Saint Paul High School

History

Talks started in 1962 between the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Chicago Public School System in an effort to share insurance costs for physical education classes, which were rising due to the lack of proper facilities. St. Paul High School was opened in 1964 as part of a co-operative experiment between the two school systems in dual enrollment and shared time with Kinzie (later renamed Kennedy) High School on the southwest side of Chicago. 

Students took religion, language arts, social studies, and critical thinking courses at St. Paul, with the remainder of the courses held at Kinzie/Kennedy, which was a short walk away. The faculty consisted of members from the Christian Brothers community for the boys and the Sisters of St. Joseph for the girls.

St. Paul did not offer athletics but did have vibrant intramural and activities programs, which included, among others, a photography club, social action club, choir, a newspaper, and a yearbook committee. The school offered flag football for boys and volleyball for girls. Flag football was very popular, and the Choir was one of the best in the city, originally conducted by Brother Konrad in 1965. Table tennis, golf, softball, and cheerleading were also offered.

Among student memories were the school dances. As one alum recalls, “They were, honestly, the best in the neighborhood. We had GREAT BANDS, including a neighborhood favorite, TW4....you know TW4 now...because they later changed their name to STYX. I remember seeing them play at two St. Paul dances.” 

St. Paul left an indelible mark on all its students. According to St. Paul folklore, the smiley face button was originally created as a tribute to Sr. Jean’s eternal smile. Another alum states, “I look back at my four years at St. Paul and remember how the Brothers and Sisters . . . made a difference in my life. They went out of their way to make sure that we knew . . . the Love of God and the Salvation of Jesus Christ was REAL, and we saw that every day in their real-life witness.”