Elgin High School, or EHS, is a public four-year high school located in Elgin, Illinois, an American city 40 mi. (63.5 km) northwest of Chicago. It is part of Elgin Area School District U46, which also includes Bartlett High School, Larkin High School, South Elgin High School, and Streamwood High School.
| Elgin High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
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1200 Maroon Drive , 60120 United States | |
| Coordinates | 42°01′36″N 88°14′43″W / 42.0267°N 88.2453°W |
| Information | |
| School type | public secondary |
| Motto | Education for all[3] |
| Opened | 1869 |
| School district | Elgin Area School District U46 |
| CEEB code | 141770[2] |
| Principal | Avelira Gonzalez |
| Teaching staff | 153.10 (FTE)[1] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Gender | coed |
| Enrollment | 2,750 (2022–2023)[1] |
| Student to teacher ratio | 17.96[1] |
| Campus type | suburban |
| Color(s) | maroon cream[5] |
| Song | Alma Mater[3] |
| Fight song | Elgin High School Loyalty[3] |
| Athletics conference | Upstate 8 |
| Team name | Maroons[5] |
| Accreditation | North Central Association of Colleges and Schools[4] |
| Publication | The Mirror |
| Yearbook | The Maroon |
| Nobel laureates | Paul Flory (1974, Chemistry) |
| Website | https://www.u-46.org/EHS |
History
editElgin High School is one of the oldest public high schools in the state. Its first graduation ceremony was held in 1872 and its accreditation dates back to 1904. It was formerly housed on Gifford Street adjacent to Gifford Park in a building that now serves as the Dream Academy as well as the home for specialized student services. A modern addition houses the school district offices. A new campus was constructed on the eastern edge of Elgin adjacent to Poplar Creek, which is its present location. Elgin High was first established in 1869 in Illinois and has changed locations three times since then.
School colors are maroon and cream. There is no mascot currently. The nickname "The Maroons" refers to the color of the early football sweaters. In the early 1980s the student body chose a fictional character "Chief Mighty Maroon" to be the school mascot in attempt to have a physical representation of the nickname. Previously, for generations, there had been no mascot with the school nickname being "The Maroons" based on the school colors. The short lived mascot was dropped in the early 2000s due to its insensitive portrayal of Indigeous Peoples. As a replacement for a mascot each incoming freshmen class chooses a mascot and a class color to represent their year.
A full history of the school, 1869-1969, be found in Elgin High: A Centennial History and Record Book by E.C. Alft, available in the library of the Elgin History Museum.
Academics
editAs of 2023-2024, Elgin is ranked 5354 nationally, 187 in Illinois High Schools, 160 in Chicago Metra Area High Schools, and 3rd in District U-46.
Elgin High School also holds one of District U-46's magnet academies, and of which Elgin High holds the Gifted and Talented Academy. This academy allows accepted students to participate in college and advance courses starting from Freshman year all the way to Senior year of high school. The academy helps the students to think expansionary by taking advanced coursework, which prepares them for college. Currently, Elgin High is an international IB course and nominated to be an AP course school in the future. Elgin High also offers (out of the 5 high schools in the district) vast and the most academic opportunities and choices.
Demographics
editAs of 2018-2019, the EHS student body was 9.6% White, 6.2% Black, 75% Hispanic, .7% Native American, 5.4% Asian, and 2.4% other races. 75% of students were listed as low-income.
Athletics and activities
editElgin competes in the Upstate Eight Conference.
The following teams have won their respective Illinois High School Association state championships:
2024 - Esports - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Elgin High School offers a variety of school activities and sports that students could participate in, with some being a tradition for over 150 years, since 1869.
Sports:
Wrestling Basketball Soccer Football Volleyball Softball Baseball Cheer/Dance Track Cross Country Bowling Lacrosse Etc.
Activities:
Esports Scholastic Bowl Tech Club Acapella Low-Keys Jazz Choir Model United Nations Black Student Union Science Olympiad Etc.
Notable alumni
edit- Max Adler (1883), vice-president of Sears & Roebuck, benefactor of Adler Planetarium[7][8]
- Ray Barnhart (1945), Texas politician
- Earl Britton (1922), National Football League fullback and punter[9]
- Nina Burleigh (1978), journalist and best-selling author
- Jack Burmaster (1944), professional basketball player, coach, and broadcaster[10]
- Harry Chamberlin (1905), U.S. Army brigadier general and Olympic medalist in equestrian events[11]
- Gail Monroe Dack (1918), American physician and professor of microbiology
- August W. Farwick (1921) football player, coach at University of Arizona[12]
- Paul Flory (1927) polymer chemist, recipient of 1974 Nobel Prize[13]
- Brandon Johnson (1994), mayor of Chicago, elected 2023 [14]
- Laurence Kaptain (1970), international performer and recording artist, dean of College of Music and Dramatic Arts at LSU[15]
- William LeBaron (1900), producer of Cimarron, Academy Award-winning film
- Jack Meagher, college football coach for Rice and Auburn[16]
- Douglas R. Mills (1926), University of Illinois athletic director and men's basketball coach[17]
- Earl "Madman" Muntz, engineer, entrepreneur, marketing pioneer, television personality[18][19]
- Lou North (1910), Major League Baseball pitcher[20]
- Jane Peterson (1901), painter and artist[21]
- Brian Oldfield (1963), Olympic shot putter and pop culture personality[22]
- John Qualen (1920), actor
- Steve Rauschenberger (1974) state senator, 1993 to 2007[23]
- Flynn Robinson (1959), NBA player[24]
- James Roche (1923) president of General Motors[25][26]
- Tom Shales (1962), television critic for The Washington Post, 1988 recipient of Pulitzer Prize for Criticism[27]
- Rick Sund (1970), NBA executive[28]
- Don Sunderlage (1947), All-Star player in NBA[29]
- John Walker, 1974, producer of The Incredibles, Oscar-winning film
- Jeff Wilkins (1973), NBA player[30][31]
Notable staff
edit- Larry Nemmers is a former principal (1982–94). He notably served as an NFL official (1985–2007).[32][33]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Elgin High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved September 7, 2024.
- ^ "High School Code Search". College Board. Archived from the original on 30 August 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- ^ a b c "About EHS". Elgin High School. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- ^ "Institution Summary for Elgin High School". AdvancED profile. North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- ^ a b "Elgin (H.S.)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- ^ "Elgin (H.S.) Season Summaries". Illinois High School Association. 12 June 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- ^ The Jewish Experience in Elgin: Stories of Immigration, Identity, and Assimilation (PDF). Elgin Area Historical Society. 2006. p. 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2011-06-10.
(p. 9) Such contributions fulfilled Judaism's traditional command of "tzedakah" - not simply a command of charity, but of doing justice by giving. Max Adler, Elgin native, Elgin High graduate and Sears Roebuck executive gave Chicago its Adler Planetarium.
- ^ Alft, E.C. (2000). "Elgin: An American History". on-line book. ElginHistory.com. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
Mrs. Leopold Adler, the former Rose Sheuerman, was one of the first group of officers of the Elgin Woman's Club and was active in the establishment of Sherman Hospital. Of their seven children, Max was graduated from Elgin High School in 1883. An accomplished violinist, he later played in concert halls here and abroad. Max Adler married Sophie Rosenwald, entered the employ of Sears, Roebuck & Company, retired as vice president and general manager, and donated the Adler Planetarium to the city of Chicago.
- ^ "Earl Tanner Britton". biographical sketch. Elgin Sports Hall of Fame. 1980. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
Many consider Earl Tanner Britton, who earned 12 letters in major sports at Elgin High School from 1919-22, to have been the most versatile athlete in Elgin's history.
[permanent dead link] - ^ "Jack Burmaster". biographical sketch. Elgin Sports Hall of Fame. 1980. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
Jack Burmaster ... played varsity basketball at Elgin High School 1942–43 and 1943–44.
[permanent dead link] - ^ "Harry Chamberlin: Elgin High School Class of 1905". Elgin Sports Hall of Fame. Elgin, IL: Elgin Sports Hall of Fame Foundation. 2006. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
- ^ "August W. (Gus) Farwick". biographic sketch. Elgin Sports Hall of Fame. 1980. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
In his three years as a lineman on Elgin High School grid teams (1918–20), Gus Farwick helped those teams compile an impressive 15–6–2 record that included holding opponents to an average of less than 7 points a game.
[permanent dead link] - ^ "Paul J. Flory (1910-1985)". biographic sketch. Syracuse University Special Collections Research Center. 2011. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
Flory was born in Sterling, Illinois. He graduated from Elgin High School in Elgin, Illinois, in 1927.
- ^ Yin, Alice (9 April 2023), "Mayor-elect faces the challenge of a divided Chicago", Chicago Tribune, retrieved 16 May 2023
- ^ "The Daily Reveille — January 20, 2009".
- ^ "John F. "Jack" Meagher". biographical sketch. Elgin Sports Hall of Fame. 1983. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
John F. "Jack" Meagher captained the Elgin High School football team in 1913 and he was the mainstay on the 1914 team that compiled a 5–1 record.
[permanent dead link] - ^ "Douglas (Gaga) Mills". biographic sketch. Elgin Sports Hall of Fame. 1980. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
Doug was a member of the Elgin High School basketball team that captured consecutive state titles in 1924 and 1925.
[permanent dead link] - ^ "Madman's auto is back in town Weekend will celebrate Earl Muntz's ill", Courrier-News (Elgin, IL), 4 June 2000,
One stop will be at Elgin High School, which Muntz attended before dropping out ...
- ^ "Muntz Jet, classic car, to land in Elgin", Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), 12 March 2000,
... Muntz only completed three semesters at Elgin High School before dropping out ...
- ^ "LOUIS (LOU) A. NORTH". biographical sketch. Elgin Sports Hall of Fame. 1981. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
Louis (Lou) A. North played baseball for Elgin High School in 1909-10.
[permanent dead link] - ^ Alft, E.C. (2000). "Elgin: An American History". on-line book. ElginHistory.com. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
(Jane) Peterson was the daughter of a watch factory worker. Not long after graduating from Elgin High School in 1894, she borrowed money to go to New York to study art.
- ^ "Brian Oldfield". biographic sketch. Elgin Sports Hall of Fame. 1980. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
While a student at Elgin High School in 1963, Oldfield won the Illinois State Championship in the shot put with a throw of 57 feet, 7—1/4 inches in the rain.
[permanent dead link] - ^ Kelderman, Eric (16 August 2005). "Illinois senator to lead NCSL, run for gov". Stateline.org. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
Rauschenberger, who turns 49 on Aug. 29, grew up in Elgin, Ill., and is the fifth of six children in his family. He graduated from the public high school in 1974 and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in accounting from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
- ^ "Flynn Robinson". biographic sketch. Elgin Sports Hall of Fame. 1980. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
DFlynn was the leading scorer on the Elgin High School conference champion basketball teams in 1957-58 and 1958-59.
[permanent dead link] - ^ "Roche, James M." biographic sketch. General Motors Heritage Center. Archived from the original on 17 August 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
Born in Elgin, Illinois, on December 16, 1906, Roche attended elementary school there and graduated from Elgin High School in 1923.
- ^ Alft, E.C. (2000). "Elgin: An American History". on-line book. ElginHistory.com. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
Automobile garages and service stations were springing up all over the city during the '20s. One of the gas pumpers at the Texaco outlet was James M. Roche, a graduate of the Elgin High School Class of 1923, who was continuing his education by correspondence. In 1965 he became president of General Motors.
- ^ Temkin, Jody (22 October 1995), "Test Your Celebrity Knowledge With This 'Who's Who?' Quiz", Chicago Tribune, archived from the original on September 30, 2012, retrieved 11 June 2011,
Even when he was a student at Elgin High School in the 1960s, Tom Shales wasn't likely to be found at any homecoming celebrations ... But former classmates don't need to see Shales at homecoming to play that "whatever happened to so-and-so" game. Shales has been in the national spotlight as the television critic for the Washington Post since 1977, winning a Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 1988.
- ^ "Rick Sund". biographical sketch. Elgin Sports Hall of Fame. 1983. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
Rick Sund was an Upstate Eight All—Conference and Rockford Morning Star first team All-State selection as an end on Elgin High School's 1968 varsity football team, which he also captained.
[permanent dead link] - ^ "Don Sunderlage". biographic sketch. Elgin Sports Hall of Fame. 1980. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
Don Sunderlage was one of the greatest basketball players to ever graduate from Elgin High School. Don was the leading scorer on Elgin High School's conference championship team in 1946-1947.
[permanent dead link] - ^ "Jeff Wilkins". biographical & statistical information. Basketball Reference.com. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
High School: Elgin in Elgin, Illinois
- ^ "Jeff Wilkins". biographic sketch. Elgin Sports Hall of Fame. 2009. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
Wilkins was the leading scorer on the outstanding Elgin High School basketball team that made the Elite Eight in 1973.
[permanent dead link] - ^ Radtke, John (3 July 2002), "Elgin Sports Hall of Fame recognizes local legends.", Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL, USA), retrieved 10 September 2010,
Larry Nemmers: A former Elgin High principal and longtime high school and college official, Nemmers took his officiating skills to the NFL, where he is now one of the game's senior head officials.
- ^ "Larry Nemmers". biographic sketch. Elgin Sports Hall of Fame. 1994. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
Larry has been a National Football League official the past 10 years including referee and crew chief since 1991 ... As the principal of Elgin High School from 1982 to 1994, and an assistant principal at Elgin and Larkin high schools prior to that, he was recognized as a strong supporter of athletics.
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