Crane High School (Illinois)
Encyclopedia
Richard T. Crane Technical Preparatory High School, commonly known as Crane Tech Prep or Crane Tech High School, is a public high school
in Chicago, Illinois. It is located at 2245 West Jackson Boulevard in Chicago's Near West Side
community area
.
in 1890. It was originally known as the English High and Manual Training School. In 1903, the school moved to its present location and was renamed in honor of businessman Richard T. Crane
. When the school went co-ed in 1954, it began to de-emphasize its "technical" label, though it continued to offer courses like auto shop and drafting.
Between 1911 and 1969, the school shared its building with Crane College, the first junior college
in Chicago. The college moved out in 1969 and is now known as Malcolm X College
.
On November 30, 2011, Chicago Public Schools
CEO Jean-Claude Brizard
announced that Crane, along with several other schools, would either be closed or phased out. Under this plan, Crane would remain open but no longer accept freshman students, who would be routed instead to either Wells
, Manley
, Marshall
, or Farragut
. Under this plan, Crane would close following the 2014-2015 school year.
game. As an attempt to quell violence, Crane was one of ten schools in Chicago invited to participate in the Txt2Tip program, through which students are encouraged to send anonymous text messages to police.
is zoned to Crane High School. One floor of the SSR is devoted to a pilot program for students with families.
(1921, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1940, 1957, 1964, 1972, 2003). The school has produced a number of professional basketball players (see below).
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Chicago, Illinois. It is located at 2245 West Jackson Boulevard in Chicago's Near West Side
Near West Side, Chicago
The Near West Side, one of the 77 defined community areas of Chicago, is located , adjacent to the downtown central business district . The rich history of the Near West Side of Chicago has its genesis in the Hull House phenomenon...
community area
Community areas of Chicago
Community areas in Chicago refers to the work of the Social Science Research Committee at University of Chicago which has unofficially divided the City of Chicago into 77 community areas. These areas are well-defined and static...
.
History
Crane was founded as a males-only school at 12th Street and Michigan AvenueMichigan Avenue (Chicago)
Michigan Avenue is a major north-south street in Chicago which runs at 100 east south of the Chicago River and at 132 East north of the river from 12628 south to 950 north in the Chicago street address system...
in 1890. It was originally known as the English High and Manual Training School. In 1903, the school moved to its present location and was renamed in honor of businessman Richard T. Crane
Richard T. Crane
Richard Teller Crane , son of Timothy Botchford Crane and Maria Ryerson, was the founder of R.T. Crane & Bro., a Chicago-based manufacturer.-Nineteenth Century:...
. When the school went co-ed in 1954, it began to de-emphasize its "technical" label, though it continued to offer courses like auto shop and drafting.
Between 1911 and 1969, the school shared its building with Crane College, the first junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
in Chicago. The college moved out in 1969 and is now known as Malcolm X College
Malcolm X College
Malcolm X College is a two-year college of the City Colleges of Chicago located on the west side of Chicago, Illinois, USA, at 1900 W Van Buren St. It was founded as Crane Junior College in 1911 to serve graduates of the nearby Crane High School, and was the first of the City Colleges to be...
.
On November 30, 2011, Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
CEO Jean-Claude Brizard
Jean-Claude Brizard
Jean-Claude Brizard is the CEO of Chicago Public Schools. Directly before coming to Chicago, he served as a superintendent of the Rochester City School District. He started his career as a teacher, then an administrator in the New York School SystemBrizard was born an hour north of...
announced that Crane, along with several other schools, would either be closed or phased out. Under this plan, Crane would remain open but no longer accept freshman students, who would be routed instead to either Wells
Wells Community Academy High School
Wells Community Academy High School is a 4-year public high school located in the West Town neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. Wells serves grades 9 through 12, and is a part of the Chicago Public Schools District 299...
, Manley
Manley Career Academy High School
Manley Career Academy High School is a high school located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is part of the Chicago Public Schools. The school's sports teams are nicknamed the Wildcats.-External links:*http://www.manleyhighschool.org...
, Marshall
John Marshall Metropolitan High School
John Marshall Metropolitan High School is a public 4-year high school located on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It serves the students of the East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, North Lawndale and Humboldt Park neighborhoods. Marshall's principal is Kenyatta Butler...
, or Farragut
Farragut Career Academy
Farragut Career Academy High School is a public 4-year high school located in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. As a Career Academy, Farragut emphasizes a curriculum that combines academic instruction with work-study experiences and vocational training...
. Under this plan, Crane would close following the 2014-2015 school year.
School violence
In recent years, the Crane community has struggled with violence. During the 2007–2008 school year, one student was fatally shot and another was severely beaten by a golf club. A third student, who had recently transferred out of Crane to an alternative school, was shot to death during a diceDice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
game. As an attempt to quell violence, Crane was one of ten schools in Chicago invited to participate in the Txt2Tip program, through which students are encouraged to send anonymous text messages to police.
Neighborhoods served
The Single Student Residence (SSR) of the University of Illinois at ChicagoUniversity of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
is zoned to Crane High School. One floor of the SSR is devoted to a pilot program for students with families.
Athletics
Crane became a charter member of the Chicago Public League in 1913. Since then, it has won eleven city titles in boys' basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
(1921, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1940, 1957, 1964, 1972, 2003). The school has produced a number of professional basketball players (see below).
Notable alumni
- Tony AllenTony Allen (basketball)Anthony Allen is an American professional basketball player with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA.-Early career:...
is an NBA player (2004–present). - Cory BlackwellCory BlackwellCory Blackwell is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 2nd round of the 1984 NBA Draft...
is a former NBA player (1984–85), who played for the Seattle SupersonicsSeattle SuperSonicsThe Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
. - Will BynumWill BynumWilliam "Will" Bynum is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons in the NBA. He plays the point guard position.-Early life and college career:...
is an NBA player currently playing for the Detroit PistonsDetroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
. - Sherron CollinsSherron CollinsSherron Marlon Collins is an American professional basketball player who plays for Hacettepe Üniversitesi, in the Turkish Basketball League. He formerly played for the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association. He has also played for Lietuvos Rytas, Maine Red Claws and Quebradillas...
played basketball for the University of Kansas - George HalasGeorge HalasGeorge Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
was a professional football player, coach, executive, and pioneer of the NFL. He led the Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
to six NFL championships, and was a charter member of the Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 1963. - J. Allen HynekJ. Allen HynekDr. Josef Allen Hynek was a United States astronomer, professor, and ufologist. He is perhaps best remembered for his UFO research. Hynek acted as scientific adviser to UFO studies undertaken by the U.S. Air Force under three consecutive names: Project Sign , Project Grudge , and Project Blue Book...
was a professor of astronomyAstronomyAstronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
at Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. He was considered an expert on the subject of UFO phenomena. A former investigator for Project Blue BookProject Blue BookProject Blue Book was one of a series of systematic studies of unidentified flying objects conducted by the United States Air Force. Started in 1952, it was the second revival of such a study...
, he invented the close encounterClose encounterIn ufology, a close encounter is an event in which a person witnesses an unidentified flying object. This terminology and the system of classification behind it was started by astronomer and UFO researcher J. Allen Hynek, and was first suggested in his 1972 book The UFO Experience: A Scientific...
scale (first kind, second kind, third kind). - Ken NormanKen NormanKenneth Darnel Norman is an American former professional basketball player. Kenny was a standout forward for the Illinois Fighting Illini who was selected 19th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers of the 1987 NBA Draft...
is a former NBA forward (1987–97). He played most of his career with the Los Angeles ClippersLos Angeles ClippersThe Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
; the same team which drafted him in the first round of the 1987 NBA Draft1987 NBA DraftThe 1987 Draft of the National Basketball Association was held on June 22, 1987 in New York City, New York.This draft is notable for the selection of two future members of the NBA 50 Greatest Players list, David Robinson and Scottie Pippen. Other notable selections include Reggie Miller, Kevin...
. - Joe ReiffJoe ReiffJoseph "Joe" Reiff was an American basketball player and referee. He was a three-time All-American center at Northwestern University....
was a three-time All-American basketball player at Northwestern. - Andre WakefieldAndre WakefieldAndre Wakefield is a retired American professional basketball player. He was a 6'2½" 175 lb guard and played high school basketball at Crane High School in Chicago, and collegiately at the College of Southern Idaho and Loyola University Chicago...
is a former NBA player (1978–80).