St. Ignatius College Prep

Campus

The campus of Saint Ignatius College Prep is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The school's main building was designed by Canadian architect Toussaint Menard in Second Empire style and opened in 1870. The original school building is one of only five existing Chicago structures to predate the Great Fire of 1871.

The school began on two acres of land and now occupies a 26-acre campus. The campus includes the original building and modern facilities adjacent to the University of Illinois at Chicago, and is located 1.5 miles southwest of Chicago's Loop. Among the unique spaces is the 1887-88 Brunswick Room featuring elaborate cabinets and woodwork installed by the Brunswick Company for the school's natural history museum, the Foglia Library, the “Chicago gallery” of architectural artifacts in the Driehaus building, and Father Damen's office. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, St. Ignatius College Prep was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1987.

History

Inception

In 1836, the Dutch Jesuit Fr. Arnold Damen, S.J. (March 20, 1815, Leur, Netherlands – January 1, 1890, Omaha, Nebraska), was recruited to work with Native Americans in the Dakotas by Fr. Peter De Smet, S.J. In 1844 he was ordained a priest in Missouri. In 1857, Damen was first assigned to Chicago to start a parish for Irish immigrants on Chicago's near-West Side, then an area of the sprawling prairie. The construction of the Holy Family Church was completed in 1860.

The culmination of Father Arnold J. Damen, S.J.'s work in Chicago, the St. Ignatius campus was opened in 1870 as St. Ignatius College. Loyola University originated from this institution but, since 1922, St. Ignatius has operated solely as a college preparatory school. The Second Empire-style edifice is among the oldest in the city, a rare and distinctive example of institutional designs pre-dating the Chicago Fire of 1871. It was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1987.

Admissions

Demographics

The demographic breakdown by race/ethnicity of the 1,373 students enrolled for the 2019–2020 school year was:

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

Saint Ignatius competes in the Chicago Catholic League (CCL) and the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference (GCAC) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which governs most sports and competitive activities in the state. The school's teams are stylized as the "Wolfpack".

Notable alumni

• Chloe Bennet (2010), actress and singer known
• Charles Bidwill, owner of the Chicago Cardinals (1933–47); inducted in 1967 into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
• Lawrence Biondi (1957), President of St. Louis University
• Joseph A. Bracken (1948), Jesuit philosopher
• Andre Braugher (1980), was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Detective Frank Pembleton in the police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1999), used car salesman Owen Thoreau Jr. in the comedy-drama series Men of a Certain Age (2009–2011), and Captain Raymond Holt in the police comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013–2021).
• Tom Campbell (1969), California politician
• John P. Daley (1965), Cook County Commissioner
• William M. Daley (1966), former White House Chief of Staff under Barack Obama and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce (1997–2000)
• Richard Driehaus (1960), businessman and philanthropist; namesake of the Driehaus Prize given in architecture
• John Joseph Duda (1995), actor
• Nnanna Egwu (2011), professional basketball player, former center for Illinois Fighting Illini
• Kenard Gibbs (1982), Chief x Executive Officer of Soul Train Holdings and co-founder of MadVision Entertainment.
• Mellody Hobson (1987), Co-CEO of Ariel Investments; also TV correspondent in the field of finance; married to filmmaker George Lucas
• Joseph D. Kearney (1982), dean at Marquette University Law School
• Mary Kwasny (née Morrissey, 1988), biostatistician at Northwestern University
• Dan Lipinski (1984), former U.S. Representative representing Illinois's 3rd congressional district (2005–2021)
• Michael Madigan (1960), former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives
• John J. McNichols, Illinois state representative and lawyer
• Stanley Miarka, Negro league baseball second baseman
• John Mulaney (2000), Emmy-winning standup comedian and former writer on Saturday Night Live
• Bob Newhart (1947), actor and comedian (Newhart, The Bob Newhart Show)
• Gina Rodriguez (2002), Golden Globe winner, actor
• Marty Russo, Former United States Representative.
• Justin Scott (2024), college football defensive tackle for the Miami Hurricanes
• Casey Siemaszko, actor best known for his starring roles in Three O'Clock High and Young Guns.
• Michael Sorrell (1984), President of Paul Quinn College.
• Todd Stroger (1981), former Cook County Board President
• Ed Sweeney, (1905), starting catcher for New York Yankees
• Robin Tunney (1990), actress
• Michael Wilbon (1976), sports columnist for The Washington Post and host, commentator, and analyst for ESPN.
• Jamila Woods (2007), singer, songwriter, and poet

Notable faculty

• David Abidor (born 1992), Men's Varsity assistant soccer coach (Jul 2021 - Jul 2022), and soccer player
• Johnny Bach (2010–2011), Men's basketball volunteer assistant coach

Notes

References

• Directory of Private Schools (2005). Directory of Private Schools: St. Ignatius College Prep
• Newbart, Dave. "University Dean Will Lead St. Ignatius," Chicago Tribune, March 31, 1998.

References

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6. (May 2018). "Inside Ignatius".
7. "Tuition Assistance & Affordability | Saint Ignatius College Prep".
8. (2003). "Chicago Landmarks - St. Ignatius College Prep Building". City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division.
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10. [https://www.bndestem.nl/etten-leur/in-chicago-kent-bijna-iedereen-pater-damen~ab49b73a/ In Chicago kent bijna iedereen pater Damen] {{Webarchive. link. (May 6, 2019 (in Dutch))
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16. (1 February 2000). "Muldoon feted by Saint Ignatius at law luncheon". [[Illinois State Bar Association]].
17. Neubart, Dave. (29 October 2000). "Richard Dreihaus, 57". [[Chicago Sun-Times]].
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19. "Roster - Erie BayHawks".
20. Chandler, Susan. (11 February 2009). "Mellody Hobson: Champion of financial literacy - Ariel's president teaches children and their parents the power of investing". [[Chicago Tribune]].
21. (October 20, 2023). "Kwasny '88 Receives Founder's Award". St. Ignatius College Preparatory.
22. Lipinski, Dan. (20 November 2006). "Remarks by Rep. Dan Lipinski before the National Science Board Commission on 21st Century Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics". [[United States House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
23. Pearson, Rick. (April 1997). "What is Mike Madigan up to?". [[Illinois Issues]].
24. "Illinois Blue Book 1965-1966". Biographical Sketch of John J. McNichols, pg. 256-257.
25. (August 12, 1950). "In Birmingham, White Players Can't Perform On Negro Team".
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28. Clark, Mike. (July 11, 2023). "St. Ignatius lineman Justin Scott picks Ohio State". [[Chicago Sun-Times]].
29. (March 1978). "Career Education in the College Preparatory School". Vocational Guidance Quarterly.
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32. Thomas, Mike. (March 25, 2020). "ESPN's Michael Wilbon on Life Without Sports".
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34. Johnson, K. C.. (2010-03-07). "From the archives: Even at 85, Johnny Bach still teaching the game he loves".