Ernest Hatfield
A 1938 graduate of Norwich University, Ernest Hatfield was on the dean's list for three years and lettered in baseball, basketball, and football, while also participating in track He earned a master's degree in math education from Syracuse University and attended Harvard's graduate program in education administration. A major in the U.S. Army 1st Armored Division, Bucky (as he liked to be called) served during World War II in Ireland and England and was awarded the Silver Star for his service in North Africa. He later served at Fort Hood and the Pentagon. After his military service, he returned to Norwich as athletic director and football coach. He ,then began a career as a math teacher and coach in Pittsford and Barre, Vermont, and Lebanon, New Hampshire, where he was also headmaster until moving to Branford.
Ernest served as principal of Branford High School between 1956 and 1971, providing educational leader ship for the town as the baby boomer surge pushed the high school from its home on Eades Street (with over crowded double sessions) to its present location on East Main Street. He was a driving force in defining Branford's expanding curriculum in the new physical plant. During the Sputnik-generated drive to upgrade the math and science curricula, Bucky was a leader in recruiting math and science teachers of unusual ability and academic strength and promoting in-service study by BHS faculty, who completed graduate courses at leading colleges and universities.
At the same time, course offerings in other areas blossomed as well. Branford became a national leader in foreign language education with the implementation of language laboratories. Under his leadership, the library expanded eight-fold, and the English and Social Studies Departments experienced a renaissance. The scope and quality of interscholastic athletics increased and improved with the addition of many new sports and an increase in quality athletic competition for women. At a time when the Houstonic League was considered to be among the best in the state, Bucky Hatfield was its most visible professional leader.
The 1960s was a key decade for Branford High School. During this time, Ernest Hatfield emerged as a state expert in flexible scheduling to enhance learning opportunities for more students, and many educational leaders were drawn to the town to witness the effectiveness of both mini-courses and high-level courses in all academic areas. This same era saw a rebirth of the arts with the hiring of Armand Zimmerman and the expansion of the theater program. Youth in Government flourished as a model for schools that sought opportunities for their students to become involved in town government.
During this period, the school population witnessed extensive growth and Hatfield oversaw the construction of two large additions to the building. Each was designed not only to accommodate increasing numbers of students but also to provide flexible space for innovative learning strategies. Ernest believed that high school should be a time of growth and development and that self-discipline is achieved through freedom, not restriction.
While at Branford High School, Bucky was active in the Lion's Club, Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, National Association of Secondary Schools, and Connecticut Association of Secondary Schools. He was the first educator in Connecticut to introduce the then controversial modular system into a high school curriculum.
At the close of the decade, the nation's schools reeled from vast cultural changes and unrest. Branford High School, under the steadying influence of Ernest Hatfield, provided a remarkably stable learning environment. Educational standards were kept high, tolerance was highly, valued, and student learning reached impressive heights.
As the 1970s emerged, an ever-increasing student population and massive scheduling difficulties (brought on by an inept scheduling service) aroused the citizenry. At a public hearing to discuss BHS scheduling, Hatfield rose to defend the school against critics and fell to the cafeteria floor, suffering a fatal heart attack.
In the year of his death, the BHS Class of 1971 dedicated its Milestone to him praising his open door policy, high standards, and innovative spirit. Stating without his presence, we feel an emptiness, a kind of void, even to this day. Ernest Hatfield's legacy remains in the many students and faculty whose lives he helped shape.
Ernest served as principal of Branford High School between 1956 and 1971, providing educational leader ship for the town as the baby boomer surge pushed the high school from its home on Eades Street (with over crowded double sessions) to its present location on East Main Street. He was a driving force in defining Branford's expanding curriculum in the new physical plant. During the Sputnik-generated drive to upgrade the math and science curricula, Bucky was a leader in recruiting math and science teachers of unusual ability and academic strength and promoting in-service study by BHS faculty, who completed graduate courses at leading colleges and universities.
At the same time, course offerings in other areas blossomed as well. Branford became a national leader in foreign language education with the implementation of language laboratories. Under his leadership, the library expanded eight-fold, and the English and Social Studies Departments experienced a renaissance. The scope and quality of interscholastic athletics increased and improved with the addition of many new sports and an increase in quality athletic competition for women. At a time when the Houstonic League was considered to be among the best in the state, Bucky Hatfield was its most visible professional leader.
The 1960s was a key decade for Branford High School. During this time, Ernest Hatfield emerged as a state expert in flexible scheduling to enhance learning opportunities for more students, and many educational leaders were drawn to the town to witness the effectiveness of both mini-courses and high-level courses in all academic areas. This same era saw a rebirth of the arts with the hiring of Armand Zimmerman and the expansion of the theater program. Youth in Government flourished as a model for schools that sought opportunities for their students to become involved in town government.
During this period, the school population witnessed extensive growth and Hatfield oversaw the construction of two large additions to the building. Each was designed not only to accommodate increasing numbers of students but also to provide flexible space for innovative learning strategies. Ernest believed that high school should be a time of growth and development and that self-discipline is achieved through freedom, not restriction.
While at Branford High School, Bucky was active in the Lion's Club, Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference, National Association of Secondary Schools, and Connecticut Association of Secondary Schools. He was the first educator in Connecticut to introduce the then controversial modular system into a high school curriculum.
At the close of the decade, the nation's schools reeled from vast cultural changes and unrest. Branford High School, under the steadying influence of Ernest Hatfield, provided a remarkably stable learning environment. Educational standards were kept high, tolerance was highly, valued, and student learning reached impressive heights.
As the 1970s emerged, an ever-increasing student population and massive scheduling difficulties (brought on by an inept scheduling service) aroused the citizenry. At a public hearing to discuss BHS scheduling, Hatfield rose to defend the school against critics and fell to the cafeteria floor, suffering a fatal heart attack.
In the year of his death, the BHS Class of 1971 dedicated its Milestone to him praising his open door policy, high standards, and innovative spirit. Stating without his presence, we feel an emptiness, a kind of void, even to this day. Ernest Hatfield's legacy remains in the many students and faculty whose lives he helped shape.