Neil Macy

Neil Macy was born in Worcester ,Mass. on the 26 of October 1924. His parents, Nathan (Macewitzski) and Lilian (Kaplan) Macy,emigrated to America at the begining of the 20th Century from Russia and Lithuania.They were very orthodox (religiously) and

strictly observed the Mitzvot (commandments) of the Jewish Law. Neil's family lived in poverty during his childhood. After 1929, during the period of the great Depression, the economic situation in his home was very poor. His father was unemployed for many years. In order to help support his family Neil started working from a very early age. When he was 10 years old, he sold newspapers. Later he worked in a gas station, in a supermarket (in the produce department), in a fish store, on tobbaco fields and more. He worked hard and, at the same time, continued to go to school. Neil says that he didn't have a childhood because he worked every free moment that he had when he was not in school. He would go to school in the morning and after school go directly to work, returning home late in the evening. Only then, if he had the energy to do so, would he prepare for next day in school. His memories of his childhood were of poverty; he had a minimum of clothing and he and his family got by on the little that they had. Nevertheless, he was the first in his family to continue studying after high school. In 1942, he began studying at a teacher's college, but in December of that year, the United States entered the Second World War and, as a result, he was forced to stop his studies.

In 1943, Neil volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army and in 1944 he was sent to Europe to fight against the Germans. He participated in the invasion of France and fought in France, Germany and Belgium. Many of the soldiers in his unit were wounded or killed. He was among the soldiers who freed Paris from the Germans and, later, he was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge, in Bastogne, on the border of Belgium. During the fighting, his feet became frostbitten and seriously infected and it was thought that it might be necessary to amputate his legs. He was sent to England and then returned to the U.S. for treatment, which was successful. After a period of recuperation, he was released from the army in December of 1945. After his release from the army, Neil returned to the university (under the G.I. Bill). It was during this time that he met Erma Shapiro. After a period of courtship, they were married on June 15, 1947. His wedding was held the same day as his graduation cermony and the university authorities threatened not to grant him his degree unless he came to the graduation ceremony. In the end, the university authorities agreed to award the B.A. degree in a private ceremony.

During their first year of marriage, Neil and Erma lived in New York, where Neil studied for his M.A. Degree at Columbia University. As a war veteran, Neil received scholarship support under the G.I. Bill. At the completion of his M.A. in 1948, Neil was offered the possibility of continuing for a Ph.D. degree, but he and Erma chose to return to Hartford, where Neil began teaching in the public schools.

Neil was a popular and highly esteemed teacher. He taught courses in various subjects of the Social Sciences, including civics, economics, history. He was known for his innovative teaching methods, which included emphasis on active student involvement in activities such as running a "mock stock market", participating in political campaigns, and other "real-world" activities. He taught students from various social and economic background, some of whom came from impoverished families. He saw his job as an important challenge and he was sensitive to the particular needs of his students, even though he was also strict and required his students to be disciplined and to meet high standards -- and to persevere. Even today he meets former students who thank him for what he did to help them develop and many students have thanked him for the assistance that he gave them which helped them succeed in later life.

In 1968, Neil was promoted to the position of Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Hartford, Connecticut, and this necessitated that he stop his classroom teaching. In his position, he was responsible for personnel in the school system. During this time Neil became an expert in education law, particularly as it relates to emplyment, contract and other working condition and employment issues. He also became an expert in matters relating to due process. During this time he enrolled in a doctoral program operated by Nova University and he completed a doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) in 1976.

In 1970, Erma, his wife, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Neil divided his time between the intense demands of his demanding job as Assistant Superintendent of Schools and the responsibilities of being with and assisting Erma. In 1976, with the conmpletion of his doctorate, he decided to take early retirement in order to spend more time with Erma. Nevertheless, as a result of his expertise and experience, Neil continued to work as a consultant in contract negotiations, teacher and administrator terminations and in arbitration cases. In addition, Neil served as a professor for Nova University (organizing several doctoral "clusters"), taught as an adjunct Professor in the School of Education at the University of Connecticut, and lectured on education law and personnel issues throughout the United States. Neil continued to teach as an Adjunct Professor at he University of Connecticut for 13 years and directed a number of Doctoral dissertations. His work as a consultant continues until today (2009), although in the last year or two he has cut back on his work. In 1989, Neil was appointed the Chairperson of the Connecticut Civil Rights Commission, which operates under federal law and the mandate of the United States Civil Rights Commission. He served as Chair and as a member of this Commission for a number of years.