By The Dawns Early Light of Neil F. Simeon, John Everett & Al Scott-Part 2A: Simeon Turns 50 The Heroic Story Of How A Discipline-Oriented, Athletically-Inclined Educator, Entered Into The Fray Of A South Side Schools Pride And Tradition, And Used His Athletic Directorship, Clout, Connections, And, Administrative Roles, To Catapult A $1.00-Purchased Warehouse, Into A Nationally Recognized Athletic Powerhouse And Community Resource. It Was A Superb Culture Of Discipline And Athletics, Vocational Exploits, Steady Academics, Profiles In Courage, That Under Girded The Transformation Of A School Of Last Resort, Into A Reality Where Students Were Placed On Waiting Lists, Desirous Of Attending. In The Process, A Myriad Of Student-Athletes Excelled Under His Athletic Program, With Many Of Them-As Well As Non-Athletic Students, Being Brought Back Under His Principal Ship, As Alumni Employees/Contractors/Elected Local School Council Members To Work Their Magic In A State Of The Art Edifice, Of Which He Had Led A Coalition Of Many To Build. _______________________________________________________________ They say that early in the morning when there is the so-called rising of the sun, that Dawn sets in. This is a setting and period of darkness mixed with light. Well, Neil F. Simeon Vocational High School had its humble origin. In 1963 Neil Ferdinand Simeon departed from the worlds life. In honor of his vocational vision, educator and administrator exploits, the Chicago board of education sought to name a school in his honor. And, for school year 1964, they had some of their students at Wescott Vocational taking a little trek down Vincennes avenue. At that site was Krogers Warehouse. Krogers sold the board this building for $1.00. Future Simeon Administrator would later that the board was cheated out of 50 cents. Meanwhile, just about 2 country mile blocks, a 29 year old, tough coach and teacher was grooming a young man. The football, and wrestling coach at Hirsch High school had played at the University of Illinois/Urbana with NFL Hall Of Famer, Bobby Mitchell. Coach John Everett was a native of Gary Indiana, and was reputed as being such a tough Coach, that one of his nicknames was SOB. His young classroom student-Alvin Ronald Scott, a wrestling and football athlete of his, used to follow his coach/mentor home after school, according to Alvin Scott Jr. ***In my humble opinion, it was in the Hirsch classroom, and the gridiron, that served as the basis more than anything else, that catapulted Simeon into the future powerhouse of 1970-2005. Theres was truly a story of profiles in courage, rights of passage. _______________________________________________________________ Neal F. Simeon, Educator Simeon Career Academy was named after teacher, administrator and specialist in Vocational Education, Neal Ferdinand Simeon. Mr. Simeon was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 30, 1916 and was of Creole descent. His family was from New Orleans; his father a cigar maker. He had two sisters and three brothers; Lillian, Ethel, Omer, Albert and Leo. Neal F. Simeon married Helen and to this union was born daughter Sharon A. Simeon. Mr. Simeon graduated from Doolittle Elementary School and went on to graduate from Wendell Phillips High School in 1934 where he was football captain and valedictorian. Mr. Simeon won an academic scholarship to Northwestern University, but instead enrolled at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) where he starred in track and boxing. While an undergrad, he was the IIT light heavyweight boxing champion and competed in the Golden Gloves. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT in 1938 and was elected to Pi Tau Sigma, an honorary Mechanical Engineering fraternity. Following graduation, he briefly played semi-pro football and worked in the machine tool and printing supply industries where he was a tool designer. He was also a licensed airplane pilot and was in one of the first groups to learn flying under a federal government program. He held a ground instructor’s license and taught aviation mechanics at Tuskegee [Ala.] Institute. In 1945 he entered the Navy and served two years as a seaman. While in the Navy, he was a Golden Gloves boxer. He received his Masters in Education from Northwestern University in 1950. His career as an educator began when he became a teacher at Wendell Phillips Evening High School. A short time later, he became a full time machine shop teacher at Dunbar Vocational High School where he successively served as Administrator, Placement Counselor, Assistant Principal, and as Director of Special Projects in Vocational Education. His last position was as Director of Vocational Education and Guidance Centers for the Chicago Board of Education. He was then the highest paid African American employee at the Board. In 1962, Neal F. Simeon was called upon by President Kennedy to represent the United States at the International Trade Fair in Lagos, Nigeria. He was given a special leave of absence to supervise the educational and training aspects of the United States Exhibit of New Tools, New Skills, and New Markets. Mr. Simeon’s interest in the vocational training of Chicago’s youth was evident to all who observed his tireless devotion to his work. He was vitally concerned with the special problems in the area of vocational education. He was eminently qualified to assume the directorship of such a dynamic program of preparing the city’s youth for the forthcoming manpower requirements of our changing economy. At the age of 46, Neal F. Simeon died on August 28, 1963 at Wesley Memorial hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Information gathered by the Simeon Alumni Association from the SCA archives, Sharon A. Simeon and a 1963 Chicago Tribune Newspaper article _______________________________________________________________ Our History Our school, originally known as Westcott Vocational High School, was established in September of 1949 at 8023 South Normal Avenue, Chicago, Illinois. The Westcott building on Normal Avenue was occupied by the Calumet High School until 1926. From 1927 to 1933, it was known as the Westcott Junior High in honor of Oliver Spink Westcott. With the elimination of the Junior Highs in Chicago, the building became a branch of Calumet High School remaining as such until 1942. During the years of World War II (1942-1946), the United States Navy set up a training center in the Chicago Vocational High School building at 2100 East 87th Street, and that high school was relocated to the Westcott building. Chicago Vocational High School occupied the building until June of 1946, leaving it to move back into their own building on 87th Street after the Navy withdrew. In September of 1946, the Westcott Continuation School took over the building. It continued as such until 1948, when a small group of vocational high school students were admitted. Due to an ever-increasing vocational high school membership, the Continuation school department was moved from the Westcott building and was known as the Princeton Branch of Westcott Vocational High School. In 1962 the Princeton Girls were moved into Westcott Vocational High School and the boys into the Tilden building. In 1963, the Kroger Company donated its warehouse at 8235 South Vincennes Avenue to the Board of Education for the cost of $1.00, and after renovation of the third floor, the Westcott Vocational High School and Girls Continuation School moved there in December of 1963. In September of 1964, the name of the high school was changed to Neal F. Simeon Vocational High School, honoring Neal F. Simeon. Simeon grew in enrollment; it became known as one of the best-run schools in Chicago. Tragedy and national notoriety occurred with the passing of student Ben Wilson in November of 1984. The student body was deeply affected by the loss of the superior basketball player, and Mayor Harold Washington visited the school promising a new physical education building. The Ben Wilson Gymnasium opened in 1989. Today The school name was changed from Simeon Vocational High School in September of 1998 to Simeon Career Technical Academy. In 2003, the name changed to Simeon Career Academy to make way for a brand new school building. The address was changed from 8235 S. Vincennes Ave. to 8147 S. Vincennes Ave. On June 26, 2005, a retirement celebration was held at the school for retiring Principal John E. Everett. Mr. Everett was principal of Simeon from 1994 to 2005. During that ceremony, Chicagos Mayor Richard M. Daley renamed Vincennes Avenue between 80th and 83rd to John Everett Drive. Also, on June 26, 2005, there was a dedication of the new gymnasium in honor of the late Coach Alvin R. Scott, Sr., who was the Athletic Director and Head Football Coach of Simeon. The gymnasium was named the Alvin R. Scott Sr. Athletic Center.-Courtesy of Simeon Career Academy
Posted on: Fri, 07 Nov 2014 09:25:38 +0000
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