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Highland Park High School (Highland Park, Illinois)
Encyclopedia
Highland Park High School, or HPHS, is a public four-year high school
located in Highland Park, Illinois
, a North Shore
suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 113
, which also includes Deerfield High School
.
Prior to the 1949–50 school year, the school was known as Deerfield-Shields High School. Aside from its academic accomplishments, the school is best known for its successful alumni who include World War II
General and Medal of Honor
recipient Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright IV
, author William Goldman
(The Princess Bride
), actor Gary Sinise
, and former CIA director Stansfield Turner
.
. It has occupied the present site on Vine Avenue since 1900. Over the course of time, however, several additions have been constructed. In 2000, HPHS and its sister school, Deerfield High School
underwent a two year, $75 million renovation and expansion project. HPHS received several new additions and renovations with 130000 square feet (12,077.4 m²) renovated and 77000 square feet (7,153.5 m²) added. The additions and renovations were designed by Legat Architects and executed by VACALA Construction, Inc.
sociologist Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot
wrote The Good High School: Portraits of Character and Culture, which delved into the culture of American high schools as it related to the development of ethical conduct. Highland Park High School was one of two suburban schools profiled, in the chapter titled Highland Park High School: Hierarchies, Ambition, and Stress. While praising the school for its high academic achievement, Lawrence-Lightfoot noted that ideas like ethics and character were not emphasized as a part of the day to day working of the school. This point is brought up in a profile of HPHS alum Stephen Glass in Handbook of Frauds, Scams, and Swindles: Failures of Ethics in Leadership, in which Lawrence-Lightfoot's profile of the school is summed up as:
During the 1999–2000 school year, Fox Television crews "invaded" the high school after it was selected by documentary
filmmaker R. J. Cutler to be the setting for his new reality television
series. His intent was to accurately portray the intricacies of the lives of a handful of typical high school students. Two crews covered up to eight students each. From August to June, they shot three weeks out of every month, wherever the "cast" led them. That included their homes, on dates, and to parties. Cutler recalls:
, and the remaining ten episodes were finally aired. The show went on to win an Emmy Award
in 2001 for Outstanding Nonfiction Program.
challenged: “Them are fightin’ words when you say a girl can’t play in the basketball tournament … for political reasons … so we’re going to see about that.”
score of 25.8, and graduated 95.4% of its senior class. Highland Park has not made Adequate Yearly Progress
on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, a state test part of the No Child Left Behind Act
, because two student subgroups have failed to meet standards in reading and math.
Highland Park High School has a number of non native-English speaking students and a relatively diverse student population of 80% white, 15% Hispanic, 3% Asian and 2% African American. Students of military parents from Fort Sheridan also have a presence on campus.
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Highland Park competes in the Central Suburban League
and is a member of the Illinois High School Association
(IHSA) which governs most of the sports and competitive activities in the state. Its teams are named the Giants
.
The school sponsors interscholastic sports teams for young men and women in basketball
, cross country
, gymnastics
, soccer, swimming & diving
, tennis
, track & field, volleyball
, wrestling
and water polo
. Young men may also compete in baseball
, golf
, football
, and Scholastic wrestling
. Women may compete in softball
. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors teams for men and women in lacrosse
in addition to an ice hockey
team for men.
The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament:
, Congressional Debate, DECA
, FIRST Tech Challenge
, Key Club
, and Model UN.
The repertoire of the drama department includes two plays and one musical each year in addition to an all original student musical called STUNTS, which is entirely directed, choreographed, produced by students, and a "Short Play" festival, directed entirely by students. Past performances include renditions of Metamorphoses
, Cats
, The Scarlet Pimpernel
, The Laramie Project
, Les Misérables
, Fiddler on the Roof
, Urinetown
and Beauty and the Beast
. During the 2005–2006 and 2011-2012 school years, the play On Stars Not Falling (written by one of Highland Park's acting teachers) was selected to be performed at the Illinois High School Theatre Festival.
Focus on the Arts is a biennial event that brings artists to Highland Park High School to share their passion with its students. Over three days, world-renowned artists come to the high school to showcase their talents and encourage students to explore the arts themselves. The mediums of music, visual arts, dance, creative writing, media, and theater are represented. Presentations on sports media, improvisation theater, and creative writing are particularly popular. Students at Highland Park High School program their own schedule so they attend activities they wish to attend. Three regularly scheduled academic classes occur for each day that is missed for Focus events. Focus is funded from a variety of resources including but not limited to grants, private donations, and allowances. All events are free to the students, faculty, staff, and the community at large.
In 2005, Focus celebrated its 20th biennial. In celebration, the Highland Park High School Chorus and Orchestra collaborated with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
and Chorus to perform opera choruses for the opening night celebration, which was conducted by Duain Wolfe, Director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus.
The following competitive teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament:
The FIRST Tech Challenge team has seen tremendous success:
The Model UN team at Highland Park High School has also seen success:
The Congressional Debate team at Highland Park High School has achieved success at both the state and national level:
The Arts
Military
Government and politics
Sports
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
located in Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park, Illinois
Highland Park is a suburban municipality in Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. As of 2009, the population is 33,492. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located on the North Shore of the Chicago Metropolitan Area.-Overview:Highland Park was founded...
, a North Shore
North Shore (Chicago)
The North Shore is a term that refers to the generally affluent suburbs north of Chicago, Illinois bordering the shore of Lake Michigan.- History :Europeans settled the area sparsely after an 1833 treaty with local Native Americans...
suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 113
Township High School District 113
Township High School District 113 is a school district in Illinois, with its headquarters in Highland Park. It is made up of two high schools and serves Highland Park, Deerfield, Highwood, Bannockburn, and Riverwoods....
, which also includes Deerfield High School
Deerfield High School (Illinois)
Deerfield High School, or DHS, is a public four-year high school in Deerfield, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 113, which also includes Highland Park High School....
.
Prior to the 1949–50 school year, the school was known as Deerfield-Shields High School. Aside from its academic accomplishments, the school is best known for its successful alumni who include World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
General and Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright IV
Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright IV
Jonathan Mayhew "Skinny" Wainwright IV was a career American army officer and the commander of Allied forces in the Philippines at the time of their surrender to the Empire of Japan during World War II...
, author William Goldman
William Goldman
William Goldman is an American novelist, playwright, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.-Early life and education:...
(The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride is a 1973 fantasy novel written by William Goldman. It was originally published in the United States by Harcourt Brace, while in the UK it is/was published by Bloomsbury Publishing....
), actor Gary Sinise
Gary Sinise
Gary Alan Sinise is an American actor, film director and musician. During his career, Sinise has won various awards including an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1992, Sinise directed, and played the role of George Milton in the successful film adaptation of...
, and former CIA director Stansfield Turner
Stansfield Turner
Stansfield M. Turner is a retired Admiral and former Director of Central Intelligence. He is currently a senior research scholar at the University of Maryland, College Park School of Public Policy....
.
History
For a period of approximately fourteen years following Highland Park High School's establishment in 1886, classes were held in the rooms over the Brand Brothers paint shop in downtown Highland ParkHighland Park, Illinois
Highland Park is a suburban municipality in Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. As of 2009, the population is 33,492. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located on the North Shore of the Chicago Metropolitan Area.-Overview:Highland Park was founded...
. It has occupied the present site on Vine Avenue since 1900. Over the course of time, however, several additions have been constructed. In 2000, HPHS and its sister school, Deerfield High School
Deerfield High School (Illinois)
Deerfield High School, or DHS, is a public four-year high school in Deerfield, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 113, which also includes Highland Park High School....
underwent a two year, $75 million renovation and expansion project. HPHS received several new additions and renovations with 130000 square feet (12,077.4 m²) renovated and 77000 square feet (7,153.5 m²) added. The additions and renovations were designed by Legat Architects and executed by VACALA Construction, Inc.
In media
In 1983, HarvardHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
sociologist Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot
Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot
Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot is an American sociologist who examines the culture of schools, the patterns and structures of classroom life, socialization within families and communities, and the relationships between culture and learning styles...
wrote The Good High School: Portraits of Character and Culture, which delved into the culture of American high schools as it related to the development of ethical conduct. Highland Park High School was one of two suburban schools profiled, in the chapter titled Highland Park High School: Hierarchies, Ambition, and Stress. While praising the school for its high academic achievement, Lawrence-Lightfoot noted that ideas like ethics and character were not emphasized as a part of the day to day working of the school. This point is brought up in a profile of HPHS alum Stephen Glass in Handbook of Frauds, Scams, and Swindles: Failures of Ethics in Leadership, in which Lawrence-Lightfoot's profile of the school is summed up as:
(Lawrence-Lightfoot) was impressed with the school's stunning academic programs, but noted that values such as character and morality were sometimes little more than brushstrokes against the relentlessness of achievement.
During the 1999–2000 school year, Fox Television crews "invaded" the high school after it was selected by documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
filmmaker R. J. Cutler to be the setting for his new reality television
Reality
In philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
series. His intent was to accurately portray the intricacies of the lives of a handful of typical high school students. Two crews covered up to eight students each. From August to June, they shot three weeks out of every month, wherever the "cast" led them. That included their homes, on dates, and to parties. Cutler recalls:
There were plenty of situations where it was necessary to exercise our discretion as grown-ups and human beings, but our principal objective was to observe and tell the truth as much as possible. I think we did that...but you always develop a personal relationship with your subjects. You do try to keep on a certain side of the line.The end product was American High, the critically acclaimed but poorly rated television series that lasted only four episodes on the Fox Network. The show was subsequently picked up by PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, and the remaining ten episodes were finally aired. The show went on to win an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in 2001 for Outstanding Nonfiction Program.
Girls basketball controversy
The school made national news in May 2010 when administrators denied a girls' basketball team's trip to Arizona, ostensibly out of concern for the safety of the students was infringed by the recently-passed Arizona SB1070 anti-illegal immigration law. Nevertheless, parents have responded that the students were being used as political pawns and called it a "knee-jerk reaction". Critics cited further as evidence that the incident was politically motivated the statement by the assistant superintendent that the trip to Arizona would not be "in agreement with the school system's values and beliefs." American Openings, a Tucson-based company has offered to bring the girls to Arizona, all expenses paid, to play in spite of the maneuver. On national TV, former Alaska Governor Sarah PalinSarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
challenged: “Them are fightin’ words when you say a girl can’t play in the basketball tournament … for political reasons … so we’re going to see about that.”
Academics
In 2008, Highland Park had an average composite ACTACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...
score of 25.8, and graduated 95.4% of its senior class. Highland Park has not made Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind Act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country is performing academically according to results on standardized...
on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, a state test part of the No Child Left Behind Act
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...
, because two student subgroups have failed to meet standards in reading and math.
Highland Park High School has a number of non native-English speaking students and a relatively diverse student population of 80% white, 15% Hispanic, 3% Asian and 2% African American. Students of military parents from Fort Sheridan also have a presence on campus.
Athletics
Central Suburban League
The Central Suburban League is an IHSA-recognized high school extracurricular conference comprising 12 public schools located in the northern suburbs of Chicago...
and is a member of the Illinois High School Association
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
(IHSA) which governs most of the sports and competitive activities in the state. Its teams are named the Giants
Giant (mythology)
The mythology and legends of many different cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength. "Giant" is the English word commonly used for such beings, derived from one of the most famed examples: the gigantes of Greek mythology.In various Indo-European mythologies,...
.
The school sponsors interscholastic sports teams for young men and women in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, soccer, swimming & diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, track & field, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
and water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
. Young men may also compete in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, and Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
. Women may compete in softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors teams for men and women in lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
in addition to an ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team for men.
The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament:
- Cross country (boys): State Champions (1961–62)
- Golf (boys): 3rd place (1948–49); 2nd place (1938–39, 40–41, 41–42, 46–47, 57–58); State Champions (1939–40, 47–48, 51–52, 52–53, 58–59)
- Golf(girls) 3rd place: (2011)
- Swimming & Diving (boys): 4th place (1958–59); 3rd place (1951–52, 56–57, 57–58); 2nd place (1945–46)
- Tennis (boys): 4th place (1982–83, 83–84, 2000–01, 07–08, lead by coach Steve Rudman,; 3rd place (1953–54, 70–71, 71–72, 2003–04); State Champions (1972–73)
- Tennis (girls): 4th place (2000–01, 07–08)
- Track & Field (boys): 4th place (1918–19, 53–54); 3rd place (1961–62); 2nd place (1919–20, 21–22)
- Soccer (boys): 3rd place (1976).
- Wrestling : 2nd place Danny Fisher (2009)Coached by Stephan Morais
Activities
Highland Park offers 64 clubs, activities, and intramurals for students. Among these activities are chapters or affiliates of several nationally notable organizations: Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, Congressional Debate, DECA
DECA (organization)
DECA, also known as Collegiate DECA on the college level) is an international association of students and teachers of marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality, and marketing sales and service . DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing,...
, FIRST Tech Challenge
FIRST Tech Challenge
The FIRST Tech Challenge , formerly the FIRST Vex Challenge , is a mid-level robotics competition targeted toward high-school aged students. It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST Robotics competition but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit...
, Key Club
Key Club
Key Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is a student-led organization whose goal is to teach leadership through serving others. Key Club International is a part of the Kiwanis International family of service-leadership programs...
, and Model UN.
The repertoire of the drama department includes two plays and one musical each year in addition to an all original student musical called STUNTS, which is entirely directed, choreographed, produced by students, and a "Short Play" festival, directed entirely by students. Past performances include renditions of Metamorphoses
Metamorphoses (play)
Metamorphoses is a play by American playwright Mary Zimmerman adapted from the classic Ovid poem, Metamorphoses. The play premiered in 1996 as Six Myths at Northwestern University and later the Lookingglass Theatre Company in Chicago...
, Cats
Cats (musical)
Cats is a musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot...
, The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel (musical)
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a musical with music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics and book by Nan Knighton, based on the novel of the same name by Baroness Orczy. The show is set in England and France during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution...
, The Laramie Project
The Laramie Project
The Laramie Project is a play by Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project about the reaction to the 1998 murder of University of Wyoming gay student Matthew Shepard in Laramie,...
, Les Misérables
Les Misérables (musical)
Les Misérables , colloquially known as Les Mis or Les Miz , is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg, based on the novel of the same name by Victor Hugo....
, Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
, Urinetown
Urinetown
Urinetown: The Musical is a satirical comedy musical, with music by Mark Hollmann, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, and book by Kotis. It satirizes the legal system, capitalism, social irresponsibility, populism, bureaucracy, corporate mismanagement, and municipal politics...
and Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (musical)
Beauty and the Beast is a musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and a book by Linda Woolverton, based on the 1991 Disney film of the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical...
. During the 2005–2006 and 2011-2012 school years, the play On Stars Not Falling (written by one of Highland Park's acting teachers) was selected to be performed at the Illinois High School Theatre Festival.
Focus on the Arts is a biennial event that brings artists to Highland Park High School to share their passion with its students. Over three days, world-renowned artists come to the high school to showcase their talents and encourage students to explore the arts themselves. The mediums of music, visual arts, dance, creative writing, media, and theater are represented. Presentations on sports media, improvisation theater, and creative writing are particularly popular. Students at Highland Park High School program their own schedule so they attend activities they wish to attend. Three regularly scheduled academic classes occur for each day that is missed for Focus events. Focus is funded from a variety of resources including but not limited to grants, private donations, and allowances. All events are free to the students, faculty, staff, and the community at large.
In 2005, Focus celebrated its 20th biennial. In celebration, the Highland Park High School Chorus and Orchestra collaborated with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Chicago Symphony Orchestra
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1891, the Symphony makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival...
and Chorus to perform opera choruses for the opening night celebration, which was conducted by Duain Wolfe, Director of the Chicago Symphony Chorus.
The following competitive teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament:
- ChessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
: 2nd place (1969–70); State Champions (1967–68, 68–69) - DebateDebateDebate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
: 4th place (1968–69); 3rd place (1972–73); 2nd place (1961–62) - DramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
: 2nd place (1971–72, 72–73, 80–81); State Champions (1977–78) - Group Interpretation: 4th place (1973–74, 80–81); State Champions (1979–80)
- Individual Events: 3rd place (1965–66, 74–75)
- Speech: 4th place (1971–72)
The FIRST Tech Challenge team has seen tremendous success:
- FIRST Tech ChallengeFIRST Tech ChallengeThe FIRST Tech Challenge , formerly the FIRST Vex Challenge , is a mid-level robotics competition targeted toward high-school aged students. It offers the traditional challenge of a FIRST Robotics competition but with a more accessible and affordable robotics kit...
: 3rd place Wisconsin State Championship (2010); 1st place Illinois State Championship (2011); 1st place Wisconsin State Championship (2011); 3rd place at global Championship (2011)
The Model UN team at Highland Park High School has also seen success:
- Model UN: 1st Place National High School Model UN (2006–2010); 1st Place Chicago International Model UN (2010)
The Congressional Debate team at Highland Park High School has achieved success at both the state and national level:
- Congressional Debate: 1st Place Harvard National Congress (2006, 2009)
Philanthropy
Each year students at HPHS mobilize to support a charity that they vote to support for all of February. This month long event is known as "Charity Drive" and is orchestrated by the Charity Drive Committee, one of the subdivisions of the school-wide political Student Senate. Recent charities have included Children's Neuroblastoma, Cancer Foundation (2006), Hope for Huntingtons (2007), CURED (2008), and Foundation for Retinal Research (2009). The school regularly raises more than $100,000, including $247,000 raised in 2008 and $165,000 in 2009. An anonymous benefactor matched the donations of the school in 2008 and 2009.Notable alumni
Academia and letters- Eric EngbergEric Engberg-Life:Engberg attended Highland Park High School in Highland Park, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism....
(class of 1959) is an investigative journalist and CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
news correspondent. - Stephen Glass (class of 1990) is a former reporter at The New RepublicThe New RepublicThe magazine has also published two articles concerning income inequality, largely criticizing conservative economists for their attempts to deny the existence or negative effect increasing income inequality is having on the United States...
who became notorious for his journalistic fraud. Actor Hayden ChristensenHayden ChristensenHayden Christensen is a Canadian actor. He appeared in Canadian television programs when he was young, then diversified into American television in the late 1990s. He moved on to minor acting roles before being praised for his role of Sam in Life as a House, for which he was nominated for a Golden...
portrayed him in his fall from grace in the 2003 film Shattered Glass. - William GoldmanWilliam GoldmanWilliam Goldman is an American novelist, playwright, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.-Early life and education:...
(class of 1948) is a two-time OscarAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winning screenwriter (Butch CassidyButch Cassidy and the Sundance KidButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a 1969 American Western film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman...
and All the President's MenAll the President's Men (film)All the President's Men is a 1976 Academy Award-winning political thriller film based on the 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the two journalists investigating the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post...
), and author of The Princess BrideThe Princess BrideThe Princess Bride is a 1973 fantasy novel written by William Goldman. It was originally published in the United States by Harcourt Brace, while in the UK it is/was published by Bloomsbury Publishing....
. - David R. PalmerDavid R. PalmerDavid R. Palmer , Highland Park High School , is a science fiction author who has been nominated three times for Hugo Awards. He is married and lives in Florida , where he works as a court reporter.-Published works:...
(class of 1959) is a science fiction author. - Brian RossBrian Ross (journalist)Brian Elliot Ross is an American investigative correspondent for ABC News. He has been with ABC News since July 1994. From 1974 until 1994, Ross was a correspondent for NBC News.-Major scoops:...
(class of 1966) is an award winning investigative journalist with NBC NewsNBC NewsNBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
(1974–94), and ABC NewsABC NewsABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
(1994–present). - Stephen WiznerStephen WiznerStephen Wizner is the William O. Douglas Clinical Professor of Law at Yale Law School. He also has a Special Appointment as the Sackler Professor of Law at Tel Aviv University.- Teaching :...
is a law professor at Yale UniversityYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
.
- Brian LevantBrian LevantBrian Michael Levant is an American television and film director, writer and producer.Levant was born in Highland Park, Illinois. He started his career in 1977 as a writer for the TV series "The Jeffersons"...
is a film director, writer, and producer. - Jeff Perry (class of 1973) is an actor who co–founded the Steppenwolf Theater.
- David RudmanDavid RudmanDavid Rudman is a puppeteer, voice actor and producer, best known as a performer of many of Sesame Street's Muppets. He originated the role of Baby Bear, and has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work replacing Frank Oz in the role of Cookie Monster...
(class of 1982) is a performer of many Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
Muppet characters, notably Baby Bear, and Cookie MonsterCookie MonsterCookie Monster is a Muppet on the children's television show Sesame Street. He is best known for his voracious appetite and his famous eating phrases: "Me want cookie!", "Me eat cookie!", and "Om nom nom nom" . He often eats anything and everything, including danishes, donuts, lettuce, apples,...
. Currently the executive producer of Jack's Big Music ShowJack's Big Music ShowJack's Big Music Show is a children's television program currently airing on the Nick Jr. television network. The show premiered on the same network on September 12, 2005...
on cable TV's Noggin channel, where he also performs Jack, the lead character. - Gary SiniseGary SiniseGary Alan Sinise is an American actor, film director and musician. During his career, Sinise has won various awards including an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1992, Sinise directed, and played the role of George Milton in the successful film adaptation of...
(class of 1974) is an award–winning actor best known for roles in films such as Forrest GumpForrest GumpForrest Gump is a 1994 American epic comedy-drama romance film based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Winston Groom. The film was directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Gary Sinise...
and Apollo 13Apollo 13 (film)Apollo 13 is a 1995 American drama film directed by Ron Howard. The film stars Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Kathleen Quinlan and Ed Harris. The screenplay by William Broyles, Jr...
. - Lauren TomLauren TomLauren Tom is an American actress and voice actress perhaps best known for her roles as Lena St Clair in The Joy Luck Club, Julie in the TV series Friends, and for providing the voices for both mother and daughter characters on two animated TV comedy series: on Futurama she voices Amy Wong and her...
(class of 1977) is a voice actress known for her work on FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
and King of the HillKing of the HillKing of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
.
- Paul PagePaul PagePaul Page is an American motorsports broadcaster who was the lead announcer for ABC Sports' coverage of CART and the IRL from 1988 to 2004. He currently is the lead announcer for NHRA.-Early life and career:...
(class of 1963) is an Emmy Award winning play by play and host announcer for ABC Sports/ESPN. Hosted the coverage of the Indianapolis 500 for 25 years. NHRA Drag Racing, America's Cup, and Olympic Games are all on his C.V. - The successful party gameParty gameParty games are games that some people play as forms of entertainment at social gatherings. Party games usually involve more than one player. There are a large number and styles of party games available and the one selected will depend on the atmosphere that is sought to be generated...
and KickstarterKickstarterKickstarter is an online threshold pledge system for funding creative projects. Kickstarter has funded a diverse array of endeavors, ranging from indie film and music to journalism, solar energy technology and food-related projects.-Model:...
project Cards Against HumanityCards Against HumanityCards Against Humanity is a politically incorrect multiplayer party game currently available for free digital download or as a published hardcopy as of June 15, 2011. Cards Against Humanity is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - Share Alike license, making it possible...
was co-created by Josh Dillon, Daniel Dranove, Eli Halpern, Ben Hantoot, David Munk, David Pinsof, Max Temkin, and Eliot Weinstein (class of 2005).
Military
- Follett Bradley (class of 1906) was an Army Air ForceUnited States Army Air ForcesThe United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
Major GeneralMajor general (United States)In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
and Commander of the First Air ForceFirst Air ForceThe First Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida....
during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. An aviation pioneer, he flew in a WrightWright brothersThe Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
biplaneBiplaneA biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
and was involved in early air-to-ground radio work. - Stansfield TurnerStansfield TurnerStansfield M. Turner is a retired Admiral and former Director of Central Intelligence. He is currently a senior research scholar at the University of Maryland, College Park School of Public Policy....
(class of 1941) was an U.S. Navy AdmiralAdmiral (United States)In the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard and the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, admiral is a four-star flag officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. Admiral ranks above vice admiral and below Fleet Admiral in the Navy; the Coast Guard and the Public Health...
and later CIA DirectorDirector of the Central Intelligence AgencyDirector of the Central Intelligence Agency serves as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, which is part of the United States Intelligence Community. The Director reports to the Director of National Intelligence . The Director is assisted by the Deputy Director of the Central...
under Jimmy CarterJimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
and Commander of NATO forces in Southern EuropeSouthern EuropeThe term Southern Europe, at its most general definition, is used to mean "all countries in the south of Europe". However, the concept, at different times, has had different meanings, providing additional political, linguistic and cultural context to the definition in addition to the typical...
. He later served as a senior research fellow at the Nobel Peace Institute in Oslo, Norway. - Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright IVJonathan Mayhew Wainwright IVJonathan Mayhew "Skinny" Wainwright IV was a career American army officer and the commander of Allied forces in the Philippines at the time of their surrender to the Empire of Japan during World War II...
(class of 1901) was an ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant General (United States)In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
and Supreme Allied CommanderSupreme Allied CommanderSupreme Allied Commander is the title held by the most senior commander within certain multinational military alliances. It originated as a term used by the Western Allies during World War II, and is currently used only within NATO. Dwight Eisenhower served as Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary...
in the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He is a Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient.
- David Crane (class of 1968) is a former Undersecretary General of the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra LeoneSpecial Court for Sierra LeoneThe Special Court for Sierra Leone is an independent judicial body set up to "try those who bear greatest responsibility" for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996 during the Sierra Leone Civil War...
. - John M. GrunsfeldJohn M. GrunsfeldJohn Mace Grunsfeld is an American physicist and a NASA astronaut. He is a veteran of five spaceflights and has also served as NASA Chief Scientist.-Personal :...
(class of 1976) is an astronautAstronautAn astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
and chief scientist at NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. - David JacobsonDavid JacobsonDavid Jacobson is an American screenwriter and film director from Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California. His film Down in the Valley was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.-Feature films:* ...
is currently nominated to be the US Ambassador to Canada under President Obama - Robin Ross Mann (class of 1967) was a Department of Justice antitrust prosecutor; portrayed by Ann CusackAnn Cusack-Early life:Cusack was born in Brooklyn, New York, the sister of actors Joan, Bill, John and Susie. Her mother, Nancy, is a former mathematics teacher and political activist. Her father, Dick Cusack, was an actor, producer, and writer...
in The Informant! - Paul SoglinPaul SoglinPaul Soglin is the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin.-Early life and education:Soglin was raised in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago...
(class of 1962) was the mayor of Madison, WI in 1973–79,1989–97, and was re-elected a third time in 2011.
Sports
- Gene MelchiorreGene MelchiorreEugene "Gene" "Squeaky" Melchiorre is a retired American basketball player. He was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets and was the first overall pick in the 1951 NBA Draft, although he never played a game due to his ban from professional basketball for point shaving.- Early life :He was the fifth of...
(class of 1945) was a college basketball player at Bradley UniversityBradley UniversityBradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
. The number one overall pick in the 1951 NBA Draft1951 NBA DraftThe 1951 NBA Draft was the fifth annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 25, 1951 before the 1951–52 season. In this draft, ten remaining NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. In each round, the teams select in reverse...
by the Baltimore BulletsWashington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
, he was banned from the NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
for his involvement in a point shaving scandal. - Tunch IlkinTunch IlkinTunch Ilkin is a Turkish sports broadcaster and a former American football player. He currently serves as a television and radio analyst for the Pittsburgh Steelers.-Biography:...
(class of 1976) was a professional football player with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers. He was named to the Pro-Bowl twice. He is presently a television and radio analyst for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Notable staff
- Jerry WainwrightJerry WainwrightJerry Wainwright is an American basketball coach who is currently an assistant coach at Fresno State University, he was most recently the head coach of the DePaul University Blue Demons. Following his mid-season firing in 2010, Wainwright left college basketball to promote charity causes in North...
was the school's head boys basketball coach (1978—83). He is currently the head mens basketball coach at DePaul UniversityDePaul Blue Demons men's basketballThe DePaul Blue Demons Men's Basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois...
.
- Dr. Eric Wentz is the school's English department chair (1998—present). He additionally contracts with the department of defense in matters pertaining to national security and has written the acclaimed novel Piercing the Veil.