Irvin C. Mollison School is the Home of the Hawkeyes where we are “Learners Today,…..Leaders Tomorrow.” The school is named after the first African-American Jurist appointed to the federal bench by late President Harry S Truman in 1948. Mollison sits in the heart of Bronzeville just four blocks north of historic 47th St., Harold Washington Cultural Center, and two doors east of Louis Armstrong’s Chicago home where he practiced “scat” with legendary jazz singer, Ella Fitzgerald. Mollison faces the beautiful Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and was home to the oldest African American newspaper, the legendary Chicago Defender.
On average, Mollison welcomes about 250 students and their families. Mollison has a full day preschool program, as well, full day kindergarten through 8th grade classrooms. We are a proud International Baccalaureate school hosting the Middle Years Program. Through our IB program, we offer instruction in both English and Spanish.
Mollison offers a full range of afterschool activities ranging from academic to extracurricular programs, a boys basketball team, track and field and cross country, soccer, student council, and girls volleyball. We also have partnerships with national and community agencies, businesses, and individuals who are willing to lend their time and talent to support our students. At Mollison, we are proud to have an involved and supportive Local School Council and a host of parents that regularly volunteer to support the success of Mollison. Most importantly, however, Mollison School is filled with children who have dreams, and their dreams are filled with becoming future leaders and global citizens.
Additional Bronzeville ("The Black Belt Metropolis") Notables:
Daniel Hale Williams~Pioneered open-heart surgery at Providence Hospital (51st King Dr.)
Home to the legendary Regal & Apollo Theaters
Bessie Coleman,~Aviation
Ida B. Wells~Activist
Home to Mahalia JacksonBinga Bank~1st Black-owned Financial Institute
Jesse Owens~Olympic Gold Medalist
Katherine Dunham~Choreographer
Home to the Chicago Urban League
Home to the Chicago Defender newspaper
Mahalia Jackson~Gospel singer
Qunicy Jones~Grammy winning music Producer/Composer
Sam Cooke-Musician; Singer/Songwriter
Dinah Washington~Singer/Pianist
Home to Fine Arts Gallery Guichard
Robert "Bob" Dale~Businessman
Authors~ Gwendolyn Brooks, Richard Wright & Shelagh Jackson
