Morgan Park High School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Morgan Park High School (known as Empehi), located in Chicago, Illinois, at the intersection of 111th street and Vincennes Avenue (11100 South and 1700 West) is a public high school that opened its doors on its present site in 1916, as part of the Chicago Public Schools. A magnet school, it presently educates around 2,250 students in grades 7-12.[1]
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[edit] Facilities
An addition was built in 1925, providing the school with a gymnasium, auditorium and swimming pool. Expansion continued with the completion of a major addition in 1965. In 1983, the campus was greatly enlarged with the addition of tennis courts, a football field, running track, baseball field, soccer field, outdoor basketball courts, student driving range and faculty parking.
[edit] History
Starting with 283 pupils in 1916, the school grew over the years to more than 3,300 in 1975, when overcrowding, even with the use of branch facilities for freshman, finally resulted in a court-ordered enrollment plan designed to reduce the student population while preserving an integrated student body. The present student enrollment is a stable 2,200.
From its beginning, the Morgan Park High School student body has been multi-racial and multi-cultural. However, in the years between the wars, this caused some problems. On September 22, 1928 the transfer of twenty-five African-American pupils from Morgan Park to Fenger High School caused a student strike, at Fenger High, which the police had to quell.[2] In 1934, 1,700 students went strike, protesting the presence of African-Americans in school classes, leaving only 58 students in school. Parents had met with the school superintendent demanding that classes be kept segregated.[3]
[edit] Curriculum
In 1983, Morgan Park High School instituted a World Language and International Baccalaureate Studies Program that also allows students to enroll from outside the school's attendance area. The addition of a 7th and 8th grade Academic Center component allows advanced level students to begin earning high school credits and to study languages before 9th grade.
Morgan Park High School offers both the IB Middle Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programme, and has been an International Baccalaureate Organization member school since 1999.[4]
[edit] Improvement
Morgan Park was one of 11 schools nation-wide selected by the College Board for inclusion in the EXCELerator School Improvement Model program beginning the 2006-2007 school year. The project was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
[edit] Notable alumni
- Lee Bernet (1944-), offensive tackle who played professionally for the American Football League's Denver Broncos in 1965 and 1966.[5]
- Fred Evans (1983-), defensive tackle who currently plays for the Minnesota Vikings.[6]
- Hugh Gallarneau (1917-1999), NFL halfback from 1941–1942 and 1945–1947 for the Chicago Bears, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.[7]
- Frisman Jackson (1979), wide receiver for the New York Jets.[8]
- Mae Jemison (1973) physician and former NASA astronaut, and the first African-American woman in space.[9]
- Trezelle Jenkins (1973-), former offensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1995 through 1997.[10]
- Demetrius Jones (1988-), Quarterback at the University of Notre Dame.[11]
- Corey Mays (1983-), Linebacker for the New England Patriots.[12]
- Jeremy Rifkin (1963), economist, writer and public speaker; Founder of Foundation on Economic Trends (FOET).[13]
[edit] References
- ^ "Morgan Park High School", Great Schools.
- ^ "Police Quell Pupils In Anti-Negro Strike", The New York Times, September 22, 1934
- ^ "Chicago Pupils Strike.; Protesting Negro Attendance, 1,700 Quit Morgan Park High School.", The New York Times, October 9, 1934
- ^ Morgan Park High School, International Baccalaureate Organization. Accessed August 30, 2007.
- ^ Lee Bernet, database Football. Accessed August 30, 2007.
- ^ Fred Evans, Texas State University-San Marcos. Accessed August 30, 2007.
- ^ Hall of Famers: Hugh "Duke" Gallarneau. College Football Hall of Fame. Accessed August 30, 2007.
- ^ Frisman Jackson, database Football. Accessed August 30, 2007.
- ^ Haynes, Karima A. "Mae Jemison: coming in from outer space", Ebony (magazine), December 1992. Accessed September 6, 2007. "Perhaps the most moving tribute came during a homecoming rally at Morgan Park High School, where Jemison graduated in 1973"
- ^ Trezelle Jenkins, database Football. Accessed August 30, 2007.
- ^ Tucker, Steve. "'D Train' on fast track to stardom", Chicago Sun-Times, November 19, 2004. Accessed August 30, 2007.
- ^ Corey Mays profile, CSTV. Accessed August 30, 2007.
- ^ Sweet, Lynn. "Denmark's museums are as varied as its herrings", Chicago Sun-Times, August 23, 1987. "While strolling, I heard activist Jeremy Rifkin (A former Chicagoan who attended Morgan Park High School) warn of the dangers of genetic engineering."
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Jarrell Johnson
