Letter to the Editor: Rockland County is Rich in History, Scholarship, Research and Human Care

A Response

I would like to add my voice to the ongoing narrative about this County’s ethos.

I have represented all or part of Orangetown on the Rockland County Legislature for 43 years. This has given me insight into our sister Towns and neighboring Counties which has reinforced my pride in our greatness and specialness.

From just one perspective, I remind everyone one that we are more than “Rich In History”, we are rich in scholarship, research and human care, My evidence is: In research, we have Columbia University’s Earth Institute/Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in Palisades [our earth], the New York State Nathan Kline Institute For Psychiatric Research [our brain] in Orangeburg, Pfizer [nee Lederle] Pharmaceuticals [our body’s health] in Pearl River.

In scholarship, we have Dominican College in Orangeburg, Long island University Graduate School [LIU-Hudson] in Sparkill, Nyack College in the Nyacks, St. Thomas Aquinas in Sparkill.

In Human Care, we had/have, St Agnes Home for Children in Sparkill, St. Dominic’s Home For Children in Orangeburg, Camp Venture in Sparkill, Homes For Heroes on the site of WW II’s largest military encampment and Port of Embarkation [Camp Shanks] in Tappan, The Rockland Psychiatric Center/Rockland Children’s Psychiatric Center in Orangeburg, Nyack Hospital.

Maybe we should update our tag line to read “Rich in History, Scholarship, Research and Human Care”.

John Murphy