Aurora Roncalli High School for Boys

The History of Aurora Roncalli School for Boys

Aurora (population 142,990) is located in far northeastern Illinois in the southeastern portion of Kane County. Interstate Highway 88 passes through the northside of Aurora. Illinois Route 31 passes through town from north to south and U.S. Route 30 passes through the south side of town. The Burlington Northern Railroad line makes its way through town as well. The Fox River curves through Aurora from the north to the south. According to the 2000 Illinois Census, Aurora is the 3rd largest city in Illinois.

A nice history of the town of Aurora can be viewed at http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/91.html . In summary, this article tells us that the area of Aurora was first settled in 1834 with the town officially incorporated in 1845. Its location along the Fox River made it an instant success with the textile mill and grist mill industry. The Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad line made its way to Aurora in 1856 futher bolstering the town's industry. Aurora has grown from a population of over 11,000 in 1870 to today's (2000) population of over 142,000.

Roncalli Catholic High School was named after the beloved Pope John XXIII, who was Pope from 1958 to 1963; his last name was Roncalli. We are told by a good fan of the Glory Days web site that Roncalli was opened in 1962 to provide a place for boys to attend high school as the girls were afforded Madonna Catholic High School since 1926. We do know that the high schools of Roncalli and Madonna consolidated into a co-educational school in 1968 to form Aurora Central Catholic High School, which is still in existance today.

The Wikipedia web address of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_Central_Catholic_High_School tells us that both Roncalli and Madonna were started in 1926. Aurora Central Catholic High School's own web page of http://www.auroracentral.com/s/458/home.aspx?pgid=257 verifies the essence of this information.

We are always searching for further information to attempt to fill in the cracks of the history of these schools. If you have any information that might assist us, please contact us via the means listed below.

Roncalli High School Quick Facts

Year opened: 1962

Year closed: 1968

Consolidated to: Aurora Central Catholic High School

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