History

HISTORY OF KING COLLEGE PREP HIGH SCHOOL

When the Chicago Public School System decided to make Forrestville Upper Grade Center a High School, it proposed to build a new school on Drexel Boulevard.  Shortly after Dr. King’s death, the student council held an assembly of the juniors and seniors. Led by Valedictorian Carolyn Haynes ’68 it was unanimously decided to name the new school after Dr. King.  Teacher Lawrence Wilkinson led a delegation of teachers, parents and students to CPS to petition for a name change.

The Board of Education without too much persuasion agreed to the name change.  Our King High School technically was the first school in the United States to be named after Dr. King.  But because our school had not been built as of yet, we became the 2nd school in the US to be named after him.  King High School in Detroit in 1969 became the 1st school to be recognized with the honor.