Oak Park and River Forest High School
Encyclopedia
Oak Park and River Forest High School, or OPRF, is a public four-year high school
located in Oak Park, Illinois
, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
. It is the only school of Oak Park and River Forest District 200.
Founded in 1873, the current school building opened in 1907. A comprehensive college preparatory school, OPRF has had a long history of not only turning out alumni who have made contributions in a wide variety of fields, but have consistently been eminently notable in their fields. Perhaps the most notable is Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winning author Ernest Hemingway
, whose writing career began at the school.
Throughout most of its history, the school has been a centerpiece of the Oak Park community, serving as host to a number of community events. Many of these events included lecturers and performances from many notable people from a variety of fields. Throughout the twentieth century, the school also was on the front lines of students rights issues ranging from fraternity/sorority membership in the early twentieth century, to the rights of homosexuals and African-Americans at the century's end.
cradled in the leaves
of an oak tree
. The bottom section consists of horizontal wavy lines, suggesting a flowing river, while the right section depicts a group of three trees which represents a park or forest (thus incorporating the town names "oak park and river forest"). The top left section is separated from the other two sections by a wide divider inscribed with the school's motto ΤΑ Γ'ΑΡΙΣΤΑ (Those things that are best), which conveys the hope that each student and teacher will strive for strong character and the best of their abilities. The crest has been a symbol of the school since 1908.
score of 23.5, and graduated 94.3% of its senior class. OPRF has not made Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, which with the ACT forms the assessment tools used by the state of Illinois to fulfill the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act
. While the school overall made AYP, one of the school's five student subgroups failed to achieve AYP in both reading and math. One other student subgroup failed to meet AYP in reading, while another failed to meet AYP in mathematics.
Students are required to earn 43 semester credits in order to graduate, with exceptions granted for students with certain IEP
s.
Academic courses are offered in three levels: accelerated/honors, regular/college preparatory, and basic/transition.
The following Advanced Placement courses are offered:
Certain advanced, industrial, and consumer education courses are eligible for either dual or articulated credit through Triton College
.
In the study of world languages, students may choose from French
, German
, Italian
, Japanese
, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish
. Except for Mandarin, there are chapters of each language's national honor society at the school for students with a high level of achievement in that language.
Over the summer, there are opportunities for elective credit courses that involve extensive travel and field work. Among these courses are working with health care professionals, and business, as well as field geology and field biology in tropical
, marine
, and arctic
environments.
The top 5% of the junior class and top 15% of the senior class are eligible to join the Cum Laude Society
.
OPRF has been listed six times on Newsweek's
top 1500 American public schools, as measured by the Challenge Index
. In 2009, the school was ranked #549. In previous years, the school was ranked #554 (2003), #590 (2005), #501 (2006), #688 (2007), and #379 (2008).
On 31 October 1907, the school's orchestra
was founded. While more common today, Oak Park was one of the first schools to offer credit toward graduation based on student performance in the orchestra.
Within OPRFHS,the OPRF School of Business was created in 2003. Many students successfully transition to excellent university business schools such as Indiana University, Oklahoma University, and Princeton University. Current members of the OPRF School of Business include: Pete Hostrawser, Douglas Belpedio, Brian Davis, Nancy Bardo, Rob Potts, Jessica Howell, and Derrick Purvis.
Among the school's music and song groups are a gospel choir, two jazz band
s, a jazz combo, a marching band
& color guard
, and a pep band
. The school also has 3 choirs during the school day, a Treble Choir, Chorale
, and A Capella Choir which is considered the highest level. The school also has 3 small audition-only groups that are student run and include 5–6 members each. These are Take 5(boys only), Six Chicks(girls only), and No Strings(girls only). There are also 4 medium sized groups that are school sponsored, a Madrigal
s group and 3 Brown Bag(Jazz Choirs) groups. It also has a concert band, symphonic band, wind symphony, wind ensemble, two concert orchestras, and a symphony orchestra.
The school supports a dance team in addition to a drill team and an orchesis group.
The school supports a total of eleven stage productions each year including four in the "Little Theatre," four in the black box "Studio 200" space, a summer and winter musical and a one act festival. In support of these, the school not only sponsors a stage crew group for students, but a theatrical makeup
group as well as a props
group which locates for purchase, repairs, and maintains props for the various productions. Student performers who excel in their performance may be inducted into the school's chapter of the International Thespian Society
. The Studio 200 group supports students interested in gaining experience in all aspects of theatrical production from acting and directing to publicity and the technical arts.
Among the plastic arts the school supports an overarching arts club in addition to a photography
club and wheel throwing club which emphasizes pottery
.
In the realm of public speaking, the school has both a debate
and a forensics team which competes in the individual events state series sponsored by the IHSA.
The school's high-definition television studio hosts numerous productions, including the award-winning weekly newsmagazine show Newscene Live, airing throughout the metro area on Comcast Cable.
Among the clubs which are affiliates or chapters of notable national organizations are: ASPIRA
, Best Buddies
, Business Professionals of America
, Cum Laude Society
, and Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America
(FCCLA).
There is an intramural program which sponsors both competitive round robin and free play competitions in basketball
, badminton
, ultimate frisbee, dodgeball
, and flag football
.
The following non-athletic teams have won their respective IHSA sponsored state competition or tournament:
. The school is also a member of the Illinois High School Association
(IHSA), which governs most sports and competitive activities. The school's teams are stylized as the Huskies
.
The school sponsors interscholastic teams for young men and women in: basketball
cross country
, soccer, swimming
& diving
, tennis
, track & field, volleyball
, and water polo
. Young men may compete in baseball
, golf
, football
, and wrestling
, while women may compete in badminton
, cheerleading
, gymnastics
, and softball
. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors teams for young men and women in lacrosse
, in addition to a field hockey
and drill team for young women. While not sponsored by the school, there is an ice hockey
team affiliated with the school.
By school policy, athletes must maintain a "C" average (2.0 GPA) in order to compete and practice. If in any week, an athlete has any cumulative grade in any course that is not a minimum of a "C", that student is required to attend an academic support program for a minimum of 150 minutes the following week. Any athlete finishing two consecutive quarters of study with a failing grade, or a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 are ineligible for athletic participation.
The following teams have won their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meet:
In the school's early history, there were semi-annual "field days
" in which students competed for various prizes (medals, cups, sporting equipment, cakes) in events such as the hammer throw
, three-legged race
, sack race
, and obstacle course
. In the absence of regularly scheduled interscholastic meets, the Cook County High School Athletic Union hosted an annual field day which would involve top athletes from the county schools.
From 1900–13, Oak Park was a member of the Cook County League. In 1913, the schools outside of Chicago were expelled, and formed the Suburban League
, which would eventually splinter off into several smaller leagues, one of which was the West Suburban Conference.
Before such things were made illegal by the IHSA, Oak Park, on at least one occasion, played games against college teams, such as a baseball game on 4 April 1900 when Oak Park lost to Northwestern University
(then known as the Purple), 1–27.
In 1927, the school constructed a 219 ft x 128 ft (67 m x 39 m) fieldhouse at a cost of $750,000. The fieldhouse contained four inside gymnasiums, two swimming pools, an indoor track, and seating for 1,000 people. The facility not only helped Oak Park to build a champion track program, but also helped other area schools promote indoor track and field as a sport.
Through the end of the 2008–09 school year, the boys track & field program holds state records for state championships, top 3 finishes, and top ten finishes. Starting in 1930, the school hosted the "Oak Park Relays", a track & field competition that grew into the largest in the Midwest, with nearly 1,500 athletes from 63 school competing in 1960. In 1963, the field was 1,340 athletes from 77 schools, and was now the largest high school indoor track meet in the United States. By 1964, the field rose to over 1,900 athletes from 95 schools. Despite the school's successes in track & field, the school did not have an outdoor track, and by 1998, the indoor cinder track was no longer in competitive condition. The school entered into a partnership with Fenwick High School and Concordia University
to construct a new outdoor track on the campus of the university.
The OPRF lacrosse program is one of the three oldest high school programs in the state of Illinois.
While water polo would not be sponsored by the IHSA until 2002, Oak Park High School sponsored a team at least as early 1901, playing a match against the Armour Institute (later renamed the Illinois Institute of Technology
).
In 1905, in the wake of a student being killed in a football game, Oak Park's (and several other schools') school board voted to cancel the remainder of the season, and ban football from the school. In 1907, football was restored in Cook County, however Oak Park refused to rejoin the league. Instead, Oak Park competed as an independent team.
From 1904–06, Oak Park's girls basketball team was the state champion among the roughly 300 girls teams in the state. In 1907, the Illinois State High School Athletic Association (previous name of the IHSA), banned all girls from participating in the game because "roughness is not foreign to the game, and that the exercise in public is immodest and not altogether ladylike." Oak Park was thus denied a fourth state title.
OPRF was, with DePaul University
, one of two sites for men's and women basketball games during the 1959 Pan American Games
.
In 1961, the pool at OPRF was used for the annual Canadian-American Invitational Swim meet. Among those competing at the school were Tom Stock, Ted Stickles, and Joan Spillane
.
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 Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the only school of Oak Park and River Forest District 200.
Founded in 1873, the current school building opened in 1907. A comprehensive college preparatory school, OPRF has had a long history of not only turning out alumni who have made contributions in a wide variety of fields, but have consistently been eminently notable in their fields. Perhaps the most notable is Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winning author Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
, whose writing career began at the school.
Throughout most of its history, the school has been a centerpiece of the Oak Park community, serving as host to a number of community events. Many of these events included lecturers and performances from many notable people from a variety of fields. Throughout the twentieth century, the school also was on the front lines of students rights issues ranging from fraternity/sorority membership in the early twentieth century, to the rights of homosexuals and African-Americans at the century's end.
History
The school's history in many ways parallels that of many American suburban high schools as it saw changes due to changes in demographics, changes due to the world wars, and changes due to financial difficulties. The school has been a waypoint for a number of notable individuals who have lectured or performed at the school. The school has also seen its share of challenges, ranging from student membership in secret societies to the issues of homosexuals, women, and African-Americans.School crest
The school's crest is a shield divided into three sections. The top left section depicts an acornAcorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
cradled in the leaves
Leaves
-History:Vocalist Arnar Gudjonsson was formerly the guitarist with Mower, and he was joined by Hallur Hallsson , Arnar Ólafsson , Bjarni Grímsson , and Andri Ásgrímsson . Late in 2001 they played with Emiliana Torrini and drew early praise from the New York Times...
of an oak tree
Oak Tree
Oak Tree may refer to:*Oak, the tree*Oak Tree, County Durham, a village in County Durham, England*The Oaktree Foundation, a youth-run aid and development agency*Oak Tree National, golf club in Edmond, Oklahoma...
. The bottom section consists of horizontal wavy lines, suggesting a flowing river, while the right section depicts a group of three trees which represents a park or forest (thus incorporating the town names "oak park and river forest"). The top left section is separated from the other two sections by a wide divider inscribed with the school's motto ΤΑ Γ'ΑΡΙΣΤΑ (Those things that are best), which conveys the hope that each student and teacher will strive for strong character and the best of their abilities. The crest has been a symbol of the school since 1908.
Scholarship Cup
In lieu of having a valedictorian, the high school presents the Scholarship Cup. The Scholarship Cup is an award presented to the graduating seniors who have the highest weighted GPA in their graduating class, after the seventh semester of enrollment (though transfer students remain eligible for the award, provided they have been in attendance for five semesters prior to the Cup being awarded.Academics
In 2008, OPRF 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 23.5, and graduated 94.3% of its senior class. OPRF 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...
(AYP) on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, which with the ACT forms the assessment tools used by the state of Illinois to fulfill the requirements of the federal 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...
. While the school overall made AYP, one of the school's five student subgroups failed to achieve AYP in both reading and math. One other student subgroup failed to meet AYP in reading, while another failed to meet AYP in mathematics.
Students are required to earn 43 semester credits in order to graduate, with exceptions granted for students with certain IEP
Individualized Education Program
In the United States an Individualized Education Program, commonly referred to as an IEP, is mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act...
s.
| Subject | Credits | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| English (language/literature) | 8 | |
| Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity... |
6 | 2 credits in algebra Algebra Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures... & 2 credits in geometry Geometry Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers .... |
| Science Science Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe... |
4 | 2 credits must be in a laboratory science |
| History History History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians... |
4 | 2 credits in world history World History World History, Global History or Transnational history is a field of historical study that emerged as a distinct academic field in the 1980s. It examines history from a global perspective... & 2 credits in American history |
| World languages/cultures | 1 | |
| Fine/Performing arts Performing arts The performing arts are those forms art which differ from the plastic arts insofar as the former uses the artist's own body, face, and presence as a medium, and the latter uses materials such as clay, metal or paint which can be molded or transformed to create some physical art object... |
1 | |
| Applied arts | 1 | |
| Computer Computer A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem... proficiency |
1 | students may fulfill this requirement through testing |
| Driver education | 1 | |
| Consumer education Consumer education Consumer education is the preparation of an individual through skills, concepts and understanding that are required for everyday living to achieve maximum satisfaction and utilization of his resources.... |
1 | students may fulfill this requirement through testing |
| Health education Health education Health education is the profession of educating people about health. Areas within this profession encompass environmental health, physical health, social health, emotional health, intellectual health, and spiritual health... |
1 | |
| Physical education Physical education Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting.... |
7 | |
| Electives | 7 |
Academic courses are offered in three levels: accelerated/honors, regular/college preparatory, and basic/transition.
The following Advanced Placement courses are offered:
| Course | Notes | Course | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economics AP Economics Advanced Placement Economics consists of two, separate examinations that are offered as part of the College Board's Advanced Placement Program.*AP Macroeconomics*AP Microeconomics... |
one class covering Microeconomics AP Microeconomics Advanced Placement Microeconomics is a course for students interested in college-level work in microeconomics and/or gaining advanced standing in college. The course begins with a study of fundamental economic concepts such as scarcity, opportunity costs, production possibilities, specialization,... & Macroeconomics AP Macroeconomics Advanced Placement Macroeconomics is a course offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program for high school students interested in college-level work in economics... |
English Language and Composition AP English Language and Composition Advanced Placement English Language and Composition is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program.... |
|
| Art History AP Art History AP Art History is a course offered in high school through the Advanced Placement Program that gives college level material at the high school level. This class is operated by College Board... |
English Literature and Composition AP English Literature and Composition Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program.-The Course:This course is designated for motivated students with a command of standard English, an... |
||
| Studio Art AP Studio Art AP Studio Art is a series of Advanced Placement Courses divided into three different categories: AP Studio Art Drawing, AP Studio Art 2D, and AP Studio Art 3D.-The portfolio:... |
Music Theory AP Music Theory Advanced Placement Music Theory is a course and examination offered in the United States by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program to high school students who wish to earn credit for a college level music theory course.-The course:Some of the material covered in the course... |
||
| American History | Government | ||
| European History AP European History Advanced Placement European History is a course and examination offered by the College Board through the Advanced Placement Program... |
Psychology AP Psychology The Advanced Placement Psychology course and corresponding exam is part of the College Board's Advanced Placement Program. This course is tailored for students interested in the field of psychology and as an opportunity to earn placement credit or exemption from a college-level psychology course... |
||
| Statistics AP Statistics Advanced Placement Statistics is a college-level high school statistics course offered in the United States through the College Board's Advanced Placement program... |
Calculus AP Calculus Advanced Placement Calculus is used to indicate one of two distinct Advanced Placement courses and examinations offered by the College Board, AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC.... |
separate courses in AB & BC | |
| Computer Science AP Computer Science Advanced Placement Computer Science is the name of two distinct Advanced Placement courses and examinations offered by the College Board to high school students as an opportunity to earn college credit for a college-level computer science course... |
AB | Environmental Science AP Environmental Science Advanced Placement Environmental Science is a course offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program to high school students interested in the environmental and natural sciences... |
|
| Chemistry AP Chemistry Advanced Placement Chemistry is a course and examination offered by the College Board as a part of the Advanced Placement Program to give American and Canadian high school students the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and earn college-level credit.-The course:AP Chemistry is a course... |
Biology AP Biology In the United States, Advanced Placement Biology , is a course and examination offered by the College Board to high school students as an opportunity to earn placement credit for a college-level biology course.... |
||
| Physics AP Physics AP Physics defines three categories of high school physics courses: A, B, and C. Category A refers to general introductory physics courses that are not mathematically rigorous... |
C | French AP French Language Advanced Placement French Language and Culture is a course offered by the College Board to high school students in the United States as an opportunity to earn placement credit for a college-level French course... |
|
| Italian | Spanish AP Spanish Language Advanced Placement Spanish Language is a course and examination offered by the College Board as part of the Advanced Placement Program.-The course:... |
Certain advanced, industrial, and consumer education courses are eligible for either dual or articulated credit through Triton College
Triton College
Triton College is a two-year community college located in River Grove, Illinois, a suburb northwest of downtown Chicago. Triton College facilitates accredited degrees, career-oriented learning opportunities, and English as a second language and GED classes.Over 17,000 students enroll at Triton...
.
In the study of world languages, students may choose from French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. Except for Mandarin, there are chapters of each language's national honor society at the school for students with a high level of achievement in that language.
Over the summer, there are opportunities for elective credit courses that involve extensive travel and field work. Among these courses are working with health care professionals, and business, as well as field geology and field biology in tropical
Tropics
The tropics is a region of the Earth surrounding the Equator. It is limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at S; these latitudes correspond to the axial tilt of the Earth...
, marine
Marine biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather...
, and arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
environments.
The top 5% of the junior class and top 15% of the senior class are eligible to join the Cum Laude Society
Cum Laude Society
The Cum Laude Society is an organization that honors scholastic achievement at secondary institutions, similar to the Phi Beta Kappa Society, which honors scholastic achievements at the university level. It was founded in 1906 as the Alpha Delta Tau fraternity and changed its name in the 1950s...
.
OPRF has been listed six times on Newsweek's
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
top 1500 American public schools, as measured by the Challenge Index
Challenge Index
The Challenge Index is a method for the statistical ranking of top public high schools in the United States by Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews...
. In 2009, the school was ranked #549. In previous years, the school was ranked #554 (2003), #590 (2005), #501 (2006), #688 (2007), and #379 (2008).
On 31 October 1907, the school's orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
was founded. While more common today, Oak Park was one of the first schools to offer credit toward graduation based on student performance in the orchestra.
Within OPRFHS,the OPRF School of Business was created in 2003. Many students successfully transition to excellent university business schools such as Indiana University, Oklahoma University, and Princeton University. Current members of the OPRF School of Business include: Pete Hostrawser, Douglas Belpedio, Brian Davis, Nancy Bardo, Rob Potts, Jessica Howell, and Derrick Purvis.
The arts
The school sponsors a number of organizations related to studying or performing in the arts.Among the school's music and song groups are a gospel choir, two jazz band
Jazz band
A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
s, a jazz combo, a marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
& color guard
Color guard
In the military of the United States and other militaries, the color guard carries the National Color and other flags appropriate to its position in the chain of command. Typically these include a unit flag and a departmental flag...
, and a pep band
Pep band
A pep band is an ensemble of instrumentalists who play at functions or events with the purpose of entertaining and "pepping" up a crowd. Often members of a pep band are a subset of people from a larger ensemble such as a marching band or a concert band. Pep bands are generally associated with...
. The school also has 3 choirs during the school day, a Treble Choir, Chorale
Chorale
A chorale was originally a hymn sung by a Christian congregation. In certain modern usage, this term may also include classical settings of such hymns and works of a similar character....
, and A Capella Choir which is considered the highest level. The school also has 3 small audition-only groups that are student run and include 5–6 members each. These are Take 5(boys only), Six Chicks(girls only), and No Strings(girls only). There are also 4 medium sized groups that are school sponsored, a Madrigal
Madrigal (music)
A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition, usually a partsong, of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. Traditionally, polyphonic madrigals are unaccompanied; the number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six....
s group and 3 Brown Bag(Jazz Choirs) groups. It also has a concert band, symphonic band, wind symphony, wind ensemble, two concert orchestras, and a symphony orchestra.
The school supports a dance team in addition to a drill team and an orchesis group.
The school supports a total of eleven stage productions each year including four in the "Little Theatre," four in the black box "Studio 200" space, a summer and winter musical and a one act festival. In support of these, the school not only sponsors a stage crew group for students, but a theatrical makeup
Theatrical makeup
In the performing arts, theatrical makeup is used to assist in creating the appearance of the characters that actors portray.-Background:In Greek and Roman theatre, makeup was unnecessary. Actors wore various masks, allowing them to portray another gender, age, or entirely different likeness....
group as well as a props
Theatrical property
A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
group which locates for purchase, repairs, and maintains props for the various productions. Student performers who excel in their performance may be inducted into the school's chapter of the International Thespian Society
International Thespian Society
The International Thespian Society is an honorary organization for high-school and middle-school theatre students located at more than 3,600 affiliated secondary schools across the United States, Canada, and abroad. The International Thespian Society was founded in Fairmont, West Virginia...
. The Studio 200 group supports students interested in gaining experience in all aspects of theatrical production from acting and directing to publicity and the technical arts.
Among the plastic arts the school supports an overarching arts club in addition to a photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
club and wheel throwing club which emphasizes pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
.
In the realm of public speaking, the school has both a debate
Debate
Debate 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...
and a forensics team which competes in the individual events state series sponsored by the IHSA.
The school's high-definition television studio hosts numerous productions, including the award-winning weekly newsmagazine show Newscene Live, airing throughout the metro area on Comcast Cable.
Activities and clubs
OPRF offers over 60 clubs and activities ranging from athletic and artistic to competitive academic, cultural, and social awareness (an entire list can be found here).Among the clubs which are affiliates or chapters of notable national organizations are: ASPIRA
ASPIRA
ASPIRA of New York is a Hispanic non-profit organization working to foster educational excellence and civic responsibility among young Latinos. ASPIRA youth development clubs, dropout prevention initiatives and after school programs each year serve more than 8,000 young people in the five boroughs...
, Best Buddies
Best Buddies International
Best Buddies International is a nonprofit 501 organization. It consists of volunteers that attempt to create opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities ....
, Business Professionals of America
Business Professionals of America
Business Professionals of America is a career and technical student organization that is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. BPA aims to develop leadership, academic, and technological skills in the workplace among students and leaders within the community...
, Cum Laude Society
Cum Laude Society
The Cum Laude Society is an organization that honors scholastic achievement at secondary institutions, similar to the Phi Beta Kappa Society, which honors scholastic achievements at the university level. It was founded in 1906 as the Alpha Delta Tau fraternity and changed its name in the 1950s...
, and Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America
Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America , formerly known as Future Homemakers of America , is a nonprofit U.S. career and technical student organization for young men and women in family and consumer science education in public and private schools through grade 12 across the United States...
(FCCLA).
There is an intramural program which sponsors both competitive round robin and free play competitions 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...
, badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, ultimate frisbee, dodgeball
Dodgeball
Dodgeball is any of a variety of games in which players try to hit other players on the opposing team with balls while avoiding being hit themselves. This article is about a well-known form of team sport with modified rules that is often played in physical education classes and has been featured...
, and flag football
Flag football
Flag football is a version of Canadian football or American football that is popular worldwide. The basic rules of the game are similar to those of the mainstream game , but instead of tackling players to the ground, the defensive team must remove a flag or flag belt from the ball carrier to end...
.
The following non-athletic teams have won their respective IHSA sponsored state competition or 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...
: 1984–85 - Debate: 1982–83, 83–84
Athletics
OPRF competes in the West Suburban ConferenceWest Suburban Conference
The West Suburban Conference is an athletic conference in DuPage County and Cook County in the state of Illinois.The conference was founded in 1924.-Member schools:All of the schools are also members of the Illinois High School Association...
. The school is also 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 sports and competitive activities. The school's teams are stylized as the Huskies
Siberian Husky
The Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in north-eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family...
.
The school sponsors interscholastic 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...
, soccer, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
& 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...
, 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 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 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...
, while women may compete in badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, 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...
, and 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 young 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 a field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
and drill team for young women. While not sponsored by the school, there is 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 affiliated with the school.
By school policy, athletes must maintain a "C" average (2.0 GPA) in order to compete and practice. If in any week, an athlete has any cumulative grade in any course that is not a minimum of a "C", that student is required to attend an academic support program for a minimum of 150 minutes the following week. Any athlete finishing two consecutive quarters of study with a failing grade, or a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 are ineligible for athletic participation.
The following teams have won their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meet:
| IHSA State Championships for Oak Park-River Forest HS | |
|---|---|
| Sport | State Championships |
| Baseball: | 1941–42, 80–81 |
| Softball: | 2004–05 |
| Swimming & Diving (boys): | 1997–98 |
| Swimming & Diving (girls): | 1988–89, 89–90 |
| Tennis (boys): | 1940–41, 44–45, 47–48, 48–49, 49–50, 50–51, 51–52, 52–53, 53–54, 68–69, 70–71 |
| Tennis (girls): | 1972–73, 73–74, 74–75, 75–76, 85–86, 86–87 |
| Track & Field (boys): | 1906–07, 07–08, 12–13, 14–15, 18–19, 19–20, 22–23, 23–24, 29–30, 30–31, 31–32, 36–37, 37–38, 41–42, 44–45, 46–47, 86–87 |
| Track & Field (girls): | 1974–75 |
| Volleyball (girls): | 1978–79, 79–80 |
| Wrestling: | 2008–09 |
In the school's early history, there were semi-annual "field days
Sports day
Sports days, sometimes referred to as Field Day, are events staged by many schools and offices in which people take part in competitive sporting activities, often with the aim of winning trophies or prizes...
" in which students competed for various prizes (medals, cups, sporting equipment, cakes) in events such as the hammer throw
Hammer throw
The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
, three-legged race
Three-legged race
A favorite at community picnics and school carnivals, a three-legged race is a game of cooperation between partners as much as it is one of speed. It involves two participants attempting to complete a short sprint with the left leg of one runner strapped to the right leg of another runner...
, sack race
Sack race
The sack race or gunny sack race is a competitive game in which participants place both of their legs inside a sack or pillow case that reaches their waist or neck and jump forward from a starting point toward a finish line. The first person to cross the finish line is the winner of the race.Sack...
, and obstacle course
Obstacle course
An obstacle course is a series of challenging physical obstacles an individual or team must navigate usually while being timed. Obstacle courses can include running, climbing, jumping, crawling, swimming, and balancing elements with the aim of testing speed and endurance. Sometimes a course...
. In the absence of regularly scheduled interscholastic meets, the Cook County High School Athletic Union hosted an annual field day which would involve top athletes from the county schools.
From 1900–13, Oak Park was a member of the Cook County League. In 1913, the schools outside of Chicago were expelled, and formed the Suburban League
Suburban League (Chicago area)
The Suburban League, located in the Chicago metropolitan area, was formed in the fall of 1913 following the dissolution of the Cook County High School League the previous June. The original members were Evanston, LaGrange, Morgan Park, Morton, New Trier, Oak Park, Proviso, Thornton, and University...
, which would eventually splinter off into several smaller leagues, one of which was the West Suburban Conference.
Before such things were made illegal by the IHSA, Oak Park, on at least one occasion, played games against college teams, such as a baseball game on 4 April 1900 when Oak Park lost to Northwestern University
Northwestern Wildcats
The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern has eight men's and eleven women's Division I sports teams. The mascot is Willie the Wildcat...
(then known as the Purple), 1–27.
In 1927, the school constructed a 219 ft x 128 ft (67 m x 39 m) fieldhouse at a cost of $750,000. The fieldhouse contained four inside gymnasiums, two swimming pools, an indoor track, and seating for 1,000 people. The facility not only helped Oak Park to build a champion track program, but also helped other area schools promote indoor track and field as a sport.
Through the end of the 2008–09 school year, the boys track & field program holds state records for state championships, top 3 finishes, and top ten finishes. Starting in 1930, the school hosted the "Oak Park Relays", a track & field competition that grew into the largest in the Midwest, with nearly 1,500 athletes from 63 school competing in 1960. In 1963, the field was 1,340 athletes from 77 schools, and was now the largest high school indoor track meet in the United States. By 1964, the field rose to over 1,900 athletes from 95 schools. Despite the school's successes in track & field, the school did not have an outdoor track, and by 1998, the indoor cinder track was no longer in competitive condition. The school entered into a partnership with Fenwick High School and Concordia University
Concordia University Chicago
Concordia University Chicago is an American private, Lutheran liberal arts university located in the Illinois suburb of River Forest, 10 miles west of Chicago.-Description:...
to construct a new outdoor track on the campus of the university.
The OPRF lacrosse program is one of the three oldest high school programs in the state of Illinois.
While water polo would not be sponsored by the IHSA until 2002, Oak Park High School sponsored a team at least as early 1901, playing a match against the Armour Institute (later renamed the Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois Institute of Technology, commonly called Illinois Tech or IIT, is a private Ph.D.-granting university located in Chicago, Illinois, with programs in engineering, science, psychology, architecture, business, communications, industrial technology, information technology, design, and law...
).
In 1905, in the wake of a student being killed in a football game, Oak Park's (and several other schools') school board voted to cancel the remainder of the season, and ban football from the school. In 1907, football was restored in Cook County, however Oak Park refused to rejoin the league. Instead, Oak Park competed as an independent team.
From 1904–06, Oak Park's girls basketball team was the state champion among the roughly 300 girls teams in the state. In 1907, the Illinois State High School Athletic Association (previous name of the IHSA), banned all girls from participating in the game because "roughness is not foreign to the game, and that the exercise in public is immodest and not altogether ladylike." Oak Park was thus denied a fourth state title.
OPRF was, with DePaul University
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private institution of higher education and research in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul...
, one of two sites for men's and women basketball games during the 1959 Pan American Games
1959 Pan American Games
The 3rd Pan American Games opened on August 27, 1959 in sunny 90°F heat before 40,000 people in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The first Pan American Games held in North America, they were originally scheduled for Cleveland, Ohio, but the U.S. Congress’s decision to cut $5,000,000 in federal...
.
In 1961, the pool at OPRF was used for the annual Canadian-American Invitational Swim meet. Among those competing at the school were Tom Stock, Ted Stickles, and Joan Spillane
Joan Spillane
Joan Spillane is an American swimmer and olympic champion. She competed at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, where she received a gold medal in the 4×100m freestyle relay.Spillane studied at the University of Michigan.-References:*...
.
Letters and journalism
- Kenneth FearingKenneth FearingKenneth Fearing was an American poet, novelist, and founding editor of the Partisan Review. Literary critic Macha Rosenthal called him "the chief poet of the American Depression."-Early life:...
was a poet, novelist (The Big ClockThe Big ClockThe Big Clock is a 1946 novel by Kenneth Fearing. Published by Harcourt Brace, the thriller was his fourth novel, following three for Random House and five collections of his poetry...
) and founder of The Partisan Review. - Jane HamiltonJane HamiltonJane Hamilton is an American novelist.Hamilton lives in Rochester, Wisconsin. She grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, the youngest of five children. She graduated from Carleton College in 1979 as an English major. Her first published works were short stories, "My Own Earth" and "Aunt Marj's Happy...
is a novelist (The Book of RuthThe Book of Ruth (novel)The Book of Ruth is a novel by Jane Hamilton. It won the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for a best first novel in 1988 and was the Oprah's Book Club selection for November 1996.-Plot summary:...
, A Map of the WorldA Map of the WorldA Map of the World is a novel by Jane Hamilton. It was the Oprah's Book Club selection for December 1999. It was made into a movie released in 1999 starring Sigourney Weaver, Julianne Moore, David Strathairn, Chloë Sevigny, Louise Fletcher and Marc Donato with a soundtrack by Pat Metheny.- Plot...
). - Paul Harvey, Jr.Paul Harvey, Jr.Paul Harvey Aurandt, Jr., known on-air as Paul Harvey, Jr. , is an American pianist, radio broadcaster and a former host of News and Comment on ABC Radio Networks. He is the only son of Paul Harvey and his wife Lynne....
was a radio news writer, producer, and on air talent best known for his work with The Rest of the StoryThe Rest of the StoryThe Rest of the Story was a Monday-through-Friday radio program originally hosted by Paul Harvey. Beginning as a part of his newscasts during the Second World War and then premiering as its own series on the ABC Radio Networks on May 10, 1976, The Rest of the Story consisted of stories presented as...
, which was long hosted by his fatherPaul HarveyPaul Harvey Aurandt , better known as Paul Harvey, was an American radio broadcaster for the ABC Radio Networks. He broadcast News and Comment on weekday mornings and mid-days, and at noon on Saturdays, as well as his famous The Rest of the Story segments. His listening audience was estimated, at...
. - Ernest HemingwayErnest HemingwayErnest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
was a Nobel PrizeNobel Prize in LiteratureSince 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
and Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winning writer. - Janet LewisJanet LewisJanet Loxley Lewis was an American novelist and poet.-Biography:Lewis was born in Chicago, Illinois, and was a graduate of the University of Chicago, where she was a member of a literary circle that included Glenway Wescott, Elizabeth Madox Roberts, and her future husband Yvor Winters...
was a librettist, poet, and novelist (The Wife of Martin GuerreThe Wife of Martin GuerreThe Wife of Martin Guerre is a short novel by an American writer Janet Lewis. The novel speculates how the life of Bertrande, Martin Guerre’s wife, copes with exceptional circumstances in 16th century France.-Plot summary:...
). - Barbara MertzBarbara MertzBarbara Mertz is an American author who writes under the pseudonyms Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Michaels....
is a bestselling writer of more than 60 mysteries under the pen names Elizabeth Peters and Barbara Michaels. - Francis MorroneFrancis MorroneFrancis Morrone is an American architectural historian noted for his work on the built history of New York City.Morrone's essays on architecture have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, City Journal, American Arts Quarterly, the New Criterion and the New York Times. He was a columnist for the New...
is an architectural historian known for his work on the built environment of New York City. - Bruce MortonBruce MortonBruce Morton was a television news correspondent for both CBS News and CNN in a career which spanned over 40 years....
is an EmmyEmmy AwardAn 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...
and Peabody AwardPeabody AwardThe George Foster Peabody Awards recognize distinguished and meritorious public service by radio and television stations, networks, producing organizations and individuals. In 1939, the National Association of Broadcasters formed a committee to recognize outstanding achievement in radio broadcasting...
winning television journalist, spending most of his career with CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
. - Morris McNeal MusselmanM. M. MusselmanMorris McNeil Musselman was a Hollywood screenwriter and author.-Bibliography:*The honeymoon is over, a comedy in one act...
was a screenwriterScreenwriterScreenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and author. A classmate of Ernest Hemingway, he collaborated with Hemingway on what is believed to be his first play, Hokum. - Carol Warner ShieldsCarol ShieldsCarol Ann Shields, CC, OM, FRSC, MA was an American-born Canadian author. She is best known for her 1993 novel The Stone Diaries, which won the U.S. Pulitzer Prize for Fiction as well as the Governor General's Award in Canada.-Biography:Shields was born in Oak Park, Illinois...
is an author (Larry's PartyLarry's PartyLarry's Party is a 1997 novel by Carol Shields.The novel examined the life of Larry Weller, an "ordinary man made extraordinary" by his unique talent for creating labyrinths...
, UnlessUnlessUnless, first published by Fourth Estate, an imprint of Harper Collins in 2002, is the final novel by Canadian writer Carol Shields. Semi-autobiographical, it was the capstone to Shields's writing career: she died shortly after its publication in 2003...
) who won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for FictionPulitzer Prize for FictionThe Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life. It originated as the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, which was awarded between 1918 and 1947.-1910s:...
(The Stone DiariesThe Stone DiariesThe Stone Diaries is a 1993 award-winning novel by Carol Shields.It is the fictional autobiography about the life of Daisy Goodwill Flett, a seemingly ordinary woman whose life is marked by death and loss from the beginning, when her mother dies during childbirth...
). - Charles SimicCharles SimicDušan "Charles" Simić is a Serbian-American poet, and was co-Poetry Editor of the Paris Review. He was appointed the fifteenth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 2007.-Early years:...
is a poet who won the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for PoetryPulitzer Prize for PoetryThe Pulitzer Prize in Poetry has been presented since 1922 for a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author. However, special citations for poetry were presented in 1918 and 1919.-Winners:...
. In 2007, he was named Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of CongressPoet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of CongressThe Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress—commonly referred to as the United States Poet Laureate—serves as the nation's official poet. During his or her term, the Poet Laureate seeks to raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of...
(formerly Poet Laureate of the United States). - Anna Louise StrongAnna Louise StrongAnna Louise Strong was a twentieth-century American journalist and activist, best known for her reporting on and support for communist movements in the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China.-Early years:...
was a journalist, writer, traveler, and communist apologist. - Edward WagenknechtEdward WagenknechtEdward Wagenknecht was an American literary critic and teacher, who specialized in 19th century American literature. He wrote and edited many books on literature and movies, and taught for many years at various universities, including the University of Chicago and Boston University...
is an author and literary critic.
Fine and performing arts
- Dan CastellanetaDan CastellanetaDaniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
is an actor best known for providing the voice of Homer SimpsonHomer SimpsonHomer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
on the television series The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. - Bruce DavidsonBruce Davidson (photographer)Bruce Davidson is an American photographer. He has been a member of Magnum agency since 1958. His photographs, notably those taken in Harlem, New York City, have been widely exhibited and published in a number of books.-Youth:Bruce Davidson was born to a single mother, who worked in a factory...
is a documentary photographerDocumentary photographyDocumentary photography usually refers to a popular form of photography used to chronicle significant and historical events. It is typically covered in professional photojournalism, but it may also be an amateur, artistic, or academic pursuit...
, perhaps best known for his coverage of the American Civil Rights Movement. - The Fiery FurnacesThe Fiery FurnacesThe Fiery Furnaces are a U.S. indie rock band formed in 2000 in Brooklyn, New York. The band's primary members are Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger. The siblings are originally from Oak Park, Illinois, a near-western suburb of Chicago.- Band biography :...
' EleanorEleanor FriedbergerEleanor Friedberger is part of the indie rock duo The Fiery Furnaces with her brother Matthew Friedberger. In the band she contributes the majority of the vocals both on record and during their live performances. Eleanor grew up singing with her grandmother, Olga Sarantos and family in a Greek...
and Matthew FriedbergerMatthew FriedbergerMatthew Friedberger is half of the indie rock duo The Fiery Furnaces. In the band he contributes the majority of the instrumentation, writes most of the songs and lyrics and occasionally sings... - Mason GambleMason GambleMason Wilson Gamble is an American actor known for his portrayal of Dennis Mitchell in the 1993 film Dennis the Menace and as Jason Schwartzman's sidekick, Dirk Calloway, in Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson's critically acclaimed 1998 film Rushmore. He also appeared in Anya's Bell with Della Reese,...
is an actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
(Dennis the MenaceDennis the Menace (film)Dennis the Menace is a 1993 live-action American family film based on the Hank Ketcham comic strip of the same name....
, and RushmoreRushmore (film)Rushmore is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Wes Anderson about an eccentric teenager named Max Fischer , his friendship with rich industrialist Herman Blume , and their mutual love for elementary school teacher Rosemary Cross . The film was co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson...
) - Kathy GriffinKathy GriffinKathleen Mary "Kathy" Griffin is an American actress, stand-up comedienne, television personality, New York Times best-selling author and an LGBT rights advocate. Griffin first gained recognition for appearances on two episodes of Seinfeld, and then for her supporting role on the NBC sitcom...
is a comedienne and actress (Suddenly SusanSuddenly SusanSuddenly Susan is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The show takes place at The Gate, a fictitious magazine which is based in San Francisco. Among the magazine's employees is Susan Keane , who always has been cared for by someone else...
, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-ListKathy Griffin: My Life on the D-ListKathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List is a reality show starring Kathy Griffin. The series aired on Bravo. It debuted in August 2005, and was cancelled in November 2010....
). - Felicity LaFortuneFelicity LaFortuneFelicity LaFortune is an actress and singer, best known for appearing on daytime soap operas Ryan's Hope as Leigh Kirkland Fenelli and All My Children as Laurel Banning Dillon .In 2000, LaFortune filled in for Hillary B...
is an actress. - John LaMontaine is a composer who won the 1959 Pulitzer Prize for MusicPulitzer Prize for MusicThe Pulitzer Prize for Music was first awarded in 1943. Joseph Pulitzer did not call for such a prize in his will, but had arranged for a music scholarship to be awarded each year...
. - Thomas Lennon is an actor (Reno 911!Reno 911!Reno 911! is an American comedy television series on Comedy Central that ran from 2003 to 2009. It is a mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement documentary shows, specifically COPS, with comic actors playing the police officers. Most of the material is improvised, using a broad outline, and...
) and screenwriter (Night at the MuseumNight at the MuseumNight at the Museum is a 2006 fantasy adventure-comedy film based on the 1993 children's book The Night at the Museum by Milan Trenc. It follows a divorced father trying to settle down, impress his son, and find his destiny...
). - Mary Elizabeth MastrantonioMary Elizabeth MastrantonioMary Elizabeth Mastrantonio is an American actress and singer known for her role as Carmen in The Color of Money, as well as for her roles as Lindsey Brigman in The Abyss, Gina Montana in Scarface, and Maid Marian in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.-Personal life:Mastrantonio was born in Lombard,...
is an actress best known for her work in film (The AbyssThe AbyssThe Abyss is a 1989 science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. The original musical score was composed by Alan Silvestri...
, ScarfaceScarface (1983 film)Scarface is a 1983 American epic crime drama movie directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone, produced by Martin Bregman and starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana...
, White SandsWhite Sands (film)White Sands is a 1992 motion picture directed by Roger Donaldson and written by Daniel Pyne for Warner Bros. The movie is about a U.S. southwestern small-town sheriff who finds a body in the desert with a suitcase and $500,000. He impersonates the man and stumbles into an FBI investigation...
). - William F. MayWilliam F. MayWilliam Frederick May was an American chemical engineer, businessman and co-founder of the Film Society of Lincoln Center....
was a chemical engineer and businessman who co-founded the Film Society of Lincoln CenterFilm Society of Lincoln CenterThe Film Society of Lincoln Center based in New York City, United States, is one of the world's most prominent film presentation organizations. Founded in 1969 by three Lincoln Center executives - William F. May, Martin E. Segal and Schuyler G...
. - Amy MortonAmy MortonAmy Morton is an American actress best known for her work in theatre. A member of Steppenwolf Theater's core group of actors since 1997, Morton has spent most of her career working in the Chicago theater scene. She made her Broadway debut starring opposite Gary Sinise as Nurse Ratched in the Tony...
is an actress best known for her work with the Steppenwolf Theatre CompanySteppenwolf Theatre CompanySteppenwolf Theatre Company is a Tony Award-winning Chicago theatre company founded in 1974 by Gary Sinise, Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry in the basement of a church in Highland Park, Illinois. It has since relocated to Chicago's Halsted Street, in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Its name comes from...
. - George SchaeferGeorge Schaefer (director)George Louis Schaefer was a director of television and Broadway theatre from the 1950s to the 1990s.-Life and career:...
was a Tony AwardTony AwardThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
winning director best known for his work in television. He received four awards from the Directors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of AmericaDirectors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
, a group he served as president of (1979—81). - Alex WurmanAlex WurmanAlex Wurman is an American composer hailing from Chicago. He attended Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, Illinois...
is a composer best known for his work on television and film (March of the PenguinsMarch of the PenguinsMarch of the Penguins is a 2005 French nature documentary film. It was directed and co-written by Luc Jacquet, and co-produced by Bonne Pioche and the National Geographic Society. The film depicts the yearly journey of the emperor penguins of Antarctica...
, Confessions of a Dangerous MindConfessions of a Dangerous MindConfessions of a Dangerous Mind is a 2002 biographical spy film depicting the life of popular game show host and producer Chuck Barris, who claimed to have also been an assassin for the Central Intelligence Agency...
).
Science
- Richard C. AtkinsonRichard C. AtkinsonRichard Chatham Atkinson is an American professor of psychology and academic administrator. He is the former president and regent of the University of California system, and former chancellor of U.C...
was a psychologist who served as director of the National Science FoundationNational Science FoundationThe National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
, chancellor of the University of California, San DiegoUniversity of California, San DiegoThe University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
, and president of the University of CaliforniaUniversity of CaliforniaThe University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...
. - Wallace S. BroeckerWallace S. BroeckerWallace Smith Broecker is the Newberry Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University and a scientist at Columbia's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory...
is a geologist, perhaps best known for coining the phrase global warmingGlobal warmingGlobal warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
. - James B. Herrick was a medical doctor who was the first to identify sickle cell anemia and coronary thrombosisCoronary thrombosisCoronary thrombosis is a form of thrombosis affecting the coronary circulation. It is associated with stenosis subsequent to clotting. The condition is considered as a type of ischaemic heart disease.It can lead to a myocardial infarction...
. - Kermit E Krantz was a surgeon, physician, author, and inventor. He co-developed the Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz procedure.
- Wilton Krogman was a professor of anthropologyAnthropologyAnthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
at the University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
and University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
. - Jay RubyJay RubyJay Ruby is an American scholar who was a professor in the at Temple University until his recent retirement. He received his B.A. in History and Ph.D...
was an anthropologist, specializing in the field of visual anthropologyVisual anthropologyVisual anthropology is a subfield of cultural anthropology that is concerned, in part, with the study and production of ethnographic photography, film and, since the mid-1990s, new media...
. - James ThomsonJames Thomson (cell biologist)James Alexander Thomson is an American developmental biologist best known for deriving the first human embryonic stem cell line in 1998 and for deriving human induced pluripotent stem cells in 2007.-Thomson's research:...
is a biologistBiologistA biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of life. Typically biologists study organisms and their relationship to their environment. Biologists involved in basic research attempt to discover underlying mechanisms that govern how organisms work...
best known for his work with human embryonic stem cells. - Chad TrujilloChad TrujilloChadwick A. "Chad" Trujillo is an astronomer and the co-discoverer of the dwarf planet Eris.Trujillo works with computer software and has examined the orbits of the numerous trans-Neptunian objects , which is the outer area of the solar system that he specialized in. In late August 2005, it was...
is an astronomerAstronomerAn astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
and co-discoverer of several Trans-Neptunian objects including Quaoar, Sedna, Orcus90482 Orcus90482 Orcus is a trans-Neptunian object in the Kuiper belt with a large moon. It was discovered on February 17, 2004 by Michael Brown of Caltech, Chad Trujillo of the Gemini Observatory, and David Rabinowitz of Yale University. Precovery images as early as November 8, 1951 were later identified...
, and ErisEris (dwarf planet)Eris, formal designation 136199 Eris, is the most massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the ninth most massive body known to orbit the Sun directly...
.
Sports
- Don CanhamDon CanhamDonald Canham was a track and field athlete and coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the athletic director at the University of Michigan from 1968 to 1988. There, he became nationally renowned for his ability to market and sell products bearing the name or logo of the school...
was a track & field coach at the University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
before becoming its athletic directorAthletic directorAn athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
(1968–88). - Greg GuyGreg GuyGreg Guy is a retired American professional basketball most known for being the NCAA Division I scoring champion during the 1992–93 season.A native of Oak Park, Illinois, Guy went to Oak Park and River Forest High School...
was the 1992–93 NCAA Division I men's basketball scoring champion. - Robert HalperinRobert HalperinRobert Sherman "Bob" Halperin , nicknamed "Buck", was an American competitive Star class sailor, and Olympic bronze medalist and Pan American Games gold medalist....
, 1960 Olympic and 1963 Pan American Games yachting medalist, college and professional football player, one of Chicago's most-decorated World War II heroes, and Chairman of Commercial Light Co. - Charlie HoagCharlie HoagCharles "Charlie" Monroe Hoag was an American basketball player who competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics.He was part of the U.S. men's national basketball team, which won the gold medal. He played seven matches.-External links:*...
was a member of the 19521952 Summer OlympicsThe 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
gold medal winning U.S. Mens Olympic Basketball TeamBasketball at the 1952 Summer OlympicsBasketball at the 1952 Summer Olympics was the third appearance of the sport. 23 nations entered the competition.The top six teams at the 1948 Summer Olympics qualified automatically, as did the 1950 World Champion , the top two at the 1951 European championships , and the host country...
. - Eric KumerowEric KumerowEric Kumerow is a former American football linebacker who played three seasons for the Miami Dolphins and one season with the Chicago Bears in the National Football League. Despite being a first round draft pick , his brief NFL career has been widely criticized as a disappointment...
was a first round draft pick of the Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Sean LawrenceSean Lawrence (baseball)Sean Christopher Lawrence is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He played during one season at the major league level for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was drafted by the Pirates in the 6th round of the amateur draft...
was a pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
(1998) with the Pittsburgh PiratesPittsburgh PiratesThe Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
. - Billy MartinBilly Martin (tennis)Billy Martin , is a former professional tennis player from the United States. During his career he won 1 singles titles and 3 doubles titles. He achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 32 in 1975.-Singles titles :-Runner-ups :-Doubles titles :-Runner-ups :-External links:...
(did not graduate) was a professional tennis player. - John Register was a silver medalist in the long jump at the 2000 Summer ParalympicsAthletics at the 2000 Summer ParalympicsAthletics at the 2000 Summer Paralympics comprised a total of 234 events, 165 for men and 69 for women. Athletes were classified according to the extent and type of their disability.* Classes 11-13: visually impaired athletes...
. - Ben SheltonBen SheltonBenjamin Davis Shelton , is a former Major League Baseball Left fielder who played in with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He batted right and threw left-handed. He was drafted by the Pirates in the 2nd round of the 1987 draft.-External links:...
was an outfielderOutfielderOutfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
(1993) with the Pittsburgh Pirates. - George TraftonGeorge TraftonGeorge Edward Trafton , was an American football player. He played as a center for the Decatur Staleys of the National Football League from 1920 to 1921 and 1923–1932. He is credited as being the first center to snap the ball with one hand...
was an NFL centerCenter (American football)Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
, playing his entire career for the Decatur Staleys/Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. A member of two championship teams, he was credited with introducing the one-handed snap, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
. - Danielle Tyler was a softball player and member of the gold medal winning U.S. team at the 1996 Summer OlympicsSoftball at the 1996 Summer OlympicsSoftball made its first appearance as an official medal sport at the 1996 Summer Olympics. The competition was held at historic Golden Park in Columbus, Georgia. Final results for the Softball competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics:-Medal summary:...
. - Iman ShumpertIman ShumpertIman Asante Shumpert was a junior at Georgia Tech and played guard for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team. He was selected by the New York Knicks as the 17th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.-High school career:...
was drafted by the New York Knicks as the 17th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Other
- Bruce Barton was a U.S. Congressman (1937–41), author (The Man Nobody KnowsThe Man Nobody KnowsThe Man Nobody Knows is the second book by the American author and advertising executive Bruce Fairchild Barton. Barton presents Jesus as "the founder of modern business," in an effort to make the Christian story accessible to businessmen of the time....
), and ad executive. - Mike Feinberg is the co-founder of Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP).
- Walter Burley GriffinWalter Burley GriffinWalter Burley Griffin was an American architect and landscape architect, who is best known for his role in designing Canberra, Australia's capital city...
was an architect and city planner best known for designing the capital cityCapital CityCapital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, CanberraCanberraCanberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, as well as the development of the carportCarportA carport is a covered structure used to offer limited protection to vehicles, primarily cars, from the elements. The structure can either be free standing or attached to a wall. Unlike most structures a carport does not have four walls, and usually has one or two...
and "L-shaped floor plan". - Otto Kerner, Jr.Otto Kerner, Jr.Otto Kerner, Jr. was the 33rd Governor of Illinois from 1961 to 1968. He is best known for chairing the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders and for accepting bribes....
was the 33rd Governor of IllinoisGovernor of IllinoisThe Governor of Illinois is the chief executive of the State of Illinois and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state....
(1961–68). He was also the namesake of the national Kerner CommissionKerner CommissionThe National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, known as the Kerner Commission after its chair, Governor Otto Kerner, Jr. of Illinois, was an 11-member commission established by President Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the causes of the 1967 race riots in the United States and to provide...
. - Ray KrocRay KrocRaymond Albert "Ray" Kroc was an American fast food businessman who joined McDonald's in 1954 and built it into the most successful fast food operation in the world. Kroc was included in Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century, and amassed a fortune during his lifetime...
was the founder of McDonald'sMcDonald'sMcDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
. He did not graduate, instead enlisting as an ambulance driver in World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. - Prentice H. Marshall was a federal judge who sat on the United States District Court for the Northern District of IllinoisUnited States District Court for the Northern District of IllinoisThe United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois is the trial-level court with jurisdiction over the northern counties of Illinois....
(1973—96). - Carlos Alberto TorresCarlos Alberto Torres (Puerto Rican Nationalist)Carlos Alberto Torres is a member of Puerto Rico's independence movement and the longest-serving Puerto Rican political prisoner. He was convicted and sentenced to 78 years in a U.S. federal prison for seditious conspiracy - conspiring to use force against the lawful authority of the United States...
is a Puerto RicanPuerto Rican peopleA Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
nationalist convicted of attempting to overthrow the United States government as a member of the FALNFuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional (Puerto Rico)The Fuerzas Armadas de Liberación Nacional was a Puerto Rican clandestine paramilitary organization that, through direct action, advocated complete independence for Puerto Rico. At the time of its dissolution, the FALN was responsible for more than 120 bomb attacks on United States targets between...
. He was on the FBI Most Wanted ListFBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, 1970sThe FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives during the 1970s is a list, maintained for a third decade, of the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.-FBI headlines in the 1970s:...
, and is currently serving a 78 year prison sentence. - Marjorie Vincent was Miss AmericaMiss AmericaThe Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
, 1991. - Clarence E. "Bill" Winchell was a gunner aboard the B-17 Flying Fortress Memphis BelleMemphis Belle (B-17)Memphis Belle is the nickname of a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress during the Second World War that inspired the making of two motion pictures: a 1944 documentary film, Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress, and a 1990 Hollywood feature film, Memphis Belle...
, and was featured in William Wyler'sWilliam WylerWilliam Wyler was a leading American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter.Notable works included Ben-Hur , The Best Years of Our Lives , and Mrs. Miniver , all of which won Wyler Academy Awards for Best Director, and also won Best Picture...
film Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying FortressMemphis Belle: A Story of a Flying FortressThe Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress is a 1944 documentary film which ostensibly provides an account of the final mission of the crew of the Memphis Belle, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. In May 1943 it became the first U.S...
.
Notable staff
- Glenn ThistlethwaiteGlenn ThistlethwaiteGlenn F. Thistlethwaite was an American football coach in the United States. He served as the head football coach at Earlham College , Northwestern University , the University of Wisconsin–Madison , Carroll College in Wisconsin , and the University of Richmond ,...
was the football and track & field coach at the school (1913–22) prior to becoming the head football coach at Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern Wildcats footballThe Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
(1922–26) and the University of WisconsinWisconsin Badgers footballThe Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football...
(1927–31), among others. - John W. WoodJohn Wood (soccer)John W. Wood was an English association football player, referee and coach who was briefly head coach of the United States men's national soccer team. Upon emigrating to the United States, Wood played for several teams on the east coast...
was the school's soccer coach. In 1952, he was appointed head coach of the U.S. mens Olympic soccer teamFootball at the 1952 Summer Olympics - Men's team squads-Head coach: Viktor Hierländer:Head coach: Newton Cardoso-Head coach: Krum Milev:Head coach: Luis Tirado-Head coach: Axel Bjerregaard:Head coach: Edward Jones-Head coach: Aatos Lehtonen:Head coach:-Head coach: Sepp Herberger:...
. - Robert ZuppkeRobert ZuppkeRobert Carl Zuppke was an American football coach. He served the head coach at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign from 1913 until 1941, compiling a career college football record of 131–81–12. Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951, Zuppke coached his...
was a football and track & field coach at the school (1910–13) prior to becoming the head football coach at the University of IllinoisIllinois Fighting Illini footballThe Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
(1913–41). A member of the College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of FameThe College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
, some sources cite Zuppke's innovations (like the flea flickerFlea flicker (American football)A flea flicker is an unorthodox play in American football designed to fool the defensive team into thinking that a play is a run instead of a pass...
and screen passScreen passA screen pass is a type of play in American football. During a screen pass, a number of things happen concurrently in order to fool the defense into thinking a long pass is being thrown, when in fact the pass is merely a short one, just beyond the defensive linemen. Screens are usually deployed...
) as having started when he coached here.