• Mr. Lambert         Lambert  


       Mr. Steven Lambert was a dean at EAST from 1953-1969. He attended high school in Somerville, Massachusetts and was a first generation college graduate. Mr. Lambert’s father was a bookbinder who had a third grade education, but passed a love of reading onto his son. His mother was orphaned in her native Canada and could not read or write, both of his parents encouraged Mr. Lambert to succeed and taught him to value diversity. Mr. Lambert like many young men who felt the lingering effects of the Great Depression considered a career as a policeman or firefighter. However, in 1944 during the midst of War World II the military gave a test to every high school student in the nation. One million students were tested and the army selected ten thousand students to enroll in a specialized program. While he was in this program Mr. Lambert decided to pursue a college degree. He was eager to attend the University of Notre Dame, but he suffered injuries while in the army that prevented him from doing so. He enrolled in Boston University and accomplished his goal of becoming a certified math teacher.

       After his graduation from Boston University Mr. Lambert received numerous job offers from companies like General Electric and IBM. By this time he had decided that he wanted to be a teacher.  1n 1963 a recruiter visited him in Boston and offered him a position in Rochester at James Madison high school. Shortly after accepting this position Mr. Lambert was awarded a national science fellowship. He left Rochester and went to New York to attend NYU. Upon his return he was offered a position at EAST.
       
       Mr. Lambert lived in the Beechwood neighborhood for 30 years. His sons attended city schools #2, #11, and #33. One son graduated from Edison and the other son graduated from EAST. Mr. Lambert served as an administrator during the turbulence of the 60’s. He believes that he was able to connect with students from all backgrounds because his parents taught him that skin color did not preclude his students from being considered American. He was part of a student led effort to plant a tree in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. He was also presented with a plaque from the Black Student’s Union in 1969 as he was preparing to accept a position in the Fairport school district. Mr. Lambert is proud of his family and the traditions that have been passed down. His grandchildren are graduates of the University of Notre Dame, Providence, and the University of Albany Law School. “Keep your eyes to the front, forward, forward, forward!”
    – Steve Lambert
    Plaque


    Photos 1 and 2 courtesy of Steve Lambert
    “Upon the education of the people of this country, the fate of this country depends.” - Benjamin Disreali