There is already the Willie May Fieldhouse. The Milligan Center for Entrepreneurship. And the Michael B. Arrington Wellness Center.
Now, Evanston Township High School is looking to honor other school and/or community leaders by putting their names on certain to-be-determined portions of the high school building or facilties.
Every five years, the ETHS Facility Naming Rights Committee considers possible new names, and is now accepting nominations to potentially honor “those who have served the district and the community.”
“Candidates,” the Committee says, “must possess the characteristics that best exemplify ETHS values, goals, and ideals.”
The most recent honorees from the last selection all had significant connections to ETHS, either as employees or as students and then graduates.
Willie May was the highly successful ETHS track coach from 1975-2006, winning 26 conference titles and a state championship. May was also an Olympic silver medalist in the 110 meter hurdles in 1960.
Others to see their names enshrined recently were business people/philanthropists David and Susan Milligan (ETHS Classes of 1958 and 1960), and Michael Arrington (Class of 1961).
The Milligans donated $250,000 to reconstruct two classrooms into places where math and business could be taught as a combined program, in what became the Milligan Center for Entrepreneurship.
Arrington’s $330,000 donation helped pay for a new weight room/workout facility, the Arrington Wellness and Performance Center. Besides helping athletes, the center is also available to all students, and even has programs tailored for the physically challenged.
Nominations must be received by June 20, and should be mailed to Mary Rodino, ETHS, 1600 Dodge Ave, Evanston, IL 60201, or can be emailed with a pdf attachment to rodinom@eths.k.12.il.us.
Nominators of those who make the first cut will be asked to make an in-person presentation to the naming committee on July 11, which will then make recommendations to the superintendent.
The District 202 school board then has final say. Naming events for the successful nominees will take place during the “following school year to coincide with landmark ETHS anniversaries.”