Having opened in 1861, Saint Patrick High School is Chicago’s oldest all-male high school. This fall the Saint Patrick science department is highlighting the school’s proud history in the field of science with a display entitled “146 Years of Science at Saint Patrick, a Museum of ‘Antique’ Science Equipment & Instruments”.

The display includes incredibly detailed models of the human head and eye as well as lab equipment and instruments that have been used over the years in the laboratories of the Saint Patrick Science Department. One of the more interesting pieces of equipment that is on display is a Beckman, Model G, pH Meter, used to test the acidity of solutions. The Beckman pH Meter revolutionized scientific instrumentation when it was introduced in 1936. At slightly less than a foot wide, the Beckman pH Meter might seem large and unwieldy, but it was dramatically smaller than the work bench full of equipment that was previously needed to accurately test solution acidity.

The Saint Patrick Science Department is one of the school’s premiere academic departments. In order to contribute its part to scientific education, the Science courses not only prepare the student for college studies in science but also build skills for nonscientific areas such as pre-law and business. Besides teaching the subject matter of a science, science courses present challenging learning experiences, which are designed to improve reading, writing, communication, and analytical thinking skills. Skills learned in science courses increase a student’s chances of success in all areas of college study.