Resurrection College Prep HS invites alumnae to pep rally for its 100th anniversary celebration on Friday, April 1
by BRIAN NADIG
Resurrection College Prep High School, which has graduated almost 15,000 students since it was founded in 1922, will hold a kick-off pep rally for its centennial celebration at 1:30 p.m. Friday, April 1, at the school, 7500 W. Talcott Ave.
The school is calling the rally a celebration of “100 years of education young women.” The school website states, “Today Resurrection incorporates cutting-edge academic programs and activities that prepare young women for success in college, career and life.”
In 1912, the Sisters of the Resurrection purchased land along Talcott Avenue and two years later opened an elementary school for girls and boys and a boarding school for girls. By 1922, the all-girls high school opened and the elementary school, called Resurrection Academy, only enrolled girls.
“After World War II the population on Chicago’s Far Northwest Side increased rapidly, causing a dramatic increase in enrollment. In 1954, to help further relieve some of the capacity issues, the boarding program ended and plans to build a gymnasium began in 1955.
“In determining the location of the gymnasium, the decision to build an entirely new high school facility on the corner of Talcott and Oriole avenues was proposed and accepted. In 1961 the elementary department was phased out, since by that time there were sufficient parish schools in the area to accommodate the children,” the Web site states.
The current school building opened in 1962, and in 1997 an $11-million improvement project added two state-of-the-art science labs, two computer labs, a technology center with Internet capabilities, a 36-station fitness center, as well as air conditioning throughout the facility.
“(In 2017) when the Sisters of the Resurrection recognized that the dwindling number of Sisters would make it impossible for them to continue operating Resurrection College Prep High School, they conducted an exhaustive search to find a new sponsor. After on-going discussions, the Christian Brothers of the Midwest stepped forward to welcome Resurrection into their Lasallian network of schools and an announcement was made in May 2019 regarding the sponsorship transition.
“The transition became complete on August 28, 2020, and we celebrate that Resurrection College Prep High School has become a Lasallian school in the Resurrection tradition, honoring the school’s past, present, and future,” the Web site states. Christian Brothers also operates Saint Patrick High School, 5900 W. Belmont Ave.
Resurrection has an enrollment of about 465, and its student population represents more than 100 private and public grammar schools.
Resurrection asks alumnae interested in attending the pep rally to RSVP at www.reshs.org
