Robert C. Daly was born in Kingsbury on the family dairy farm in 1931. He attended a one-room schoolhouse before entering Hudson Falls High School in the ninth grade where he excelled in math and science and received a New York State Regents Scholarship. He graduated from Hudson Falls High School in June, 1948.
He attended the New York State Teachers College, now the State University of New York at Albany, from 1948 to 1953. He was a member of the Gamma Chapter of the National Kappa Delta Rho fraternity and a founding member of the Alpha Pi Alpha fraternity when the Gamma Chapter broke away from the national fraternity over its discriminatory membership policy of not admitting negroes or Jews.
After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from SUNY in 1952 and a Master of Arts degree in 1953, Bob entered the military and served two years in the Army Chemical Corps studying the toxicology of different gases.
Having received excellent preparation from Hudson Falls’ schools, in 1956 he returned home to join the outstanding faculty of the high school and begin his teaching career. He married Gertrude Smith of Piermont, NY on August 18, 1956.
In 1960 he received a National Science Foundation Award and attended Union College for three summers and received a Master of Science in Teaching degree from Union College in 1962.
Over the years he taught Physics, Biology, Mathematics and Computer Science. As Chairman of the Mathematics Department, he pioneered the introduction of computers into both the administration and the curriculum in 1973. He instituted “Physical Science Seminar”, an after-school science and mathematics program for college-bound students which included taking students for Saturday lectures to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. His calm demeanor, good humor and honesty made him a role model for the thousands of students who attended his classes. He dedicated 31 years to educating and preparing the youth of Hudson Falls.
As president and chief negotiator of the local chapter of the New York State United Teachers’ Union, Bob worked to secure just compensation for teachers at a time when they lagged far behind other professionals. When school budget cuts threatened the high school sports programs, Bob was a driving force in raising the necessary funds.
Upon retirement from teaching, Bob became active in public advocacy. He was an early and outspoken opponent of the Hudson Falls Burn Plant and a member of the Concerned Citizens of Hudson Falls, a group targeted in a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) brought by Warren County and the Warren-Washington Counties IDA. The group’s civil-rights countersuit as well as the original suit was settled in its favor.
Bob and Gert raised five children, Kathleen, Robert Jr., Christopher, Michael, and Andrew, all graduates of Hudson Falls High School who later earned college degrees.
Bob passed away August 21, 1998.