Chicago Carter Harrison Technical High School “Hornets”

1919 Harrison Hornet baseball team

Courtesy of Dan Mikal

ATHLETICS

Chicago Harrison High School had some great success stories in IHSA athletics (www.ihsa.org). The school was a member of the Cook County League from 1910-13, but did not win any titles before being a charter member of the Chicago Public League (aka Public League) and taking several championships. These will be documented below. We are searching for any information regarding Harrison High School athletics. Records, coach’s names, and school fight song are all items that we would like to share on this page.

BASEBALL

The diamond men of 1959 had a magical run in the state playoffs. Under the leadership of Coach Al Charnes, the team would finish in second place, losing the title game to Maine Township HS! Prior to that, the 1934 team won the Pulbic League title.

1919  2-2                                                           Coach Olice Winter

1934             Public League Champs                coach unknown

1959  17-3     2nd in State!!                              Coach Al Charnes

                     Edged Danville 3-2 in quarterfinals

                     Defeated Belleville Township in semifinals, 6-4

Lost to Des Plaines Maine Township in title game, 8-1

Baseball Greats

*Jerry Arrigo (Class of 1959) – Pitcher who pitched for Harrison High School in 1959…he later played for the Cincinnati Reds.

*Richie Jurkowski & Bob Pactwa (Class of 1956) – named to the Chicago High School All-Stars and played at Comiskey Park between Sox /Yankee double header games.

BOYS’ BASKETBALL

The Harrison HS hardwood-court warriors brought home a third place trophy from the IHSA playoffs in the 1930-31 season. The school may also have been the largest school in the state with 5500 students, possibly one of the largest in the nation!

1923-24               Public League Lightweight Champions

1928-29                District Champions

1929-30                District Champions

1930-31                3rd in State!!!                                Coach Charles Krupar 

                               District Champions

                              Qualified for State Tourney

                              Won over Mount Vernon in quarterfinals, 44-33

Lost to Decatur HS in semifinals, 27-20

Held off Johnston City in OT of 3rd place game, 28-26

Eddie Odron was leading scorer at finals with 39 pts/3g, and was named to the all-tournament team

BOYS’ CROSS-COUNTRY

The harriers were one of Illinois’ top high school teams in 1946. This team finished fourth overall at the IHSA State Cross Country Meet.

1946               4th in state!!!                        Coach unknown

STATE FINAL TEAM STANDINGS

1 Paris 90

2 Chicago Lane 102

3 LaGrange Lyons 115

4 Chicago Harrison 147

5 Chicago Heights Bloom Township 149

INDIVIDUAL PLACERS

1947 William Mulcahey—6th Place

1918 Hornet Heavyweight (varsity) team

Courtesy of Dan Mikal

FOOTBALL

One of the great Chicago high school football teams of all time may have been the Harrison HS boys of 1931. The grid-iron warriors finished the season undefeated with 12 wins. Several Harrison High School boys also went on to play in professional football.

1914              Public League Lightweight Co-Champs Coach unknown

1918   3-2-1                                                                  Coach Olice Winter

1931   12-0     PREP BOWL CHAMPIONS!!!                  Coach Bob Daugherty

PUBLIC LEAGUE CHAMPS!!

Defeated Mount Carmel 46-6 in Prep Bowl

Defeated Miami High School 18-7 Christmas Day at the Orange Bowl stadium in Miami.

Harrison High School Prep Bowl Champs of 1931

Courtesy of “APDP”

1933      Public League Champs                                 Coach Bob Daugherty

1935      From Rick Biagi:

“My grandfather, Julio Biagi, graduated from Harrison in 1936. He was captain of the Harrison football team for his Junior and Senior years and he played alongside Andy Puplis, who went on to play at Notre Dame. My grandfather received a scholarship to play football at DePaul but their football program was terminated in 1938. Two of my other grandparents graduated from Harrison around the same time as did a number of great-aunts/uncles.”

1938 6-4                                                                     Coach Bob Daugherty

1965 9-1                                                                      Coach William Harden (Lost Public League Championship Game to Lane Tech)

1981 3-5                                                                      Coach Herb Bias

1982 3-5                                                                      Coach Herb Bias

The 1931 Harrison team, coached by Bob Daugherty, included two backfield stars, Andy Pilney and Andy Puplis, that went on to receive All-America mention at Notre Dame. Harrison went 12-0-0, including a 46-6 win over Mount Carmel for the Chicago city championship, along with a post-season 18-7 win over Miami (Fla.) High at the Orange Bowl on Christmas.

In 1942, Fred Carman of Marshall returned a kickoff 100 yards vs. Harrison.

Harrison preps that made it to pro football:

—Al Brosky (played with the Chicago (now Arizona) Cardinals as a DB in 1954, played college ball at Illinois from 1950-52, set NCAA record for career interceptions at 29, and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame—inducted in 1998)

—Walt Cudzik (played collegiate ball at Purdue, then professionally with the Washington Redskins (1954), New York Giants, Boston Patriots (1960-63), and Buffalo Bills (1964)). Cudzik started at center from 1960-63 for the Patriots as they won a division title and played in the AFL championship game in 1963, then after trades to Denver and Buffalo, he was the center of the 1964 AFL champs. He later scouted for the Miami Dolphins and was a trial lawyer.

—Clarence Janecek (played one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1933 as a guard after playing at Purdue)

—John Karwales (an end at Michigan during the early 1940’s, played for the 1947 Chicago Cardinals)

—Andy Puplis (starred at Notre Dame, later played one season with the Chicago Cardinals in 1943. Was also an outstanding prep football coach at Proviso East for 27 seasons with a record of 128-84 and 12 ties, including three undefeated seasons. At least two of his players wound playing pro ball that are known to Midwestern gridiron fans: Ray Nitschke and Ed O’Bradovich.)

BOYS’ GYMNASTICS

1924 First known competition—Chicago Public League meet with Harrison, Lane, & Englewood

BOYS’ SOCCER

The Harrison boys won the state championship in 1973, defeating Morton East in the title game. Prior to then, the school won three league titles and tied for another during the 1920’s and 1930’s.

1924               Co-Public League champions   coach unknown

1929               PUBLIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!! coach unknown

1930               PUBLIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!! coach unknown

1932               PUBLIC LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!! coach unknown

1973   17-0-2   STATE CHAMPIONS!!!                     Coach James Dominguez

                      Public League Champions

                      State Qualifers

                      Shutout Lake Forest HS, 1-0 in semifinals

                      Edged Cicero Morton East, 1-0 in state championship match

1919 Harrison Swimming team

Courtesy of Dan Mikal

BOYS’ SWIMMING

The swimming program at CHS also had some nice success stories., starting with a city championship for the junior swimming program in the winter of 1918-19. At the state meets, two top-ten team finishes and several individual medalists were the highlights. One individual, John Moskiewicz, brought home two gold medals in fact!

1918-19  City Jr. Interscholastic Champs            Coach Leroy Samse

Chicago Harrison HS – Gene Artemenko

Submitted by Bob Artemenko

1945    Gene Artemenko              100-yd backstroke—4th place

Team tied for 8th place at State Finals

STATE FINAL STANDINGS

1  Chicago Lane                                46

6  Highland Park Deerfield-Shields     5

7  Waukegan HS                                 4

8  Chicago Schurz                               2

8  Chicago Harrison                           2

10  Maywood Proviso                         1

1948     (?) Gierek                 100-yd backstroke—5th place
1952     John Moskiewicz   100-yd freestyle—STATE CHAMPION!!! (:54.6)
50-yd freestyle—STATE CHAMPION!!! (:24.3)

TIED FOR 5TH PLACE AT STATE FINALS

STATE FINAL STANDINGS

1  Winnetka New Trier                42

2  Evanston Township                 30

3  Des Plaines Maine Township  13

3  Highland Park                         13

5  Rockford West                        12

5  Oak Park-River Forest             12

5  Chicago Harrison                   12

BOYS TENNIS

One pair of tennis greats faired well for Chicago Harrison. Their accomplishment is listed below.

1931   Cohen & Goldstein           Doubles—5th place

WRESTLING

In 1926, Harrison defeated Tilden in the first known interscholastic wrestling meet in Illinois. The Public League also held competition in this sport beginning that season as the Hornets won the first team title as well as the second.

1925-26       Public League Champions

1926-27       Public League Champions

BOYS TRACK & FIELD

A top-ten team finish and some individual medalist were the highs of this sport.  Theodore “Ty” Wachowski won the State Championship in the high jump in 1925!

1924A  Frank Simon                           Long Jump—2nd place
1925A                                                 880-yd relay—3rd place
1925A  Theodore “Ty” Wachowski     High Jump—STATE CHAMPION!!! (height 5′ 11 3/8″)
Long Jump—4th place
1925A   Milt Brown                             100-yd dash—5th place
50-yd dash—5th place

1925A  STATE FINAL STANDINGS—8th in State

1  Eldorado                                 17

1  Danville HS                             17

 8  Chicago Harrison                  11

1929     Joe Pojman                        50-yd dash—3rd place
1948     William Mulcahy                1-mile run—5th place
1976AA Fernando Reyes                2-mile run—7th place

GIRLS TRACK & FIELD

Deborah Moses became Harrison’s most decorated track athlete in 1974.  Deborah took state championship medals in the 50 yard dash and 80 yard hurdles to lead the lady tracksters to a fourth place overall finish that year at the IHSA State Meet.

1974     Deborah Moses           50-yd dash—STATE CHAMPION!!! (time :06.12)
80-yd hurdles—STATE CHAMPION!!! (time :10.8)

1974 STATE FINAL STANDINGS—TIED FOR 4TH PLACE!!!

1   Illiopolis                                17

2   Springfield Southeast           13

2   Park Ridge Maine South       13

4   New Lenox Lincoln-Way       10

4   Mt. Prospect Prospect          10

4   Chicago Harrison                 10

Memories from Juan C. Bustamante:

“I attended and graduated Harrison High School from 1971 to 1974. Great memories! I noticed that among all the athletic accomplishments listed in the site – Bowling was not included. We won the Public Schools bowling championship in 1974. I was a senior and Capitan of the bowling team. I am pretty sure we defeated Crane for the championship. I don’t remember our coach’s name, but I know that he also taught wood shop. Very nice teacher.”

1974   Chicago Public League Champions

R.O.T.C. DRILL TEAM

Juan Bustamante (Class of 1974) also recalls the that the R.O.T.C. Drill Team won a few championships for their expertise as well.

MUSIC

From Barbara H. Schwartz (Class of 1956):

“During my time at Harrison, we had Concert and Marching Bands, Orchestra, Ensembles and Choruses.

My love of music began at Harrison High. The Orchestra director was Mr. Berg, a gentle man who tried to bring the musical performances out of very rough stock.  It worked for me. It was the beginning of my love affair with great music.”

FAMOUS ALUMS AND FORMER HARRISON STUDENTS:

–Benny Goodman— Goodman never graduated from Harrison, but became the King of Swing during the Big Band Era and one of the most notable figures in jazz history.

–Irv Kupcinet — he wrote for the Harrison school newspaper in the 1920s, and eventually became one of the best known newspaper figures in Chicago with his daily gossip column that appeared for many decades in the Chicago Sun-Times. Also was a football commentator on Chicago Bears broadcasts with Jack Brickhouse from 1953-76.

–Arthur Goldberg — Supreme Court justice.

–Barbara Ann Ferrell—officially attended Farragut High School however the graduation exercises were held at Harrison HS – track and field star who participated in the Olympic Games of 1968.

–Irwin Kostal–named a “Disney Legend,” won an Emmy Award for his work on the movies “The Sound of Music.”  He also worked on such great movies as “Mary Poppins” and “West Side Story.” http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0467348/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm. Thank you to 1938 Harrison graduate Marge Pigliwski for providing this information!

MEMORIES

From Kim Oliver Anez:

I thought I read that Harrison H.S. opened in 1887. I believe the land came from my family. I believe my g-g-grandfather owned a chicken farm there. I am fourth generation to attend Pickard Elementary and my great-grandmother walked from 24^th & California to go to that elementary school.

Seeking Further Information    

If you have any information you can share regarding the history of Chicago Harrison High School, please take the time to share it with us so we can share it with others. You can e-mail items to us at ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. You can also write to us at:

Illinois HS Glory Days

6439 N. Neva St.

Chicago, Il.   60631

Harrison High School as it appeared in 1919

Courtesy of Dan Mikal

Harrison High School Book Stamp

Submitted by Joe Katcha