Chicago St. Dominic High School

St. Dominic used the former John Quincy Adams public school building on the city’s Near North side as its home. The Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary were the teaching order in charge of the school, which was built up one class at a time per year until there were four classes in the school.

The first graduation took place in 1949, but the school would only have commencement exercises until the spring of 1960 when the school closed. The reason for closing is tied to the tragic fire that struck Our Lady of Angels grade school in the city in December 1958, and the school could not install sprinklers in the building because it was cost prohibitive. Very little is known about the school beyond this information, most of which was found in a 1953 dissertation about Catholic secondary education by Sr. Mary Innocenta Montay.

Former student William Crowley tells us this about the former St. Dominic Church building:

“St. Dominic Church is located at Locust and Sedgwick. The actual address is 357 W. Locust, Chicago, IL 60610. I don’t know if it open as it is listed in the phone book. I spoke to Bishop Goedert, who is a friend, and he told me the building was being used for storage.”

(SITE AUTHOR’S NOTE: as of 8/8/2016, the church has been since torn down and the land is being made ready for high-rise condomimiums.)

First year opened:           1945

First graduation:              1949

Year closed:                    1960

School colors:                  Blue & White

School nickname:            Torches

School song:                    “School Song” (chorus provided by Vincent Quinn)

SDH, voices ring

                                    SDH, just see her colors fly while we sing

                                    Through all kinds of weather we will jog along together

                                    True and loyal we shall ever be

MEMORIES

**From William Crowley (Class of 1957)

“I graduated from St. Dominic’s in 1957. There were 39 in our graduating class. The faculty included:

.

Reverend Raymond Labate O.S.M. he was also the Pastor-Director and Teacher

Sister Mary William B.V.M. Principal

Sister Mary Joan of Ark B.V.M. our Senior teacher

Sister Mary Thaddeus B.V.M. our sophomore Teacher

Sister Mary Aloisa B.V.M. our freshman teacher

Sister Mary Athanasius B.V.M. our english teacher

Sister Mary Chionia B.V.M. Prefect for the freshman

Sister Mary Florina B.V.M. our commercial teacher

Sister Mary Leocritia Typing teacher

Sister Mary Joselita B.V.M. our choral teacher

In my freshman year Father Raymond told all the freshman boys that they had to try out for the football team. The problem was that the school was so small there was only a varsity team. I was about 100lbs. and Father Raymond gave me the ball and told me to run. Well, two seniors that looked like monsters tackled me and when I finally was able to get up, my football career was over after only one play. Soon after, they abandoned the team.

We did have a basketball team and they were called the Torches. I have a yearbook from 1957. I can scan the pictures and send to anyone if they send me there email address.

You can contact at papaman14@gmail.com .”

**From E. Wiliams:

“I attended St. Dominic Elementary School. The High School and the Grade school were in the same building. The last principal before they closed the building on Hudson Ave. was Sister Mary James Williams. The building was closed as a result of the fire at Our Lady of Angels School. The last year we were in the building we had firemen posted throughout the building during school hours.

You may want to contact Sister Eileen Galvin at the B.V.M’s. mother-house in Iowa. I spoke with Sister a few weeks ago. That last time I saw a picture of the school was in 1980. I was looking through a book from the Archdiocese of Chicago. The book had pictures of all Catholic schools that had been built or opened during a period of time.

The school was a three- or four-story building. Elementary was on the first floor, then the high school on the other floors. The gym was on the top floor of the building. The last pastor of St. Dominic (while the school was opened) was a Servite priest named Fr. Raymond (I do not know his last name).”

**From an anonymous alum:

“SCHOOL COLORS WERE NAVY BLUE AND WHITE. I GRADUATED IN 1958 FATHER RAYMONDS LAST NAME WAS RAYMOND. AND SISTER MARY JAMES WILLIAM WAS THE PRINCIPAL TALL STERN LOOKING NUN A BVM. SISTER MARY MAGDALENE TAUGHT GEOMETRY CLASS. WE DID NOT SWITCH CLASSES; OFTEN SPENT MOST OF THE DAY IN ONE ROOM–THE NUNS CAME IN AND OUT.

I ATTENDED ST DOM’S FOR 4 YEARS. HOW WELL I REMEMBER ……………ACROSS THE STREET WAS THE CABRINI PROJECTS AND THE CHURCH WAS I THINK AROUND THE CORNER OR ON ANOTHER CORNER DOWN FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL. WE MARCHED IN AND OUT ON JOHN PHILLIPS SOUSA “STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER.” 

I LIVED ON THE FAR SOUTH SIDE HAD TO TAKE 2 BUSES AND THE EL TO GET THEIR BUT BETTER THAN GOING TO MUNDELIN ALL-GIRLS SCHOOL. ST DOM’S WAS COED…NO FOOTBALL-BASKETBALL TEAM THOUGH.”

From Barbara Wright: “I was in the last graduating class of St. Dominic’s High School, that was 1959. Doors closed and school was torn down. We had a fireman on each floor until the last day. School closed because of Our Lady Of Angels fire. It was cost prohibitive to put in sprinklers. We did have a varsity and junior varsity basketball team that competed against other high schools  I did go grammar and high school there. Father Bosco was pastor in grammar. Father Ray was pastor in high school.”

From Vincent Quinn (class of 1949): “I was a student at St. Dominic’s when it opened in September 1945. We were 11 students until the second semester when an all-girl, African-American school on the South side of Chicago closed. Seven students came to our schools and we were then 18. One of them, Josephine Curtis, became my best friend. She was born with one arm and refused any kind of help. She once said to me: “When I say toilet paper, you unroll!”

“She became the first (African-American) girl to be admitted to Mundelein College; she was captain of the fencing team and also a member of the swim team. She majored in speech therapy and became a therapist at Cook County Hospital.

“She and Estralita Plummer were outstanding singers and all those students excelled. Two members of our class went to the BVM novitiate; one eventually left and the other was professed.

“Our school song was called ‘Fight Song.’ ‘SDH, voices ring, SDH, see our colors fly, while we sing. Through all kinds of weather we will jog along together, true and loyal we shall ever be…’ Poor Sr. Mary Margaret Anne would bang it out on the piano while Josephine and I would snicker behind her back. Once she turned and said: ‘Vincent and Josephine, you are both studying music and now you must learn this song and teach it to the class.’

“The Sisters had no experience with integrated schools, but it was never a problem. We did everything together and even went on excursions with each other, some of us even visited homes together.

“There were only seven boys, so we were limited to basketball. I was the smallest and refused to be bruised and bullied to play the game. And so the ‘team’ had to face Marshall High School in a devastating game at the west side school campus.

“There were 18 in our graduating class in June 1949, which was celebrated by Samuel Cardinal Stritch. Our principal was Sr. Mary Patrice, BVM. Other teachers were Sr. Mary Charles Borromeo, Sr. Mary Margaret Anne, Sr. Mary St. Cyril, and other BVM sisters.

“Alas, the school lasted until 1960 and is now replaced by a small park. As far I know, the church has been demolished and is to be replaced by high-rise condos.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION TO ADD?

Certainly, we are needing more to tell the story of St. Dominic High School. If you are a graduate or know someone who has more information, not to mention a photo of the school, we welcome your submissions. Please email us at dr.veeman@gmail.com or send it thru the mail to:

Illinois High School Glory Days

6439 North Neva

Chicago, IL  60631