Ypsilanti High School (YHS) was a public school located in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan.[1] Ypsilanti High School (or 'Ypsi High,' as many people referred to it), was a comprehensive high school serving 9–12th grades, located on the western edge of the Ypsilanti Public School District at the corner of Packard and Hewitt Roads.
| Ypsilanti High School | |
|---|---|
 Current YHS logo | |
| Address | |
 | |
2095 Packard Road , 48197 United States | |
| Coordinates | 42°14′40″N 83°38′44″W / 42.24444°N 83.64556°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public school (government funded), Secondary |
| Motto | Home of the Ypsilanti Grizzlies |
| Established | 1849 |
| Closed | Still presently open |
| School district | Ypsilanti Public School District |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Color(s) | Purple and Gold |
| Mascot | Grizzlies (formerly the Braves) |
| Website | http://www.ypsd.org/schools/ypsihigh/index.html |
When the Willow Run and Ypsilanti school districts merged to become Ypsilanti Community Schools in 2013, YHS's current campus became the newly merged district's high school: Ypsilanti Community High School.[2]
History
edit
Ypsilanti High School has a lengthy history, and has existed since 1849. Until 1973, the high school was housed in a historic 3-story brick building on Cross Street, which has since been converted into senior citizen housing units.
Notable alumni
edit- Mike Bass – professional NFL football player who played defensive back for the Detroit Lions (1967) and the Washington Redskins (1969–1975)[3]
- Amy Devers, designer and television personality (Freeform Furniture, Trading Spaces, Designer People)[4]
- Ron Fernandes, American football player
- Rodney Holman – professional NFL football player who played tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals (1982–1992), and the Detroit Lions (1993–1995)[5]
- Jaylen Johnson (born 1996), basketball player for Hapoel Haifa of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
- Carolyn King – one of the first girls to play Little League Baseball; she was the centerpiece of a landmark lawsuit in 1973 that led to Little League dropping its boys-only policy[6]
- Jason Lamar – professional football player
- Alfred Lucking – lawyer and Congressman from Michigan, who later became general counsel for the Ford Motor Company and the Henry Ford interests[7]
- William McAndrew, educator who served as superintendent of Chicago Public Schools[8]
- Charles Ramsey – former Eastern Michigan Eagles men's basketball head coach; he played on the YHS baseball, basketball and football teams[9]
- Don Schwall, former MLB player (Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves)[10]
- Shara Worden, lead singer and songwriter for My Brightest Diamond[11]
Notable faculty
edit- Byron M. Cutcheon – former YHS teacher and principal who later became an American Civil War general, Medal of Honor recipient, lawyer and Congressman from Michigan. He became principal of YHS (where he taught ancient languages, higher mathematics and mental and moral philosophy) in 1861, just before he graduated from the University of Michigan[12]
Braves logo controversy
editThe mascot of Ypsilanti High School has been a source of controversy for over 10 years. In the early 1990s, in response to charges that the mascot was offensive to Native Americans, the first changes were undertaken. The real-life mascot, who dressed up as a stereotypical 'Indian' (complete with mohawk) for football games, was discontinued and a panel for the improvement of Native American cultural education was set up.
In 2004, the school's mascot came under fire again, with opponents of the name being organized by an Eastern Michigan University professor. The School Board set up a committee in the fall of 2005 to look into the issue. After a series of open public meetings, the committee returned a report concluding that due to systemic discrimination, the mascot must indeed be changed. However, the committee was the subject of questions itself, with allegations that the group splintered, and none of the public forums gathered much student input. The School Board, while going over the committee's report, scheduled a final public meeting to be held in April 2006. Garnering a large turnout, the event was held in the school's auditorium, with support for the name generally coming from the student body and the community and opponents coming from academia and the Native American community. Following this meeting, the School Board decided in a in May 2006 compromise decision that the name "Braves" could still be used but the Braves logo could not be used in any athletic activities or school events.[13]
In the Fall of 2006, after a reshuffling of School Board members following an election the previous spring, the issue was brought up yet again.[14] In another contentious and closely divided decision, the Board chose 4-3 to retire the 'Braves' name completely on December 11, 2006.[15] On November 27, 2007, the school board chose Phoenix as the new school mascot,[16][17][18] and on March 31, 2008, the new logo was unveiled.[19]
References
edit- ^ Township Map (JPG) (Map). Ypsilanti Township. Archived from the original on November 9, 2005. Retrieved June 22, 2009. ()
- ^ Miller, Janet. "End of an era: Willow Run School District has final day of classes" (Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine). The Ann Arbor News. Friday June 7, 2013. Retrieved on September 1, 2015.
- ^ "Mike Bass". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on March 22, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ "Ypsilanti: Native Amy Devers Appears on OWN Remodeling Program". Ypsilanti Courier. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
- ^ Stone, Mike and Regner, Art (2008). The Great Book of Detroit Sports Lists. Running Press. p. 203. ISBN 9780762433544.
Rodney Holman Ypsilanti High School.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Long after she helped change Little League, Carolyn King's legacy remains alive and well". The Ann Arbor News. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ "LUCKING, Alfred, (1856 - 1929)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ William McAndrew Jr., Helen Walker McAndrew, 1826-1906, Ypsilanti, Michigan, 1931
- ^ "Ypsilanti Public Schools Hall of Fame Inductees". Ypsilanti High School. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ "Don Schwall Awards". Baseball Almanac. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ "Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond on NYC". Paste Magazine. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ "CUTCHEON, Byron M., (1836 - 1908)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
- ^ District seeks Phoenix logo artist Ypsilanti High's transition to new mascot still rankles some students
- ^ "Royals likely choice for Ypsilanti High School team names". Ann Arbor News. May 15, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ "Ypsilanti High will start the year without a mascot". September 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ "Ypsilanti replaces Braves mascot with Phoenix". Kalamazoo Gazette. November 27, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ "Phoenix is new nickname for Ypsi High". Ann Arbor News. November 27, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ "Board Votes On Phoenix Mascot Name". WDIV-TV. November 26, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
- ^ "Ypsi board gets 1st look at new Phoenix logo". Ann Arbor News. April 1, 2008. Retrieved September 22, 2009.
External links
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