Corliss High School
George Henry Corliss High School (commonly known as Corliss High School) is a public 4–year high school located in the Pullman neighborhood on the far south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Corliss is operated by the Chicago Public Schools district. Opened in September 1974, The school is named in the honor of American mechanical engineer and inventor George Henry Corliss.
| Corliss High School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
821 E. 103rd Street , 60628 United States | |
| Coordinates | 41.7064°N 87.6026°W |
| Information | |
| School type | |
| Motto | In Pursuit Of Excellence. |
| Established | 1971 |
| School district | Chicago Public Schools |
| CEEB code | 140763[1] |
| Principal | Kevin Coppage[2] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Gender | Coed |
| Enrollment | 298 (2022–2023)[2] |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Color(s) | Black Gold[3] |
| Athletics conference | Chicago Public League[3] |
| Team name | Trojans[3] |
| Accreditation | North Central Association of Colleges and Schools[4] |
| Newspaper | The Trojanaire |
| Yearbook | Epoch |
| Website | newcorlisshs |
History
During the 1970–1971 school year, the residents of the community areas located on far south side requested to James F. Redmond, the General Superintendent of Chicago Schools,[5][6] that two new high schools were needed to relieve overcrowding at the already two existing schools, Harlan and Fenger. At the time, both schools had an enrollment of approx. 2,500; surpassing the buildings' capacity. The school proposals were approved by the Chicago Board of Education and construction on Corliss began in 1973 (construction on the other requested school which became known as Percy L. Julian High School began in 1974). Designed by Myron Goldsmith, The school was completed in two phases; beginning in August 1973 and concluding in July 1974.[7]
The school opened to freshman and sophomore classes, totaling 800 students, for the 1974–1975 school year in September 1974. The following year, an additional 1,100 students enrolled. The initial name of the school, Corliss High School, came from its location being 103rd Street and Corliss Avenue. It was later renamed George Henry Corliss High School after inventor George Henry Corliss and dedicated to him on May 15, 1976. The school's first senior class graduation occurred in June 1977.[8]
Facilities
In honor of the African-American heritage, Corliss has named different facilities within the school after famous African-Americans. The school auditorium was named in honor of the composer-pianist Duke Ellington, which is called "Ellington Hall". The physical education building was named for the baseball player Jackie Robinson. The library media center named for the Harlem Renaissance poet Arna Bontemps. The school is divided into three subunits known as "houses" which was created to provide a smaller school atmosphere within a large school.
Other information
In 2012, the school joined the Chicago Public Schools' STEM program.[9] Since 2013, Corliss has shared its campus with Butler College Preparatory High School, a public charter school which is a part of the Noble Network of Charter Schools.[10]
Athletics
Corliss competes in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). The school's sports teams are nicknamed the Trojans. The boys' football team were Class 5A and qualified for state finals three times; 1981–82, 2002–03 and 2004–05. For the 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons, The boys' basketball team were Class 2A and regional champions under the leadership of coach Harvey Jones.[11]
Notable alumni
- Anthony Beale (Class of 1986) — Alderman, City of Chicago (9th ward).
- Eddie Johnson (Class of 1978) — police officer, former Chicago Police Department superintendent.[12]
- Antwon Tanner (attended) — Actor, (Moesha, The Parkers, One Tree Hill).
- Darrell Walker (Class of 1979) — former NBA guard, (New York Knicks, Washington Bullets) (1983–1993).[13]
References
- "High School Code Search". College Board. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
- "George H. Corliss HS". Chicago Public Schools. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
- "Chicago (Corliss)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). December 31, 2009. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
- "Institution Summary for Corliss High School". AdvancED profile. North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
- Drugs in Our Schools. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
- Chicago Public Schools: Ensuring Diversity in Selective Enrollment and Magnet Schools. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- Contemporary Architects – Myron Goldsmith. Retrieved on 13 November 2019.
- Corliss High School History. Retrieved on July 31, 2012.
- School History. Retrieved on August 11, 2013.
- Corliss High School to Share Building with New Charter School Archived August 20, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- IHSA Chicago (Corliss)
- Chicago Tribune, New police boss: Eddie Johnson knows of racial profiling from his youth, By Jeremy Gorner and Annie Sweeney, Mar 31, 2016 at 9:35 pm
- "Darrell Walker". statistics and biographic information. Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved January 2, 2010.