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Adlai E. Stevenson High SchoolHistory
USINFO | 2014-01-07 15:15
Adlai E. Stevenson High School opened in September 1965 amid turmoil and adversity. Prior to the opening of Stevenson, the students in the Stevenson area attended Ela-Vernon High School in Lake Zurich. Stevenson was planned to become a second school for the growing district, but the western side (Lake Zurich) of the district decided to go their own way and build their own district. This left Stevenson with an unfinished building, no board or administration and no faculty. When Stevenson opened to 467 students and 34 teachers in 1965, the building was not carpeted, the library was empty, most classrooms were without desks and athletic fields were non-existent, as most of the school furniture was shipped to Prairie View, Texas instead of Prairie View, Illinois.
Stevenson High School is named after former politician Adlai Stevenson, who served as Governor of Illinois (among other things), Stevenson being a prominent resident of nearby Libertyville, Illinois. any other aspects of the school, such as its nickname (Patriots), the school magazine (Minuteman), and Newspaper (Statesman) were also named after characteristics of Adlai E. Stevenson.
Stevenson has grown since its opening in 1965 to become one of the largest high schools in the area. The school has undergone various additions over the years, the first being in 1970 where the school gym, auto shop, and pool were renovated. During the mid to late 1980s, a bi-level addition of classrooms was built along the side of the school as well as a new gym and a sky-bridge connecting the older part of the school to the new addition, which add a modern feel to the school. During the mid-1990s, a much larger addition, the size of another school, was built which included 60 classrooms, a 50 meter swimming pool, a 1,186 seat Performing Arts Center and a field house was built. In 2000, the new building added another wing which included more classrooms, a student resource center, and a new commons area. In 2004, the main entrance to the school was completely rebuilt and transformed into another commons area. Other renovations that year included more fine arts areas. Around 2008, many of the athletic fields were expanded and the football field got new turf. Also, the original school auditorium was renovated. Then, in 2011, the school library and student resource center in the old building were renovated for the first time, resulting in a much larger library and even larger sitting area, as well as meeting rooms available to students, and stations for each subject open all day for students in the new learning center. Altogether, this was named the Information and Learning Center. And during the summer of 2013, the photography studio was also renovated.
Stevenson High School is named after former politician Adlai Stevenson, who served as Governor of Illinois (among other things), Stevenson being a prominent resident of nearby Libertyville, Illinois. any other aspects of the school, such as its nickname (Patriots), the school magazine (Minuteman), and Newspaper (Statesman) were also named after characteristics of Adlai E. Stevenson.
Stevenson has grown since its opening in 1965 to become one of the largest high schools in the area. The school has undergone various additions over the years, the first being in 1970 where the school gym, auto shop, and pool were renovated. During the mid to late 1980s, a bi-level addition of classrooms was built along the side of the school as well as a new gym and a sky-bridge connecting the older part of the school to the new addition, which add a modern feel to the school. During the mid-1990s, a much larger addition, the size of another school, was built which included 60 classrooms, a 50 meter swimming pool, a 1,186 seat Performing Arts Center and a field house was built. In 2000, the new building added another wing which included more classrooms, a student resource center, and a new commons area. In 2004, the main entrance to the school was completely rebuilt and transformed into another commons area. Other renovations that year included more fine arts areas. Around 2008, many of the athletic fields were expanded and the football field got new turf. Also, the original school auditorium was renovated. Then, in 2011, the school library and student resource center in the old building were renovated for the first time, resulting in a much larger library and even larger sitting area, as well as meeting rooms available to students, and stations for each subject open all day for students in the new learning center. Altogether, this was named the Information and Learning Center. And during the summer of 2013, the photography studio was also renovated.
