# Amundsen High School

Roald Amundsen High School is a public four-year high school located between the Ravenswood, Andersonville and Lincoln Square neighborhoods in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1929, Amundsen is a part of Chicago Public Schools district. The school is named for Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen (1872–1928). In 2015, the school achieved "Level 1 Status in Good Standing" under the district's performance policy rating. The school shares a part of its campus with another Chicago public school, Eliza Chappell Elementary School.

## History

The school was named after Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer who led the first expedition to reach the South Pole. His expedition reached the pole on December 14, 1911. Designed by architect Paul Gerhardt, Roald Amundsen School opened on November 10, 1930, two years after the explorer died in a rescue mission to the North Pole. Amundsen was not a high school when it opened, but a junior high. The Amundsen building also played host to branches of other schools, including a branch of McPherson Elementary that opened in Amundsen in 1932.
On July 26, 1933, Amundsen Junior High became Amundsen Senior High. In addition to serving high school pupils it also accommodated an elementary school unit. In June 1935 the Amundsen Elementary unit closed except for a small number of first and second-graders kept on as a branch of Goudy Elementary. This branch of Goudy in Amundsen became a branch of Hamilton on January 8, 1936, and remained until 1937 when it was rendered obsolete by the newly erected Chappell School. In 1956, the school was the first site of a two-year college program that later grew to become present-day Harry S Truman College. Above the main entrance is inscribed the quote, "A brave man may fall but cannot yield."

## Academics

Amundsen High School is rated an 8 out of 10 by GreatSchools.org, a national school quality information site. GreatSchools’ Summary Rating is based on four of the school’s themed ratings: the Test Score Rating, Student or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, and Equity Rating and flags for discipline and attendance disparities at a school.
As of the 2023-2024 school year, the school is ranked #3,329 in National Rankings on the U.S. News and World Report, with an overall score of 81.14.

### Curriculum

The school offers the IB (International Baccalaureate) program, a nonprofit based in Switzerland known for its rigorous curriculum. The school has been authorized to give the Diploma program since 1999, and the Middle Years program since 2003. As of the 2022-2023 school year, 25% of students have taken a IB Exam, with a 24% passing rate.
The school also offers AP (Advanced Placement) and DC (Dual Credit) programs.

## Athletics

Amundsen competes in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). The schools sport teams are nicknamed Vikings. The boys' soccer team were public league champions five times (1984–1985, 1987–1988, 1998–1999, 1999–2000, 2001–2002), Class AA three times (1998–1999, 1999–2000, 2001–2002) and regional champions four times (2008–2009, 2011–2012, 2013–2014, 2016–2017). The girls' soccer team were public league champions once in 1997–1998 and regional champions two times (2008–2009, 2010–2011).

### Jorndt Field

The sports stadium was renovated in 2004 and renamed Jorndt Field after Louis C. Jorndt, who taught and coached at Amundsen from 1930 until 1953. His son Dan and his wife Pat donated $1 million for the renovation. Football scenes for the movie The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (2008), about the life of Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy, were filmed in Jorndt Field in April and May 2007.

## Enrollment and demographics

* Hispanic or Latino (43%)
* Non-Hispanic White (36%)
* Black or African-American (8%)
* Asian (7%)
* Multiracial (5%)
* Native American or Pacific Islander (1%)
In the 2022-2023 school year, the school had 1,577 students. 43% of students were Hispanic or Latino, 36% were non-Hispanic white, 8% were black or African-American, 7% were Asian, 5% were multiracial, and <1% were Native American or Pacific Islander. 49.8% of students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch, and the school has a student to teacher ratio of 16.1.

## Notable alumni

* Bob Fosse, nine–time Tony Award-winning theatrical director and choreographer; won an Academy Award for directing the film Cabaret
* Don Koehler, one of 17 known people in medical history to reach a height of 8 feet (2.44 m) or more
* Michael Mann, film writer, director, and producer (Heat, Ali, The Aviator, The Insider, Public Enemies)
* Haris Mujezinović, former Bosnia & Herzegovina national team player and Euroleague basketball player
* Wally Osterkorn, former professional basketball player; played for the 1948-49 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team that reached the NCAA tournament's Final Four
* Don Rehfeldt, two-time Big Ten scoring champion for Wisconsin; professional basketball player
* Roy Thinnes, television and film actor (The Invaders, The Long, Hot Summer, Falcon Crest)
* Tony Yalda, film actor (American Dreams, Meet the Spartans); lead singer of The Hollabacks