Frank Ashley Day, who was born in 1852, spent his boyhood in Newton, was educated in the city schools, and made his mark as a Boston financier. Without Day’s generosity, there would not be vocational programs at Newton North High School today. With Frank A. Day’s financial support, an industrial school for boys was opened at Nonantum in 1909. It taught the trades and became very popular at that time: it started with 15 students and increased to over 400 in 10 years. As a result, the Newton Technical High School opened next to Newton High School in 1907, and became part of the public school system.

Frank Day was also a firm supporter of the Newton Young Men’s Christian Association, also known as the YMCA. Day wanted to help families who could not afford summer camp for their children and donated $5000 to start a YMCA camp on a lake in East Brookfield. In its first season, nine boys lived in tents, played baseball, tennis, and other sports, alternating with woodcraft and natural study, socials and entertainments. Camp Frank A. Day is still operating more than 100 years later. An engraving in the West Suburban YMCA memorializes F.A. Day.

The F.A. Day middle school is located in Newtonville right near Albemarle Field.