Fremd and Palatine High Schools

FREMD HIGH SCHOOL

For freshman year in high school, 1965-1966, I went to William Fremd High School in Palatine, which involved a long bus ride to the other side of the village. All Palatine freshmen and sophomores went to this fairly new school. Back in the 60s, Palatine was experiencing a building boom, much of it coming from the huge Winston Park subdivision where we lived.

It was named for William Fremd who had been a member of the high school board of education for 30 years and had served on other school boards as well.

In the fall of 1966, the first juniors came and they made up the first graduating class.

Fremd is one of the largest high schools in Illinois with 2800 students. The class of 2006 had 727 graduates.


PALATINE HIGH SCHOOL

I went to good old Palatine sophomore through senior years, 1966-1968.

The school was founded in 1875 and was the first public high school in what was to become Chicago's Northwest Suburbs.

The old Palatine High School was built in 1928 and remained in use until 1977 when a new school was built.

Much of the 1928 building was then torn down with the exception of Cutting Hall, which is still used today for plays and concerts.

A big addition was put on during my sophomore year, and that was left and today is used by the police department, village hall, and the park district. Many a class was interrupted because of construction noise my sophomore year.

Unfortunately, my class got to be the lowest class at school for two years in a row with the move from Fremd to Palatine when both were to become four year schools. Not surprisingly, a big rivalry developed between the Fremd Vikings and the Palatine Pirates.

We're Loyal to You, Palatine. We're Scarlet and Gray Palatine. --RoadDog