit Pistons from 2014 to 2018. From 2003 to 2005, he was the head coach of the Miami Heat but resigned in 2005 mid-season, returning the job over to Pat Riley. Van Gundy then coached the Orlando Magic for five seasons from 2007 to 2012, leading them to the 2009 NBA Finals. He is the older brother of former New York Knicks and Houston Rockets head coach Jeff Van Gundy.
Dave Trembley: Baseball Executive and Manager
David Michael Trembley is an American professional baseball executive who served as the director of player development of the Atlanta Braves in 2015. Trembley has been the bench coach for the Houston Astros and a manager of the Baltimore Orioles. Before managing the Orioles, Trembley was a minor league manager for twenty seasons, compiling a 1,369-1,413 record. He won two league titles and earned Manager of the Year awards in three leagues. In December 2001, Baseball America selected him as one of minor league baseball's top five managers of the previous 20 years. He served as a coach in the inaugural Futures Game in 1999 and also served as manager for the Southern League and Double-A All-Star Games that season. Trembley has worked for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves.
Jason Mangone: Head Football Coach, SUNY Brockport
Jason Mangone is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach for SUNY Brockport, a position he has held since 2013. Mangone played college football as a quarterback, first at Alfred University in Alfred, New York, before transferring to Brockport. He became an assistant coach at Brockport in 1999 and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2004.
Science and Technology
SUNY Brockport alumni have also made contributions to the fields of science and technology.
Gene Spafford: Computer Scientist and Security Expert
Eugene Howard Spafford, known as Spaf, is an American professor of computer science at Purdue University and a computer security expert.
Other fields
Yendi Phillips
Yendi Amira Phillipps is a Jamaican of Afro-European heritage, model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Jamaica World 2007 as well as the Miss Jamaica Universe 2010 pageant. on 23 August 2010 where she finished as the first runner up. After Miss Universe, Phillipps appeared in commercials for brands such as Toyota.
James M. Milne
James Mollison Milne was the first principal of the State University of New York at Oneonta. The library at SUNY Oneonta is named in his honor.
Heather Halbritter (BS, 2001)
Field Technician, Pennsylvania Department of Fish and Game.
George H. Berghorn, (BS, 1996)
LEED AP, Department Chairperson, Environmental, Design, and Building Technologies, Lansing Community College.
Mike Morgan (MS, 2007)
Project Manager. St. Lawrence Fish, Wildlife, and Habitat Management - NYS Department of Environmental Conservation.
Hilary Richardson Mosher (MS, 2004)
Coordinator, Finger Lakes-Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management.
Judy Robinson (MS, 2000)
Environmental Specialist II, Commonwealth of Virgina Dept. of Environmental Quality.
Ken Weaver (MS, 1997)
Environmental Specialist III, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Water Quality Standards and Special Projects Program, Tallahassee, FL.
Steve Joule (MS, 1995)
Wildlife Biologist, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, New Paltz, NY.
Brian A. Fred Stoss (MS, 1974, Zoology): M.L.S.
Student Life and Activities
Beyond academics, SUNY Brockport offers a vibrant student life with various organizations and activities.
Funded by BSG, Talon Television is the official TV station club at The College at Brockport. This student-run organization is responsible for producing videos and covering a wide range of school programs and events. The Brockport Student Government (BSG), funded by mandatory student fees, organizes a wide range of programming on campus. BSG encompasses the three traditional branches of government: legislative, judicial, and executive. The annual budget for BSG amounts to approximately $1,400,000. Among the programming events are the Spring Break Challenge, where five individuals have the opportunity to win $5,000 to fund their preferred spring break destination. Additionally, BSG arranges major concerts featuring artists such as Big Sean, Gym Class Heroes, Machine Gun Kelly, and Kesha, as well as lectures featuring notable speakers like Abby Wambach. The Harlequins Performing Arts Club (Harlequins) is a student organization. The Stylus is the student-run weekly newspaper of The College at Brockport. 89.1 The Point is a student-run radio station located in the Seymour College Union and funded by the Brockport Student Government. The Point broadcasts to a wide audience of up to 500,000 people across the Western New York region, spanning from west Rochester to Buffalo. While the station has several communications majors as members, it also welcomes students from other majors to join. Mary Mortimer, "preceptress," i.e. head, of the "female department," 1841-1844.
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