Mabel Slade Vickery, a teacher from the East Coast, was invited to Chicago to open the school with a small class of ten 10-year-old boys.

During the early years, classes were held in private homes on Chicago's near North Side.

In April 2020, the school received an unspecified amount in federally backed small business loans as part of the Paycheck Protection Program.

The school returned it after receiving scrutiny over this loan, which meant to protect small and private businesses.

The lower school (junior kindergarten to grade 4) building is the oldest structure dating to 1926 and is located at 1531 N. Dearborn.

The upper and middle school buildings are connected by two bridges, and both divisions use both buildings, with many middle school arts and PE classes held in the US and all HS science classes in the designated science center in the MS.

The school is also noted for its Mickey & The Masters project where, as a culmination of their study of the History of Western Painting, ninth grade students recreate master paintings with the added challenge of substituting Mickey Mouse as the main character.