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Coordinates: 41°52′52″N 87°47′18″W 41.8810246, -87.7881968

Fenwick High School

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    • 505 W Washington Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois, United States of America
  • Telephone Numbers:
    • (708) 386-0127
    • (708) 386-3052 (fax)
  • Official Website:[1]
• History & Memorable Moments

Fenwick High School was founded as an all-boys college preparatory high school in 1929 by the Catholic Order of Dominican Fathers and Brothers of the Province of St. Joseph. Since its founding, Fenwick has maintained a strict dress code which includes slacks, dress shirts and ties for the boys and plaid (pattern) skirts and knee-high socks for the girls. During assemblies, blazers must be worn. Fenwick was originally intended to be a prep school for matriculation to Notre Dame University in the Midwest and Georgetown University on the East Coast, similar to Andover's matriculation to Yale and Exeter's matriculation to Harvard. Today, Fenwick's students matriculate to top universities across America.[5] In 1939, the St. Joseph Province was divided and Fenwick High School became part of the new Province of St. Albert the Great, with headquarters in Chicago. In 1992, girls were admitted for the first time. Today, Fenwick is known as a secondary school. Students use some athletic facilities, including a baseball field, two football fields, a softball diamond, and a soccer field on the campus of Fenwick's Dominican Priory in the nearby suburb of River Forest. ^[1]

Fenwick has a long tradition of being a superior academic school as evidenced by the high number of National Merit Scholars and Illinois State Scholars, high ACT and SAT scores, and large numbers of students matriculating to top universities. Fenwick has a highly accomplished faculty, some of which have earned the Golden Apple Award (education), the University of Chicago Outstanding Teaching Award, and the Illinois Physics Teacher of the Year Award. Fenwick's instructors also have impressive credentials. For example, the English Department has instructors educated at Notre Dame University, London University, and the University of Chicago. The school's History Department is headed by an Amherst College and Northwestern University alumnus, the brother of Lt. Governor Patrick Quinn. Fenwick's Principal, Dr. Quaid, has been honored with several distinctions, including the Influential Teacher Award from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as well as sitting on the Board of Directors of the Illinois High School Association and formerly serving as the President of the Interscholastic Council of Private Schools. In 1983 Fenwick was selected by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School, designating it as one of the top private and public schools in America. On January 18, 1999, U.S. News & World Report classified Fenwick as an "Outstanding American High School", making Fenwick tied for the #1 ranked preparatory school in the Chicago area. Fenwick's 2007 class had over 70% earn academic awards and scholarships to top universities around the country with the monetary value of these awards in excess of $13,900,000 (up from $12,555,800 in 2006 and 9,370,000 in 2005). The 2007 graduating class also boasted 153 Presidential Scholars, 79 Illinois State Scholars, an ACT average of 27 and 10 National Merit Finalists, with 15 additional receiving commendation for being named to the top 5% in the nation. ^[1]

Around the time Fenwick started admitting girls, there was a proposal to officially move classes to the school's priory in River Forest, or construct a brand new school in collaboration with nearby Trinity High School. The idea almost passed, but was dropped when Fenwick insisted on maintaining complete control over the standards of the new school. Instead, Fenwick has commenced several expansion campaigns at their present location in Oak Park based around their original Neo-gothic designed school created by the New York architect Wilfred E. Anthony, who also redesigned the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Indiana for the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN. The latest expansions include: a new field house with a 1,100 seat gymnasium and a 450 seat natatorium; several new classrooms and updated athletic lockers; a new school entrance and gateway inspired from the Arch of Northwestern University; and additional science laboratories and art studios, all of which are in keeping with the original Neo-gothic look of Fenwick's school and priory. Fenwick is the only high school in the United States owned and operated by the Dominican Order, and the school maintains the intellectual tradition associated with Thomas Aquinas. Fenwick's school mottoes are the same as those of the Dominican Order: Laudare, Benedicere, Praedicare (praise, bless, preach); Veritas (truth); Contemplare et Contemplata Aliis Tradere (to study and hand on the fruits of study). Fenwick often uses the Blackfriar as a mascot over a generic friar mascot since the Blackfriar is specifically associated with the Dominican Order. Historically, Fenwick has shared a friendly rivalry with St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago similar to the Eastern rivalry of Phillips Academy Andover and Phillips Exeter Academy. The Fenwick/Ignatius rivalry is based on both school's long tradition of high academic achievement as well as Fenwick being of the Dominican Order and St. Ignatius being of the Jesuit Order. When it comes to athletics, Fenwick usually is the leader in this rivalry, especially in the areas of girls basketball, water polo, football, as well as many of the other sports played between these two schools. ^[1]

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