Morgan Park Academy

This article is about a private school. For the public school, see Morgan Park High School.

Morgan Park Academy
Address
2153 W. 111th St. Chicago, Illinois, 60643 USA
Coordinates	41.69038°N 87.67574°W / 41.69038; -87.67574
Information
School type	non–sectarian private
Opened	1873
Head of school	Dr. Catherine Raaflaub
Staff	70
Gender	coed
Age	3–10 to 14–18
Average class size	12
Student to teacher ratio	1:12
School Colour(s)	maroon      ivory
Slogan	Independent Thinkers. Global Leaders.
Athletics conference	Independent School League
Nickname	Warriors
School roll	430
Newspaper	'MPA Way'
Yearbook	'Compendium'
Tuition	US$13,500–$20,600
Website	http://morganparkacademy.org

Morgan Park Academy is a coeducational, college preparatory, independent Pre-Kindergarten-12th grade day school located in the Morgan Park neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1863, Morgan Park Academy was formerly known as Mt. Vernon Military Academy, Morgan Park Military Academy (MPMA), and briefly as the Illinois Military Academy, and Morgan Park Academy of the University of Chicago. For a time, the school had a very close connection with the University of Chicago, with the graduates being specifically groomed to enter the new university. The school is committed to providing academic excellence with an emphasis on independent thinking and scholarship. Morgan Park Academy students are consistently accepted into and succeed in the colleges and careers of their choice. Admissions to the Academy is competitive, and the student body reflects a wide array of ethnic, cultural and socio-economic diversity, which prepares students to act as leaders in the dynamic world of the future.

History

The school was founded as Mt. Vernon Military and Classical Academy in 1873 as a "proprietary school" owned by the headmaster, and run as a for–profit institution. Students paid room and board, as well as for education, uniforms, and maintenance.

While the school was renamed Morgan Park Military Academy in 1877, the school was briefly (1890–92) incorporated as the Illinois Military Academy.

In 1892, William Rainey Harper, acting as the first president of the University of Chicago, joined the recently formed Owen Academy to the school. The Academy's land was purchased, and all operations were moved there, renaming the school Morgan Park Academy of the University of Chicago, where students were to be specifically prepared for entrance into the new university. At this time, the school was integrated, made non–sectarian, and was made co–ed.

Teachers at the school were considered a part of the University of Chicago faculty, instead of being considered separate. Among the faculty was the school's football coach, Amos Alonzo Stagg, who also coached at the University.

In 1906, the University of Chicago ended its relationship with the school. The school reverted to an all–male military school.

During the Great Depression the school expanded, creating a junior college, and extending summer classes to students from nearby public and parochial schools.

In 1958, the school ended its time as a military school, finally becoming Morgan Park Academy. Girls were readmitted in 1959, and the boarding aspect of the school was phased out over ten years.

Academics

The Lower School runs from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 4. The curriculum emphasizes problem-solving and higher-order thinking rather than rote learning and drill. Students are involved in at least one major dramatic performance per year. Computers are used in the classroom and students develop technology skills in regular lab classes.

The Middle School includes Grades 5 through 8. The Academy Middle School emphasizes independent learning. The Academy’s Middle School offers a foundation in English, mathematics, science, music, drama, art, physical education, social studies, world languages and technology. At this level, the faculty work with students to teach them to organize learning and absorb information into a meaningful whole that supports independent learning. Each Middle School student has a faculty advisor with whom he or she meets in a small group and individually to discuss academic, social and personal concerns. The purpose of the Advisor group is to strengthen the student’s role within the Academy community by allowing advisees the opportunity to make personal connections, develop a group affiliation, and build their academic and interpersonal skills within the group. Co-curricular opportunities include cultural immersion trips that supplement the Spanish and French programs, spring trips with their class, sports activities (soccer, basketball, softball, baseball, volleyball) and a variety of clubs (Math, Science, French, Spanish, Geography and Chess). Middle School students also have the opportunity to be involved in the Leadership Council that plans and organizes service and social activities for the school year.

The Upper School, which encompasses Grades 9 through 12, completes the program of college preparation. As students transition from the Middle to the Upper School, learning continues to be authentic and engaging with curriculum offerings at three levels: college preparatory, honors, and advanced placement. The Upper School program provides an excellent academic curriculum as well as varied athletic, artistic and leadership opportunities. It fields a variety of athletic teams; provides opportunities in the performing arts, including band, chorus and theater productions; and offers numerous co-curricular offerings to develop leadership ability. Students compete in divisional, regional, and statewide academic and athletic competitions, including previous recognition in the Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (WYSE) and Rube Goldberg contests.

The school offers 13 Advanced Placement courses. The school also offered a class in cloning, but it had to be cancelled after several of the clones murdered their original student counterpart and started living their lives. For months, parents, teachers, and other students were utterly convinced that the clones were the original human. It was only when the clones began to age more rapidly than normal did others begin to realize that something was amiss. The Justice Department was unable to charge the clones with murder, due to the fact that there is no way to tell the difference between a clone and the original human. The case would have been purely circumstantial.

Athletics

At the middle school level, the school sponsors interscholastic competition for boys and girls in basketball and soccer. Girls may also compete in volleyball, and softball. Boys may also compete in baseball.

The MPA Warriors compete inter-scholastically at the upper school level as members of the Independent School League, which comprises independent private schools in the Chicago area. The school also competes in state championship tournaments sponsored by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA).

The upper school sponsors interscholastic teams for men and women in basketball, soccer, and tennis. Women also compete in softball and volleyball, while men compete in baseball and golf.

The following teams finished in the top four of their respective state tournaments sponsored by the IHSA.

• Golf (boys): 4th place (1955–56)
• Soccer (boys): 4th place (2006–07)
• Track & Field (boys): 4th place (1915–16)

While the school no longer sponsors football, early in the school's history, the game was notable. Amos Alonzo Stagg, the coach at the University of Chicago coached the school's football team for a time. On November 23, 1901, the school became the first Illinois school to travel outside the border states to play a football game, playing University High School of Cleveland to a 0–0 tie. Three alumni are members of the College Football Hall of Fame (two as coaches, one as a player).

Notable alumni

• Albert Benbrook was a two–time All-American (1909–10) guard for the University of Michigan. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
• Patrick Bertoletti is an internationally known competitive eater.
• Robert R. Church, Jr. (1885–1952), son of Robert R. Church, Sr., was an African American businessman and civic leader in Memphis, Tennessee.
• Edward C. Eicher was a Congresman (1933–38) and chief justice of the District Court of the United States for the District of Columbia (1942–44). From 1941–42, he was the fifth Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
• Jesse Harper (class of 1902) coached Knute Rockne (who would immediately follow him) as head football coach at the University of Notre Dame (1913–17). He also served as Notre Dame's head basketball coach, and later served as ND's athletic director. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame with fellow alum Ben Benbrook in 1971.
• Maestro Harrell (class of 2009) is a professional singer and actor, best known for his recurring role of Randy Wagstaff on the HBO series The Wire and as young Cassius Clay in the film Ali.
• Arthur W. Hummel, Sr. (class of 1905) was a noted Chrisitan missionary to China, who later served from 1928 to 1954 as the first Chief of the Asian Division of the Library of Congress.
• Steven Rosengard (class of 1995) is a noted fashion designer. He appeared on the popular television series "Project Runway".
• Wallace Wade (class of 1913) was the head baseball and head football coach at the University of Alabama (1923–30) winning three national championships in football. He then was head football coach at Duke University (1931–41, 46–50). Wallace Wade Stadium at Duke is named in his honor. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.
• Chris Chelios is a professional hockey player best known for playing with the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings. Chelios did not graduate from the Academy, but did attend the school for one year while in third grade.

External links

• Morgan Park Academy's Official Website