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St. Ignatius College Prep

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Saint Ignatius College Preparatory School
Location
1076 West Roosevelt Road
Chicago, Illinois
60608-1594
United States
41°52′3″N 87°39′15″W / 41.86750°N 87.65417°W
Information
Type Private college-preparatory school
Motto Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam
(For the Greater Glory of God) unofficial motto: "Ignatius starts with I and ends with us"
Religious affiliation Catholic
Denomination Jesuit
Patron saint Ignatius of Loyola
Established 1869
Founder Fr. Arnold Damen, S.J.
Authority Archdiocese of Chicago
Oversight Society of Jesus
CEEB code 141170
NCES School ID 01601838[1]
President John J. Chandler[2]
Principal Dr. Sterling Brown[3]
Teaching staff 87.6 (on an FTE basis)[1]
Grades 9–12[1]
Gender Coeducational[1]
Enrollment 1,373[1] (2019–2020)
Average class size 25[4]
Student to teacher ratio 16:3[1]
Hours in school day 7[1]
Campus size 23 acres (9.3 ha)
Campus type Urban[1]
Colors Maroon and gold[5]
Athletics conference CCL
GCAC[5]
Sports Baseball
Basketball
Softball
Ice Hockey
Volleyball
Football
Chess
Field hockey
Rowing
Soccer
Lacrosse
Rugby
Tennis
Water polo
Golf
Sailing
Swimming
Diving
Mascot Wolf
Team name Wolfpack[5]
Accreditation NCA[6]
Publication Phantasm[7]
Newspaper Spirit[7]
Yearbook Prep[7]
Endowment $34 million[8]
School fees $2,000
Annual tuition $22,600 (2025-2026)[9]
Affiliation JSEA NCEA[1]
Website www.ignatius.org
St. Ignatius College Prep
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Chicago Landmark
Location Chicago, Illinois
Coordinates 41°52′3″N 87°39′15″W / 41.86750°N 87.65417°W
Built 1870
Architect Toussaint Menard[10]
Architectural style Second Empire
NRHP reference No. 77000480[11]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP November 17, 1977
Designated CHICL March 18, 1987
Exterior of St. Ignatius College Prep in December 2010

Saint Ignatius College Prep is a private, coeducational Jesuit college-preparatory school located in the Near West Side neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The school was founded in Chicago in 1869 by Fr. Arnold Damen, S.J., a Dutch missionary to the United States. Saint Ignatius College Prep is Chicago's flagship Jesuit high school and one of the preeminent Catholic college preparatory schools in the United States.

Campus

The campus of Saint Ignatius College Prep is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. The school's main building was designed by Canadian architect Toussaint Menard in Second Empire style and opened in 1870. The original school building is one of only five existing Chicago structures to predate the Great Fire of 1871.

The school began on two acres of land and now occupies a 26-acre campus. The campus includes the original building and modern facilities adjacent to the University of Illinois at Chicago, and is located 1.5 miles southwest of Chicago's Loop. Among the unique spaces is the 1887-88 Brunswick Room featuring elaborate cabinets and woodwork installed by the Brunswick Company for the school's natural history museum, the Foglia Library, the “Chicago gallery” of architectural artifacts in the Driehaus building, and Father Damen's office. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, St. Ignatius College Prep was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1987.

History

Inception

In 1836, the Dutch Jesuit Fr. Arnold Damen, S.J. (March 20, 1815, Leur, Netherlands – January 1, 1890, Omaha, Nebraska),[12] was recruited to work with Native Americans in the Dakotas by Fr. Peter De Smet, S.J. In 1844 he was ordained a priest in Missouri. In 1857, Damen was first assigned to Chicago to start a parish for Irish immigrants on Chicago's near-West Side, then an area of the sprawling prairie. The construction of the Holy Family Church was completed in 1860.[12]

The culmination of Father Arnold J. Damen, S.J.'s work in Chicago, the St. Ignatius campus was opened in 1870 as St. Ignatius College. Loyola University originated from this institution but, since 1922, St. Ignatius has operated solely as a college preparatory school. The Second Empire-style edifice is among the oldest in the city, a rare and distinctive example of institutional designs pre-dating the Chicago Fire of 1871. It was designated a Chicago Landmark in 1987.[13]

Admissions

Demographics

The demographic breakdown by race/ethnicity of the 1,373 students enrolled for the 2023–2024 school year was:[1]

Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity 2019–2020[1]
White Hispanic Black Two or More Races Asian American Indian/Alaska Native
924 271 125 104 64 4

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

Saint Ignatius competes in the Chicago Catholic League (CCL) and the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference (GCAC)[14] and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which governs most sports and competitive activities in the state. The school's teams are stylized as the "Wolfpack".

Notable alumni

  • Chloe Bennet (2010), actress and singer known[15]
  • Charles Bidwill, owner of the Chicago Cardinals (1933–47); inducted in 1967 into the Pro Football Hall of Fame[16][15]
  • Lawrence Biondi (1957), President of St. Louis University[15]
  • Joseph A. Bracken (1948), Jesuit philosopher
  • Andre Braugher (1980), was an American actor. He was best known for his roles as Detective Frank Pembleton in the police drama series Homicide: Life on the Street (1993–1999), used car salesman Owen Thoreau Jr. in the comedy-drama series Men of a Certain Age (2009–2011), and Captain Raymond Holt in the police comedy series Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013–2021).[15]
  • Tom Campbell (1969), California politician
  • Charles Comiskey (1877), American professional baseball player, manager, and team owner.
  • John P. Daley (1965), Cook County Commissioner[15]
  • William M. Daley (1966), former White House Chief of Staff under Barack Obama and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce (1997–2000)[17][18]
  • Richard Driehaus (1960), businessman and philanthropist; namesake of the Driehaus Prize given in architecture[19]
  • John Joseph Duda (1995), actor[20]
  • Nnanna Egwu (2011), professional basketball player, former center for Illinois Fighting Illini[21]
  • Kenard Gibbs (1982), Chief x Executive Officer of Soul Train Holdings and co-founder of MadVision Entertainment.
  • Mellody Hobson (1987), Co-CEO of Ariel Investments; also TV correspondent in the field of finance; married to filmmaker George Lucas[22]
  • Joseph D. Kearney (1982), dean at Marquette University Law School
  • Mary Kwasny (née Morrissey, 1988), biostatistician at Northwestern University[23]
  • Dan Lipinski (1984), former U.S. Representative representing Illinois's 3rd congressional district (2005–2021)[24]
  • Michael Madigan (1960), former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives[18][25]
  • John J. McNichols, Illinois state representative and lawyer[26]
  • Stanley Miarka, Negro league baseball second baseman[27]
  • John Mulaney (2000), Emmy-winning standup comedian and former writer on Saturday Night Live[15]
  • Bob Newhart (1947), actor and comedian (Newhart, The Bob Newhart Show)[28]
  • Gina Rodriguez (2002), Golden Globe winner, actor [29]
  • Marty Russo, Former United States Representative.
  • Justin Scott (2024), college football defensive tackle for the Miami Hurricanes[30]
  • Casey Siemaszko, actor best known for his starring roles in Three O'Clock High and Young Guns.[31]
  • Michael Sorrell (1984), President of Paul Quinn College.
  • Todd Stroger (1981), former Cook County Board President[32]
  • Ed Sweeney, (1905), starting catcher for New York Yankees[33]
  • Robin Tunney (1990), actress
  • Michael Wilbon (1976), sports columnist for The Washington Post and host, commentator, and analyst for ESPN.[34]
  • Jamila Woods (2007), singer, songwriter, and poet

Notable faculty

  • David Abidor (born 1992), Men's Varsity assistant soccer coach (Jul 2021 - Jul 2022), and soccer player[35]
  • Johnny Bach (2010–2011), Men's basketball volunteer assistant coach[36]

See also

References

  1. Back to citation occurrence 1.00 Back to citation occurrence 1.01 Back to citation occurrence 1.02 Back to citation occurrence 1.03 Back to citation occurrence 1.04 Back to citation occurrence 1.05 Back to citation occurrence 1.06 Back to citation occurrence 1.07 Back to citation occurrence 1.08 Back to citation occurrence 1.09 Back to citation occurrence 1.10 "Search for Private Schools – School Detail for St Ignatius College Prep". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved May 17, 2022.
  2. Back to citation "Welcome from the President". St. Ignatius College Prep. Retrieved February 24, 2021 – via ignatius.org.
  3. Back to citation "Prefect's Office". St. Ignatius College Prep. Retrieved January 13, 2023 – via ignatius.org.
  4. Back to citation "Why a Jesuit Education | Saint Ignatius College Prep". www.ignatius.org.
  5. Back to citation occurrence 5.0 Back to citation occurrence 5.1 Back to citation occurrence 5.2 "Chicago (St. Ignatius College Prep)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). November 10, 2009. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  6. Back to citation NCA-CASI. "AdvanceEd-NCA Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement". Archived from the original on May 24, 2009. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
  7. Back to citation occurrence 7.0 Back to citation occurrence 7.1 Back to citation occurrence 7.2 "Student Activities". directory. St. Ignatius College Prep. Archived from the original on 18 October 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2009.
  8. Back to citation "Inside Ignatius" – via St. Ignatius College Prep (www.ignatius.org).
  9. Back to citation "Tuition Assistance & Affordability | Saint Ignatius College Prep". Retrieved February 17, 2023.
  10. Back to citation "Chicago Landmarks - St. Ignatius College Prep Building". City of Chicago Department of Planning and Development, Landmarks Division. 2003. Archived from the original on June 13, 2008. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
  11. Back to citation "National Register Information System – (#77000480)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  12. Back to citation occurrence 12.0 Back to citation occurrence 12.1 In Chicago kent bijna iedereen pater Damen Archived May 6, 2019, at the Wayback Machine (in Dutch)
  13. Back to citation "St. Ignatius College Prep Building Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  14. Back to citation "IHSA Chicago (St. Ignatius College Prep)". Illinois High School Association. February 18, 2021. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
  15. Back to citation occurrence 15.0 Back to citation occurrence 15.1 Back to citation occurrence 15.2 Back to citation occurrence 15.3 Back to citation occurrence 15.4 Back to citation occurrence 15.5 "Notable Alumni | Saint Ignatius College Prep". invest.ignatius.org. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
  16. Back to citation "High Schools". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 13, 2009.
  17. Back to citation Dao, James (June 16, 2000). "The 2000 Campaign: Man in the News; A Son of Chicago – William Michael Daley". The New York Times. Retrieved November 13, 2009. “Tuesday A Man in the News article on Friday about Commerce Secretary William M. Daley misidentified the Chicago high school that he attended. (The error also appeared in a profile of Mr. Daley on Dec. 14, 1996.) It was St. Ignatius High School, now called Saint Ignatius College Prep, not De La Salle High School.”
  18. Back to citation occurrence 18.0 Back to citation occurrence 18.1 "Muldoon feted by Saint Ignatius at law luncheon". Bar News. 40 (7). Illinois State Bar Association. February 1, 2000. Archived from the original on June 20, 2006. Retrieved November 14, 2009. “A 1947 graduate of the school, Muldoon will receive its 2000 Award of Excellence in the Field of Law... Previous award recipients include former appellate justices Gino L. DiVito and Mel R. Jiganti, Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, U.S. Secretary of Commerce William Daley...”
  19. Back to citation Neubart, Dave (October 29, 2000). "Richard Dreihaus, 57". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2009. “Driehaus grew up on the Southwest Side and graduated from Saint Ignatius College Prep and DePaul University.”
  20. Back to citation "Entrepreneurship Program | Saint Ignatius College Prep". invest.ignatius.org. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  21. Back to citation "Roster - Erie BayHawks".
  22. Back to citation Chandler, Susan (11 February 2009). "Mellody Hobson: Champion of financial literacy - Ariel's president teaches children and their parents the power of investing". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 12 November 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2009. “Hobson grew up on the North Side as the youngest of six... But her mother made sure Hobson had a good education, sending her to Saint Ignatius College Prep.”
  23. Back to citation "Kwasny '88 Receives Founder's Award". St. Ignatius College Preparatory. October 20, 2023. Retrieved August 23, 2025.
  24. Back to citation Lipinski, Dan (20 November 2006). "Remarks by Rep. Dan Lipinski before the National Science Board Commission on 21st Century Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics". science.house.gov. U.S. House of Representatives - Committee on Science and Technology. Archived from the original on 6 January 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2009. “I remember Father Fergus, who taught me physics at St Ignatius, taking this childhood fascination and tying it to engineering.”
  25. Back to citation Pearson, Rick (April 1997), "What is Mike Madigan up to?", Illinois Issues, p. 13, retrieved November 13, 2009, “Madigan was born into the then-fledgling Democratic politics of the 13th Ward... he attended St. Adrian Elementary School and Saint Ignatius College Prep, then the University of Notre Dame and Loyola University law school.”
  26. Back to citation "Illinois Blue Book 1965-1966", Biographical Sketch of John J. McNichols, pg. 256-257
  27. Back to citation "In Birmingham, White Players Can't Perform On Negro Team". The New York Age p. 23. August 12, 1950. Archived from the original on October 29, 2021.
  28. Back to citation Newhart, Bob (2006). I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This: And Other Things That Strike Me as Funny. New York, NY, USA: Hyperion. pp. 24. ISBN 1-4013-0246-7. “I lived about eight blocks from Fenwick High School, but I rode the streetcar forty-five minutes to Saint Ignatius.”
  29. Back to citation Obaro, Tomi (December 16, 2014). "Gina Rodriguez is Conquering Television in Jane the Virgin". Chicago.
  30. Back to citation Clark, Mike (July 11, 2023). "St. Ignatius lineman Justin Scott picks Ohio State". Chicago Sun-Times.
  31. Back to citation HASTINGS, BRADFORD; NOVAK, BENJAMIN J. (March 1978). "Career Education in the College Preparatory School". Vocational Guidance Quarterly. 26 (3): 264–267. doi:10.1002/j.2164-585x.1978.tb01267.x. ISSN 0042-7764.
  32. Back to citation "Todd H. Stroger Biography". Cook County Government. Archived from the original on May 24, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2010.
  33. Back to citation "Former College Players Now in Spotlight of Baseball World". Sioux City Journal. February 18, 1912. p. 13. Retrieved December 20, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  34. Back to citation Thomas, Mike (March 25, 2020). "ESPN's Michael Wilbon on Life Without Sports". Chicago.
  35. Back to citation "GS: SI v Young 9-30-21". Chicagoland Soccer.
  36. Back to citation Johnson, K. C. (March 7, 2010). "From the archives: Even at 85, Johnny Bach still teaching the game he loves". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved June 6, 2024.

Bibliography

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