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<\/a>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks to reporters about Democratic victories on Election Day, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, day 36 of the government shutdown.Photo: J. Scott Applewhite\/AP<\/p>\n
The centennial reaffirmed the school\u2019s role in educating generations of New Yorkers from immigrant families in early decades to a diverse student body today.<\/p>\n
Honorees at the ceremony included several notable alumni.<\/p>\n Dr. Hope Handler Punnett, class of 1944, was the first female editor-in-chief of the Madison Highway school newspaper. She also spent more than 30 years as director of the genetics laboratory at Philadelphia\u2019s St. Christopher\u2019s Hospital for Children.<\/p>\n Dr. Richard Chasin, class of 1953, was a Harvard Medical School graduate and a founding member of the American Family Therapy Academy, a non-profit organization that aims to make family therapy knowledge accessible to practitioners, allied professionals and the public.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jonathan Stein, class of 1960, an attorney practicing anti-poverty law, was at the forefront of social change and law reform on behalf of low-income people in the Philadelphia region and nationally.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Joan Spiegel Van Horn, class of 1967, spent decades in film and television, working with legends like Martin Scorsese, Frank Sinatra and Woody Allen.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Joel Benjamin, class of 1981, an FIDE grandmaster of chess, had wins in the U.S. Open throughout three decades and was the youngest inductee in the World Chess Hall of Fame in 2008.\u00a0<\/p>\n Don Vultaggio, class of 1970, is the chairperson and founder of AriZona Beverages. He began his foray into the beverage industry in 1970 as a local beer distributor in Brooklyn. Vultaggio initially made his mark on the beer business under Hornell Brewing Co.\u00a0<\/p>\n Edward Suhr, class of 1980, has led his teams to numerous championships as a coach and player in wheelchair rugby, including the Paralympics and world championships. His passion for sports and dedication to volunteering with veterans profoundly impacted the lives of many disabled athletes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Madison\u2019s well-known alumni<\/p>\n Among the more noteworthy attendees of James Madison High School are U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sen. Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, comedians and actors Andrew Dice Clay and Chris Rock, Oscar-winning actor Martin Landau, and former NBA player and coach Lenny Wilkens.\u00a0<\/p>\n Named after President James Madison, the school officially opened its doors on Sept. 14, 1925, and was built to serve the rapidly growing population of Brooklyn in the early 20th century.\u00a0<\/p>\n Its entrance features a stone header inscribed with President Madison\u2019s words. Students can still see it to this day as they walk through the school\u2019s doors every morning: \u201cEducation is the true foundation of civil liberty.\u201d<\/p>\n Co-president of the Madison Alumni Association Jane Carbonaro Arrabito, class of 1986, spoke exclusively to the Brooklyn Eagle about the school\u2019s three-day centennial celebration.\u00a0<\/p>\n Carbonaro Arrabito said that the planning started more than a year ago and involved three different groups: the James Madison Alumni Association, the James Madison High School staff, and the Golden Knights Touchdown Club, an organization that helps raise funds for athletics as well as school celebrations. Carbonaro Arrabito noted that Principal Jodie Cohen was instrumental in making the weekend happen as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a>Don Vultaggio, class of 1970, chair and founder of AriZona Beverages. Photo by Jane Carbonaro ArrabitoMadison\u2019s Wall of Distinction inductees\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a>Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks to reporters about Democratic victories on the morning after Election Day, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, day 36 of the government shutdown.
Photo: J. Scott Applewhite\/AP<\/p>\n<\/a>This image provided by the U.S. Postal Service shows the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The U.S. Postal Service is honoring her as \u201can icon of American culture\u201d with a stamp in the new year, seen in this rendering released by the agency on Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, in Washington, D.C.
Photo: U.S. Postal Service via AP<\/p>\n<\/a>Jacquline Bernstein, class of 1983, right, alongside Akkitta Wellington Cope, class of 1987. Photo by Jane Carbonaro Arrabito<\/p>\n<\/a>Alumni from 1986 through 1989 and Principal Jodie Cohen. Photo by Jane Carbonaro ArrabitoMore than teachers, books and going through the motions<\/p>\n<\/a>Class of 1988: Lauren Carbonaro Alfarano, Candace Caracci, Dina Hengber, school mascot Sir Quentin, Amy Muskluck Crowe, Ian Kahonowitz, Lauren Kimbell McLoughlin, Patricia Limongelli and Vinnie Serpico. Photo by Jane Carbonaro Arrabito<\/p>\n