Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy
Encyclopedia
Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy (Brooks) is a public selective enrollment high school located in the Roseland
area of Chicago
, Illinois
, United States. It is operated by Chicago Public Schools
. A university-preparatory school
, it is named after Gwendolyn Brooks
.
George Pullman
, upon his death in 1897, bequeathed the sum of $
1,200,000 to provide for the building and endowment of a "free school of manual training for the benefit of the children of persons living or employed at Pullman." An additional bequest was made by Mrs. Pullman, and the Pullman Free School of Manual Training opened its doors on the site in September, 1915. The first year class welcomed 106 boys and girls. Although the town of Pullman had by this time become part of the city of Chicago, the school successfully fulfilled the intentions of its founder by serving the children of employees of the Pullman car works and the Pullman-Roseland communities. It was widely recognized at the time for excellence in vocational instruction and effective training of its students, all of whom were concurrently enrolled in core academic subjects such as English, math, and science.
By the late 1940s, the endowment that supported the school could no longer sustain the rising costs of the school's operation as it grew to a student enrollment of 600. According to Pullman's will, the school was prohibited from charging tuition. The school's board decided that the only practicable means of carrying out Pullman's intention was to close the school and divert the funds from the school into an educational foundation. The school closed in 1950.
The school building was immediately taken over by the Augustinians
who established Gregor Mendel High School. The Roman Catholic high school remained in operation from 1951–88. In 1988, Mendel was closed as the school's population dropped, and the property was sold to the Archdiocese of Chicago who immediately opened a new school, St. Martin de Porres High School. The diocesan school remained open only until 1997 when the school's population continued to drop. The school and property were sold to the Chicago Public Schools, who opened the current school as Southside College Preparatory Academy in 1998. In 2001, the school was renamed in honor of south side resident and former Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, Gwendolyn Brooks
.
, the Arcade Building which was destroyed in the 1920s, the Clock Tower and Factory, the complex surrounding Market Square and Greenstone Church.
Roseland, Chicago
Roseland, located on the far south side of the city, is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois. It includes the neighborhoods of Fernwood, Princeton Park, Lilydale, West Chesterfield, Rosemoor, Sheldon Heights and West Roseland...
area of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States. It is operated by Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
. A university-preparatory school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
, it is named after Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was an American poet. She was appointed Poet Laureate of Illinois in 1968 and Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1985.-Biography:...
.
History
The site has been in use as a high school since 1915, though Brooks is the fourth high school to occupy the property.George Pullman
George Pullman
George Mortimer Pullman was an American inventor and industrialist. He is known as the inventor of the Pullman sleeping car, and for violently suppressing striking workers in the company town he created, Pullman .-Background:Born in Brocton, New York, his family moved to Albion,...
, upon his death in 1897, bequeathed the sum of $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1,200,000 to provide for the building and endowment of a "free school of manual training for the benefit of the children of persons living or employed at Pullman." An additional bequest was made by Mrs. Pullman, and the Pullman Free School of Manual Training opened its doors on the site in September, 1915. The first year class welcomed 106 boys and girls. Although the town of Pullman had by this time become part of the city of Chicago, the school successfully fulfilled the intentions of its founder by serving the children of employees of the Pullman car works and the Pullman-Roseland communities. It was widely recognized at the time for excellence in vocational instruction and effective training of its students, all of whom were concurrently enrolled in core academic subjects such as English, math, and science.
By the late 1940s, the endowment that supported the school could no longer sustain the rising costs of the school's operation as it grew to a student enrollment of 600. According to Pullman's will, the school was prohibited from charging tuition. The school's board decided that the only practicable means of carrying out Pullman's intention was to close the school and divert the funds from the school into an educational foundation. The school closed in 1950.
The school building was immediately taken over by the Augustinians
Augustinians
The term Augustinians, named after Saint Augustine of Hippo , applies to two separate and unrelated types of Catholic religious orders:...
who established Gregor Mendel High School. The Roman Catholic high school remained in operation from 1951–88. In 1988, Mendel was closed as the school's population dropped, and the property was sold to the Archdiocese of Chicago who immediately opened a new school, St. Martin de Porres High School. The diocesan school remained open only until 1997 when the school's population continued to drop. The school and property were sold to the Chicago Public Schools, who opened the current school as Southside College Preparatory Academy in 1998. In 2001, the school was renamed in honor of south side resident and former Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress, Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Brooks
Gwendolyn Elizabeth Brooks was an American poet. She was appointed Poet Laureate of Illinois in 1968 and Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1985.-Biography:...
.
Campus and facilities
Brooks is located at 111th and King Drive in the Roseland area which is a neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, twelve miles (19 km) from the Chicago Loop by Lake Calumet. Roseland is near the historically significant Pullman Historic District. Significant landmarks nearby include the Hotel FlorenceHotel Florence
The Hotel Florence is a former hotel located in the Pullman Historic District on the far south side of Chicago, Illinois. It was built in 1881 to a design by architect Solon Spencer Beman...
, the Arcade Building which was destroyed in the 1920s, the Clock Tower and Factory, the complex surrounding Market Square and Greenstone Church.
Sports
- Boys/Girls Cross Country
- Boys Football Boys Football
- Boys/Girls Soccer
- Girls Tennis
- Boys/Girls Volleyball Girls Volleyball
- Boys/Girls Basketball
- Boys/Girls Bowling
- Boys Baseball
- Girls Softball
- Boys/Girls Track and Field
- Boys/Girls Golf
- Boys Softball
- Boys Wrestling
- Golf Club
Academic/other
- Lyrikally explicit (poetry club)
- Special friends club
- Debate Club
- Anime Club
- World Languages
- Chorus (Beginners, Advanced, etc.)
- Band (Beginners, Advanced, etc.)
- academic decathlon
- Know Kour Heritage
- Beta Club
- Spanish National Honor Society
- National Honor Society
- Mikva Challenge
- Journalism (yearbook)
- Gallery 37
- Choir
- Licensed Practical Nursing
- Community service
- Science and technology
- Law enforcement (vocational)
- Nursing
- Peer Jury
- Chicago History Fair
- Mayor Daley’s Book Club
- Language Club(s) (Spanish, German, Chinese, etc)
- Animation
- Art studio
- Film and Video
- Fundamentals/Theory of Music
- Transition to College Workshops