Fenwick High School is a private
Catholic college preparatory school located in Oak Park, a town in Cook County, Illinois that is bordered by Chicago on the north, east, River Forest and Forest Park on the West, and Cicero and Berwyn on the south. Fenwick was founded in 1929[2] and is a ministry of the Province of St. Albert the Great (
Dominican Friars). It is the only school directly operated and staffed by the Order of Preachers (Dominican friars) in the United States.[3] It is named in honor of the first
Bishop of Cincinnati, Dominican friar
Edward Dominic Fenwick, O.P.. Fr. Richard Peddicord, O.P. has served as president of Fenwick High School since July 1, 2012. After a nearly year-long principal search, it was announced in April 2023 that Mark Rasar would be the next principal of Fenwick.[4] On December 4, 2023, it was announced that Rasar would be leaving abruptly, after less than 6 months in the role. President Fr. Richard Peddicord, O.P. will serve as interim principal until a replacement is found.[5]
History
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 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 the
University of Notre Dame in the Midwest and
Georgetown University on the East Coast, similar to
Phillips Academy Andover's matriculation to
Yale,
Portsmouth Abbey School's matriculation to
Fordham University and
Boston College and
Phillips Exeter Academy's matriculation to
Harvard. Today, Fenwick's students matriculate to many top American and international universities.[6] 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. Fenwick became coeducational in 1992, rather than raise tuition costs or see enrollment decline.[7] Today, Fenwick is known as a secondary school. Students have access to many athletic facilities, including a
baseball field, two football fields, a softball diamond, a pool, and a soccer field on the campus of Fenwick's Dominican Priory in the nearby suburb of
River Forest.
Since its founding, Fenwick has maintained a 100% college matriculation rate.[8]
In 1983, Fenwick was selected by the
U.S. Department of Education as a
Blue Ribbon School.[9] 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.[8] For 2009, Fenwick's 290 student class had 211 of them receive 718 academic scholarships to top universities around the country with the monetary value of these awards in excess of $16,000,000 (up from $13,900,000 in 2008–2007, $12,555,800 in 2007-2006 and 9,370,000 in 2006– 2005). The 2009 graduating class also boasted 187 Presidential Scholars and 30 National Merit Finalists, with 22 additional receiving commendation for being named to the top 5% in the nation.[10] Fenwick's 2010–2011 class achieved $40,000,000 in merit based scholarships.[11]
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, its all-girls counterpart run by the Dominican Sisters.[3] 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, Indiana.[12] 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 by the Arch at
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.[13]
Fenwick is the only high school in the United States owned and operated by the Dominican Order.[3]
Academics
The first sentence of the school's philosophy statement, defines the school as a "college preparatory high school".[14] Students are required to study four years of theology, English, mathematics, and a foreign language in order to graduate.[15]
As a part of the third-year theology course, students are required to plan and conduct a "Christian Service Project". The project requires a minimum of thirty hours of service, no more than 20 of which may be completed prior to the start of the student's junior year.[16]
Prior to the institution of a state playoff system for football in the 1970s, Fenwick competed to play in the Prep Bowl, which pitted the champions of the CCL against the champion of the
Chicago Public League. Fenwick won two
Prep Bowl titles at the game's usual home of
Soldier Field. The first was in 1945, when a crowd of 80,000 fans saw Fenwick defeat
Tilden High School, 20–6. The second was in 1962, and saw Fenwick defeat
Schurz High School, 40–0. The win not only capped an undefeated season, but was played before over 91,000 fans; the third-largest crowd to witness a high school football game in Illinois history. The 1945 game is tied for seventh in terms of crowd size.[18]
Sports Illustrated has added Fenwick to its list of the "50 Best High School Athletic Programs in the Country", recognizing Fenwick as having the best athletic program in Illinois.[19] Fenwick's 2006–2007 swimming and swim/polo teams produced 12 NISCA Academic All-American athletes.[20][21] For 2009, two state championships were achieved in water polo, 11 regional, sectional or supersectional championships were earned, along with 15 conference titles. There were also 17 All-State athletes, 19 All-American athletes and 12 All-Academic athletes named. Five students were granted NCAA athletic scholarships.[22]
Non-athletic activities
Fenwick's academic teams are also highly competitive. The Math Team was state champion in 2002, in large part to the great teaching of Roger Finnell, a teacher there for 50 years now,[23] and has also been the highest scoring private school in the AA Division for 14 years in a row.[24] 2009 marks the 16th consecutive year for Fenwick's Math Team to qualify for state.[6]
The Wick (school newspaper), The Blackfriars Yearbook, and the Touchstone (literary magazine), have all been recognized with awards by the American Scholastic Press Association. The 2006–2007 edition of Touchstone was awarded first place with special honors by the American Scholastic Press Association, placing Fenwick's publication at the top 5% of all high school literary publications in the country. Touchstone has earned 970/1000 possible points by the American Scholastic Press Association, thereby allowing it to be a contender for the "Most Outstanding High School Literary and Art Magazine".[6][25]
Notable alumni
This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's
verifiability policy. Please
improve this article by removing names that do not have independent
reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate
citations.(September 2017)
Public service and politics
Daniel Cronin (class of 1977) is a former DuPage County Board chairman and a former
Illinois State senator representing Illinois' 21st Legislative District (1993–2010).[26]
William J. Cullerton (class of 1941),
World War II flying ace and radio host. He was taken prisoner by the
Gestapo, shot and left to die, but survived, then escaped and returned to the U.S., where he was inducted into the Illinois Military Aviation Hall of Fame. He was the 4th highest ace of World War II with a total of 29 hits, flying a
P-51 Mustang called "Miss Steve".[27][28][29]
Major General
Michael D. Healy (class of 1945). U.S. Army from 1945 to 1981. Highly decorated for valor in the Korean War and Vietnam War. Commanded the United States Army John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance/Institute for Military Assistance (now Special Warfare Center and School). Served as the inspiration for Colonel Mike in the book and movie The Green Berets.
Anne Smedinghoff (class of 2005) was an American diplomat who served in Venezuela and Afghanistan. She died on April 6, 2013, while serving her country in a diplomatic mission in Zabul province, Afghanistan.[34]
^Fandal, O.P., Damian (September 26, 1978).
"To the Dominican Laity – 1979". Dominicans: Order of Preachers. Archived from
the original on December 9, 2006. Retrieved May 29, 2007.
^"Wisconsin Approaches Coryell for Grid Coach". Chicago Tribune. December 5, 1969. p. C1.
ProQuest168960005. It was revealed earlier today that Hirsch also talked with UCLA Assistant Coach John Jardine ... Before that, he coached at Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Ill. and compiled a 51–6–1 record ...[dead link]