Simeon Career Academy

Neal F. Simeon Career Academy (formerly known as Neal F. Simeon Vocational High School) is a public four-year vocational high school located in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is part of the Chicago Public Schools system. The school is named for African-American educator and administrator Neal Ferdinand Simeon.^[4] Simeon opened in 1949.

History

Simeon was founded in 1949, as Westcott Vocational High School in a building located at 8023 S. Normal Avenue, where it operated until the Kroger company donated a vacant warehouse (located at 8235 S. Vincennes Avenue) to the Chicago Public Schools in 1963. The school was renamed Neal F. Simeon Vocational High School in September 1964. The school named changed from "Vocational High School" to "Career Technical Academy" in September 1998. Simeon operated in the Kroger building amidst horrible conditions until a new building was built and opened for students in September 2003. When the new building opened, the school's address changed to 8147 S. Vincennes Avenue. In 2003, Simeon name changed to its present name.^[5]

The school is well known for Ben Wilson, a star basketball player (then recognized as the top high school basketball player in the nation) who led the Wolverines to their first state basketball championship and was killed on the eve of his senior season opener (November 20, 1984). After the tragic incident, then Mayor Harold Washington spoke to grieving students, denouncing gun violence in the city and promising a new gymnasium for the school, to be named in Wilson's honor. The gymnasium was completed in 1987. Afterwards, Ben Wilson's number 25 jersey was traditionally worn by Simeon's best player, until it was retired. The last to wear it was Derrick Rose.^[6] Rose moved on to become one of the nation's top point guards in 2007 and eventually an NBA All-Star for the Chicago Bulls. Nick Anderson, Deon Thomas and Calvin Brock are among the Simeon alumni who wore that number at the University of Illinois in honor of Wilson.

Neal Ferdinand Simeon

Neal Ferdinand Simeon was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 30, 1916 and was of Creole descent. His family was from New Orleans where his father made a living as a cigar maker. He had two sisters and three brothers; Lillian, Ethel, Omer, Albert and Leo. Neal F. Simeon married Helen and to this union was born daughter Sharon A. Simeon.^[7]

Simeon went on to graduate from Wendell Phillips High School in Chicago, IL in 1934 where he was football captain and valedictorian. Mr. Simeon won an academic scholarship to Northwestern University, but instead enrolled at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) where he starred in track and boxing. While an undergrad, he was the IIT light heavyweight boxing champion and competed in the Golden Gloves. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT in 1938 and was elected to Pi Tau Sigma, an honorary Mechanical Engineering fraternity.His career as an educator began when he became a teacher at Wendell Phillips Evening High School. A short time later, he became a full time machine shop teacher at Dunbar Vocational High School where he successively served as Administrator, Placement Counselor, Assistant Principal, and as Director of Special Projects in Vocational Education. His last position was as Director of Vocational Education and Guidance Centers for the Chicago Board of Education. He was then the highest paid African American employee at the Board.^[8]

In 1962, Neal F. Simeon was called upon by President Kennedy to represent the United States at the International Trade Fair in Lagos, Nigeria. He was given a special leave of absence to supervise the educational and training aspects of the United States Exhibit of New Tools, New Skills, and New Markets. Mr. Simeon’s interest in the vocational training of Chicago’s youth was evident to all who observed his tireless devotion to his work. He was vitally concerned with the special problems in the area of vocational education. He was eminently qualified to assume the directorship of such a dynamic program of preparing the city’s youth for the forthcoming manpower requirements of our changing economy. At the age of 46, Neal F. Simeon died on August 28, 1963 at Wesley Memorial hospital in Chicago, Illinois.^[9]

Athletics

Simeon competes in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). Simeon is well known in the Chicago area as a high school sports powerhouse, winning IHSA Class AA State Boys' Basketball Championships in 1984, 2006, and 2007. They also won the Class 4A Championship in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 (which tied Peoria Manual for the longest Illinois state championship title run).

Simeon's boys' basketball team was ranked first in the United States in ESPNHS's 2011 preseason rankings.^[10] Led by Jabari Parker and Kendrick Nunn, they won the 2012 Illinois Class 4A championship by defeating Proviso East High School.^[11] In 2013, Parker led them to another state championship when they defeated Stevenson High School.^[12]

Notable alumni

• Nick Anderson '86, former NBA player, notably with the Orlando Magic; was also part of 1989 Fighting Illini Final Four team
• Wes Chamberlain '84, former MLB player with the Philadelphia Phillies organization
• Mary E. Flowers '68, Illinois State Representative
• GLC (rapper) '96, rapper on G.O.O.D. Music
• Johnny Mitchell '89, former NFL player with the New York Jets
• Kendrick Nunn '13, current Illinois Fighting Illini basketball player, was the first freshman, with Parker, to start at Simeon, for each of four consecutive Illinois State Championship basketball teams
• Jabari Parker '13, high school basketball All American; current Duke University basketball player, was the first freshman, with Nunn, to start at Simeon, for each of four consecutive Illinois State Championship basketball teams
• Prolyfic '99, producer on So So Def
• Derrick Rose '07, Chicago Bulls basketball player, 2011 NBA MVP
• Bobby Simmons '98, former NBA player with the San Antonio Spurs and other teams
• Deon Thomas '89, American-Israeli basketball player for the University of Illinois and later, the Dallas Mavericks and Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C.
• Ben Wilson '85, high school basketball All American who was shot to death on the eve of the start of his senior season
• Martez Wilson '07, linebacker for the Fighting Illini, drafted by New Orleans Saints in '11

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Simeon Career Academy.

• Simeon Career Academy website