Wilbur Wright High School is no more

[big c]

It is sad that's its gone I graduated from there in Feb 1965, was a great education.......what was really
great DPS had the CO-OP SYSTEM in place from the 10th grade till I graduated went to school 2 weeks
and worked 2 weeks a month.....had 3 brothers that followed me that also had CO-OP's.......Great School.........

[Johnnny5]

machining machines, for making machines and metal parts. milling machines, lathes, brigeports, huge drill presses - many of those machines could have been reused, and "too heavy" or bolted down is irrelevant. the scrap value 8 years ago alone was worth the price of hiring a crane, a truck, and lifting them out. [[Like Adamo did) detroit schools are always closed with all their contents - like a tomb. books, tools, instruments, records - everything is usually left right where it was the last day of school.

I've spent a good portion of the last month purchasing items from shuttered schools in the Toledo Public School system. They bring in an auction company and sell everything! Desks, Doors, bathroom stalls, doorknobs, lockers the works! It's utterly insane that DPS leaves all of this stuff to be stolen when they could be bringing in money for the district, and recycling what is otherwise just ending up in the dumpster or in the hands of thieves.

[Zacha341]

Yep, and they are no longer called vo-techs. They are now considered 'career and technical' centers... I think Crockett CTC closed in the spring.

Randolph [[building trades), Breithaupt [[west side) , Golightly[[east side ).

The vo-tech centers are one of the hidden jewels of DPS, however Mr. Bobb basically ignored them because he was focused more on the comprehensive high schools. Plus I believe there is a move afoot to put the vo-tech programs back into the comprehensive high schools like it was before the vo-tech centers were built.

[caldogven]

Hi FEO

I went to Wright from 55 to 58.
I have year books from 56 and 58.
Would love to see pictures from the other two.
caldogven

[Ronjm23]

I saw this tread with sadness. My father attended Wilbur Wright back in the 30's when the school was almost new. He learned his trade as a tool & die maker there. His education served him well as a skilled tradesman he earned a very good living. He worked for over 30 years at the also defunct Wolverine Tube on Central Ave. He was proud of the education that he received there.

[MrWCF]

Hello,
I'm writing a book on the history of Detroit public high schools, and am having trouble uncovering some information--maybe someone here can help.

Wilbur Wright HS and Philip Murray HS merged and became Murray-Wright HS. [[Murray-Wright HS later became Frederick Douglass Academy. Wilbur Wright HS later became the Detroit HS for the Fine & Performing Arts.)

Anyway, does anyone know:
1. What years was there a HS named Philip Murray HS? 1965?-????
2. What years was there a HS named Wilbur Wright HS? 1928?-????
3. What years was there a HS named Murray-Wright HS? ????-2007?

The 1965, 1928, and 2007 dates I'm fairly sure of--it's the others I don't have a clue about.

If anyone can help, it would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[Zacha341]

I can take a stab at #3: I think 1963 is the year the 'Phillip Murray' High School building was built... the hyphenated name 'Murray-Wright' came from the merger to Wilbur Wright - I DON'T know date of the merger. But I believe '63 was build date...

I graduated from Murray-Wright over a decade later. As did members of my family decades after that... GO PILOTS!!

Anyway, does anyone know:
1. What years was there a HS named Philip Murray HS? 1965?-????
2. What years was there a HS named Wilbur Wright HS? 1928?-????
3. What years was there a HS named Murray-Wright HS? ????-2007?

[MrWCF]

Ground breaking for Philip Murray took place in 1963, but I have a picture of the dedication ceremony for Philip Murray in 1965, so the opening of Philip Murray, the merger of Philip Murray and Wilbur Wright, the change of name from Philip Murray to Murray-Wright, and the closing of Wilbur Wright all had to take place in 1965 or later.

[Zacha341]

Good point. It would have taken a least a year to build as was the average speed then. Plus I think the first grad class was 69 so that puts the opening at 1965. Thanks!

Ground breaking for Philip Murray took place in 1963, but I have a picture of the dedication ceremony for Philip Murray in 1965, so the opening of Philip Murray, the merger of Philip Murray and Wilbur Wright, the change of name from Philip Murray to Murray-Wright, and the closing of Wilbur Wright all had to take place in 1965 or later.

[FEO]

From 1958 Wilbur Wright Pioneer yearbook, page 4
“At the beginning of the fall semester in September, 1957, Wilbur Wright turned from an all boy’s school to a co-educational school. At that time 306 girls from Goldberg Trade and other Detroit schools enrolled here to enter the Business, Commercial Foods, Hospital Service, Needle Trades or Retailing curriculums which had been established for them. Most of these girls, along with additional teachers, came from Goldberg, which is now an elementary school.”
Note: On page 6, the principal referred to it as, Wilbur Wright Cooperative Coeducational High School

[MrWCF]

Did research at the Burton Historical Collection:
Philip Murray HS: 1965-1967
Wilbur Wright HS: 1928-1967
Murray-Wright HS: 1967-2007

[Zacha341]

Now the Murray-Wright building is the Frederick Douglass Academy all boys HS.

[MrWCF]

Yes--see my earlier post in this thread.

[MrWCF]

Do any of those yearbooks have a photo of the entire school? I'd love a scan of that.

[FEO]

Here is a picture of Wilbur Wright.

[stasu1213]

Phillip Murray, Eastern[[later Martin Luther King), and Kettering High School were built in around 1965

[MrWCF]

Thank you so much--I'll include this photo in the book I'm writing. Much appreciated!