Chicago North Park Academy H. S.

North Park Academy Old Main 1906

Courtesy of Joseph Hogan

North Park Academy Old Main 1950s

Submitted by Joseph Hogan

The History of Chicago North Park University High School

Chicago (population 2.7 million) is located in northeastern Illinois in eastern Cook County. Lake Michigan, the Chicago and Illinois Rivers, and the Des Plaines River are the main waterways to and from town. I-90, I-94, I-55, and I-57 will all lead you to the "Windy City". From what started as a small village in the early 1800s Chicago has grown to the nation's third largest city and one of the most famous places in the world.

Many high schools and colleges were formed in Chicago in the 1800s. Among these is North Park University. NPU is located on Chicago's north side. Foster Avenue crosses in front of North Park's north side, Kimball Avenue and Kedzie Avenue flank it to the west and east, and Argyle Street runs by the school's south side.

The university was established in the late 1800s. North Park Academy High School was established in 1894. The high school was a private institution, just as the university is today. North Park Academy served the north side of Chicago for over seven decades. It was not until 1969 when rising costs and lower enrollment forced the high school to close. North Park University still runs strong and sits in its small neighborhood quite proudly.

John Peterson, NPA alum, provided the following information regarding the the buildings in which North Park Academy was housed in:

"(NPA) was housed in Old Main from 1894-1969 and Wilson Hall (the adjacent building) from 1940-1969. Wilson Hall was built in 1901 and was previously used as a men’s dormitory until it was remodeled into a classroom building. Old Main is now the administration building for the college and Wilson Hall is a Fine Arts building."

North Park Academy High School Quick Facts

Year opened: 1894

Year closed: 1969

School nickname: the "Vikings"

School colors: Blue & Gold

School Fight Song: "Hail to the Alma Mater"

"Hail to the Alma Mater,

Hail to the Varsity!

Hail to the Blue and Gold, boys,

Cheer them to victory!!

Rah Rah Rah !!

Go now you gold,

Go now you blue!

Fight on to Victory,

Send that ball through!!

Rah Rah Rah !!

Fight for the honor

Of our dear old school!

And show the rest, boys,

That NORTH PARK WILL RULE!!!

North Park Academy's Original Gymnasium

Athletics

"North Park Academy was a member of the Private School League. It had men’s softball, baseball, basketball, tennis, track, golf and swimming teams. Football was added in 1943." (This information, and many of the season records provided below, were submitted by John Peterson.)

One interesting item supplied by alumnus Marion Stone King is in regards to the 1949-50 school year. North Park Academy won the Private School championship in both football and basketball. The Vikings went undefeated in both sports becoming the only high school in Illinois to make this claim that year.

One of the best players to grace the hardwood for North Park Academy was Bobby Mattick, who played in the late 1940s to early 1950s. In a January 27, 1950 game against Francis W. Parker High School (in Chicago), Mattick scored 57 points, shooting 27 successful shots from the field. Surely, there are many more outstanding players from basketball, and not just basketball but other sports as well. Let us know of any other great players from North Park Academy.

One of NPA's more famous coaches was Ted Hedstrand while one of the better athletes to don the Blue and Gold was Robert Mattick in basketball.

Football

Some of the better football teams produced at North Park High School are listed below. Thank you to Tom Sikorski for supplying this information!!

1949 8-0 Private School League Champs Coach Ted Hedstrand

1950 8-0 Private School League Champs Coach Ted Hedstrand

1951 6-2 Private School League Co-Champs Coach Ted Hedstrand

1956 4-3

1959 4-3

1961 4-3-1

1963 6-1-1 Private School League Red Division Champs Coach Dan McCarrell

1964 8-0 Private School League Red Division Champs Coach Dan McCarrell

1966 Coach Dan McCarrell

NPA won 15 games in a row between 1963 and 1965. They fielded their last football team during their final year of existence, 1968-69.

Basketball

There were some good teams that took the hardwood court for NPA. If you have some information you can share regarding the NPA basketball program, please send it to us.

1945-46 Private League Champion (9-1) Coach Harold Swanson

1949-50 25 - 0 Private League Champion Coach Ted Hedstrand

NPA 1950 Team Photo and Coach Hedstrand

Submitted by Joseph Hogan (left click on photo for larger version)

NPA Schedule Results and Photos 1950

Submitted by Joseph Hogan (left click on photo for larger version)

1957-58 Private League Champion (11-1) Caoch Val Erickson

1960-61 17 - 7 Private League Champion Coach Ted Hedstrand

1966-67 Coach Ted Hedstrand

Baseball

Coach Ted Hedstrand was a multi-faceted coach, bringing home a Private School League Championship in baseball in 1957!

1957 8 - 2 Private League Champion (8-2) Coach Ted Hedstrand

Wrestling

This program was started in 1965 and had only one coach curing its brief run.

1965 Coach Bob Williams

1966 Coach Bob Williams

1967 Coach Bob Williams

1968 Coach Bob Williams

Men's Softball

Wilbur Anderson coached the men’s softball team to the Private League championship in 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939 and 1940.

Thoughts & Memories

Clifford Ocheltree (Class of 1968) remembers this from his HS days at NPHS:

"Classes for the Academy were held in "Old Main". The University still refers to the building as such. The gym and chapel building, a much newer structure was to the immediate left as you faced "Old Main". The majority of our classes were held in those two locations though some activities were held in various other buildings on the campus.

You mention Ted Hedstrand who was overall athletic director during the years my brother and I attended [1964-1969] but just as notable, at least to those of us who played football, was Dan McCarrell who was the head coach for both that sport and basketball. After the Academy closed McCarrell and Hedstrand [and several other faculty members] were absorbed by the college staff. Dan McCarrell went on to be an extremely successful NCAA Division 3 basketball coach with three consecutive titles in 1978, 1979 and 1980. See:

http://www.d3hoops.com/features/05/northpark.htm

In all fairness I also need to mention Bob Williams our wrestling coach. The year of 1965 was the first year that the Vikings had a wrestling team and Bob was the coach until the school closed. Good coach and all around great guy."

From Steven A. Williams (Class of 1967):

"Most classes were conducted in Old Main and Wilson Hall during the 1960s. Ted Hedstrand was the head coach of the varsity basketball and baseball teams. Dan McCarrell was the head coach of the varsity football team and the track team. He also was head coach of the frosh-soph basketball team for a time. Other sports of NPA were golf, tennis, wrestling and swimming during the 1960s. Wilbur Anderson was an outstanding teacher and coach at NPA from sometime in the 1930s until the school closed. He taught driver education, academic courses, and coached teams at the Academy. He was also involved with the North Park Junior College before it became a four year college. He coached tennis at NPA during the 1960s and was the Secretary of the Private School League during the same period. This is what I can recall from my years as a student 1963 through 1967."

Notable Alumni

John Peterson shares with us that multi-term Illinois Governor James Thompson is a graduate of North Park Academy! (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_R._Thompson)

Seeking Further Information

If you have ANY information you can add regarding North Park Academy High School in Chicago please write to us. Athletics were only part of the experience. Any information on the many accomplishments and successes of North Park Academy are welcome. Photos and information can be e-mailed to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. You can also write to us via real mail at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il. 60631

North Park Academy "Old Main" Building 2000s