Julia Richman Education Complex (originally Julia Richman High School) 317 East 67th Street at Second Avenue New York, N.Y. 10065 http://www.jrec.org Julia Richman (1855-1912) was the first woman district superintendent of schools in the City of New York. Her innovations, leadership and curriculum brought an entire new dimension to public school education at the beginning of the twentieth century. The complex known today as the Julia Richman Education Complex was built in 1923 as an all-girls commercial high school. The school's massive five-story, U-shaped building and annex take up an entire city block between First and Second Avenues. Over the years the physical plant deteriorated and the school's reputation declined. Julia Richman's graduation rate fell, vandalism and violence rose, and student pride in the school dropped. To reverse this downward spiral, the New York City Board of Education chose Julia Richman as one of the first high schools to be reorganized into smaller units. The $2.5 Million project took two years (1994–96) to complete, as provisions had to be made to graduate all students from the old Julia Richman High School before initiating a choice-based set of new schools. The Julia Richman Education Complex, as it now is known, contains six schools, most enrolling approximately 300 students. The schools include: • Vanguard High School. A typical high school course of study and organizational structure. • Manhattan International High School. Designed for students with limited fluency in English. • Talent Unlimited Performing Arts High School. A specialty school that also offers basic courses. • Urban Academy. A high school for transfer students that is organized around multiage classes. • Special education junior high school. Designed for severely autistic children. • Ella Baker Elementary School. An elementary school for children of employees of hospitals in the neighborhood.                 M.P. Möller, Inc. Hagerstown, Md. – Opus 4485 (1926) Electro-pneumatic action 3 manuals, 38 stops, 31 ranks In January 1925, the M.P. Möller company received a contract to build seven identical organs for high schools in the boroughs of New York City. High Schools receiving the new organs included Julia Richman (Op. 4485) and George Washington (Op. 4486) in Manhattan; and Thomas Jefferson (Op. 4487), Girls' Commercial (Op. 4488), New Utrecht (Op. 4489), and James Madison (Op. 4491) in Brooklyn; and Flushing High School (Op. 4492) in Queens. The Möller organ in the auditorium of Julia Richman High School was the first of the seven organs to be installed, and it had a three-manual stop-key console. Wind pressure for the organ was 5 inches, except for the 16' Tuba, which was on 10 inches. The status of this organ in 2007 is unknown.                 Great Organ (Manual II) – 61 notes, enclosed with Choir except as noted 8   Major Diapason * 73 8   Clarabella 73 8   English Diapason * 73 4   Harmonic Flute 73 8   Gamba 73 4   Octave 73 8   Gross Flute 73 8   Tuba 73 8   Dulciana CH   * unenclosed             Swell Organ (Manual III) – 61 notes, enclosed 16   Lieblich Gedeckt 73 2   Flautino 73 8   Open Diapason 73   Dolce Cornet III ranks — 8   Stopped Flute 73        [derived from 2' Flautino] 8   Salicional 73 8   Oboe 73 8   Vox Celeste [TC] 61 8   Cornopean 73 8   Aeoline 73 8   Vox Humana [sep. box & trem.] 61 4   Rohr Flute 73   Tremulant 4   Gambette 73                       Choir Organ (Manual I) – 61 notes, enclosed with Great 16   Contra Dulciana 85 2   Piccolo [Harmonic] 61 8   Geigen Principal 73 8   Clarinet 73 8   Concert Flute 73 8   English Horn 73 8   Dulciana [ext.] —   Tremulant 8   Viol Celeste 73   Concert Harp 49 bars 4   Flute d'Amour 73               Pedal Organ – 32 notes 32   Resultant — 8   'Cello 32 16   Open Diapason 32 8   Flute [GT Gross Flute] GT 16   Bourdon 32 16   Tromba [ext. GT] 12 16   Lieblich Gedeckt SW                     Couplers     Great to Pedal 8', 4'       Swell to Choir 16', 8', 4'       Swell to Pedal 8', 4'       Great 16', 4'       Choir to Pedal 8', 4'       Swell 16', 4'       Swell to Great 16', 8', 4'       Choir 16', 4'       Choir to Great 16', 8', 4'                           Piston Combinations (Adjustable at Organ Bench and Moving Registers)     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4-5 operating on Swell Organ     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 operating on Choir Organ     Pistons No. 1-2-3-4 operating on Great Organ     Pistons No. 1-2-3 operating on Pedal Organ     Pistons No. 1-2-3-0 Three Pedal Pistons and Release adjustable to full organ combinations                     When operating Pedal Pistons all stop action must automatically be cancelled (without affecting the position of the stop registers) thereby allowing the performer to prepare in advance while playing any combination desired which may be brought into operation at the desired moment by pressing Release Pistons.                 Pedal Movements     Balanced Swell Pedal   Great to Pedal Reversible     Balanced Choir and Great Pedal   Crescendo-Sforzando Pedal                 Accessories 1.   Swell Tremulant   2.   Choir Tremulant   3.   Wind Indicator   4.   Crescendo Indicator   5.   Electric Action Generator   6.   Electric Motor & Rotary Blower   7. }     8. } Indicator Lights for Pedal Pistons   9. }     10.   Organ Bench with Music Shelf                     Sources:      Duke, Daniel L. and Sara Trautvetter. "Reducing the Negative Effects of Large Schools," National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities, March 2001.      Julia Richman Education Complex website: http://www.jrec.org      Julia Richman entry in the Jewish Virtual Library website: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/richman.html      Mason, Craig. "An Urban Small-School Success Story," Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, August 30, 2001.      Nelson, George. Organs in the United States and Canada Database. Seattle, Wash.      Trupiano, Larry. Factory Specifications for M.P. Möller organ, Op. 4486, January 14, 1925. Photos:      Julia Richman Education Complex website: http://www.jrec.org: auditorium.      Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, August 30, 2001: exterior.                   | NYC AGO Home Page | Back to NYC Organ Project List |