The school was founded as Lake High School; located in Lake Township, Cook County, in 1881. In 1889, Lake Township was annexed to the City of Chicago, and the school became part of the Chicago Public Schools system. Several years after being added to the district, The Chicago Board of Education decided that a new building was need for the school; approving a 7–million dollar budget for construction of the new school in 1901. The new school, located on South Union Avenue and West 47th Place, was designed by Dwight H. Perkins and constructed between March 1904 to August 1905. In 1915, the school was re–named Edward Tilden High School, honoring the recently deceased banker and former president of the Chicago Board of Education. In 1919, the school board decided that Tilden would no longer serve as a regular high school and would become an all–boys "technical" high school, forcing students who didn't want a technical education to transfer to other schools such as Lindblom and Englewoodhigh schools. In 1960, the school was changed into a co–educational neighborhood high school.
Athletics
Tilden competes in the Chicago Public League and is a member of the Illinois High School Association. Tilden sport teams are nicknamed Blue Devils. The boys' basketball team were public league champions three times and regional champions three times. The boys' wrestling team placed first in the state in the 1945–46 and 1951–52 seasons and were public league champions thirteen times ; ranking Class AA three times. The boys' track and field team were Class AA two times.
Other Information
Racial Incidents/Gang Violence
In September 28, 1968, A violent clash between black and white students occurred when black students walked out of classes after a school pep rally was cancelled. Black and white members of neighborhood street gangs gathered in front of the school and began fighting; which resulted in a 16–year old white student being shot. On April 25, 1969, a 17–year-old student was shot when a racially motivated brawl erupted involving white and black students at the school. The brawl began in the school's auditorium and continued outside the school building. Eight Chicago police officers were injured and six students were charged with disorderly conduct in the incident. Black students staged a 2–week walkout charging white racism at the school from the April 25th incident until May 8th. On November 20, 1992, 15–year-old freshmen student DeLondyn Lawson was shot to death in a gang–related shooting on the school's second floor shortly after 10 a.m. by another student; 16–year-old gang member Joseph White. White wounded two other students in the shooting.
Chico Walker, – American MLB baseball player;,, California Angels and. Walker played on the baseball team which played for the city public league championship at Comiskey Park during the 1974–75 season.
