Amundsen High School

Roald Amundsen High School is a public 4–year high school located between the Ravenswood, Andersonville and Lincoln Square neighborhoods in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1929, Amundsen is a part of Chicago Public Schools district. The school is named for Norwegian explorer Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (1872–1928). In 2015, the school achieved "Level 1 Status in Good Standing" under the district's performance policy rating. The school shares a part of its campus with another Chicago public school, Eliza Chappell Elementary School.

Amundsen High School
Address
5110 N. Damen Avenue

Chicago
,
Illinois
60625

United States
Coordinates41.9751°N 87.6803°W / 41.9751; -87.6803
Information
School type
Opened1929
School districtChicago Public Schools
CEEB code140655[1]
PrincipalAnna Pavichevich
Grades9–12
GenderCoed
Enrollment1,369 (2019–2020)[2]
Campus typeUrban
Color(s)  Red
  Grey[3]
Athletics conferenceChicago Public League[3]
Team nameVikings[3]
AccreditationNorth Central Association of Colleges and Schools[4]
Websiteamundsenhs.org

History

The school was named after Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer who led the first expedition to reach the South Pole. His expedition reached the pole on December 14, 1911. Designed by architect Paul Gerhardt, Roald Amundsen School opened on November 10, 1930, two years after the explorer died in a rescue mission to the North Pole. Amundsen was not a high school when it opened, but a junior high. The Amundsen building also played host to branches of other schools, including a branch of McPherson Elementary that opened in Amundsen in 1932.

On July 26, 1933, Amundsen Junior High became Amundsen Senior High. In addition to serving high school pupils it also accommodated an elementary school unit. In June 1935 the Amundsen Elementary unit closed except for a small number of first and second-graders kept on as a branch of Goudy Elementary. This branch of Goudy in Amundsen became a branch of Hamilton on January 8, 1936, and remained until 1937 when it was rendered obsolete by the newly erected Chappell School. In 1956, the school was the first site of a two-year college program that later grew to become present-day Harry S Truman College. Above the main entrance is inscribed the quote, "A brave man may fall but cannot yield."

Athletics

Amundsen competes in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). The schools sport teams are nicknamed Vikings. The boys' soccer team were public league champions five times (1984–1985, 1987–1988, 1998–1999, 1999–2000, 2001–2002), Class AA three times (1998–1999, 1999–2000, 2001–2002) and regional champions four times (2008–2009, 2011–2012, 2013–2014, 2016–2017). The girls' soccer team were public league champions once in 1997–1998 and regional champions two times (2008–2009, 2010–2011).[5]

Jorndt Field

The sports stadium was renovated in 2004 and renamed Jorndt Field after Louis C. Jorndt, who taught and coached at Amundsen from 1930 until 1953. His son Dan and his wife Pat donated $1 million for the renovation.[6] Football scenes for the movie The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (2008), about the life of Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy, were filmed in Jorndt Field in April and May 2007.

Notable alumni

References
  1. "High School Code Search". College Board. Retrieved 3 November 2009.
  2. "Chicago Public Schools: Amundsen". Chicago Public Schools.
  3. "Chicago (Amundsen)". Illinois High School Association (IHSA). 30 December 2009. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
  4. "Institution Summary for Amundsen High School". North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
  5. IHSA Chicago (Amundsen)
  6. Amundsen High School Alumnus and Spouse Announce $1 Million Dollar Donation Archived October 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon Collection". Guide to the Collection. United States Library of Congress, Music Division. 1996. Archived from the original on 2 December 2009. Retrieved 31 December 2009. BOB FOSSE PERSONAL PAPERS AND CAREER MISCELLANY: Box 86E Front page of THE AMUNDSEN LOG, 10/5/44 (Amundsen High School, Chicago), with banner: "Bob Fosse President"
  8. "Bob Fosse". biographic sketch. Chicago Public Schools. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
  9. Gottfried, Martin (1990), All his jazz: the life & death of Bob Fosse, New York, NY, USA: Da Capo Press, ISBN 0-306-81284-3, (p. 34) At dance school, he was already a heartthrob ... and it was the same way at Amundsen High ... He seemed to go out with every girl in the class ...
  10. "Dan Jordt". biographic sketch. Chicago Public Schools. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
  11. "Michael Mann". biographic sketch. Chicago Public Schools. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
  12. Mastony, Colleen (2 July 2009), "Chicago is the epicenter of another film credit", Chicago Tribune, retrieved 31 December 2009, But the real star of the movie “Public Enemies,” which opened Wednesday in wide release, is the brawling, bustling and undeniably beautiful city of Chicago. The film’s director, Michael Mann, is a hometown boy who grew up in Humboldt Park and graduated from Amundsen High School.
  13. The Amundsen Log, Vol.37 No.1 October, 1969
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