Dawes
Elementary
Dawes Elementary School History
Dawes Elementary School was established in 1954. The school was designed by the architectural firm Perkins & Will. Dawes Elementary’s first principal was William Nichol. Nichol, also a resident of Evanston, served from 1954 to 1972. The Dawes annexed building, added in 1960, was renamed the Nichol Building in memory of Principal Nichol. The school has taught students from kindergarten through sixth grade. In 1958, Dawes had a program for blind students.
Charles G. Dawes
Dawes School is named after General Charles G. Dawes. From 1925 to 1929, Dawes was the Vice President of the United States of America under President Calvin Coolidge. In 1925, Dawes won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the Dawes Plan, which restructured Germany's World War I reparations, and stabilized relations between France and Germany. From June of 1929 to January of 1932, Dawes was the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain. Dawes and his family lived in Evanston. Dawes House, his lakefront home, is now the location of the Evanston History Center and is open for public visits. It is one of three National Historic Landmarks in Evanston.
The D65 School History project is the result of a partnership with Evanston History Center. This research was completed by the Evanston History Center.
School History
Interested in the history of other District 65 schools?
Chute Middle School, originally named Oscar M. Chute Junior High, opened in 1966.
Dawes School is named after U.S. Vice President General Charles G. Dawes.
Dewey Elementary School was the first school in Evanston to have a kindergarten.
In 2004 Dr. Bessie Rhodes became the first Black woman to have a school named after her in Evanston.
The original King Lab was located in what is now Family Focus.
Ellen Foster, the first principal, viewed the school as a community hub.
Haven Middle School was initially built to serve students from two school districts.
Joseph E. Hill became Evanston's first Black superintendent of schools in 1975.
Namesake Homer Kingsley started the first Evanston public school kindergarten in 1882.
In the 1890s, children voted to name their new school "Lincoln" after the U.S. President.
The name incorporates nearby geographical features: Lincoln Street and a wooded area.
Frederick Nichols worked closely with the architect to create a school full of treasures.
Oakton is home to murals created by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s.
Orrington's site was previously home to a Potawatomi village and burial ground.
The predecessor to Park School was established in 1949 by a group of parents.
The school was named after Chicago-area philanthropists Daniel and Ada Rice.
Walker opened to address rising enrollment due to the baby boom generation.
The yellow brick building on the corner of Main and Ashland is the original school.
The school was named after world-renowned social reformer Frances Willard.