Was Herbert Rathman A Veteran?
Rhodes Preparatory School yearbook.
A long-time ALBA supporter contacted the office to inquire about a possible volunteer Herbert Rathman. In the mid-1960s, Rathman was the Science Chairman at Rhodes Preparatory School, a private school located at 11 West 54th Street in Manhattan. Rathman had told his students that he was a veteran of the Spanish Civil War and served in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade under an assumed name. Rathman indicated that he was wounded in combat and suffered permanent damage to his lungs. In Spain he was known by the nicknames “Ziv” or “Zev”. Rathman also indicated that he was born in the Bronx around 1914 and was at one point a member of or affiliated with the Plumber and Steamfitters Union. The 1967 Rhodes Preparatory School yearbook notes that Rathman graduated from CCNY with a Bachelor’s of Science and earned a Masters of Arts degree at Brooklyn College. Rathman graduated from CCNY in 1935 and joined the faculty of Rhodes Preparatory in 1945.
Over the years numerous veterans were asked about Rathman. None of the veterans was able to provide any additional information about Rathman. Was Rathman a veteran? If you can help solve this mystery please contact the ALBA office.
Rhodes Preparatory School yearbook.
“Half of what I’m going to teach you is not true. The problem is, we don’t know which half.”
Herbert Rathman