Mackenzie High School (Michigan)

David L. Mackenzie High School is located on the west side of Detroit at 9275 Wyoming Avenue; its doors opened to students and faculty for the first time in September 1928. Mackenzie High School was so named to honor the innovative educator and first Dean of the city college that would become Wayne State University. Mackenzie High was among the first schools built upon land acquired through aggressive 1920s annexation of the former Greenfield Township. In an effort to make efficient use of available classrooms, the school's early history featured a full range of grade levels - elementary through secondary. In addition to a rigorous academic regimen, Mackenzie students enjoyed a diverse offering of extracurricular activities that included swimming and diving, indoor track and field, archery, speed skating and ice hockey. An amusing article appeared in the January, 1930 edition of "The DIAL" (Mackenzie's weekly magazine); the author admonished a few of the lower-elementary boys for throwing rocks into the school's outdoor ice rink. Over the next quarter century, throughout the Great Depression and a booming World War II-era economy to follow, Mackenzie High School grew in-step with a thriving and vital Detroit. Nearly five thousand students attended Mackenzie in 1952, making it one of the largest public schools in the state of Michigan.

Inevitably, the post-war economy cooled and relatively inexpensive suburban housing developments became abundant; in a densely populated city of nearly two-million, Detroiters would once again look for greener pastures. A steady decline in Detroit's population, first documented during the early 1950s, had gained noticeable momentum by the mid-1960s. The 1950s and 60s also marked a period of enormous social change in Detroit; the city's black citizenry was no longer confined to the lower east side and near west end. Urban renewal and freeway construction resulted in the demolition of Detroit's black ghettos; formerly segregated white neighborhoods, including those surrounding Mackenzie, were rapidly integrating. Indeed there was positive change taking place in Detroit; a young and progressive Mayor, Jerome P. Cavanagh encouraged citizens to embrace a bold new era - the national media referred to Detroit as a "model city". Detroit's automotive industry experienced an upswing during the early 1960s, and the city was accorded global recognition for its highly successful "Motown" musical influence. Swift and powerful change was sweeping Detroit throughout the 1960s; as the years passed, the currents of change grew increasingly turbulent.

During the mid to late 1960s, the United States was rife with social and political unrest; emotionally charged issues and incidents sparked deadly civil disturbances in Detroit and dozens of communities nationwide, during a half-decade of long hot summers. Smoldering anger, fueled by devastating riots in 1943 and 1967, ignited in Detroit during the first week of April, 1968. On April 5th, the morning that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an explosion of random violence and chaos gripped several Detroit schools. Impromptu student protests and brutal unprovoked assaults spilled onto the streets; Detroit Public School officials were overwhelmed. Between 1968 and 1970, hundreds of students had transferred from Mackenzie to Cody, Redford and Cass Technical High School; a similar migration was also taking place at the junior high and elementary school level. Scores of families had either relocated to neighborhoods further west, or opted-out of Detroit all together for northwestern Wayne County communities such as Livonia and Redford Township. Then in 1971, a court-ordered (and long delayed) program of public school busing evoked bitter resentment while further hastening an exodus previously ratcheted by a rising tide of racially motivated attacks.

Nevertheless, thanks largely to athletic laurels, Mackenzie experienced a renaissance in school pride. Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Mackenzie captured numerous relay and individual state championships in the sport of track and field; the Stags also won a city league (DPSSAL) baseball title in 1975. Those accomplishments were followed by a 1978 state team title in girl's track and field, and a 1979 state championship in boy's basketball. Between 1970 and 1990, Mackenzie's athletic program produced seven individuals who progressed to the National Football League; three of those athletes earned Super Bowl championship rings. Yet, by 1980, Mackenzie High School's enrollment had fallen below 2600 students - about half the figure reported for 1952. Meanwhile, between 1950 and 1980, Detroit's population fell from 1.85 to 1.2 million - a 35% loss in citizenry. The ravaging effect of spiraling economic decline continues to plague many of our nation's older urban areas; Detroit has not been spared. Entire neighborhoods languish in ruin - acre upon acre of vacant land currently support herds of whitetail deer and populations of wild pheasant. Reliable estimates put Detroit's 2007 population at 870,000 - where it had stood in the year 1918.

By 2007, enrollment in Detroit's public school system had fallen below 105,000; at Mackenzie High School fewer than 1100 students attended classes on a regular basis. In April 2007, the Detroit Board of Education announced that - due to budget constraints and declining enrollment - David L. Mackenzie High School would not open its doors for the 2007-2008 school year.

David L. Mackenzie Senior High School - 9275 Wyoming Avenue, Detroit 48204

Contributors to the Mackenzie Mystique

Robert Dozier was a highly successful educator and football coach at Mackenzie High School; his thirty-three year career spanned five decades (1969-2002). Six of Coach Dozier's athletes would eventually perform in the NFL; three of them played on Super Bowl Championship teams.

Although he did not graduate from Mackenzie High School, Stanley Mouse (Miller) attended the school for two years before a mischievous prank resulted in his expulsion. Stanley "Mouse" Miller is a noteworthy artist, best known for creating the late 1950s "monster hot rod" art form (subsequently popularized by Ed Roth and his hugely successful line of Rat Fink merchandise). Mouse also designed psychedelic rock concert posters and album cover art. During the mid-1960s, through his Mouse Studios, Miller and associates were commissioned by music promoter Bill Graham to create many of the classic posters for the Avalon Ballroom and Fillmore Auditorium. In 1971, along with artist Alton Kelley, Stanley Miller incorporated Mouse Studios with the Monster Company - first to create t-shirts using four-color process printing. Mouse Studios also produced album cover art for rock bands Journey and Grateful Dead.

Mackenzie Stags Teamwork

Coach Richard Frankowski and All-Metropolitan offensive back, Tino Sabuco led Mackenzie to a 9-0 record and the consensus state football title in 1944. After serving his country during WWII, Sabuco played professional football for the 1949 San Francisco 49ers.

1944 was a magical year at Mackenzie High School; in addition to top football honors, the Stag basketball team posted a perfect 20-0 season. Before a packed gymnasium at Central High School, Mackenzie defeated Northwestern High to claim the City League championship trophy. Seniors Dick Hall, Ted Krzeminski, and Tino Sabuco were honored with selection to the All-Metropolitan Squad by the Detroit News.

After 1944, team titles were few and far between for Mackenzie; not until 1975 would the school win a DPSSAL crown - when Mike Brown, Carlos Armstrong, and Wayne Robinson led the Stag baseball team to a City League championship at Butzel Field.

During the 1960s and 70s, several male track and field athletes claimed relay event state championships for Mackenzie High School. In 1963, Dennis Lugar, Cotrell Poole, Duane Varner, and Charles Poindexter took top honors in the one-mile relay. Six years later, at the 1969 MHSAA Finals, the team of Carlos Woods, Ken James, John Ware, and Darryl Arnold struck gold for Mackenzie in the 880-yard relay. Then, in 1972, the 880-yard relay team of Andre Payne, Ron Duncan, Ed Glass, and Gary Quick won what turned out to be the last state championship in a men's track and field event for Mackenzie High School.

In 1978, during Mackenzie's 50th anniversary year, Alfreda Bronson, Lela Fitten, Myra Jones, Melanie Tillman, and Kimberly Watts joined forces with Carman Rivers and Delisa Walton to win the MHSAA Women's Track and Field Team Championships - "Mackenzie's first state title in any sport". The following year, Steve Caldwell scored 28 points during Mackenzie's convincing 72-64 victory over Pontiac Central High School in the 1979 MHSAA basketball finals.In less than a year, Mackenzie High School athletes had earned two state championship trophies.

Then, in 1984, Duane Marcelis, Derrick Richmond, Mario Person, and Doug Blanchard led Mackenzie to its first Detroit PSL basketball crown since the 1944 season - ultimately, this would be the school's final team championship.

Honor Roll of Distinguished Mackenzie High School Alumni

*Arnold Deneau (1932) Mackenzie's first sports celebrity; Deneau won the state high jump championship (as a sophomore) in 1930.

*Bob Keene (1937) Played collegiate football for the University of Detroit; played professionally with the Detroit Lions, 1943-1945.

*Alex Foley (1946) MHSAA Track & Field Athlete of the Year; Detroit PSL Champion (pole vault and high jump)

*J. Patrick Clysdale (1946) Western Michigan University Football Team Captain (1950); WMU Athletic Director (1981)

*Ray Lane (1947) Noted Detroit Sports Personality; teamed with Ernie Harwell on Detroit Tigers play-by-play broadcasts (1967-1972)

*Tom Skerritt (1951) Emmy Award Winning Actor; Skerritt has appeared in 40 motion pictures and over 200 television episodes

*John Mackenzie (1952) MHSAA Athlete of the Year; PSL Champion (880 yard run) - winning time was :05 faster than state champion's

*Don Lukens (1954) Retired Track Coach at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix High School; 21 Conference Championships during 26 seasons

*Don Yarber (1954) Author: "Bodies and Beaches" "Corpses and Canyons" [http://www.kipyardleymysteries.com]

*Barbara Gilders-Dudeck (1956) Less than one point from a bronze medal in springboard diving at the 1956 Summer Olympics

*Marilyn Jean Kelly (1956) Michigan Supreme Court Justice (1996-present)
*Jim Oliphant (1958) NCAA All-American Track Athlete for Western Michigan University (1961), High Jump

*Dr. Douglas Garrett (1962) Basketball All-City (West); USMC All-Star; JUCO All-American; Oakland City University Professor; Author

*Saul Green (1965) Appointed Deputy Mayor of Detroit in 2008; US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan (1994-2001)

*Dr. Sidney Ribeau (1965) President, Howard University; served as President at Bowling Green State University, 1995-2008

*Jerome Beacham, PhD (1967) Former VP and Certification Chairman, International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association

*Charles Robinson (1967) State High School Champion in the 100 and 220 Yard Dash (1966)

*Homer Gaines (1968) Notable WMU Track Athlete; Mid-American Conference Champion (1972), 120 yard high hurdles

*Ken James (1969) State High School Champion, 100 Yard Dash - 1969

*Gary Waters (1969) Head Basketball Coach, Cleveland State University; Horizon League Coach of the Year (2008)

*Richard Byas Jr. (1970) Former National Football League defensive back; veteran of seven seasons with Atlanta Falcons

*John Ross (1971) Detroit PSL long jump champion; set state record of 7.29 meters on his gold medal effort at MHSAA finals - 1971

*Lovelle Rivers (1971) Selected to Detroit News All-City & All-State Basketball Team; school record holder in (track & field) shot put event

*Charles B. "Chuck" Greene (1976) All-American javelin thrower at WMU (1981); World Maccabiah Games Champion (1985)

*Carman Rivers (1978) State High School Champion, 220 Yard Dash - 1978

*Keith Smith (1978) First-Team selection, Detroit Free Press & Detroit News, "Dream Team" All-State Basketball Squad

*Delisa Walton-Floyd (1979) silver medalist, Pan American Games (1987); finalist, (1988) Olympic Games - 800 meters

*Kevin Brooks (1981) Former NFL defensive end; veteran of six seasons with Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions

*(Thomas) Pepper Johnson (1982) All-America at Ohio State; NFL All-Pro linebacker for Super Bowl Champion New York Giants (1986, 90)

*Reggie Thornton (1985) Collegiate football player for Bowling Green State University; played briefly in the NFL during 1991 and 1993

*Doug Smith (1987) University of Missouri graduate; played five seasons of NBA basketball with Dallas Mavericks & Boston Celtics

*"Krush Tha Boss" (Ronald W. Thompson III) (1988) Music Producer and Enterprenuer

*Nefertari Imani Baraka (Barbara Andrews) (1989) Author and educator

*Sylvester Wright (1989) Played college football for Kansas; played professionally with the Philadelphia Eagles, 1995 and 1996

*Gilbert Brown (1989) Played defensive tackle for 1996 NFL Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers

*Jerome Bettis (1990) All-Pro running back for L.A. Rams and 2006 Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers; veteran of 14 NFL seasons

*Rawle Marshall (2000) Oakland University graduate; played professional basketball with Dallas Mavericks & Indiana Pacers

*Darrin Trammell (2006) All-City & All-State selection in track and field and basketball; 400 meter runner-up at 2006 MHSAA Finals

ee also

*12th Street Riot

References

* [http://mumford.albany.edu/census/othersay/detroitnews/Stories/Major%20moments%20in%20Metro%20Detroit%20race%20relations%20-%201-14-02.pdf Detroit News]
*City of Detroit
* [http://www.detroitk12.org/schools/ Detroit Public Schools]
* [http://www.detroit.k12.mi.us/news/showNews.php?id=1594 DPS Press Release]
* [http://www.mousestudios.com/bio.htm Mouse Studios]