1978AA Relay Placer 1-mile
relay--6th place
1979AA 10th in AA State Finals
coach unknown
1
East St. Louis Lincoln
64
10 Chicago
Calumet
17
Relay Placers 1-mile relay 3rd place
880-yd
medley relay 7th place
880-yd
relay 8th place
Individual Placers
Lorraine Wellington 880-yd
run--4th place
Gretchen Grier 880-yd
run--6th place
BOYS' CROSS-COUNTRY
Calumet had a hill-and-dale team during the fall of the school year, with one individual state title coming from Steve
Murphy in 1950 to help suppliment his two track championships in the one-mile run, and two teams qualified for the state finals
during the 1980's.
1950 Individual Placer
Steve Murphy
STATE CHAMPION!!! (9:47.6)
1981 Team qualifer for state meet coach unknown
1985 Team qualifer for state meet coach unknown
FOOTBALL
The Indian gridders were involved in many Public League battles, involved in two Prep Bowls in back-to-back seasons,
and went to the IHSA state playoffs in 1995. Here's a look back at some of these seasons:
1956 Lost to Leo 12-0 in Prep Bowl
coach unknown
1957
Lost to Mendel 6-0 in Prep Bowl Coach Ted Zayner
1983 6-3
coach unknown
1993 5-4
coach unknown
1995 6-4 Class 4A Playoff Qualifier Coach
Johnny Butler
Lost to Oak Lawn
Richards, 45-0
2003 5-2
coach unknown
BOYS' TENNIS
In the mid-to-late 1920's, Calumet had three fine singles players that made it the semifinal rounds of the state tournament,
bringing home a second, a third, and a fourth place finisher three times within four years. The Indians also won
two Public League team titles during that decade.
1924 Chicago Public League Team Champions coach unknown
1925 Chicago Public League Team Champions coach unknown
Individual Finish at State Finals
Gordon Braudt 2nd
in singles
Lost to George (Buster) Holloway of New Trier in finals, 6-2, 6-4
1927 Individual
Finish at State Finals
Lewis Shaffer
4th in singles
1928 Individual Finish at State Finals
(?) Shaffer 3rd
in singles
BOYS' BASKETBALL
Calumet fielded a boys' cage team with some success in the first half of the 1900's, taking second place in the Public
League four times, taking one lightweight title, and also capturing a state district tournament during the 1931-32 season.
Win-loss records and coaches' names are missing.
1908-09 Second in Public League Tournament coach unknown
Finished
behind Lake View in round-robin format
1909-10 Second in Public League Tournament coach unknown
1914-15 Second in Public League Tournament coach unknown
Lost to Lane Tech in finals, 23-7
1929-30 Public League Lightweight Champions coach unknown
1931-32 District Champs!!
coach unknown
Second
in Public League tournament
Lost to Crane in finals, 25-21
GIRLS' BASKETBALL
We do know for a fact that Calumet did offer this sport to its young ladies as early as the 1900's, taking second in
the Cook County League in the winter of 1904-05. The sport was again offered in the 1970's when most schools once again
had girls' hoops action. Any information that you may have is greatly appreciated.
1904-05 Second in Cook County League coach
unknown
Lost to Hyde Park in finals, 23-11
1986-87
Coach McGee
1987-88
Coach McGee
RIFLE TEAM
In terms of showing that they could hit the target with accuracy, Calumet was one of the schools that offered a rifle
team during the early 1930's, bringing home the Public League title in 1932-33. Very little is known beyond these facts,
and we would be curious to find out more about the sport itself when it was offered.
FAMOUS ALUMNI/FACULTY MEMBERS
--Paul D. “Tony”
Hinkle (class of 1916), became a long-time college basketball coach who eventually was elected to both the Naismith Basketball
Hall of Fame and the Helms Basketball Hall of Fame. The fieldhouse at Butler University is named in his honor, and he coached
his basketball teams to a record of 560-392 from 1926-1970 with a break for World War II.
--Earl Eby—attended
first Calumet and later Loyola
Academy, and participated in the 1920 Olympic Games, taking second for the USA in the 800 meters, and getting a fourth as a
part of the 1600 relay.
--Georgie Anne
Geyer (class of 1952)— became a world renown journalist and columnist who writes regularly on international affairs.
--Tommy Sands —actor and teen idol
hitmaker, notably with “Teen-Age Crush” in 1957.
--Mike Lind
(class of 1958)— was an All-State football player, who went on to play for Notre Dame in college and for
San Francisco and Pittsburgh
in the pros at fullback.
--James Young (class of 1967 or 1968)-- after graduation, attended Illinois Institute of
Technology and helped form the band TW4. The band changed its name to Styx after signing to Wooden Nickel Records.
Young was a guitarist and songwriter, penning "Miss America" and "Snowblind" as two of the group's bigger hits. He
still continues to tour today with a current lineup of Styx.
--Chaka Khan
(class of 1969)—attended Calumet under the name of Yvette Stevens, but later achieved fame in R&B music
first as lead singer of Rufus and then out on her own.
--Marsha Warfield
(class of 1971)— achieved fame as a standup comedienne and a television actress.
--Kirby Puckett (class of 1979) -- even though there are no records of his career as a Calumet Indian,
Puckett later went on to play 12 seasons in center field for the Minnesota Twins and was elected into the Baseball Hall of
Fame in 2001, batting .318 and helping the franchise win two World Series titles in 1987 & 1991.
--Ira Green -- was a long-time baseball coach, is the father of Shawn Green who played with Toronto,
Los Angeles, Arizona, and the New York Mets between 1993-2007.
From Edwinna (Cook) Johnson (class of 1989)...
"My sister and I graduated from Calumet in 1989. My parents and other relatives (cousins) also, attended Calumet. Both
my sister and I were on the Pom-Pom team. In order to try out for the team, each person had to learn the school song and choreography
a routine. This is how, I remember the words (see facts section above). If you are in need of photos from alumni,
let me know. The class of 1987, 1988 and 1989 meet once a year."
From Jeane Stepp Cole:
"I went to Calumet from 1959 -1962 and I tried out for cheers as a freshman, though I didn't make the squad, I do remember
the the cheers I learned and the school song to this day.
The end of song (at that time) went like this:
And
we’ll run that ball right through that line
Calumet go win that game! (the word game was dragged out)
Calumet!
Calumet! Fear No Foe
Calumet! Calumet! Go team go!
C - A - L - U - M - E - T!
CALUMET!!
Thanks
for letting me give you my input.
IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CALUMET HIGH SCHOOL...
then we invite you to contact us with it. As you can tell, we are in need of filling in the gaps
about certain sports and more. Please email your submissions to dr.veeman@gmail.com or send them thru the mail to our address:
Illinois High School Glory Days
6439 North Neva
Chicago, IL 60631
