In l931, two visionary educators, Mary
Pallicari-Vedova and Egbert Vedova opened a Greek-American
boarding school for girls and boys which they named Pallicari
Vedova, Hellenic-American Boarding School. First located
in New Rochelle, it moved to Port Chester, and then to an
estate in Tarrytown, where it existed until 1955. The motto
of the school was "Connecting Greek and American Education."
The school developed a certain "status" within
the Greek-American world because the directors of the school
were recognized as leading educators by their peers. The
school attracted a wide array of students and many wealthy
families enrolled their children in the school. There was
even a Vedova Scholarship for some students who were not
able to pay the tuition. The full curriculum of subjects
were taught from grades 1 through 8 and included Modern
and Ancient Greek. The children wore uniforms, which were
military in design on the weekends and on formal occasions.
On a daily basis, the girls wore skirts and blouses, and
the boys wore gray slacks and white shirts. The teachers
were both American and Greek born. When the Tappan Zee Bridge
was going to be built, it was in the direct path of the
bridge and the school was forced to close in 1955. To this
day, alumni meet periodically to reminisce and remember
the "old days". Reunions have been held in Atlantic
City, St. Augustine, and in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
A cruise in planned in 2005.
