The Makerspace at Oak Park and River Forest High School has been named after Andrea Hall, a member of the OPRF Class of 1981. The naming rights, which last for 10 years, are valued at $500,000 which came from a $1 million donation previously made by Stephen and Mary Jo Schuler.
Hall, who died in a work-related accident in 1996 when she was working as an electrician at Sears Tower, was the sister of Mary Jo Schuler. Stephen Schuler, who graduated from OPRF in 1980, is the president emeritus of the Imagine Foundation, which was formed to raise money for improvements to the OPRF campus.
The District 200 Board of Education unanimously approved naming the Makerspace for Hall at its Sept. 24 meeting.
The Makerspace was part of the school’s Project 1 capital investment effort. It is located on the second floor of the Student Resource Center. In a statement OPRF wrote, “We’re honored that Stephen and Mary Jo Schuler have chosen to benefit our students with their generosity. The Makerspace is a hugely popular resource, where our students get to experiment and explore in ways that really benefit their growth and learning. It’s a wonderful tribute to a beloved sister.”
The Imagine Foundation has been offering naming rights to various spaces at OPRF as part of its fundraising campaign to raise money to help pay for Project 2, the new, nearly completed wing in the southeast corner of the school. The Imagine Fund has committed to raising at least $12.5 million for Project 2.
Inside OPRF’s Makerspace, students collaborate on projects in a hands-on learning environment. Credit: Olivia Schreiner 
Inside OPRF’s Makerspace, students collaborate on projects in a hands-on learning environment. Credit: Olivia Schreiner 
Inside OPRF’s Makerspace, students collaborate on projects in a hands-on learning environment. Credit: Olivia Schreiner 
Inside OPRF’s Makerspace, students collaborate on projects in a hands-on learning environment. Credit: Olivia Schreiner 
Inside OPRF’s Makerspace, students collaborate on projects in a hands-on learning environment. Credit: Olivia Schreiner
Hall was a standout field hockey player at OPRF. She got the nickname Viking for her intense, relentless and selfless play. After graduating from OPRF in 1981 Hall became a union electrician and was the only female foreman working at Sears Tower when she died.
Soon after her death, Hall’s family set up a scholarship fund in Hall’s name for outstanding students on the OPRF field hockey team. The Hall family also donated $15,000 for a new field hockey scoreboard.
Mary Jo Schuler could not be reached for comment.
