Abraham “Abe” Novick, Superintendent of the NYS Training School For Girls, 1953 to 1963
Named as a Social Work Pioneer
http://www.naswfoundation.org/
by the National Association of Social Workers
Here is an almost-completed list of the superintendents (or wardens) of the prison in Hudson, NY from 1876 to 1990. The list goes back to the time when this prison was the House of Refuge for Women, and then the New York State Training School for Girls, and forward to its current status as a state prison for men called Hudson Correctional Facility. Can you help us fill in some of the missing names and dates? Or if we have made mistakes on the list, correct us! Please send your information through the comment section below this post.
Also, if you have photos or stories relating to these people when they served as a superintendent or warden of the Hudson prison, please let us know! Note that we are not at this time inviting stories or photos about the more current prison superintendents.
Don’t forget that the Prison Public Memory Project is offering a prize to the person who has offered the most help in 2013 through this Do You Know? section of our website. The winner will be announced in December.
(Congratulations to sisters Marian Woodward and Jeanne Roetina who received a $75 gift certificate to Stoddard Corner bookstore in Hudson, NY with our appreciation for their contributions to our website’s “Do You Know?” page in 2012.)
Dates Served Name of Superintendent/Warden
House of Refuge (1876-1904)
1876 – Sarah V. Coon
1900 – 1904 Hortense V. Bruce, M.D.
NYS Training School for Girls ((1904-1975)
1904 – 1921 Hortense V. Bruce, M.D.
1922 – 1923 Mary Hinkley
1923 – 1937 Fannie French Morse
1937 – 1940 ?
1940 – 1952 Inez B. Patterson
1952 – 1953 Harriet W. Goldman
1953 – 1963 Abraham G. Novick
1963 – 1964 Muriel E. Jenkins (Acting Superintendent)
1964 – 1973 Thomas Tunney
1974 – 1975 George Doleschal
Hudson Correctional Facility (1976 – 1990)
1976 – 1984 Wim Van Eckeren
1984 – 1985 Martin F. Horn
1985 – Herbert McLaughlin
6 comments
Judith Brink says:
Oct 11, 2012
There are 3 radio stations that are in range of quite a few prisons: perhaps the producers of their prisoner focused programs could ask the question over the air?
Soul Spectrum with Liberty Green, WJFF, libertygreen@citlink.net
Cory Cory Fischer-Hoffman – Prison Voices radio project – WGXC –
Ernest and Kathy Henry WVKR – ejhenry@bestweb.net
Editor says:
Oct 17, 2012
Great idea Judith! We are speaking with folks at WGXC and will ask them about including this and other questions in their programming.
Thank you!
Carolyn Ressler says:
May 19, 2013
I worked at the Training School 1963 – 1966. Muriel E. Jenkins was Assistant Superintendent under Mr. Novick. She became Acting Superintendent during the time between Superintendents Novick and Tunney.
My stepdad was the Maintenance Supervisor at the School for many years until his retirement in 1971.
Carolyn Ressler says:
May 19, 2013
I was 18 years old when I went to work in the Business Office of the Training School.
I don’t know how long the practice continued, but when I worked there, employees were allowed to bring the girls home for a weekend day. I brought a few of them home, and would take them bowling, shopping in the dimestores, and if they came on a Sunday, would take them to church with me. They always stayed for dinner (and helped my Mom with dishes, etc. afterward.) I also used to chaperone their dances, which was really strange since I was only a couple years older than many of them.
Deborah Novick Noy says:
May 21, 2013
You spelled Abe Novick incorrectly. In the 1st paragraph you wrote Novack instead of Novick.
Secondly, a training school is not a prison and a superintendent is not a warden. If you make such basic mistakes I wonder how accurate this book is.
Editor says:
May 21, 2013
Dear Deborah,
Thank you for pointing out the typo in Mr. Novick’s name. We will correct that as soon as possible.
Not sure how you got the idea that our project was a book, but to clarify what the Prison Public Memory Project is and isn’t, please see the ABOUT page on this website.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about what a training school and a superintendent is and isn’t. Since training schools were locked facilities where young people were sent by the courts and involuntarily confined, they fit the definition of a juvenile prison. Prisons or “correctional facilities” or juvenile “centers” as they are sometimes referred to today have been assigned different names throughout history depending on the prevailing wisdom of the era. Perhaps others reading these comments would like to add their own observations to ours. The changing nomenclature is such a fascinating subject on its own…
On a different subject it would appear from your name that you might be related to “Abe” Novick. If you would care to talk to us about him, we’d love to talk to you!