The Jon Breen Memorial Fund

Mount Vernon High School Class of 1963

April 11, 2000

 

Mount Vernon High School

100 California Road

Mt. Vernon, NY 10552

Mr. Paul Court

Social Studies Coordinator

 

Dear Mr. Court,

 

In regards to our conversation of today, and reflective of earlier conversations at your office at Mount Vernon High School, I have included information on the Jon Breen Memorial Fund, a biography of Jon Breen, parameters regarding the 2000 essay contest, and my request to fund a Henry Littlefield History Prize.

 

The Jon Breen Fund, which was founded in February of 1994, was established to award prizes to Mount Vernon High School students who write superior essays on public policy issues involving history or politics. Since the founding of this fund, I have taken the responsibility of informing our class, raising the funds, selecting the essay subject, judging the essays and attending the award's night as the representative of the Jon Breen Fund.

 

This year, with your input, I have requested that the subject “The Presidency: Who Decides? the People, the Press, the Parties, or Big Money?” be offered to the student body. This year I would like the fund to offer prizes of $300, 200, and 100 for the three top entries. The essays should be 3 to 4 type-written and double-spaced pages in length with a staple.

 

Because of the recent tragic passing of Henry M. Littlefield, obituary included with this letter, and his great connection to MVHS and the Class of 1963, I would like to have a $500 used from this fund to establish a Henry M. Littlefield Prize for History. In regards to this prize, I intend to send a major mailing to our class and to many of Henry's friends from all over America. Henry had major connections with the New York State Amateur Wrestling community, Amherst College, where he was Dean of Students, the York School of Monterrey, California, where he was Headmaster, and the Stevenson School of Carmel, California, where he was on the faculty. Since the monies collected would go into either the Jon Breen Fund, or a separate, but similar Littlefield Fund, I would hope that Mount Vernon would contribute some postage to this effort, or allow the Jon Breen Fund to differ some of the mailing costs.

 

Please keep me informed on what your decisions are in this matter. I would like to send out at least two hundred letters in the next few days and I am willing to proceed with this effort and submit to your office any postal receipts. I can also bring addressed letters to the high school for processing through your postage machine.

 

Again, thank you for your cooperation.

 

Regards,

 

 

Richard J. Garfunkel