HISTORY

In 1918, voters in Glen Ellyn School District 41 approved converting the Duane Street School into the Duane Departmental School (535 Duane St.) to help increase student success at the high school level. The Duane Street building had been used since 1890 for all grades (a wooden structure: Danby Duane Street School was first built on this site in 1853). Beginning on September 2, 1919, it served only 7th and 8th Graders, and the first Principal was Katherine Pugh. In 1928, voters approved the demolition of the Duane Departmental School and the construction of Glen Ellyn Junior High School at the same location. Architects patterned the external building design after Independence Hall in Philadelphia and it opened for classes in December, 1929. It was used until a newer version of Glen Ellyn Junior High School was completed in 1956 at the current Hawthorne address. The Duane Street location continued to be used for 5th and 6th Graders until 1960, and as the District 41 Administration Center until sold to the Village of Glen Ellyn for its Civic Center in 1970. That structure is now designated as a National Landmark. In 1974, the remodeled junior high was renamed William Hadley Junior High School in honor of the retiring Superintendent of Schools who had worked in District 41 since 1956.* 

Hadley Junior High School has undergone five renovations, including the addition of portable classrooms, since opening at the Hawthorne address.* 

Joseph Hickey, Principal from 1932-1964, established numerous connections between the junior high school and the community. The Hickey Auditorium was dedicated in his honor in 1976. In 1968, Hadley’s Principal, Donald Chase, pioneered the middle school concept in Illinois, through which groups of students were organized into learning teams to promote greater connections among teachers, their students, and families. The Athletic Fields were dedicated in his honor in 2010. In 1986, Hadley Junior High School was named one of the nation’s ‘Outstanding Schools’ by the U.S. Department of Education under the leadership of Principal Kenneth Stellon. There is a commemorative flag pole and plaque in his honor outside the Administration entrance.* 

While brick and mortar structures are the most visible elements within any school, the vibrant life of this school is its students, their families, and the school staff. The collective contributions they’ve all made since 1919 have made our school a historic part of the School District and the communities it serves.