12
Canisius High School Today
Woodstock College (theology, 1966).
He also gained opportunities to ful-
fill the Jesuit educator tradition at
Loyola School in New York City (teach-
ing science, Latin, religion and math)
and McQuaid Jesuit High School in
Rochester, N.Y. (teaching physics and
math). Zimpfer was ordained in 1965
and pronouncedhis final vows in1967.
While at McQuaid, he also served as
moderator of Athletics. In that role, he
co-founded a City-Catholic league and
was founding chairman of the board
and commissioner of the Monroe
County High School Hockey League. It
was also during this time that Zimpfer
worked for the admission of Catholic
high schools to Section V sports and
served as the first Catholic representa-
tive to Section V.
After he earned his master’s in sec-
ondary school administration at
Columbia University in 1976, Zimpfer
became principal of St. Peter’s Prep in
Jersey City, N.J. Over four years there he
increased enrollment by 60 percent. As
principal at McQuaid, he computerized
the offices and developed new class-
rooms for art, music, science and com-
puters as well as a wrestling room and
drama rehearsal area.
Thirty-eight years after giving his
valedictory address, Zimpfer returned
to Canisius High School to serve as spe-
cial assistant to the president and, lat-
er, acting president fromMarch to June
1989. Zimpfer has been deeply in-
volved in finance, enrollment, staffing,
financial aid, systems management,
purchasing and operations at CHS.
In 2008, Zimpfer received Canisius’s
John F. Barnes award, given to alum-
ni who have continued to be distin-
guished in the field of athletics, for all
he has done in community sports and
sports leagues. As Zimpfer prepares
to be inducted into the Distinguished
Alumni Hall of Honor, he reflects on
the “major role” Canisius High School
has played in his life.
Zimpfer has recently moved to
Murray Weigel Hall at Fordham
University.
✠
Senior Speakers Series provides Class of 2012 with access to role models . . .
The Senior Speakers Series, a new initiative from the Alumni Office for the 2011-12 school year, provided members of the
Class of 2012 access to a variety of individuals from various professions. The seniors heard from six speakers: Jack Armstrong,
current parent and play-by-play announcer for the Toronto Raptors and TSN; Tom Perez ‘79, Assistant Attorney General--Civil
Rights Division, United States Department of Justice; Valerian Ruminski ‘85, opera singer and president of Nickel City Opera; Dr.
Thomas Cumbo ‘91, Mount St. Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston; Robert Cavallari, CAO and CFO of Canisius High School; and Mark
O’Brien, a former Marine and member of the Wounded Warrior program. Each speaker gave a presentation about his personal
and professional experience and offered advice based on the theme “what I wish I knew when I was a senior in high school.”
The final speaker of the series, Mark O’Brien (above, center), shared his very emotional and moving story about the realities of
war and the challenges of recovering from disabling injuries. A paraplegic who lost his right arm and leg to a rocket-propelled
grenade attack in Iraq, he candidly reflected on the many challenges he faced on the road to recovery, specifically his addiction
to prescription pain medication.
✠
Visit www.canisiushigh.org/alumni.cfm,
and click on the 2012 Distinguished
Hall of Fame Inductees link or scan
the QR code on this page to view
the remarks.