To the Editor,

When we talk of Amalgamated pioneer families we often think of the 303 
families who moved into Buildings 1-6 in 1927-8 and their children and 
grand children and great grandchildren who continued to live here and 
contribute to the co-op spirit. We are proud to honor them.

The first 303 families were joined by another 399 families who moved 
into Buildings 7, 9, 10 and 11 from 1929 to 1947. Then in its largest 
expansion, from 1949-1951 Amalgamated built four new buildings, 
Buildings 8, 12, 13 and 14, adding 733 new apartments. With these new 
apartments, the number of families living in Amalgamated was doubled. 
These buildings have been known as the Middle Generation buildings 
after two additional buildings, Tower I and Tower II were build in 
1968 and 1970.

Buildings 12 and 13 opened 60 years ago in 1951.  To honor the 733 new 
families who helped more than double the size of our co-op community, 
all cooperators are invited to a history celebration in Vladeck Hall 
on April 10, 2011. We will tell some of the history of the buildings, 
have some photographs from the past and a little music, along with 
socializing and refreshments.

One of the current cooperators, Edward Vogel, when he heard about this 
celebration, wrote the following:

"Thank you for telling me about the celebration on April 10th for 
building 13.  My parents, my two brothers and I moved in as soon as 
the building became available, in April 1951.  My mother told me that 
at the time, the building was basically empty. . . I believe that my 
parents, my brothers and I may have moved into 13A before anyone else, 
which would make my family 'The First Family,' in building 13A. . . . 
I would sure like to know if that is the case. . . .  To me, that 
would be very special!  I was a year and a half in April 1951. . . . 
Anyway, you can take a man out of the neighborhood, but you can't take 
the neighborhood out of the man.

"I lived on the 13A side of the building for 28 and a half years.  I 
moved into the 13B side in September 1980.  I just turned 31 years old 
back then.   I have lived in my current apartment over 30 years.  I do 
not plan to move out . . . . The spirit of this neighborhood lives in 
me.   . . . . I do not want to live anywhere else. . . .  There is no 
moving to Florida or California for me.  I am a fixture here."

The event on April 10 is co-sponsored by the Education Department and 
the Amalgamated-Park Reservoir Co-op History Reading/Discussion Group. 
As we prepare the program, we are eager to hear from any cooperators 
who like Edward Vogel have memories or old photos to share.  If you 
are interested, please contact Bob Scott (scottrster@gmail.com or 
347-202-5842), Jay Hauben (hauben@columbia.edu, 347-602-5592), or the 
Education Department (212-796-9300).

Jay Hauben, 
13A/8E