Background
Henry John Schlacks was born in 1868 in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Henry John Schlacks was born in 1868 in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
He had two years of supplementary study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology traveled extensively in Europe before returning to his native city.
He received an early training in draftsmanship in the office of Adler & Sullivan. Later he began practice with Henry Ottenheimer (a draftsman in Alder & Sullivans office) and carried on work in that association five years. Later he practiced alone, designing mainly ecclesiastical works, and specializing in Catholic schools and churches. One of these was St. Paul's church, completed in 1896 at Hoyne Avenue and 21st Place, noted as the first church in the city built with masonry vaulting. Others of his design were St. Martin's; St. Mary of the Lake; St. Ita; St. Boniface School, and St. Anthony's Hospital, all in Chicago.