William Howard Taft High School (Chicago)
Taft High School | |
---|---|
Address | |
6530 W. Bryn Mawr Avenue Chicago Public League | |
Mascot | Eagles |
Accreditation | North Central Association of Colleges and Schools |
Yearbook | Aerie[1] |
Website | tafthighschool |
Taft High School is a
Chicago, Illinois, United States. Taft serves communities on the far northwest side, specifically Norwood Park, Edison Park, Jefferson Park, Forest Glen and O'Hare. Taft is operated by the Chicago Public Schools
district.
Taft's
NJROTC unit won a Distinguished Unit award every year from 2001 to 2014.[2]
In the late 1990s—to stanch the loss of students—Chicago Public Schools made significant changes to the school to attract more neighborhood students. These included an NJROTC unit, a selective-enrollment academic center for 7th and 8th grade students, and an International Baccalaureate Diploma program. Taft's IB program became authorized in 2001, and since 2014 has been a "wall-to-wall" IB World School.
Athletics
Taft competes in the
Chicago Public League (CPL) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). The boys baseball team were Public League champions in 1968, CPS quarter-finalists in 1985, and regional champions in 2009. The girls volleyball team were Public League champions in the 1979–80 season.[3]
In 2018, the boys varsity
Chicago Public League championship since 1972 with a 29–13 win over Eric Solorio Academy High School
.
The wrestling team won four consecutive Chicago Public League Championships. (2018,2019,2020,2021)
A nine-hole putting green is being installed during the summer of 2023[update], costing ultimately $32,000.[4]
Notable alumni
- Donna Mills, class of 1958, is an actress whose best known role was as Abby on the television series Knots Landing.
- University of Illinois at Chicago(2010–15).
- MLBteam.
- Jerry Krause is the former general manager of the Chicago Bulls (1985–2003) whose teams won six NBA championships.
- .
- Jim Jacobs is the co-writer of the musical Grease, parts of which were based on his high school experiences at Taft.
- Joseph A. Tunzi is a Chicago-based author, publisher, and producer.
- Squaw Valley, California, Henry was chosen to light the final torch at the opening ceremony.
- Lynn Morley Martin is a former congresswoman who served as U.S. Secretary of Labor(1991–93).
- FBI agent who was convicted of spying for the Soviet Union.[5]
- Terry Kath was a guitarist and co-founder of the band Chicago.
References
- ^ 1967 Taft High School Yearbook- Chicago, Illinois
- ^ Taft NJROTC
- ^ IHSA Chicago (Taft)
- ^ Nadig, Brian (July 15, 2023). "Taft gives update on graduates, new putting green". Reporter. Vol. 58, no. 29. Edgebrook, Wildwood, Sauganash, Lincolnwood, Skokie, and Niles, Illinois: Nadig Newspapers. p. 13.
- ISBN 0-312-98629-7.
Robert Philip Hanssen, a senior at Chicago's William Howard Taft High School in 1962, also saw the first James Bond movie that year.