P.S. 30 in the Bronx was built in 1910 as an addition to an 1898 Italian Palazzo-style school building which has since been replaced. Until Snyder took over the job of Superintendant, many of New York City’s school buildings were in very bad shape, and they had neither indoor bathrooms nor fireproofing. Snyder rectified that, and insisted that all public school buildings have plenty of light and air. “He wanted buildings that students and teachers would enjoy being in,” says Snyder scholar Jean Arrington.

Photo: Barbara Raab