Dr. Joseph Shenker, Founding President of LaGuardia
Community College, Passes Away at 68

The LaGuardia Community Mourns the Passing of an Exceptional Educator

Long Island City, NY—September 22, 2008--Dr. Joseph Shenker, the founding president of LaGuardia Community College, passed away on September 20 after a brief battle with pulmonary fibrosis. He was 68. His career as one of the nation’s most gifted educators spanned four decades.

"We are extremely indebted to Joe Shenker, whose dedication to creative pedagogy shaped LaGuardia into one of the top three community colleges in the nation,” said President Gail O. Mellow. "I feel fortunate to have honored Joe this past June at the LaGuardia Foundation fundraiser, and to have named our main building after him, tributes that are now fond memories.”

The LaGuardia Community College Foundation honored Dr. Shenker in June with its inaugural Innovative Leaderships award, an annual award given to leaders and advocates who have made significant contributions to higher education. The award reception raised $150,000 in scholarship funds. Additionally, Dr. Shenker helped the College secure $150,000 from the New York Community Trust - Wallace Special Project Fund. This past June, LaGuardia honored Dr. Shenker by renaming its first campus building, the M-building, Joseph Shenker Hall.

New York State Senator Serphin R. Maltese, whose wife Constance painted the portrait of Dr. Shenker that now hangs in LaGuardia’s Shenker Hall, noted,

“There is no question that this is an irreparable loss for LaGuardia Community College and the Queens county educational community. Constance and I convey our sincere sympathy to his wife Susan, his children Deborah, Rachel, Karen, Sarah and Jordan, as well as to the rest of his family.”

In 1970, Dr. Shenker, who was 30-years old, was appointed President of Community College IX, which was renamed LaGuardia Community College. For the next 18 years, he led the College’s evolution into a respected and innovative institution of higher education that now serves as the gold standard for community colleges nationwide.

During his tenure, LaGuardia became the first community college to require its full-time students to participate in cooperative education internships. He also established Middle College High School, the first public high school for at-risk youth, and its sister school, International High School.

Believing that community college should play an important role in continuing education, he established the Division of Adult and Continuing Education. Among its programs are the nation’s first college-level programs for deaf adults and an English as a Second Language program, which is now one of the largest in the city.

Dr. Shenker left LaGuardia in 1988 to serve as President of Bank Street College of Education. After leading the highly respected teachers college for seven years, he accepted the position of Provost of C. W. Post College where he more than doubled the freshman class and led major renovation and new construction projects, including the Pratt Recreation Center and Kahn Discovery Center. He retired this past summer.

He was the beloved husband of Susan Smyth, and father of Deborah Singer, Karen, Sarah and Jordan, and grandfather of Joshua and Rachel Singer and Ava Gould. Faculty, staff and students wishing to extend their condolences to the Shenker family are invited to sign a condolence book which has been placed in front of the portrait of Dr. Shenker in the lobby of Joseph Shenker Hall (formerly the M-Building). Please stop by and add your personal message to the many expressions of sympathy and support from the LaGuardia community.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to:

• Thursday, September 25: 2 to 4 pm and 7 to 9 pm (with a minyan at 7:30 p.m.)
• Friday, September 26: 10 am to 12 noon
• Saturday, September 27: 7 to 9 pm
• Sunday, September 28: 2 to 4 pm and 7 to 9 p.m. (with a minyan at 7:30 pm)