"De La Salle Institute was founded by Brother Adjutor, a former director of St. Patrick High School, in 1889, after being chartered by the State of Illinois the previous year.

Adjutor was quoted to have said: I made up my mind to leave nothing undone in the direction of fitting the boys of the masses for the battle of life, morally as well as educationally.

In a rare move, the fundraising for the stadium, estimated at US$250,000 ($2.28 million in 2023) was not headed by an alum, with the honorary chair of the development committee being given to George Halas, owner of the Chicago Bears.

The school claims to be unique in the United States in that it is a co-educational institution, while still offering single-gender campuses.

[23] In 2006, De La Salle began requiring incoming freshmen to lease or purchase an IBM X41 Tablet PC.

Currently spread around to five locations, the Center provides classes for low-income adults on topics related to literacy and employment skills.

While begun by the institute, the courses are non-religious in nature,[23] The De La Salle Meteors men's teams compete in the Chicago Catholic League (CCL), while the women's teams compete in the Girls Catholic Athletic Conference (GCAC).

The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA state tournaments:[26] In the era before De La Salle came under the auspices of the IHSA, De La Salle won a National Catholic Basketball Championship in 1928–1929, defeating St. Stanislaus High School of St. Louis, Missouri.

[27] On October 24, 2008, De La Salle took part in Toyota Park's first ever American football game as opponents to Fenwick.

On February 22, 2014 the De La Salle basketball team won the first ever Inaugural Catholic League Tournament Championship against Mount Carmel High School with a score of 67–62.

The school offers an introductory course to learning a musical instrument, as a pathway for novice musicians to enter the concert band.

The concert band is a full year course, with an honors option involving research in addition to performance.

[28] In addition to courses in introductory and advanced Drama,[28] students may participate in such activities as improvisation, stage combat, one act plays and slam poetry.

Students who participate in the theater program for an extended amount of time may be inducted into the International Thespian Society.