Remembering Dr. Garson Rockoff
The history of the Huntington School District is full of colorful personalities and interesting stories. Dr. Garson Rockoff is one of the more fascinating people to have taught here and his life makes for good reading.
Born in the town of Slutzk in Gubernia Minsk in Czarist Russia, Dr. Rockoff somehow managed to eventually find his way to the Huntington community. He retired in June 1967 and disappeared into history.
Dr. Rockoff was the first man in New York State to receive a license as a special teacher. Over a 45 year career, he taught thousands of students in Rochester, South Huntington and Huntington. He trained teachers for 12 years at Oswego State Normal School. Two of his Huntington High School colleagues were among the teachers he helped to train.
Known affectionately as “Doc,” the veteran educator said “patience is 90 percent of what you need in special class teaching.” He came to the United States as a boy and was granted citizenship in 1923. He later attended Oswego before obtaining undergraduate and graduate degrees from Teacher’s College at Columbia University. He earned a doctorate at New York University.
Dr. Rockoff came to Huntington in 1945 and stayed for 22 years. He was a popular and well-liked guy. A full page in the 1967 yearbook is dedicated to him with a large photo and write-up.
In a 1967 interview, Dr. Rockoff said he had “ten children in my class ranging in age from 14-18; children who are not able to absorb the regular curriculum. When I get them they can do second or third grade work and in the next two, three or four years that I keep them they will advance another grade or two.”
His was a demanding job, but he stayed while others left the profession after being worn-out, he said. “Is it rewarding? Oh, yes, or else I would not have been in it for that length of time,” Dr. Rockoff said while reflecting on his time in a classroom. “You are helping children who need help.”
When “his kids” had their money taken away by other students, Dr. Rockoff would arrange to buy lunch for them. At the time of his retirement, he was the president of the Suffolk County Teachers Federal Credit Union. His wife, Anne, was a teacher in Copiague and their son, Alan was an industrial engineer who was residing in White Plains in the late 1960’s.
When asked about his plans for retirement, Dr. Rockoff said he wanted to volunteer in an orphan asylum or in an institution for the blind or mentally retarded. He was a humble man, despite his standing as a giant in his field. This came through loud and clear during an end-of-career interview. “Don’t give me any halos, there are thousands like me,” he said.
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