Stagg High School Athletics Draws Inspiration From School's Namesake

in Palos Hills has a rich athletic history, which is only fitting, considering the school’s namesake.

Amos Alonzo Stagg, who died in 1965 at the age of 102, is acknowledged as one of the pioneers of football.

Palos Hills has one of the country’s two high schools bearing Stagg’s name (the other is in Stockton, Calif.), and it pays tribute to the man in a number of ways.

Through the school’s main entrance and to the right is the Stagg Room, which features artifacts and photos from Stagg’s life and career. A banner hangs in a display case from the University of Chicago's Order of the "C"—the first-ever varsity letter system. 

Stagg was the first-ever director of athletics in the country and crafted the position at the University of Chicago. He served as the university's football coach from 1892-1932, and led the Maroons to seven Big Ten championships. (Yes, you read that correctly. The University of Chicago was one of the original members of the Big Ten conference.)

Apart from coaching football, Stagg coached baseball and one season of basketball at the university. The Maroons lay claim to one of the oldest continuously operating college football programs in the country. Their distinctive "C" logo was eventually used briefly by the Chicago Cubs and is still used by the Chicago Bears.

According to a letter inside the Stagg Room at the high school, Stagg was honored by having the high school named for him when it was constructed in the 1960s.

More about Amos Alonzo Stagg can be found on the University of Chicago athletics website.