Oak Park and River Forest High School
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Oak Park and River Forest High School (or OPRF) is a four year high school located at 201 North Scoville in Oak Park, Illinois, a near-western suburb of Chicago with a ZIP code of 60302. OPRF is listed as number 600 on Newsweek's 2005 list of the top 1000 U.S. Schools.[link]
History
Starting in 1873, high school students from Oak Park attended classes in space in an elementary school. The first class, which contained only three people, graduated in 1877. The population of the area was growing rapidly, to accommodate this a building solely for the high school was constructed in 1892. The population continued to grow, and in 1899 the high school was separated from the elementary school district, and a consolidated district was created with River Forest, establishing Oak Park and River Forest Township High School.A new building, designed to hold 800 students was opened in 1907 in the school's current location. Many additions to the building took place during the 1920s, including a new football field, and the first high school field house in the nation.
In 1946, River Forest established a high school of its own, creating River Forest Community High School District 223. However, this was short-lived; on June 21, 1949 the Consolidated High School District 200, Cook County, Illinois, was created, combining district 223 and Oak Park District 200.
Several minor additions to the buildings were made during the 1940s and 1950s, but it was during the 1960s that the most large-scale construction projects were completed. The building was extended across Ontario Street, connecting the academic building with the field house. The new construction included a 1700-seat auditorium, a 350-seat “Little Theatre”, two cafeterias, and more classrooms.
Notable alumni
- Ernest Hemingway, Nobel Prize in Literature, 1955 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, 1953
- John LaMontaine, Pulitzer Prize in Music, 1959
- Carol Warner Shields, Pulitzer Prize in Literature, 1995
- Charles Simic, Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, 1990
- Dan Castellaneta, voice of Homer on The Simpsons
- Ray Kroc, Founder of the McDonald's Corporation
- Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Actor (The Abyss, The Perfect Storm)
- Michael G. Turnbull, FAIA, Assistant Architect of the Capitol in Washington, DC
- Marjorie Vincent, Miss America, 1991
- Kathy Griffin, comedian
- Chad Trujillo, astronomer
- Thomas Lennon, actor (Reno 911)
- Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger, members of the indie rock band The Fiery Furnaces.
Pop culture
In 2003, the WB Network aired the reality series of High School Reunion, featuring alumni of OPRFHS. Although the show purported to feature members of the class of 1992, the ten cast members actually came from the classes of 1991, 1992, and 1993.
Rapper Ludacris attended Oak Park and River Forest High School until he moved to Atlanta after his freshman year.
External links
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