Niles Township Community High School opened in 1938 for the students of Morton Grove, Golf, Lincolnwood, Niles and Skokie. It became known as Niles East when Niles West, which opened in September 1958, completed its transition to a four-year high school. Declining enrollment necessitated the closing of Niles East and the school’s final year was in 1979-80.
- The crest for Niles Township High School was created in 1952. The crest is composed of five symbols, each representing an ideal: the lamp of learning, the crown of character, the scales of justice, the chevron of service and the hands of friendship. The symbols are united to show the different facets of school life.
- The school year book was called Reflections.
- The school colors were gold and blue.
- The literary magazine was called the Golden Galleon.
- The Nilehilite was the name of the school newspaper.
- The Niles East building is now gone (only the courtyard flagpole remains), though parts of the school will live on in celluloid. Scenes in “Sixteen Candles” and “Risky Business” were filmed at the school.
The original 1939 school song:
“As years may come and years may go,
Deep in our hearts we’ll always know:
That there’s only one real high school
And so we sing anew:
We love you, Gold and Blue!”
ALUMNI IN THE NEWS – SEEN AND HEARD
Sharon Pitts, (Sharon Lee Green Pitts) Niles East Class of 1966, renowned artist, had her art featured in in the September/October 2019 issue of Watercolor Artist Magazine.
Sharon Pitts (sharonpitts.com) holds a B.A. in plastic and graphic arts from the University of Illinois, Chicago, and has studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Barnes Foundation and Montclair State University. Her work is featured in collections throughout the United States and in numerous exhibitions. As a workshop instructor, she teaches at the Yard School of Art, Montclair Art Museum, in Montclair, N.J., and gives workshops around the world. She’s a member of Allied Artists of America and Studio Montclair, Inc., and is listed in Who’s Who in American Art.
Richard W. Zuckerman
On April 27, 2019, Richard W. Zuckerman, Niles East Class of 1969, was the recipient of the prestigious Samuel S. Berger award from the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers at its annual Gala at the Ritz-Carlton-Chicago. Mr. Zuckerman, who practices law in Peoria, Illinois, is the first person from outside Cook County or the counties of DuPage, McHenry, Lake, Kane or Will to be presented with this award. The Berger Award is given annually in honor of the late Judge and Rabbi Samuel S. Berger of Skokie, Illinois to an attorney or judge who exemplifies the highest standards of integrity, courtesy, knowledge of family law and who has demonstrated an extraordinary ability to solve human problems. Mr. Zuckerman is a 1973 graduate of Bradley University and a 1976 graduate of the John Marshall Law School.
To contact us:
Samina Hussain, samhus@d219.org, 847-626-3959
