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The History of Hales Franciscan High School |
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 16 December 2008 21:55 |
The History of Hales Franciscan High School
The year was 1946. World War II was over; members of the armed forces were coming home to build new lives and return to jobs. New housing sprouted nationwide; schools began filling as families formed and grew.
In Chicago, one such school was Corpus Christi High School. It had no new facilities like some other schools. Instead, it lodged in the former Mt. Sinai Temple at 46th and South Parkway, which later became King Drive.
But it had the commitment, traditions, beliefs, and direction of the Franciscan Friars of the Sacred Heart Province. The Franciscans are a group of religious men who follow the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi. Founded in the 13th Century, Franciscans dedicate their lives to poverty, chastity, obedience, and the good of their fellow man. St. Francis’ example included giving up everything, even the clothes he was wearing, to help others. His Feast Day is celebrated annually on October 4.
This commitment to social justice and the needs of the poor was the keystone at Corpus Christi, the predecessor of Hales Franciscan High School.
Franciscan priests and Brothers, Franciscan Sisters from Dubuque, and lay men and women staffed Corpus Christi, then a coeducational high school. It became an all-boys school in 1957, when the Sisters left. The “Archdiocese of Chicago Institutional History” lists its principals as Fathers Dennis Hall; Fabian Metz; Daniel O’Connell; and Alcuin Kirberg.
Plans for a new school had been in the works for ten years. The land at 49th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue became available when the Sisters of Mercy moved St. Xavier College to a new location. The Archdiocese of Chicago made the land available to the Franciscans.
Following the close of Corpus Christi High School, Hales Franciscan was established to carry on the mission of educating young, African-American males at a time when there were few opportunities for them to receive a quality, private education. Msgr. William McManus and Mayor Richard J. Daley laid the cornerstone on September 8, 1961. The new Hales Franciscan High School, named after Alexander of Hales, a Franciscan scholar in the Middle Ages, opened to young men in 1962.
Since its founding, Hales Franciscan High School has celebrated African-American heritage and endeavored to instill cultural pride. Hales is an independent Catholic school dedicated to the Franciscan tradition of providing quality, value-centered education to African American males to develop the academic, personal, moral, and social skills needed to be confident leaders in the community. It is committed to offering a rigorous academic curriculum, including an Honors program, a competitive athletic program, religious education, and pastoral, personal and college counseling.
Hales Franciscan High School, an all-male Catholic college preparatory school, is a not-for-profit, independent high school, fully accredited by the North Central Association and certified by the Illinois State Board of Education.
Shortly after Hales opened its doors, Father Phil Hogan, O.F.M., joined the faculty, and he remains at Hales to this day. In the intervening years, the Franciscan presence and influence has remained, and although Hales became a financially independent, not-for-profit Catholic school in 1992, its bylaws specify that three priests from the Franciscan Order join the Lay Board of Trustees in governing the school.
Hales Franciscan High School looks to the future with confidence and anticipation, knowing that with the open and collaborative participation of parents, alumni, higher education institutions, religious organizations, the business community and civic groups; it will be able to continue to serve the community by producing leaders who will make a positive contribution to the world.
The Need for Renovation
The Hales school building remains unchanged since its founding in 1962. Only the most needed repairs have been made, but “Building Opportunities: The Campaign for Hales Franciscan High School,” hopes to rectify that situation by raising $15 million to upgrade facilities and programs. The goal of the Building Opportunities renovation project is to restore and update the school’s original building; upgrade the mathematics, science and technology capabilities; broaden the school’s commitment to the fine arts; and provide modern athletic facilities.
Before any renovation activity can begin, however, it was decided that a plan must first be developed to provide a roadmap for this endeavor.
The Development of the Hales Franciscan Facility Master Plan
To ensure the development of the Hales Facility Master Plan was a truly collaborative effort, a project team was established, made up of members of the various Hales Franciscan constituency groups; Trustees, Franciscans, school administration, faculty, students, parents, alumni, and the neighborhood community. FGM Architects & Engineers was engaged to assist in the development of the Hales Master Plan by organizing the development process, facilitating the planning sessions, developing and refining solutions selected by the project team, including preparing cost estimates, and preparing the final Master Plan report.
In addition to FGM conducting a detailed analysis of the existing facility, the development of the Hales Facility Master plan was driven by the outcomes of three comprehensive planning sessions, Forums 1, 2 and 3.
The objective of Forum 1 was to develop a vision for the school’s facilities. Current societal/national trends, technological trends, and educational facility design trends were presented to provide a foundation for the planning discussion. After extensive dialog about the vision for the renewed Hales Franciscan High School, the following themes emerged:
• The school will reflect the nature of the students–African-American young men
• The building will reflect the character of a College Preparatory School
• The building will reflect the heritage of the Franciscan value of charism and the role of spirituality in a balanced life
• The building will be technology intensive, with planning for future change
• The building should celebrate learning
• A positive environment communicates a message that the school is an important resource, valued by the Board, school administration, faculty, students, alumni, and the community
• The facility should reflect current thinking about sustainable design to the extent possible, as well as be easily maintained
The objective of Forum 2 was to develop the space program for the renewed school, including considerations for space types, sizes and quantities. The most significant needs expressed from a program space standpoint were:
• Science labs and support spaces (3,800 SF to 6,600 SF)
• Library/Media Center/Computer Labs (2,900 SF to 7,400 SF)
• Student Commons (0 SF to 2,000 SF)
• Administrative offices/meeting rooms ( not area as much as location, type and organization)
• Athletic support spaces (6,000 SF to 10,000 SF)
• Fine Arts spaces (0SF to 10,000 SF)
During Forum 3, the project team reviewed three (3) renovation options that were derived from the outcomes of Forums 1 and 2. The most dynamic of the three options was selected, which FGM refined based on further discussion with the project team.
Following the project team’s selection, FGM developed conceptual site plans, floor plans, renderings and cost estimates to complete the Facility Master Plan. The Hales Franciscan Facility Master Plan is comprised of five (5) major phases:
Phase 1 – the complete renovation and upgrade of the building systems and finishes in the existing building, including programmatic alterations within the existing building to meet educational program needs, including science labs. In this phase, the building will receive a new roof, new heating-ventilating-air conditioning system, electrical service upgrade, new electrical power distribution system, new lighting, new fire alarm and security systems, new plumbing system, including fixtures and piping, new finishes, furniture and equipment.
Phase 2 – an addition to the north of the existing building that will encompass a new main entry, administration, library/media/computer center, student commons, and associated site work, including parking lot upgrades and a new entry plaza/garden.
Phase 3 – a future addition to the south of the existing building for a fine arts wing, including a multipurpose auditorium space with a stage.
Phase 4 – a future addition to the south of the existing gymnasium to accommodate a health/wellness center expansion of the existing physical education and athletic facilities, including an auxiliary gym, expanded training facilities, etc.
Phase 5 – new track, new football field, new bleachers and support facilities, and lighting with an option to delete the track and configure the site for a football and baseball field.
The primary focus of the facility master planning sessions concentrated on phases 1 and 2, which can reasonably be supported by the $15 million target of the Building Opportunities Capital Campaign. Once a funding strategy for phases 3, 4 and 5 is established, further planning will be undertaken to develop the detail required for implementation.
In the meantime, Hales continues to serve young men of promise from families of every economic background, all of whom want their sons to become competent, well-educated leaders committed to social justice, personal excellence, and moral integrity. With the help of the capital campaign, and by the grace of God, Hales will continue to be a beacon of hope for African Americans. |
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