Raymond Pinkham
Born October 17, 1884, in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, where most of the families were mill workers, Raymond E. Pinkham was one of the eight children of Charles and Emily Buck Pinkham. Graduating from Fitchburg High School in 1929, he entered Fitchburg State Teacher's College, from which he received a certificate in 1914. For the next four years, he taught successively in South Yarmouth, Dover, and Danvers (Massachusetts) and at New Hampshire Normal Training School in Keene.
His teaching career was interrupted by World War I, in which he was an Air Force pilot. When he returned home, he served as principal of the junior high and elementary schools in Winchester, Massachusetts, from 1919 to 1924. In 1921, he received his bachelor's degree from Boston University, to be followed by a master's from New York University in 1927. He pursued post graduate work at the Harvard School of Education and was invited to teach as an associate professor of education at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. While pursuing his master's, Ray was principal of West Orange (New Jersey) High School from 1924 to 1928 and then was Superintendent of Schools in Weehawken, New Jersey, until 1933, when he returned to Massachusetts as Superintendent of Schools in Sturbridge.
In the late summer of 1937, Raymond Pinkham was chosen from among thirty-five applicants to succeed Horace G. Wescott as Superintendent of Schools in Branford, a position he held for twenty two years. His career would span two wars and encompass major school expansion and construction. In collaboration with the Board of Education, Ray was responsible for selecting the present site of Branford High School and also oversaw the construction of six new elementary schools. Surviving family members recall that “he was always away working at the schools, even in the summer." A hands-on person in many respects, he was reportedly a permanent fixture at the construction sites, overseeing the contractors constantly to ensure that everything was done according to specifications, and on time.
Both World War II and the Korean Conflict drew number enlistees from among the ranks of Branford High School students. As a military veteran himself, Ray recognized the patriotism that drew these students to serve their country but undoubtedly more so than they knew the value of an education. He made it a priority to follow up on returning vets and encourage them to return to high school, to enroll in continuing education courses, and at the very least to get an equivalency degree. Possibly as a result of World War II (or because it simply made sense), Ray was the first Branford superintendent to allow married women to teach in the public schools. He also spearheaded the community efforts at victory gardens.
Throughout his life, Ray lived very modestly. At one point, he even rejected a salary increase, telling the Board of Education that the town could not afford it. Upon his retirement in 1958, he and his wife, Rosalie, moved from their home in Indian Neck and to an old, small farm in Madison where they both worked very hard to reconstruct the old farmhouse. The couple lived there until his death at home in 1978 at the age of 84. In addition to his wife, he was survived by a daughter and four grandsons. Aside from politics (Republican) and the Wall Street Journal (for the stock market), Ray had few outside interests, and the school system was his life. Certainly subsequent generations of Branford students and administrators have reaped the benefits of his dedication and commitment.
His teaching career was interrupted by World War I, in which he was an Air Force pilot. When he returned home, he served as principal of the junior high and elementary schools in Winchester, Massachusetts, from 1919 to 1924. In 1921, he received his bachelor's degree from Boston University, to be followed by a master's from New York University in 1927. He pursued post graduate work at the Harvard School of Education and was invited to teach as an associate professor of education at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. While pursuing his master's, Ray was principal of West Orange (New Jersey) High School from 1924 to 1928 and then was Superintendent of Schools in Weehawken, New Jersey, until 1933, when he returned to Massachusetts as Superintendent of Schools in Sturbridge.
In the late summer of 1937, Raymond Pinkham was chosen from among thirty-five applicants to succeed Horace G. Wescott as Superintendent of Schools in Branford, a position he held for twenty two years. His career would span two wars and encompass major school expansion and construction. In collaboration with the Board of Education, Ray was responsible for selecting the present site of Branford High School and also oversaw the construction of six new elementary schools. Surviving family members recall that “he was always away working at the schools, even in the summer." A hands-on person in many respects, he was reportedly a permanent fixture at the construction sites, overseeing the contractors constantly to ensure that everything was done according to specifications, and on time.
Both World War II and the Korean Conflict drew number enlistees from among the ranks of Branford High School students. As a military veteran himself, Ray recognized the patriotism that drew these students to serve their country but undoubtedly more so than they knew the value of an education. He made it a priority to follow up on returning vets and encourage them to return to high school, to enroll in continuing education courses, and at the very least to get an equivalency degree. Possibly as a result of World War II (or because it simply made sense), Ray was the first Branford superintendent to allow married women to teach in the public schools. He also spearheaded the community efforts at victory gardens.
Throughout his life, Ray lived very modestly. At one point, he even rejected a salary increase, telling the Board of Education that the town could not afford it. Upon his retirement in 1958, he and his wife, Rosalie, moved from their home in Indian Neck and to an old, small farm in Madison where they both worked very hard to reconstruct the old farmhouse. The couple lived there until his death at home in 1978 at the age of 84. In addition to his wife, he was survived by a daughter and four grandsons. Aside from politics (Republican) and the Wall Street Journal (for the stock market), Ray had few outside interests, and the school system was his life. Certainly subsequent generations of Branford students and administrators have reaped the benefits of his dedication and commitment.