Bowen High School History

In the early 1800's the idea of education beyond elementary school had a slow beginning on the southeast side of
Chicago. This was despite the fact that other areas of the United States were already providing for higher education
(meaning high school). At that point in our local history, the neighborhoods were being established by immigrants who
were primarily concerned with learning English and preparing for citizenship. The movement to establish high schools
did not touch base on the southeast side until 1882 when the area's earliest high school opened its doors at 93rd and
Houston Avenue with 14 students enrolled in a one room class. Built in 1876, it served children of the elementary grade
levels and four rooms were allocated for high school work. Bowen School developed into the South Chicago High
School, which later developed into the present day Bowen High School.

James Harvey Bowen was a young entrepreneur interested in promoting the industrial development of the area. Bowen
was the chairman of the Republican State Central Committee who made arrangements for the Lincoln funeral in Illinois.
Bowen and others founded the Calumet and Chicago Canal and Dock Company in 1870. This resulted in improvements to
the Calumet River, draining and filling of swamps, construction of roads, docks, and railroad bridges. Factories were
established mostly along the Calumet River and Bowen was instrumental in the opening of the regions first steel mill, the
Joseph H. Brown Mill (later Wisconsin Steel) in 1875. For his interest and contributions to the southeast side of Chicago,
area residents deemed it important to change the name of the South Chicago High School to James H. Bowen High
School.

In 1910, a new building was built at 2710 E. 89th Street, but the older school building was not closed. It was used as a
branch until approximately 1960 when it was eventually closed and later taken down. Now the site is a vacant lot across
the street of the South Chicago Fire Station and serves as a parking lot for the members of the South Chicago
Pentecostal Church of God. Officially named James H. Bowen Public High School, the current building was built for an
enrollment of 1,400, but by the mid-1930s its student body numbered 4,600 because of the influx of Polish, Slavic, and
other immigrants into South Chicago. Because of its overcapacity, in 1970, a new gymnasium and an addition was added
with 30 classrooms, 4 large study halls, and a two story library.

The Bowen building has architectural significance because of its strong resemblance to Carl Schurz High School, a
landmark building on Chicago's North Side. Both of these buildings were designed by the architect, Dwight Perkins, who
was a Prairie school contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright.

As South Chicago grew, Bowen came to be one of the finest high schools in the South Chicago area. By the 1950s and
1960s Bowen continued with its tradition of academic excellence. In 1965, 73% of the senior class went on to college.
Bowen High School remains in South Chicago, a cultural and education institution serving today's youth only in a
different scenario. Bowen was divided into four "small schools" in 2002 under the auspices of the Chicago High School
Redesign Initiative. Each "small school" focuses on a specific educational program. The four schools at Bowen are:
Chicago Discovery Academy; BEST or Bowen Environmental Studies Team; Global Visions Academy; and the New
Millennium School of Health. The four schools are funded by the Chicago Board of Education and receive supplemental
funds from the Bill and Melanie Gates Fund. Each small school has an enrollment of about 400 students, is staffed by
certified teachers, and has its own principal.

Information obtained from articles by Gloria Novak, Southeast Historical Society & NEIU

Two books have been published about the Southeast Side by Arcadia Publishing in their Images of America Series:

Chicago's Southeast Side by Rod Sellers & Dominic A. Pacyga (1998)

Chicago's Southeast Side Revisited by Rod Sellers (2001)

The Southeast Historical Society is located at 3658 E. 103rd St., Chicago, IL 60617. Their website is
http://www.neiu.edu/~reseller/sehsintro.html

William P. Hearne, Principal of Bowen High School, feels that the U. N. only has a slight edge on his school since there
are 40 nationalities represented in the student body. The school is run on democratic lines, student government having
been in effect since 1928 according to Hearne. "Our faculty feels that our school program is a testing ground of
inter-cultural relationships" the Principal explained, adding that these relationships extend into all school activities.

The governing body in the school is the Student Board, composed of representative from each division room and club.
The 80 members are responsible for supervision of all school elections, programs, and activities. The largest club is the
Girls' Athletic Association with 1,300 members. The most select group is the National Honor Society, which has 20
members. In the eyes of the factulty, these three groups are engaged in the mst significant activities in the high school.

When it comes to numbers, Hearne likes to mention that during war (World War II) and victory bond drives, the school's
purchases totaled $937,051. The number of alumni who entered military service is 1,220. Gold stars on the Honor Roll
honor 39 who lost their lives.

In 1882 high school studies were given to 14 pupils in one of the 4 classrooms in the (old) Bowen School building. By 1897
three classed had grown to ocuupy the entire elementary building. Then in 1910 a new building was erected at a cost of
$450,000. A $600,000 addition was completed in 1942.

Mr. Hearne and some of his students will appear on the "Citizens of Tomorrow" program on Saturday, April 6 at 9:30 AM
on WGN. The broadcast will be recorded Thursday afternoon in the Assembly Hall. Principal Hearne will open the
program with a salute to the Bowen student body and its war record. He will introduce Philip Maxwell of the Chicago
Tribune, director of the show, who will add the names of David Fritz, 9534 Escanaba Ave., and John J. Bottje of Grand
Haven Mich. High School to the program's honor roll. Both students were chosen for their scholarship and extra-curricular
activities. Fritz is President of the Honor Society and a member of the Visual Education Service. Carol Berggren, 13447
Buffalo Ave., star entertainer, will sing "My Heart Stood Still". School news will be read by Arthur Cooksey, 1737 E. 86th.
Place. Victory stamp prizes will awarded contestants in a history-music quiz. Those competing will be Edward
Walkowiak, Ann Cira, Louis Novak, Carl Vespa, Beverly Horecky, and Muriel Brickman. The Bowen Choral Club, directed
by C. Clayton Fox, will sing "Sweet and Low", "Ifca's Castle" and the school song.

Excerpted from a Chicago Tribune article dated March 31, 1946.