Edwin Denby High School

[Hermod]

I attended Denby for the 9th grade in the 1953-1954 school year.

I just looked it up on the internet. The enrollment is 1,559 students.

In 1953 the school had 4,600 students and we went to school in shifts.

[Eastside]

Wow, that is an amazing amount of kids going to that school back then. I can't imagine how active and viable the surrounding neighborhoods must have been compared to now!

[kellyroad]

I attended Denby for the 9th grade in the 1953-1954 school year.

I just looked it up on the internet. The enrollment is 1,559 students.

In 1953 the school had 4,600 students and we went to school in shifts.

Hermod, Denby, like so many schools in Detroit post world war II, had a huge influx of baby boomers. Although I didn't attened Denby HS, I did take drivers training [[what eastsider didn't) and typing and worked there as a life guard via the Detroit Parks and Rec. Here's a few pics via Wayne State's Virtual City:
http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...5;viewid=74345
http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...2;viewid=19102
http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...viewid=57833_1

[Hermod]

Hermod, Denby, like so many schools in Detroit post world war II, had a huge influx of baby boomers. Although I didn't attened Denby HS, I did take drivers training [[what eastsider didn't) and typing and worked there as a life guard via the Detroit Parks and Rec.

Not baby boomers, Kelly.

In 1953-1954, the 9th graders were born in 1939
In 1953-1954, the 10th graders were born in 1938
In 1953-1954, the 11th graders were born in 1937
In 1953-1954, the 12th graders were born in 1936

We were the "depression babies" and there weren't that many of us. The real "baby boom" began in 1946. The 4,600 in Denby were from the "empty years".

Believe it or not, in 1953 the racial composition of Denby was:
White 100%
Black 0%
Native American 0%
Asian/Pacific Islander 0%

The closest Denby came to "diversity" was a half dozen or so Lebanese.

[313WX]

Wow, that is an amazing amount of kids going to that school back then. I can't imagine how active and viable the surrounding neighborhoods must have been compared to now!

Considering it was one of the bigger schools in one of America's top 5 largest cities, the numbers don't seem all that amazing.

I think Cass had more than that.

[Patrick]

Check out the Denby thread that we had on here...went on for ages. My whole family on both sides went there. I heard the number topped 5K in the late 50s early 60s when classes were held in the hallways.

[EMG]

My mother graduated from Denby in the mid-50's.

[Ray1936]

"In 1953-1954, the 12th graders were born in 1936"

Hey, that's me! Yep, Depression Baby is what I was. Am. Whatever.

[kellyroad]

Not baby boomers, Kelly.

In 1953-1954, the 9th graders were born in 1939
In 1953-1954, the 10th graders were born in 1938
In 1953-1954, the 11th graders were born in 1937
In 1953-1954, the 12th graders were born in 1936

We were the "depression babies" and there weren't that many of us. The real "baby boom" began in 1946. The 4,600 in Denby were from the "empty years".

Believe it or not, in 1953 the racial composition of Denby was:
White 100%
Native American 0%
Asian/Pacific Islander 0%
The closest Denby came to "diversity" was a half dozen or so Lebanese.

You're absolutely right Hermod. Considering that the real population explosion on the far east side didn't occur until the 50s/60s your Denby's 1953 enrollment stat really underlines the vitality Denby had in that region during the 40s and early 50s. Of course in the later 50s and 60s other DPS schools [[Finney, Osborn) and many of the Catholic Schools on the far east side shared in that population explosion. Do you happen to have the enrollment stats of Denby during the 30s or 40s?
4600 is an amazing stat!

[Hermod]

You're absolutely right Hermod. Considering that the real population explosion on the far east side didn't occur until the 50s/60s your Denby's 1953 enrollment stat really underlines the vitality Denby had in that region during the 40s and early 50s. Of course in the later 50s and 60s other DPS schools [[Finney, Osborn) and many of the Catholic Schools on the far east side shared in that population explosion. Do you happen to have the enrollment stats of Denby during the 30s or 40s?
4600 is an amazing stat!

There were eleven class periods. As a freshman, I went to school in the later class period [[7-11). I think that I went to school from 12:40PM to 4:45PM. Seniors got the early classes and could start at 8:00AM and finish at 12:15. Sophomores and juniors were in the middle and went six periods because they had a lunch break.

I think the school was designed for about 2400 based on the size of the six "assembly rooms".

There was a lot of construction going on tin the area bounded by Kelly-Morang-Harper-Whittier during the late forties and early fifties. Most of the single family lots were filled in. By 1961, they had begun building apartment buildings along Whittier.

[Hermod]

Check out the Denby thread that we had on here...went on for ages. My whole family on both sides went there. I heard the number topped 5K in the late 50s early 60s when classes were held in the hallways.

I searched for it, but all I got was a "Where did you go to HS?" thread.

[Eastburn]

I searched for it, but all I got was a "Where did you go to HS?" thread.

I think the Denby thread was on the old forum. Try that.

[Jimaz]

Discuss Detroit » DISCUSS DETROIT! » :::Eastside Memories Megathread::: » Where are all the Denby Tars? » Where are all the Denby Tars? - Archives?

[Senior]

Those were great times for Detroit. Plenty of job opportunities, safe movement throughout most parts of the city, and lots of things to do without getting in trouble.

We had split sessions, [[I graduated in January of '53) and didn't spend too much time in school, although as I remember it, the Freshman and Sophomore classes were most of the day, but by Senior year, we were in and out in short order.

The size and scope of Denby became apparent to me while I was waiting in line to register at MSNC [[now Eastern Michigan) in 1954, and several guys from small towns were commenting on the "size" of the campus, and the "number" of students in the registration lines. They were amazed when I told them my High School was bigger than the college we were registering for.

Senior

[Hermod]

Those were great times for Detroit. Plenty of job opportunities, safe movement throughout most parts of the city, and lots of things to do without getting in trouble.

When you were going to school, you could get a student bus card in September good until the following September. You could go anywhere in the city for ten cents. Get on a bus, get a transfer, have your transfer doubled. Three buses for a dime. Another dime to go back home.

[Hermod]

We had split sessions, [[I graduated in January of '53) and didn't spend too much time in school, although as I remember it, the Freshman and Sophomore classes were most of the day, but by Senior year, we were in and out in short order.

Yes, I have never seen it anywhere else for me, my kids or grandkids. Depending on your birthday, you began a grade in September or January. As a result, there was always a grade 9B and a grade 9A. The good part of it was that if a kid flunked, they would only be set back half a year. The downside for college kids was that a lot of colleges didn't accept the January graduates till September.

[Cass1966]

I went to Cass Tech which did not have a driver’s training facility so since I lived in the Six Mile and Davison area, Cass sent me to Denby. I took my training there in the summer of 1965 and rode the Six Mile bus all the way to Kelly. Every car was a 4 door Plymouth Valiant accept for oneBarracuda fastback with bucket seats and an automatic on the floor. Everybody tried to get that car. There was one straight-away where you could get going to about 30 if the instructor wasn’t looking. I got my drivers permit, “Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones was playing on the radio, starting senior year in the fall, the summer of 1965 was a happy time. A piece of trivia, does anyone remember that 6 Mile was once called Jerome Ave.?

[Hermod]

A piece of trivia, does anyone remember that 6 Mile was once called Jerome Ave.?

No, I remember the Six Mile bus route began at Whittier and Harper, went west on Whittier to Kelly, north on Kelly to Seymour, west on Seymour to Gratiot, then Seymour changed to McNicholls west of Gratiot.

[MikeM]

I attended Denby for the 9th grade in the 1953-1954 school year.

I just looked it up on the internet. The enrollment is 1,559 students.

In 1953 the school had 4,600 students and we went to school in shifts.

How did/do those numbers compare with other schools in the area?

[jcole]

How did/do those numbers compare with other schools in the area?

Wasn't that before Osborn was built? When they built that it probably eased the congestion at Denby. Also, when Regina, Notre Dame and Lutheran East went in a mile or so up the road a lot more local kids went to parochial schools.

[EMG]

Listing them in the order I used to pass by them while taking my regular walks and jogs up Kelly in the 80's, I still can't get over Lutheran East, Regina, and Notre Dame being gone, let alone a time before which they were ever there! [[Or is Lutheran East still there....?)

[jcole]

I think LE and Regina are now charter schools. ND is empty, at least it was last time I drove through.

[scribe114]

How did/do those numbers compare with other schools in the area?

During the 50's Pershing was well over 3000 students, Southeastern, Eastern, Northern and Northeastern were over or close to 2000 students when my mother attended Eastern C/O '59. Miller was still being used as a High School until 1957. Osborn was opened in 1962 to offset overcrowding as Denby and Pershing. d

Cass was consistently in the low-mid 4000's until the early 80's.

Most of the High Schools in the outer-ring of the East and West side had overcrowding issues due to families moving to these areas in droves, and lack of school construction throughout the war years.

Redford, Mumford, Cooley and Cody were well over 3500 students Mackenzie was pushing close to 5000 in the early to mid-50's all of these schools were running on shifts at one time or another. Chadsey, Southwestern, and Western remained right around or just under 2000. Cody topped out at around 4400 in the mid-70's.

Racial Composition in the early 50's from a few Book I have on the shelf and some research at the Detroit Public Library

Cass 82% White 18% Black
Denby 100% White
Pershing 79% White 21% Black
Eastern 59% White 41% Black
Southeastern 72% White 28% Black
Northern 89% Black 11% White
Northeastern 93% Black 7% White
Miller 99% Black [[Was a Junior High School from 1934 to 1957 to keep Eastern from integrating)

Central 69% Black 31% White [[Demographics continued to shift as the Jewish population moved towards the Wyoming McNichols area and went to Mumford)
Chadsey 60% White 40% Black [[Consistently remained the most racially diverse High School in the city)
Cody 100% White
Cooley 100% White
Mackenzie 97% White 3% Black
Mumford 97% White 3% Black
Northwestern 92% Black 8% White
Redford 100% White
Southwestern 55% Black 45% White
Western 89% White 11% Black

[MikeM]

Thank you scribe. When did Finney become a high school?

[scribe114]

Thank you scribe. When did Finney become a high school?

Around 1957 if I am correct, it was an Elementary School prior to that.Ford was opened in 1957 as well.