Elgin High School, or EHS, is a public four-year

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

located in

Elgin, Illinois Elgin ( ) is a city in Cook and Kane counties in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. Elgin is located northwest of Chicago, along the Fox River. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 114,797, the seventh-large ...

, an American city 40 mi. (63.5 km) northwest of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. It is part of

Elgin Area School District U46 Elgin Area School District U46, often referred to as "U-46", is a unit school district headquartered in Elgin, Kane County, Illinois. Covering , the district serves portions of eleven communities in the northwest suburbs of Chicago in Cook, Du ...

, which also includes Bartlett High School, Larkin High School, South Elgin High School, and Streamwood High School.

History

Elgin High School is one of the oldest public high schools in the state. Its first graduation ceremony was held in 1872 and its

accreditation Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...

dates back to 1904. It was formerly housed on Gifford Street adjacent to Gifford Park in a building that now serves as the Gifford Street High School. 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 3 times so far. The school, however, is not represented by any mascot, as the previous mascot "The Maroon" (a Native American) was considered to be racist and was removed in 2009. As a replacement for the former mascot each incoming freshmen class chooses a mascot and a class color to represent their year.

Academics

As of 2018-2019, Elgin is ranked 9,708 nationally, 308 in Illinois High Schools, 226 in Chicago Metra Area High Schools, and 4th in District U-46. -College Readiness Index Rank #4,046 (National) #165 (State) -College Curriculum Breadth Index Rank #3,227 #128 -Math and Reading Proficiency Rank #14,086 #511 -Math and Reading Performance Rank #13,696 #497 -Graduation Rate Rank #16,230 #592 Elgin High School also holds one of District U-46's magnet academies, and of which Elgin High holds the Gifted and Talented Acedemy. 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 nominated to be and will soon be an international IB course and 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

As 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

Elgin competes in the

Upstate Eight Conference The Upstate Eight Conference (''UEC'', ''U8C'', or ''Upstate 8'') is an organization of ten high schools in northeastern Illinois, representing ten communities in Chicago's suburbs. These high schools are all members of the Illinois High School A ...

. In 2003, Chief Maroon was removed as Elgin's mascot. The following teams have won their respective

Illinois High School Association The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is an association that regulates competition of interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level for the state of Illinois. It is a charter member of the National Fe ...

state championships: 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: Scholastic Bowl Tech Club Acapella Low-Keys Jazz Choir Model United Nations Black Student Union Science Olympiad Etc.

Notable alumni

* Max Adler (1883), vice-president of Sears & Roebuck, benefactor of

Adler Planetarium The Adler Planetarium is a public museum in Chicago, Illinois, dedicated to astronomy and astrophysics. It was founded in 1930 by local businessman Max Adler. Located on the northeastern tip of Northerly Island on Lake Michigan in the city, th ...

* Ray Barnhart (1945), Texas politician *

Earl Britton Earl Tanner Britton (July 15, 1903 – October 24, 1973) was a professional American football Fullback (American football), fullback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (1926), American Football Leagu ...

(1922),

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

fullback and punter *

Nina Burleigh Nina D. Burleigh is an American writer and investigative journalist, the daughter of author Robert Burleigh. She writes books, articles, essays and reviews. Burleigh is a supporter of secular liberalism, and is known for her interest in issues of ...

(1978), journalist and best-selling author * Jack Burmaster (1944), professional basketball player, coach, and broadcaster * Harry Chamberlin (1905), U.S. Army brigadier general and Olympic medalist in equestrian events * Gail Monroe Dack (1918), American physician and professor of microbiology *

August W. Farwick August William Farwick (September 22, 1902 – December 10, 1977) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Arizona in 1932, compiling a record of 4–5. Biography August W. Farwick ...

(1921) football player, coach at

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory. T ...

* Paul Flory (1927) polymer chemist, recipient of 1974

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

* Laurence Kaptain (1970), international performer and recording artist, dean o
College of Music and Dramatic Arts
a
LSU
* William LeBaron (1900), producer of '' Cimarron'',

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

-winning film *

Jack Meagher John Francis Meagher (July 5, 1894 – December 7, 1968) was an American football player, coach of football, basketball, and baseball, and college athletics administrator. Meagher played football for the University of Notre Dame in 1916, rising ...

, college football coach for

Rice Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly ''Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and '' Porteresia'', both wild and domesticat ...

and Auburn *

Douglas R. Mills Douglas Raymond "Gaga" Mills (April 9, 1907 – August 12, 1993), a native of Elgin, Illinois, was a high school and college basketball player and coach in the state of Illinois. During high school, Mills was the first player in the state to lead ...

(1926),

University of Illinois The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univer ...

athletic director and men's basketball coach *

Earl "Madman" Muntz Earl William "Madman" Muntz (January 3, 1914 – June 21, 1987) was an American businessman and engineer who sold and promoted cars and consumer electronics in the United States from the 1930s until his death in 1987. He was a pioneer in telev ...

, engineer, entrepreneur, marketing pioneer, television personality *

Lou North Louis Alexander North (June 15, 1891 – May 15, 1974) was a professional baseball player. He was a right-handed pitcher over parts of seven seasons (1913, 1917, 1920–1924) with the Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Braves. F ...

(1910),

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

pitcher *

Jane Peterson Jane Peterson (1876–1965) was a graduate of Pratt Institute and an American Impressionist and Expressionist painter. Her works are created in Impressionist and Expressionist styles using broad swaths of vibrant colors to combine an interest in l ...

(1901), painter and artist *

Brian Oldfield Brian Oldfield (June 1, 1945 – March 26, 2017) was an American athlete and personality of the 1970s and early 1980s. A standout shot putter, Oldfield was credited with making the rotational technique popular. With his "Oldfield spin," he set the ...

(1963), Olympic shot putter and pop culture personality *

John Qualen John Qualen (born Johan Mandt Kvalen, December 8, 1899 – September 12, 1987) was an American character actor of Norwegian heritage who specialized in Scandinavian roles. Early years Qualen was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, the son ...

(1920), actor * Steve Rauschenberger (1974) state senator, 1993 to 2007 *

Flynn Robinson Flynn James Robinson (April 28, 1941 – May 23, 2013) was an American professional basketball player. Early life Flynn was born April 28, 1941, from the union of Sam Hopkins and Dorothy Mae Robinson. Later Flynn's mother married Johnnie Hodg ...

(1959),

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

player * James Roche (1923) president of

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

Tom Shales Thomas William Shales (born November 3, 1944) is an American writer and retired critic of television programming and operations. He was a television critic for ''The Washington Post'' from 1977 to 2010, for which Shales received the Pulitzer Pr ...

(1962), television critic for ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'', 1988 recipient of

Pulitzer Prize for Criticism The Pulitzer Prize for Criticism has been presented since 1970 to a newspaper writer in the United States who has demonstrated 'distinguished criticism'. Recipients of the award are chosen by an independent board and officially administered by C ...

Rick Sund Rick Sund (born June 4, 1951) is a National Basketball Association (NBA) executive with the Atlanta Hawks. Sund also served as GM for the Dallas Mavericks from 1979–92; Detroit Pistons from 1998-2000; Seattle SuperSonics from 2001-07 and Atl ...

(1970), NBA executive *

Don Sunderlage Don J. Sunderlage (December 20, 1929 – July 15, 1961) was an American basketball player. A 6'1" guard from Roselle, Illinois, Sunderlage played collegiately at the University of Illinois, earning the Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball award in ...

(1947), All-Star player in

* John Walker, 1974, producer of ''

The Incredibles ''The Incredibles'' is a 2004 American computer-animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Brad Bird, it stars the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah V ...

'',

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

-winning film *

Jeff Wilkins Jeffrey Allen Wilkins (born April 19, 1972), nicknamed "Money", is a former American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams of the National Football League (NFL). With the Rams, he won Super Bow ...

(1973), NBA player

Notable staff

Larry Nemmers Larry Nemmers (born July 12, 1943) is a retired educator and better known as a former American football official in the National Football League (NFL). Nemmers made his debut as an NFL official in the 1985 season and continued in this role until ...

is a former principal (1982–94). He notably served as an NFL

official An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their ...

(1985–2007).

References

External links

Official Website
{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1869 Elgin, Illinois Public high schools in Cook County, Illinois 1869 establishments in Illinois Elgin Area School District U46