Oak Park and River Forest High School
| Oak Park and River Forest High School | |
|---|---|
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| Address | |
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201 N. Scoville Avenue Oak Park, Illinois 60302 United States |
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| Coordinates | 41°53′25″N 87°47′20″W / 41.8903°N 87.7888°WCoordinates: 41°53′25″N 87°47′20″W / 41.8903°N 87.7888°W |
| Information | |
| Type | Public Secondary School |
| Motto |
ΤΑ Γ'ΑΡΙΣΤΑ (Those things that are best) |
| Opened | 1871 |
| School district | Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 |
| Superintendent | Steven T. Isoye |
| CEEB code | 143–245 |
| Principal | Nathaniel Rouse |
| Staff | 436 |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Gender | Coed |
| Enrollment | 3,098 (2008) |
| Average class size | 19.2 |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Color(s) |
burnt orange navy blue |
| Song | We're loyal to you Oak Park High |
| Athletics conference | West Suburban Conference |
| Nickname | Huskies |
| Average ACT scores | 24.5 |
| Publication | Crest |
| Newspaper | Trapeze |
| Yearbook | Tabula |
| Website | School website |
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Oak Park and River Forest High School, or OPRF, is a public four-year high school located in Oak Park, Illinois, a neighborhood bordering Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is the only school of Oak Park and River Forest District 200.
Founded in 1873, the current school building opened in 1907. A comprehensive college preparatory school, OPRF has had a long history of not only turning out alumni who have made contributions in a wide variety of fields, but have consistently been eminently notable in their fields. Perhaps the most notable is Nobel Prize– and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Ernest Hemingway, whose writing career began at the school.
Throughout most of its history, the school has been a centerpiece of the Oak Park community, serving as host to a number of community events. Many of these events included lecturers and performances from many notable people from a variety of fields. Throughout the twentieth century, the school was also on the front lines of students rights issues ranging from fraternity/sorority membership in the early twentieth century to the rights of homosexuals and African-Americans at the century's end.
The school's history in many ways parallels that of many American suburban high schools as it saw changes due to differences in demographics, changes due to the world wars, and alterations made because of financial difficulties. The school has been a waypoint for a number of notable individuals who have lectured or performed at the school. The school has also seen its share of challenges, ranging from student membership in secret societies to issues that impact homosexuals, women, and African-Americans. Much of the history comes from the crest which portrays the quote "Those things that are best" in Greek.
The school's crest is a shield divided into three sections. The top left section depicts an acorn cradled in the leaves of an oak tree. The bottom section consists of horizontal wavy lines, suggesting a flowing river, while the right section depicts a group of three trees which represents a park or forest (thus incorporating the town names "oak park and river forest"). The top left section is separated from the other two sections by a wide divider inscribed with the school's motto ΤΑ Γ'ΑΡΙΣΤΑ (Those things that are best), which conveys the hope that each student and teacher will strive for strong character and the best of their abilities. The crest has been a symbol of the school since 1908.
In lieu of having a valedictorian, the high school presents the Scholarship Cup. The Scholarship Cup is an award presented to the graduating seniors who have the highest weighted GPA in their graduating class, after the seventh semester of enrollment (though transfer students remain eligible for the award, provided they have been in attendance for five semesters prior to the Cup being awarded.
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