The first school-based Fort Hamilton High School Alumni Association was founded in 1983. David Whitebook, Coordinator of Student Affairs at the time, was responsible for getting graduates from various classes together and was given the permanent title of Founder of the Alumni Association. Vincent Gentile, of the Class of 1977, was the founding President. Vincent subsequently went on to represent Bay Ridge in the New York state Senate and currently is the City Council member from Bay Ridge.

The mission of the Alumni Association is threefold: to help alumni keep in touch with their classmates, to enable graduates to know what is happening at the school and to provide assistance to the school and its current students. Over the years we have pursued these goals in a variety of ways.

Our first All Classes Homecoming was held on October of 1983. Alumni of classes from 1943 through 1983 attended. A formal ceremony in the auditorium was held followed by a dinner in the cafeteria. There were tours of the school, which brought back many fond memories. Subsequent Homecomings evolved to be a beverage and cheese party held in various locations in the school such as the library or school gym. We have recently held Homecomings outside the school in a catering Hall. We also sponsored country picnics, trips to Atlantic City, trips to Grossinger’s Hotel and to Mount Airy Lodge.

We have cooperated with the school to sponsor an Annual Alumni Dinner/Show where our guests have dinner and then attend the School’s varsity show. During the Presidency of Eli Abdallah, the Thomas F. Greene Natatorium was completed and we began offering alumni the opportunity to swim in the pool twice a week; they are still able to do this. We have always placed great value on communications with our members and we periodically send out newsletters to our members. Our first newsletters were edited by 1951 graduate and former Fort Hamilton High School English teacher Lee Alperin. During the Presidency of Charles Farkouh, Class of 1949, the newsletter was expanded and the frequency of newsletters was increased.

Many alumni have returned to Fort Hamilton to take leadership positions in the school. In 1989 Dr. Alice Farkouh, Class of 1957, became the first alumnus to become Principal of Fort Hamilton High School. She served in this position for ten years. After retiring Dr. Farkouh has remained very active in the Alumni Association. She edits the newsletter, organizes the Hall of Fame ceremonies, and now assumes responsibility for this web site. Barbara Venito, Class of 1958, served as Assistant Principal of Pupil Personnel Services from 1980 through 1996. Judy Halioua, Class of 1962, served as Assistant Principal of ESL and Foreign Languages from 1987 through 2005. Currently, Barbara Vellucci, Class of 1978, Doris Munoz, Class of 1969, and John Christakos, Class of 1986 are serving as assistant principals of Organization, ESL and Foreign Language, and Science, respectively.

In 1988, only five years after the Alumni was formed, David Whitebook, a delegate from the Alumni Association, became President of the Bay Ridge Community Council – an organization representing the members of over 100 community organizations. In the following years, Vincent Gentile, Barbara Vellucci and Tom Greene served as Bay Ridge Community Council presidents. In 1992, Tom Greene, representing the Alumni Association, also became President. Thus for four out of five years starting only five years after the Alumni Association was formed, one of its delegates was President of the Bay Ridge Community Council. Barbara Vellucci is once again President of the Bay Ridge Community Council.

Many Alumni have distinguished themselves in a number of fields and we established the Alumni Hall of Fame which can be seen in the second floor corridor near the school library.

Over the years, the Alumni Association has provided significant financial aid to the school. We furnished the school with an electronic message board, purchased equipment for athletic teams including our city championship football team, bought uniforms for the marching band, showcases for the school corridors, tables and chairs for dinners that all organizations affiliated with the school can use, refurbished the furniture in the principal’s conference room, provided flags representing every country in the UN for the main lobby, support for the school yearbook and the school newspaper and carried out numerous other projects. We provide two financial awards to students at graduation for leadership and service.

As we grow we hope to continually expand our ability to meet the goals set out in our mission statement.