By Jerry Sowden John O. Kaufman in December 2000.

By JUDITH O. ETZEL Staff writer John O. Kaufman was the baby boomers' principal. Mr. Kaufman (very few of his former young charges would think of addressing him any other way) died Sunday, March 4, at the age of 88. From 1963 to 1979, he presided over a huge, noisy and vital public domain - the PlaceNameplaceOil PlaceTypeCity PlaceTypeHigh School - as principal. His service came during a time of record-setting graduating classes of 300-plus students, an interim of morphing from a century-old school to a brand-new high school, and a period of immense social change. Through it all, this stalwart and decent man guided the faculty and students with a steady hand and a generous heart. His public persona was no different than his private profile - families as well as friends and coworkers and students could, quite simply, always count on him. He leaves a legacy preserved in a stance - the burly principal standing, with his feet firmly planted and his arms crossed in front of him in front of his school office as hundreds of students passed by on their way to class. Even his slight crinkled smile didn't take away from his dignified, sometime gruff demeanor as he greeted students and teachers by name. Being summoned to his office for some teenage infraction struck fear in students' hearts, not because he was mean or ornery but because it was like disappointing your parent. Few punishments are worse than shame. It was Mr. Kaufman's twinkling eyes, though, that invariably gave him away and students soon learned that while he could be intimidating, he was a kind and thoughtful man who believed that once children stepped across the high school threshold, they were his responsibility. His care went beyond book studies as he fretted about whether a student was getting enough to eat or had a warm winter jacket or had a supportive family. The strength of public education, holding it together and imparting it wisely, was embodied in this principal who led by example. When Mr. Kaufman retired as principal in 1979, he characterized success in a succinct, no-nonsense way: “I believe the key to the whole operation is self-discipline - and that means everybody.” Gracious to a fault, Mr. Kaufman brooked no excuses, no rule-breaking, no procrastination and no rudeness, from student and adult alike. He often walked a shaky tightrope in the `60s as new hairstyles (boys' hair over the collar), new wardrobe choices (girls' mini-skirts), new courses (the `new' math) and more pitted student rights against school district regulations. Remarkably, Mr. Kaufman was adept at balancing it all out by the end of a school day. He took his job seriously and was downright fussy about his building. His strict edict of keeping the school tidy and clean, often the jab of jokes from students, guaranteed an almost pristine learning environment. Students came away with an appreciation for tidiness, cleanliness and order. Mr. Kaufman had the incredible talent of recognizing achievement in every realm, whether on the football field or in the classroom or on the high school stage. Some of it undoubtedly was a result of his own background - athlete, honor student, veteran, coach, athletic director, curriculum director, principal. But perhaps more of it came from his finely tuned intuition that saw worth, and thus promise, in every student. And, surely some of that insight was instilled by his wife of 63 years, Mary, a gentle lady with an easy laugh and a loving nature. As thousands of students and hundreds of staff members moved through Mr. Kaufman's school during his time as overseer, there was an abiding truth - pay attention to this gentleman and do what he asks. Why? Because the man was always fair. “He was a very good, very thorough, very conscientious administrator and he was a dedicated man and took care of details. But more than anything, kids respected him, even though he was strict. They knew they would get a fair shake from John Kaufman,” said Jim Schwab, retired Oil City High School vice principal who worked with Mr. Kaufman. Gracious to a fault, Mr. Kaufman presided over an entire generation that, thanks to his tutelage, left the PlaceNameplaceOil PlaceTypeCity PlaceTypeHigh School knowing that dignity and fairness, traits their principal had, really do matter. It was the baby boomers' delightful good fortune to have landed and found their bearings in his sprawling high school. (Judith Etzel is a 1966 graduate of Oil City High School.)