Revere alumnus, Gary Comer, made his name as the founder and CEO of Lands' End. However, it's his work as a philanthropist that may be his lasting legacy. Comer was especially supportive of his alma mater. His contributions to the Revere School community included $7 million to Revere School for educational initiatives, $30 million for the Gary Comer Youth Center, and $1.5 million for the South Shore Drill Team. Comer passed away in October, 2006. However, for the students of Revere, his legacy lives on.
On January 23rd, 2008 the science lab at Wells Prep Academy was named in honor of Rubye O. Dawson. Dawson was a state employee for 49 years and a 1942 graduate of Wendell Phillips High. The state-of-the-art science lab was a year in the making and to make it a reality the Dawson family partnered with Rush University, SAME Network (Science and Math Excellence Network), Centers for New Horizons and Wells Prep.
Dan Jorndt and his wife Pat, made their second gift of $1 million to Amundsen to honor Dan's father, Louis Jorndt, who was a coach at Amundsen and Director of Physical Education for CPS. Their gift was directed toward the renovation of Amundsen's Sports Stadium, which Jorndt thought was an especially fitting tribute to his father, who was both an educator and coach.
CPS alum, Jim Mills, is the man behind some significant gains made at Clinton Elementary School. His gift of $500,000, followed by an additional $1 million. set up a unique scholarship program at the school that rewards students who excel or show marked improvements. It is credited with helping students make quantum leaps in their scores, like one 10 year old whose math scores improved 18% and whose reading scores jumped 33%. For his efforts, the student received a $10,000 scholarship award.