Mount Carmel High School (Chicago)

Mount Carmel High School is an all boys, Catholic high school in Chicago's Woodlawn neighborhood. Located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, the school has been operated by the Carmelite order of priests and brothers since 1900. Several priests and brothers who teach at the school live in the nearby Saint Cyril Priory, though most of the staff consists of lay teachers. Mount Carmel is occasionally confused with Carmel High School in Mundelein, Illinois, and Mount Carmel High School in Mount Carmel, Illinois. The former is also a Carmelite school, while the latter is the town of Mount Carmel's only public high school.

In the Fall of 1900, the Carmelite order established St. Cyril College at 54th and Jefferson (now Harper) on Chicago's South Side. In the first year there were 13 students and five priest teachers. The following year the college was moved to 64th and Washington (now Blackstone) because of the need for a larger building and better access to public transportation. The St. Cyril College Building at 64th and Star (now Dante) was completed in 1902, and classes began with 137 students and 11 faculty members. The school was consecrated by Bishop Peter Muldoon on August 10, 1902; a delay caused by the death of Archbishop Patrick Feehan. Upon opening the college had three departments: (1) Academic, which included both a junior high and a high school program; (2) College, a four year program with emphasis on Greek and Latin; (3) Commercial, a three year course. In September 1910, the school hosted Vincenzo Cardinal Vannutelli, about ten years before becoming Dean of the College of Cardinals. In 1918, with young men being called to serve in World War I, the college curriculum was dropped while the high school department was enlarged and improved. In December 1922, Father Elias Magennis, General of the Carmelite Order, and Archbishop Mundelein of Chicago agreed on the need for the immediate construction of a new St. Cyril High School Building. In the spring and summer of 1924, a three story main building was erected by the Thompson Starrett Construction Company with Zachary Davis (the "Frank Lloyd Wright of Baseball") as the architect. William Lynch, a St. Cyril College graduate, was in charge of construction. Later that fall, the new building was dedicated as Mount Carmel High School. During World War II, Mt. Carmel began preparing students for wartime employment or military service, offering courses in aerodynamics, meteorology, navigation, and civil air regulations. Countless alumni from the G. I. Generation went on to serve in the United States Military. In the 1960s and 70s, economic and sociological factors changed Mount Carmel's Woodlawn neighborhood fewer Catholics were living in the immediate area and the school's enrollment dropped. Mount Carmel's close proximity to the Black Stone Rangers/Black P. Stones/El Rukn street gang may have also hurt their ability to maintain enrollment. Despite these conditions, improved bus routes permitted many students to continue reaching the school.

The Mount Carmel campus is located at the intersection of East 64th Street and South Dante Avenue, near historic Jackson Park, Lake Michigan and the University of Chicago campus. The oldest surviving campus structures are the Carmelite Chapel and three story main building from 1924 (see photo above). In the early 1950s, Mt. Carmel built a Student Center on the north side of the main building. Then in 1968, a grant from the Archdiocese of Chicago's "Project: Renew" permitted the construction of a learning center and library that connected the main building to the student center. The campus would grow again to include Carey Field on the south end of school property. Thanks to the Capital Campaign Case Study, the Walter Scott School property was acquired and in 1992, construction began on a new monastery for the Carmelites. The Graham Center was then constructed on the site of the old Carmelite Monastery. Although the old Priory was demolished to make room for the science and computer center, the original Chapel was saved and given a facelift. In 1999, the Scott School property was used to build Haggerty Field for soccer and baseball. The campus again expanded in 2005 by adding the Mt. Carmel Convocation Center on the site of the old student parking lot. This addition is home to offices and meeting areas for alumni and faculty, a student commons/dining hall, new computer and science labs, and the Cacciatore Athletic Center. The athletic center features three gyms, an indoor track, locker rooms and a modern weight room. A new student parking lot was built on the north end of the campus. Ongoing maintenance to existing facilities have included renovations to the original pool and Carey Field, which was converted to a multipurpose Sprint Turf playing surface. In the Fall of 2019, "Barda Dowling Stadium" was added to Carey Field, with two permanent bleachers on the East end zone and South Sideline; the stadium also includes a press box which houses the scoreboard, announcer, and the school's student broadcast team. The 'Old Gym' is still maintained to host athletic competition, including wrestling and the school's annual Fight Night boxing event. From 2016 to 2019, Mount Carmel has renovated the interior of the original school building, adding a more technology friendly and modern school environment. The school also plans on renovating the student center into either a fully functioning theater for the Drama Club and Band or a new cafeteria.

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Terry Brennan was the school's head football coach (1949–53). He later served as head football coach at the University of Notre Dame (1954–58). Wally Fromhart was the school's head football coach (1937–43, 46). He was later coach at the University of Detroit (1954–58). John Jordan was the school's basketball coach. He later became head coach at the University of Notre Dame (1951–64). Ray Lemek was an assistant football coach for one year between starring for the University of Notre Dame and being drafted in the 1956 NFL Draft. He was an All Pro NFL offensive lineman (1957–65). Frank Maloney was the school's head football coach (1963–68). He later was the head football coach at Syracuse University (1974–80). Ed Mieszkowski was a football coach at the school. Bill Weick is the school's former wrestling coach (1985–2003) and led the school to 3 consecutive IHSA state championships. He was an accomplished national and international wrestler who also served as a coach for Team USA at several international competitions, including several Olympic Games.