Argote Family Papers, 1950–1983

Daniel (Danny) Argote (March 20, 1938–May 26, 2017) was born in Harlem, New York, son of Juan Bautista Argote and Asunción Gomez. He was raised in the South Bronx on Jackson Avenue with his siblings Mario, Milagros, Samuel, Lydia, and Johnny. After graduating from Benjamin Franklin Machine and Metal Trades High School, he began working as a supply clerk in a shipping factory. While at work one day, he was forcibly drafted and taken to serve in the U.S. Army. He served as the Army Chaplain's Assistant in Fort Monroe, Virginia, 1961–1963. In 1965 he joined Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx as a community mental health worker. Among the team of people he worked with was Marcia Kroll, a Jewish hospital administrator from Brooklyn. They fell in love and despite their different backgrounds, they got married in 1968. Danny was also active in the Young Lords Party at that time. He played a significant role in facilitating the relationships that led to the Lincoln Hospital takeovers in 1969 and 1970. Although he would say that his "real education" came through his commitment to community and service, he received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work from New York University in 1977. In 1978 he joined the founding faculty of Boricua College, where he served as facilitator, faculty member, chairman of the Human Services Program, and carrier of Boricua’s learning culture for over 20 years. In addition to being an active member of his community, Danny was a very devoted, skillful, and loving father to his son, David Miguel, and his daughter, Aviva Luz. He was a beloved brother, uncle, and grandfather as well. He became a member of the Christian Missionary Alliance Church in 1991 and over the years was a Bible school teacher, deacon, and well-loved mentor to many children and adults. He was a talented athlete and was cherished as father, teacher, community builder, counselor, and teammate by everyone he knew.

Marcia Kroll (April 1, 1942–October 11, 1991) was born in Yonkers, New York, daughter of Paul Kroll and Sophie Sootin. She was raised in Rockaway, Valley Stream, Brooklyn, New York, with her sister Susan. After graduating from Erasmus Hall High School in 1958 at the age of 16, Marcia went to Barnard College and Columbia University, graduating cum laude Phi Beta Kappa with a B.S. in Art History. She joined the staff at Lincoln Hospital in 1965 and served in myriad capacities at the Lincoln Community Mental Health Center including as an administrator, trainer, and researcher until 1980. While at Lincoln, she met and fell in love with a community mental health worker there, Daniel Argote. Building bridges across many differences, they were married in 1968. After Lincoln, Marcia obtained a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University. For the remainder of her life, she continued to combine her administrative acumen, background in research, and training with her passion for public health in service of her beloved New York City. She was an administrator at the Center for Policy Research, the executive administrator at the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services, and held multiple management roles at the New York City Department of Health. A devoted, engaged, and loving mother to her two children, David Miguel and Aviva Luz, Marcia skillfully crafted a beautiful balance between her professional life and her maternal role. Marcia nourished her close friendships for life. As an avid knitter, crocheter, and seamstress, Marcia’s hands were always on the move, creating a blanket or article of clothing for a loved one. On any sunny weekend when she wasn't knitting, visiting with friends, or walking the length of Manhattan, she could be found basking in the sun on the beach at Coney Island.

This biographical information was provided by the Argote family.