Cooley Vocational High School

Edwin Gilbert Cooley Vocational High School (commonly known as Cooley High, Cooley Vocational High School and Upper Grade Center) was a public 4–year vocational high school and middle school located in the Old Town neighborhood on the Near North Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Cooley was a part of the Chicago Public Schools district 299. The school opened in 1958, serving grades 7 through 12. The school was named after Edwin Gilbert Cooley (1857–1923), who was superintendent of Chicago public schools from 1900 to 1909.[2][3][4] The school closed in June 1979 due to issues within the school and building.

Cooley Vocational High School
Address
1225 N. Sedgwick Street

Chicago
,
Illinois
60610

United States
Coordinates41.9053°N 87.6381°W / 41.9053; -87.6381
Information
School typePublic Secondary Vocational
Established1958
StatusDemolished; 1980
Closed1979
School districtChicago Public Schools
Grades7–12
GenderCoed
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)     Orange
     Black
Athletics conferenceChicago Public League
Team nameComets
AccreditationNorth Central Association of Colleges and Schools
YearbookComets' Trails[1]
Websiteillinoishsglorydays.com/id838.html

History

Built in 1907, The building located at Sedgwick Avenue and Division Street was the original location for Albert G. Lane Manual Training High School (now known as Lane Tech College Prep), a then all boys vocational school which opened the following year. By 1931, Lane's enrollment had soared to 7,000, which caused over-crowding issues within the building. The Chicago Board of Education chose a new site for Lane which opened in 1934. Once Lane moved from the location, The building then housed Washburne Technical High School (which later became known as Washburne Trade School). Washburne occupied the building until the neighborhood's population grew to record high numbers. At that time Cabrini-Green, a public housing project located around the school population had reached about 15,000 residents. Due to this, It became a need for another public high school in the community to prevent over crowding at nearby Lincoln Park High School (then known as Waller High School) and Wells High School.

In January 1958, Washburne's location moved to the south side of the city and Chicago Public Schools purposed Cooley High School for the now vacant building. Cooley, a public neighborhood vocational high school with an upper grade center (seventh and eighth grade program). Cooley opened in September 1958 for the 1958–59 school year. When Cooley opened, The student body was considered diverse; half populated by whites. By the end of the 1963–64 school year, the black student population at the school had increased while the white population decreased drastically by 78%. By 1967, the school's student body was predominately African-American with a percentage of 98%, most of whom lived in Cabrini. In 1975, the Board of Education decided to phase out Cooley due to its low academic performance, the poor condition of the building and the lack of vocational programs. The school was closed after the 1978–79 school year and demolished in February 1980. Cooley was replaced by Near North Career Metropolitan High School, which opened in September 1979.

Other information

On September 22, 1969, 17–year old junior Johnnie Veal was attacked in the school's basement, resulting in his throat being slashed. The attack was prompted by his switch in street gang affiliation the previous day. Veal was found around 11:30 a.m. by the school's security guard. He survived the attack.[5]

Dr. Edward C. Bennett served as principal of the school from August 1970 until it was closed in June 1979.[6]

Athletics

Cooley competed in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and was a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). The school's sport teams were known as the Comets.

The high school was the subject of the 1975 film Cooley High, written by Eric Monte, an alumnus of the real-life Cooley High who based the film on his experiences attending the school and growing up in Cabrini-Green. Cooley High was also mentioned in songs by rappers such as Nas and the Wu-Tang Clan. The R&B group Boyz II Men named their first album Cooleyhighharmony as an homage to the school.

Notable alumni

References
  1. "1962 Cooley High School Yearbook(Chicago, Illinois)." Classmates.com. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  2. "Edwin Cooley Is Dead In Chicago; Prominent Educator and Former Head of Cresco Schools Dies at Age of 67." The Howard County (IA) Times, 1923. pg. 3. McCarville, Jill. "Cooley, Edwin G. (1857-1923)." www.iagenweb.org, June 7, 2013.
  3. "Cooley, Edwin Gilbert (1857-1923)." Jane Addams Digital Edition. www.digital.janeaddams.ramapo.edu. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  4. "Edwin G. Cooley: The Success of a Clayton County School Teacher." Elkader Register and Argus, February 25, 1909. pg. 2, C4. Johnson, Ken. "Edwin G. Cooley." www.iagenweb.org, June 13, 2005. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  5. "Tower Ticker (July 23, 1970)". Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  6. "Education Board Names Principal (August 27, 1970)". Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  7. Cox, Ted. "Jerry Butler: Soul Survivor". Retrieved July 18, 2016.
  8. "Rev. Marvin Yancy Dies Of Heart Attack In Chicago". Jet Magazine. April 8, 1985.
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