Hinsdale Central High School
Encyclopedia
Hinsdale Central High School, or HCHS (locally referred to as simply "Central") is a public four-year high school
located at the corner of W. 55th St. and S. Grant St. in Hinsdale, Illinois
, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
. Founded in 1879, the school is well known for its large spending per student, academic excellence, and athletic programs. It is part of Hinsdale Township High School District No. 86, which also includes Hinsdale South High School
. The school is 17 miles west of Chicago and serves a suburban residential area of approximately 35,000 people. The Central campus draws its students from all of the village of Hinsdale
, majority of Clarendon Hills and Oak Brook, and small parts of Burr Ridge, Darien
, Willowbrook
and Westmont
.
The official name of the school is Hinsdale Township High School Central, often abbreviated Hinsdale TWP HS Central. This name is derived from the school's original name: Hinsdale Township High School (HTHS). "Central" was added to the original name when Hinsdale South High School
opened in 1965.
In 1894 the school building burned, and was replaced by a new building on the same site. In 1911 the school district was reorganized, and the school became officially known as Hinsdale Township High School. In 1916 a new school building was completed nearby.
By the 1930s, a site for a new school to serve the growing community was purchased south of town at the corner of 55th & Grant Streets. Though a new football field was dedicated on this property in 1932, Depression and World War II constraints postponed construction until 1948. The current high school building was dedicated in 1950.
By the 1960s, two additional school sites were purchased. Hinsdale South High School opened in 1965 a the corner of Clarendon Hills Road and 75th Street in Darien. It was then that the word "Central" was added to the name of the school. The other property at the corner of Midwest Road and 31st Street in Oak Brook, for a potential Hinsdale North High School, was later determined to be not needed, and was sold. This property now forms part of the Trinity Lakes Subdivision.
In 2004, the school underwent additional construction to alleviate crowded hallways and rebuild deteriorating parts of the building. The reconstruction included a new 5 million dollar library, extended cafeteria, and connected hallways greatly opening up the campus and improving the flow of traffic.
In 2007, it was the only high school in the country to be nominated as a Character Counts school and was named Character Counts School of the Year
In 2009, Hinsdale Central was named the National School Of Character by the Character Counts! organization.
examination, and graduated 96.4% of the class. The school is making Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind Act
.
In Newsweek's 2009 Top 1500 high schools in the United States, which bases school rankings on a ratio of advanced Placement exams taken compared to the student population, Hinsdale Central was ranked #347 in the nation. The Chicago Sun Times ranked Hinsdale Central as #5 in the state of Illinois in its Top 100 High Schools in Illinois Rankings, it is number #3 in the state of Illinois when not including magnet schools. In 2011, NewsWeek ranked Hinsdale Central 69th best high school in the country, 3rd best in Illinois, and the best public high school in the state.
for use in classes. However, this initiative was met with poor enthusiasm, fewer than 10 notebooks were sold.
Grade notification, attendance, discipline records, schedules,and registration information are available online. Hinsdale Central has integrated their server with Microsoft's SharePoint Services solution as opposed to their original use of Blackboard in the 2003-2004 school year. Students and faculty members are also given a school email, running Microsoft Exchange
Servers.
The school currently provides teachers with Tablet PCs, and the school is equipped with wireless internet access points. Tablet PC carts and desktop PC workstations are also available to students. Also, students at Hinsdale Central are allowed the option of bringing a laptop computer, tablet PC, or personal digital assistant for note taking and word processing in class.
Hinsdale Central has a fully equipped and operating radio room which powers its own radio station, WHSD 88.5 FM. This station is also operated by Hinsdale Central's sister school, Hinsdale South High School
.
Hinsdale Central competes in the West Suburban Conference
and is a member school in the Illinois High School Association
(IHSA), which governs most sports and competitive activities in the state. Its teams are stylized as the Red Devils.
The school sponsors interscholastic teams for young men and women in: basketball
, bowling
, cross country
, golf
, gymnastics
, soccer, swimming
& diving
, tennis
, track & field, and volleyball
.
There are teams for young men in baseball
, football
, and wrestling
, while young women may compete in badminton
and softball
. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors teams for young men and women in lacrosse
, and a team for young men in hockey.
Hinsdale Central has finished in the top four of the following IHSA sponsored state championship tournaments or meets:
In the 2006-07 season, the girls lacrosse team won the state championship. In 2007-08 and 2009-2010 the girls lacrosse team finished 3rd in state.
The boys gymnastics team's 33 top ten finishes and nine state titles is the state record.
The boys tennis team's 57 top ten finishes and 19 state championships is the state record. The girls tennis team's 33 top ten finishes is the second highest total in state history, though their 11 state titles is the state record.
The boys swimming & diving team's 44 top ten finishes and 17 state titles is the second highest totals in state history. The girls swimming & diving team, similarly, is second in state history with 27 top ten finishes and 7 state championships.
The following IHSA sponsored competitive activities have finished in the top 4 of their respective state tournament:
During the years 2000-2004 two female students were sexually assaulted by the men's basketball coach, Bob Mueller, who was also a teacher at the school. The school district received sharp criticism for its handling of the cases, as school administrators did not immediately report the abuse to the authorities when tipped by an anonymous caller. The DuPage county State's Attorney argued that school administrators violated a state law mandating abuse reporting when they decided to conduct their own investigation instead of contacting the authorities. The superintendent and principal at the time were not charged with any crimes after they signed an agreement to improve training of the staff and to report suspected abuse in the future. The teacher is now serving 32 years in prison for eight counts of criminal sexual assault. The two girls testified they had consensual sexual relationships with the teacher.
the school's server
and obtained the Social Security numbers
of the student body and faculty. The incident was reported to authorities on May 12, 2005. The school's administration was not aware of this network
security breach
for several months, but upon finding out the principal sent a letter home, stating "Our investigation is on-going, but the students seemed to be more focused on entering files to demonstrate that they could gather the data than on actually using the Social Security numbers." Hinsdale Central High School administrators gave the Social Security numbers to the Social Security Administration
and the Federal Trade Commission
as a precaution. There was no indication that the students used the Social Security numbers they obtained, and both students later claimed to have destroyed the information obtained. However, some incident reports indicate that the information was retained by the students. There is no way to verify if the Social Security numbers were actually destroyed. As a result of this incident, Hinsdale Central no longer keeps electronic records of Social Security numbers of its students and faculty. The IT
department restructured the system to prevent future security breaches, but it is unclear if the changes have helped. The two students were indefinitely suspended from the school network.
The turf field was completed over summer 2010, the last class to graduate on "Old" Dickinson Field being the class of 2010.
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....
located at the corner of W. 55th St. and S. Grant St. in Hinsdale, Illinois
Hinsdale, Illinois
Hinsdale is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois; it is located partly in Cook County and mainly in DuPage County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 17,349 at the 2000 census. The town's ZIP code is 60521. The town has a rolling, wooded topography, with a quaint downtown and is a 30-minute...
, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in 1879, the school is well known for its large spending per student, academic excellence, and athletic programs. It is part of Hinsdale Township High School District No. 86, which also includes Hinsdale South High School
Hinsdale South High School
Hinsdale South High School, or HSHS, and locally referred to as "South," is a public four-year high school located at the corner of 75th Street and Clarendon Hills Road in Darien, Illinois, a southwestern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States.The South campus draws its students from the...
. The school is 17 miles west of Chicago and serves a suburban residential area of approximately 35,000 people. The Central campus draws its students from all of the village of Hinsdale
Hinsdale, Illinois
Hinsdale is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois; it is located partly in Cook County and mainly in DuPage County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 17,349 at the 2000 census. The town's ZIP code is 60521. The town has a rolling, wooded topography, with a quaint downtown and is a 30-minute...
, majority of Clarendon Hills and Oak Brook, and small parts of Burr Ridge, Darien
Darien, Illinois
Darien is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, USA. The population was 22,086 at the 2010 census.A suburb of Chicago, Darien was named after a town in Connecticut.-Popular culture:...
, Willowbrook
Willowbrook, DuPage County, Illinois
Willowbrook is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,967 at the 2000 census.-History:Willowbrook grew from the Ridgemoor subdivision...
and Westmont
Westmont, Illinois
Westmont is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. Westmont is a community of six square miles in area, with a 2007 population of 26,211...
.
The official name of the school is Hinsdale Township High School Central, often abbreviated Hinsdale TWP HS Central. This name is derived from the school's original name: Hinsdale Township High School (HTHS). "Central" was added to the original name when Hinsdale South High School
Hinsdale South High School
Hinsdale South High School, or HSHS, and locally referred to as "South," is a public four-year high school located at the corner of 75th Street and Clarendon Hills Road in Darien, Illinois, a southwestern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States.The South campus draws its students from the...
opened in 1965.
History
Hinsdale High School was established in 1879 when community members began to see the need for education beyond eighth grade for their children. The first students, Alice Warren, Minnie Hinds, Grace Redfield, and Florence Webster graduated in 1883. In this period, there were five teachers, including the principal, teaching about 120 students in grades 1 - 12. All twelve grades shared the ca. 1866 schoolhouse at Garfield and Third Streets, built by William Robbins to serve the community he was developing.In 1894 the school building burned, and was replaced by a new building on the same site. In 1911 the school district was reorganized, and the school became officially known as Hinsdale Township High School. In 1916 a new school building was completed nearby.
By the 1930s, a site for a new school to serve the growing community was purchased south of town at the corner of 55th & Grant Streets. Though a new football field was dedicated on this property in 1932, Depression and World War II constraints postponed construction until 1948. The current high school building was dedicated in 1950.
By the 1960s, two additional school sites were purchased. Hinsdale South High School opened in 1965 a the corner of Clarendon Hills Road and 75th Street in Darien. It was then that the word "Central" was added to the name of the school. The other property at the corner of Midwest Road and 31st Street in Oak Brook, for a potential Hinsdale North High School, was later determined to be not needed, and was sold. This property now forms part of the Trinity Lakes Subdivision.
In 2004, the school underwent additional construction to alleviate crowded hallways and rebuild deteriorating parts of the building. The reconstruction included a new 5 million dollar library, extended cafeteria, and connected hallways greatly opening up the campus and improving the flow of traffic.
In 2007, it was the only high school in the country to be nominated as a Character Counts school and was named Character Counts School of the Year
In 2009, Hinsdale Central was named the National School Of Character by the Character Counts! organization.
Academics
The Class of 2009 scored an average composite score of 26.2 on the ACTACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...
examination, and graduated 96.4% of the class. The school is making Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind Act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country is performing academically according to results on standardized...
(AYP) under the federal No Child Left Behind Act
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...
.
In Newsweek's 2009 Top 1500 high schools in the United States, which bases school rankings on a ratio of advanced Placement exams taken compared to the student population, Hinsdale Central was ranked #347 in the nation. The Chicago Sun Times ranked Hinsdale Central as #5 in the state of Illinois in its Top 100 High Schools in Illinois Rankings, it is number #3 in the state of Illinois when not including magnet schools. In 2011, NewsWeek ranked Hinsdale Central 69th best high school in the country, 3rd best in Illinois, and the best public high school in the state.
Technology
In recent years the administration has moved towards integrating technology into the daily life of the school. A so-called "Tablet Initiative" attempted to have every freshman from the class of 2009 purchase a tablet PCTablet computer
A tablet computer, or simply tablet, is a complete mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and primarily operated by touching the screen...
for use in classes. However, this initiative was met with poor enthusiasm, fewer than 10 notebooks were sold.
Grade notification, attendance, discipline records, schedules,and registration information are available online. Hinsdale Central has integrated their server with Microsoft's SharePoint Services solution as opposed to their original use of Blackboard in the 2003-2004 school year. Students and faculty members are also given a school email, running Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Exchange Server is the server side of a client–server, collaborative application product developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Servers line of server products and is used by enterprises using Microsoft infrastructure products...
Servers.
The school currently provides teachers with Tablet PCs, and the school is equipped with wireless internet access points. Tablet PC carts and desktop PC workstations are also available to students. Also, students at Hinsdale Central are allowed the option of bringing a laptop computer, tablet PC, or personal digital assistant for note taking and word processing in class.
Hinsdale Central has a fully equipped and operating radio room which powers its own radio station, WHSD 88.5 FM. This station is also operated by Hinsdale Central's sister school, Hinsdale South High School
Hinsdale South High School
Hinsdale South High School, or HSHS, and locally referred to as "South," is a public four-year high school located at the corner of 75th Street and Clarendon Hills Road in Darien, Illinois, a southwestern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States.The South campus draws its students from the...
.
Athletics
West Suburban Conference
The West Suburban Conference is an athletic conference in DuPage County and Cook County in the state of Illinois.The conference was founded in 1924.-Member schools:All of the schools are also members of the Illinois High School Association...
and is a member school in the Illinois High School Association
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
(IHSA), which governs most sports and competitive activities in the state. Its teams are stylized as the Red Devils.
The school sponsors interscholastic teams for young men and women in: basketball
Basketball
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...
, bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, soccer, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
& diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, track & field, and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
.
There are teams for young men in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, and wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
, while young women may compete in badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors teams for young men and women in lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, and a team for young men in hockey.
Hinsdale Central has finished in the top four of the following IHSA sponsored state championship tournaments or meets:
| IHSA Top 4 Finishes for Hinsdale Central HS | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Finishes |
| Badminton: | 4th place (1992–93, 97–98); 3rd place (2000–01); 2nd place (2003–04); State Champions (2007–08) |
| Basketball (boys): | 4th place (1907–08); 3rd place (1909–10); State Champions (1908–1909) |
| Basketball (girls): | State Champions (2001–02) |
| Cross Country (girls): | 4th place (2005–06); 2nd place (2008–09); State Champions (2006–07) |
| Football: | 2nd place (2008–09); Semi-finalists (2005–06, 2002–03) |
| Golf (boys): | 3rd place (1952–53, 62–63, 63–64, 72–73, 78–79, 2007–08); 2nd place (1961–62, 2008–09); State Champions (45–46, 53–54, 60–61) |
| Golf (girls): | 4th place (1987–88, 2003–04); 2nd place (2006–07) |
| Gymnastics (boys): | 4th place (1978–79, 92–93, 2003–04); 3rd place (1987–88, 89–90, 95–96, 96–97, 1999–2000); 2nd place (1968–69, 73–74, 91–92, 98–99, 2005–06); State Champions (1969–70, 70–71, 71–72, 72–73, 74–75, 75–76, 90–91, 93–94, 94–95) |
| Gymnastics (girls): | 4th place (1977–78); 2nd place (1995–96) |
| Soccer (boys): | 4th place (2007–08); State Champions (1975–76) |
| Soccer (girls): | 3rd place (1988–89); State Champions (2008–09) |
| Swimming & Diving (boys): | 4th (1960–61, 91–92); 3rd place (1961–62, 64–65, 83–84, 84–85, 85–86, 2001–02, 02–03, 03–04); 2nd place (1963–64, 65–66, 78–79, 79–80, 90–91, 93–94, 94–95, 95–96); State Champions (1962–63, 66–67, 67–68, 68–69, 69–70, 70–71, 71–72, 72–73, 73–74, 74–75, 75–76, 76–77, 77–78, 80–81, 86–87, 87–88, 88–89) |
| Swimming & Diving (girls): | 4th place (1999–2000); 3rd (1977–78, 85–86); 2nd place (1978–79, 81–82, 82–83, 89–90, 2008–09); State Champions (1976–77, 79–80, 80–81, 90–91, 91–92, 92–93, 93–94) |
| Tennis (boys): | 4th place (1964–65, 81–82, 87–88, 91–92, 95–96, 97–98, 1999–2000); 3rd place (1950–51, 62–63, 84–85, 88–89, 98–99, 2004–05); 2nd place (1948–49, 54–55, 59–60, 60–61, 63–64, 66-67, 68-69, 70-71, 82-83, 92-93, 93-94, 94-95, 96-97, 2000–2001, 01-02, 09-10); State Champions (1955–56, 56–57, 57–58, 58–59, 65–66, 67–68, 71–72, 72–73, 73–74, 74–75, 75–76, 76–77, 77–78, 78–79, 79–80, 89–90, 90–91, 2006–07, 07–08, 08-09) |
| Tennis (girls): | 4th place (1975–76, 84–85, 2004–05, 05–06); 3rd place (1973–74, 82–83, 86–87, 87–88, 93–94, 2002–03); 2nd place (1974–75, 80–81, 81–82, 85–86, 94–95, 97–98, 98–99); State Champions (1976–77, 77–78, 78–79, 79–80, 83–84, 1999–2000, 00–01, 03–04, 06–07, 07–08, 08–09, 09-10, 11-12) |
| Track & Field (boys): | 4th place (1947–48); 3rd place (1922–23, 42–43, 48–49); 2nd place (1919–20); State Champions (1924–25) |
| Track & Field (girls): | 4th place (1996–97); State Champions (2009–10) |
| Volleyball (girls): | 3rd place (1977–78) water-polo |
In the 2006-07 season, the girls lacrosse team won the state championship. In 2007-08 and 2009-2010 the girls lacrosse team finished 3rd in state.
The boys gymnastics team's 33 top ten finishes and nine state titles is the state record.
The boys tennis team's 57 top ten finishes and 19 state championships is the state record. The girls tennis team's 33 top ten finishes is the second highest total in state history, though their 11 state titles is the state record.
The boys swimming & diving team's 44 top ten finishes and 17 state titles is the second highest totals in state history. The girls swimming & diving team, similarly, is second in state history with 27 top ten finishes and 7 state championships.
Activities
The school offers more than one hundred clubs, including community service organizations, academic competition teams, foreign language groups, and special interest clubs. Many clubs have won local and state awards and competitions.The following IHSA sponsored competitive activities have finished in the top 4 of their respective state tournament:
- ChessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
: State Champions (1972–73); 3rd place (2009-2010); 3rd place (2010-2011) - Individual Events: 3rd place (2007–08)
- Scholastic BowlQuizbowlQuiz bowl is a family of games of questions and answers on all topics of human knowledge that is commonly played by students enrolled in high school or college, although some participants begin in middle or even elementary school...
: 2nd place (1997–98, 2001–02); State Champions (1991–92)
Sexual assault
During the years 2000-2004 two female students were sexually assaulted by the men's basketball coach, Bob Mueller, who was also a teacher at the school. The school district received sharp criticism for its handling of the cases, as school administrators did not immediately report the abuse to the authorities when tipped by an anonymous caller. The DuPage county State's Attorney argued that school administrators violated a state law mandating abuse reporting when they decided to conduct their own investigation instead of contacting the authorities. The superintendent and principal at the time were not charged with any crimes after they signed an agreement to improve training of the staff and to report suspected abuse in the future. The teacher is now serving 32 years in prison for eight counts of criminal sexual assault. The two girls testified they had consensual sexual relationships with the teacher.
Identity theft
In the 2004-2005 school year, two students broke intoHacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
the school's server
Server (computing)
In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...
and obtained the Social Security numbers
Social Security number
In the United States, a Social Security number is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents under section 205 of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent...
of the student body and faculty. The incident was reported to authorities on May 12, 2005. The school's administration was not aware of this network
Computer network
A computer network, often simply referred to as a network, is a collection of hardware components and computers interconnected by communication channels that allow sharing of resources and information....
security breach
Computer security
Computer security is a branch of computer technology known as information security as applied to computers and networks. The objective of computer security includes protection of information and property from theft, corruption, or natural disaster, while allowing the information and property to...
for several months, but upon finding out the principal sent a letter home, stating "Our investigation is on-going, but the students seemed to be more focused on entering files to demonstrate that they could gather the data than on actually using the Social Security numbers." Hinsdale Central High School administrators gave the Social Security numbers to the Social Security Administration
Social Security Administration
The United States Social Security Administration is an independent agency of the United States federal government that administers Social Security, a social insurance program consisting of retirement, disability, and survivors' benefits...
and the Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
as a precaution. There was no indication that the students used the Social Security numbers they obtained, and both students later claimed to have destroyed the information obtained. However, some incident reports indicate that the information was retained by the students. There is no way to verify if the Social Security numbers were actually destroyed. As a result of this incident, Hinsdale Central no longer keeps electronic records of Social Security numbers of its students and faculty. The IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
department restructured the system to prevent future security breaches, but it is unclear if the changes have helped. The two students were indefinitely suspended from the school network.
Turf Field
On August 17, 2009, the Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Board of Education voted to install artificial fields at both schools in the district. The new field is said to be of better quality than ordinary fields and may be safer as well. Central Coach Skipper Begley noted how the artificial field would allow for more practice out of the year, because bad weather often hinders practice. There have also been plans to erect an inflatable dome over the turf field in September 2009, but as of now, such plans have not gone into effect.The turf field was completed over summer 2010, the last class to graduate on "Old" Dickinson Field being the class of 2010.
Notable alumni
- Kirk Dillard (class of 1973) is an Illinois State Senator (1994–present).
- John KinsellaJohn Kinsella (swimmer)John Pitann Kinsella was a standout at Illinois swimming powerhouse Hinsdale Central High School in the late 1960s. As a 16 year-old, he was the silver medalist in the 1500 meter freestyle at the 1968 Summer Olympics, finishing second to U.S. teammate Mike Burton.Kinsella was a member of the gold...
was an OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
swimmer, winning a gold medal at the 1972 OlympicsSwimming at the 1972 Summer OlympicsThe 1972 Summer Olympics were held in Munich, West Germany, 29 events in swimming were contested. There was a total of 532 participants from 52 countries competing....
and a silver medal at the 1968 OlympicsSwimming at the 1968 Summer OlympicsAt the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, 29 events in swimming were contested. There was a total of 468 participants from 51 countries competing. The United States dominated the competition, winning 52 of 87 medals.-Medal table:-Men's events:...
. He is a member of the International Swimming Hall of FameInternational Swimming Hall of FameThe International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of swimming in the United States and around...
. - Ben MurphyBen MurphyBenjamin E. Murphy is an American actor. He is known for his role in the ABC television series Alias Smith and Jones, co-starring as Kid Curry, first with Pete Duel and later with Roger Davis.-Early life:...
is an actor best known for his work in television. - John MurphyJohn Murphy (swimmer)John Joseph Murphy is a former backstroke and freestyle swimmer from the United States, who won the gold medal in the men's 4×100m freestyle relay at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany. At the same tournament, the 19-year old also collected a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke.-...
was a swimmer at the 1972 Olympics. - Joseph NechvatalJoseph NechvatalJoseph Nechvatal is a post-conceptual art digital artist and art theoretician who creates computer-assisted paintings and computer animations, often using custom-created computer viruses.-Life and work:Joseph Nechvatal was born in Chicago...
(class of 1969) is a visual artist. - Robert Nieman (class of 1966) was a three–time Olympic Modern pentathlonModern pentathlonThe modern pentathlon is a sports contest that includes five events: pistol shooting, épée fencing, 200 m freestyle swimming, show jumping, and a 3 km cross-country run...
athlete. - Cathy RichardsonCathy RichardsonCatherine E. Richardson , who goes professionally by Cathy Richardson, is a singer and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois....
(class of 1986) is an actress, singer, songwriter. - Marty RiessenMarty RiessenMarty Riessen played amateur and professional tennis in the 1960s and 1970s. He was ranked as high as No. 11 in the world in singles on the ATP Rankings...
(class of 1960) was a professional tennis player. He was a five–time member of the United States Davis Cup team. - Bill VeeckBill VeeckWilliam Louis Veeck, Jr. , also known as "Sport Shirt Bill", was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and a franchise owner and promoter in Major League Baseball. He was best known for his publicity stunts to raise attendance. Veeck was at various times the owner of the Cleveland Indians, St. Louis...
(attended Hinsdale Central, but transferred to Phillips Exeter AcademyPhillips Exeter AcademyPhillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
) was a Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team executive and owner. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of FameNational Baseball Hall of Fame and MuseumThe National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in 1991. - Bob DudleyBob DudleyRobert "Bob" Dudley is the CEO of BP. He had served as President and Chief Executive of TNK-BP and on June 18, 2010, was assigned to be BP executive in charge of the Gulf Coast Restoration Organisation responding to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.-Early life:Dudley was born in Queens, New York,...
(class of 1973) is the current CEO of BPBPBP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
. - Danielle Campbell Danielle CampbellDanielle Campbell is an American actress known for her role as Jessica Olson in the 2010 Disney Channel Original Movie Starstruck and as Simone in the The Disney film Prom.- Life and career :...
(class of 2013) actress