Latin School of Chicago

History

Latin School of Chicago is the oldest independent day school in the city of Chicago. Latin School was formed in 1888 by a group of parents seeking a better education for their children. Mabel Slade Vickery, a teacher from the East Coast, was invited to Chicago to open the school with a small class of ten 10-year-old boys. During the early years, classes were held in private homes on Chicago's near North Side. The parent-owned institution flourished and in 1899, with enrollment of more than 100 boys, the school moved into its own building and officially became Chicago Latin School. In 1913, a girls section was incorporated by Miss Vickery and became The Chicago Latin School for Girls. The schools merged in 1953 to form the co-educational Latin School of Chicago.

The school was designed to provide students with a rigorous college-preparatory education in the classical tradition, with a curriculum that was heavily influenced by Classical studies and the study of the Greek and Latin languages, hence the name “Latin School." The Latin language is still taught in the middle and upper schools today.

While it was started as a neighborhood school, Latin School currently is home to more than 1,100 students from approximately 70 ZIP codes throughout the Chicago area. The school awards more than $3 million in need-based financial aid each year.

Approach

Students are given a strong foundation in the core subject areas of English, math, science, social studies, history, world languages and the arts. Starting in the lower school Latin’s curriculum takes an interdisciplinary approach. In high school, Latin offers a large number of innovative electives in every subject area in addition to the core requirements. Many classes have an experiential component to bring the material to life—mock trials, hands-on labs and Model U.N. simulations, to name a few. Upper school students may choose from more than 150 classes each year, including a full range of AP courses. They are required to complete at least 24 credits to graduate.

The school's extracurricular program includes more than 20 competitive varsity sports teams, nearly 50 different clubs, and a variety of opportunities in the performing arts.

Latin has many athletic programs, such as men's basketball, baseball, volleyball, golf, cross country, and women's basketball, volleyball, golf, cross country, and co-ed swimming. The Latin School is rivals with the Francis Parker school (also a private school). Latin sports teams have been highlighted in various magazines and newspapers. The school also has a high-achieving scholastic bowl team.

Campus

The current campus has three buildings. The lower school (junior kindergarten to grade 4) building is the oldest structure dating to 1926 and is located at 1531 N. Dearborn. The upper school (grades 9–12) building at 59 W. North was completed in 1969. The middle school (grades 5–8) building, located at 45 W. North, was completed in the fall of 2007. It includes a green roof garden and was designed with environmentally friendly materials. The building was awarded LEED Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2012. There is a connecting bridge from the second floor of the middle school building to the second floor of the upper school building, going over an alley. The upper school building was designed by internationally acclaimed architect Harry Weese.

Notable alumni