[3] In 1930, he became Abraham Lincoln High School's in Brooklyn, New York art department chair as a way to escape the Great Depression.
His program was available to low-income students and featured mentoring and career development, departing from the Board of Education curriculum.
His studio was one of the first in the United States to introduce progressive European design ideas and emphasized learning at the students at their own pace.
Former students include Sheila de Brettville, Seymour Chwast, Jay Maisel, Irving Penn, and Alex Steinwiess.
Upon his death, the Architectural League of New York organized an exhibit called "Mr Friend: The Impact of One Art Teacher" of more than 150 of his former students' work.