EPCHS Alum In The Spotlight: Pat Meehan, Class Of 1963

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — It’s been 60 years since Pat Meehan walked the halls of Evergreen Park Community High School as a student, but he continues to credit the school for helping him launch and sustain a long and successful career in education.

“I owe it to the strong foundation Evergreen Park gave me,” Meehan said. “The school gave kids an opportunity to succeed and meet their full potential.”

Meehan vividly remembers the stability EPCHS provided him after attending five different Chicago elementary schools before his family moved to Evergreen Park when he was in 8th grade.

“My folks bought a custom home down the block at 98th and Utica for $21,000,” he said. “Times sure have changed since then.”

Involved in the Honoree Club, Kiwanis Club and Russian Club at EPCHS, Meehan’s most vivid memories come from his time competing on the Cross Country team.

“We had a flat course that was outlined around the school,” Meehan remembers. “When other schools saw that, they thought we would be pushovers. But Coach (John) George was so committed he would bring us to the west suburbs from time to time to practice going uphill and downhill.”

The extra conditioning paid off, as Meehan was part of the 1962 Cross Country team that qualified for state.

“Coach George was such a great coach,” he said. “He won a lot of championships in wrestling, too, putting all his heart and soul into it.”

Although the school was fairly new — and with far fewer amenities than there are now — Meehan said all his teachers “were really committed.”
“I was an average student, but never felt discarded,” he said. “(The teachers) were friendly, helpful and always had a good reputation.”

Meehan’s post-high school career was anything but average. He majored in history and political science at the University of Illinois, where he was president of his fraternity. After a brief stint in law school, Meehan switched gears to education and earned his Master’s in School Administration from DePaul University.

His first teaching job was at St. Michael’s School in Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood and then moved with his wife to Wisconsin, a state they’ve called home ever since.

Climbing the educational ladder, Meehan eventually served as a principal at two schools in Janesville, Wisconsin before retiring in 2003.

Citing EPCHS as a prime example, he says “we’re so lucky to have the educational system we have.”

“And if you take advantage of it, there’s really no stopping you from reaching your full potential.”