Latest news with #SaintIgnatiusCollegePrep
CBS News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Old Joliet Prison administration building reopening for tours
The Old Joliet Prison was open for nearly 150 years and has been closed for more than 20. A section of the prison that has been off limits will open to the public later this month, but not as part of a prison anymore. CBS News Chicago got an early visit. "You're entering a site that holds nearly 150 years of history from before the Civil War until after 9/11," said Greg Peerbolte, chief executive officer of the Joliet Area Historical Museum. These days, visits are voluntary. From 1858 until 2002, they most certainly were not. "Striking architecture. Imposing architecture," said Peerbolte. "The prison building was designed really to kind of scare the heck out of not only the people inside of it, but the people outside of it." Peerbolte now holds the key to the prison. "You have 40 cells along each gallery here for a total of 640 cells," Peerbolte said as he showed off the old prison. In pop culture, the prison was made famous by two brothers who were on a mission from God. In the opening scene of "The Blues Brothers," a pair of correctional officers played by Tom Erhart and Fr. Gerald Walling, S.J. — the latter of whom spoke proudly of the experience years later as an acting and drama teacher at Saint Ignatius College Prep — rouse John Belushi as "Joliet" Jake Blues from a slumber and lead him to the exit. Frank Oz — of Muppets and Yoda fame, of course — portrays the correction officer who returns Jake's broken Timex digital watch and unused prophylactic. The Joliet Correctional Center, as it was still officially them, was the setting site or that scene. The movie was filmed in 1979 and released the following year, when Old Joliet was still a live, maximum-security prison. The prison also had a famous role in a television series, where it stood in for the Fox River State Penitentiary. "You have 'Prison Break' which is now making the rounds again on streaming," Peerbolte said. "It was filmed here in 2005." Most of the 16-acre prison property has been open to tours — except for the part of the prison that used to be palatial. "The prison was a castle, and the warden was the king," said Peerbolte. "So, not only did the warden work here, the warden lived here." The fortress-like prison administration building with its turrets has been closed because part of it collapsed. "We have been able to mitigate that damage, but we did lose a good portion of the administration building," Peerbolte said. But thanks to more than $10 million in state and federal grants, tour groups can now tour the administration building and see what it was like to be a warden. The administration building features hand-carved woodwork and ornate details — including a marble fireplace believed to be original to the building. But the interior of the building is hardly pristine — with wear and dust on the floors and fixtures and graffiti on the walls. Peerbolte was asked what he felt when he walks through the rooms of the administration building. "You feel sadness," he said. "You feel this was the end of the line for some people. You feel that there were innocent people in here." But a prison immortalized in pop culture is now more accessible than ever. There are no inmates anymore — just history behind bars. "This place has so many stories to tell us," Peerbolte said. "It's just incredibly interesting."
CBS News
01-05-2025
- Science
- CBS News
John "Jack" Thole, renowned chemistry teacher at Chicago's Saint Ignatius College Prep, dies at 89
John P. "Jack" Thole, a renowned chemistry teacher at Chicago's Saint Ignatius College Prep who also served for a time as science department chair of the Jesuit high school, died last month. A published obituary said Thole, most recently of the south Chicago suburb of Frankfort, died April 10. He was 89. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Aug. 7, 1935, Thole attended St. Xavier High School and Xavier University in Cincinnati, where he earned a B.A. and M.S. in chemistry. He went on to join the Society of Jesus through the Milford Novitiate in Ohio and served as a Jesuit brother for 18 years, his obit noted. Thole worked for Regis Technologies and Pelron Corporation as a chemist, his obit noted. But he found his true calling, and is remembered fondly by generations, as a high school chemistry teacher at Saint Ignatius. Thole — known as Brother Thole to students while still a Jesuit and Mr. Thole after leaving the order — taught at Saint Ignatius in two stints going back to the 1960s. He was still teaching AP Chemistry by the 1997-1998 school year. "Jack's love for the sciences dates back to one of his first Christmases when his father had purchased a basic chemistry set for him," Thole's obit read. "This sparked a curiosity and passion for science that would fuel his drive to enrich his students year later." Mr. John "Jack" Thole, seen in the 1988 Saint Ignatius College Prep yearbook. Saint Ignatius College Prep Mr. Thole's students will remember his engaging and encouraging style of teaching. He had no patience for slacking off, but always congratulated students on a job well done. Thole's former students will also remember his trademark expressions — "Clear as mud?" he would ask when he wanted to ensure a class understood a lesson. Beyond the concept of electrical charges and ionic bonds, Mr. Thole would also point out that if one had sprinkled our food with molecular chlorine and sodium atoms instead of the ionic compound that is table salt, one "would have died a long time ago" — with a reminder about sodium atoms' explosive reaction with water. While teaching at Saint Ignatius, Thole received the 1975 Davidson Award from the Chemistry Council of Illinois as an outstanding high school chemistry teacher. On social media this week, many of Thole's former students cited him as a favorite teacher who inspired a lifelong love of chemistry. Thole served as science department chair, and also served a stint as principal during his time at Saint Ignatius, the school noted. Thole's obit noted that he was an avid sportsman. "From hunting prairie dogs across the country, or winning various shooting competitions, to enjoying a 'tube steak' while washing it down with the perfect Manhattan, Jack's infectious smile and booming laughter always brightened the darkest of rooms," his obit read. Thole is survived by his wife of 42 years, Eleanore Ann, two stepchildren, six grandchildren, and three brothers. An archived Chicago Tribune report noted that Thole's daughter attended Saint Ignatius. A funeral mass was held this past Saturday at Christ the King Church in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood.
CBS News
30-03-2025
- CBS News
Breakfast at Chicago's Saint Ignatius College Prep raises money for CPD officers' protective vests
A "Get Behind the Vest" pancake breakfast was held on Chicago's Near West Side Sunday to help those who protect and serve to stay protected. The event raises money to buy new bulletproof vests for Chicago Police officers. Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) has been hosting Get Behind the Vest events in the Beverly area. The event Sunday was organized by Ald. Bill Conway (34th) and was held in Tully Hall at Saint Ignatius College Prep, 1076 W. Roosevelt Rd. "They have our backs, so we've got to make sure they have the best on their back as well," said Conway. Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling attended the event as a special guest. "To have an event like this and a turnout like this in support of the officers who are out there keeping the city safe is just a blessing," Snelling said. For $5, those attending the event at Saint Ignatius got their fill of pancakes, sausages, and other breakfast favorites. The money raised will all go to purchasing those new protective vests for Chicago Police officers.
CBS News
07-03-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Saint Ignatius girls' basketball advances to 3-A Illinois State Championship game after win
The Saint Ignatius College Prep girls' basketball team made their first-ever trip downstate for the IHSA state series Thursday. The Wolfpack beat Washington Community High School Panthers of downstate Washington, Illinois in a 3-A Semifinal game. Saint Ignatius advanced to the semifinal after beating Marian Catholic 15-31 and winning the 3-A Supersectional Championship this past Monday night. In the first quarter, the Wolfpack scored 19 unanswered points, while the Panthers did not score at all. But as noted by the Peoria Journal Star, Washington outscored Saint Ignatius 33-29 throughout the next three quarters. The score was 29-10 Wolfpack at halftime, and Washington got it down to within six points with under two minutes to play, the newspaper reported. But Saint Ignatius' Reganne Reardon missed a jump shot, but got a rebound and scored, giving the momentum back to the Wolfpack. The final score was 48-33 Saint Ignatius. The Wolfpack advances to the 3-A State Championship game at 6 p.m. Saturday. Saint Ignatius held 40-minute classes and dismissed school early on Thursday so the school community could travel to the Illinois State University Redbird Arena in Normal, Illinois, to cheer on the Wolfpack. Also in girls' high school basketball Thursday, Montini Catholic of Lombard, Illinois, beat Quincy Notre Dame in a 3-A Semifinal 50-41. Montini also moves on to the championship.
