Redford High School was a secondary school in Detroit, Michigan. A part of Detroit Public Schools, the school opened in September 1921 and ceased operations in June 2007. Staffed and operated by the Detroit Public Schools; Redford High School served the sub-communities of Old Redford, Grandmont, Rosedale Park and Brightmoor.
Redford Alumni
Producer, Director and Academy Award winning actor George C. Scott was born in Virginia and raised in Detroit; Mr. Scott graduated from Redford High School in 1945.
Actor Michael Dunn (born Gary Neil Miller; Class of 1951) was best known for his recurring role as Dr. Miguelito Loveless on CBS television’s, The Wild Wild West.
Former Wayne County Executive Edward H. McNamara graduated from Redford High School in 1944. McNamara was Mayor of Livonia, Michigan from 1970 to 1986 and as Wayne County Executive from 1986 to 2002.
NFL player Kevin Belcher graduated from Redford.
In the Sciences, Rob Hale (Class of 1974) has made substantial contributions in the field of environmental chemistry. He has published over 100 scientific articles in journals such as Nature and Environmental Science and Technology. Most notably, Hale's efforts led to the recognition of the substantial environmental and human health risks associated with our heavy use of brominated flame retardants in common household articles such as furniture and electronics.
International industrialist and entrepreneur, Steven Glogowski graduated from Redford in 1977. Glogowski transformed the implementation of automation utilization throughout the automotive manufacturing industry globally in the 1980s and 1990s. Glogowski has over 40 domestic and International patents associated with automation and lean solutions.
Gary Reed, comics writer and publisher of Caliber Comics, was a graduate.
History
Chastity Pratt of the Detroit Free Press wrote, "when it was built, Redford was the jewel of the district." Redford offered university preparatory classes for its students such as Business Law and Fashion merchandising to mention a few.
In December 2006, the Detroit Public School District announced that it planned to close Redford; concerned alumni and parents mounted a valiant yet unsuccessful drive to prevent the closure. 2007, the school's third floor was empty. The property was purchased by Meijer, Inc., as a site for a future store complex; the high school facilities were demolished in September 2012.
Detroit's Cooley and Cody High School absorbed much of the attendance area from Redford; including Brightmoor and Grandmont. Henry Ford High School assumed jurisdiction over the remaining northern neighborhoods.
In June 2015 a Meijer store opened on the Redford site. As of 2015 it was Meijer's second Detroit location. This store uses stonework from the former Redford building.
Redford Huskies
From the earliest days, in a wide variety of sporting endeavors, the Huskies of Redford High School were a dominant force.
The golf team won three consecutive Michigan High School Athletic Association championships (1928, '29, '30). The girls' golf team won four consecutive city golf championships from 1942â€"45 led by Shirley Spork. The boys' tennis team won four consecutive Public School League (DPSSAL) titles (1958â€"61). The baseball team won city championships in 1963 and 1965. Bill Zepp, who went on to pitch at the University of Michigan and with the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins, led the 1963 squad.
The cross-country squad, coached by Bruce Waha, won consecutive DPSSAL championships in 1958, '59 and '60. Redford also won MHSAA cross-country titles in 1961 and 1962; they finished as runners-up at the 1964 MHSAA finals. Coach Waha is a 1978 inductee to the Michigan Interscholastic Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
From 1957 through 1975, Redford's football team produced a record of 117â€"30â€"1; representing an impressive winning percentage of 791. Redford ended the 1968 season ranked fifth in statewide polling by the Associated Press. During the early 1970s, Coach Andy Kincannon and the Huskies produced consecutive undefeated seasons (1973â€"74), finishing the 1974 campaign ranked third by the AP.
The boys' swimming team won consecutive dual meet and championship DPSSAL titles in 1972, 1973 and 1974. In 1973 the team won every event in every dual meet of the season. They were undefeated in dual meets in the DPSSAL in 1974. During this interval nearly every existing team record and most of the pool records were broken.
As the 21st century unfolded, Redford was a fixture atop the Detroit Public Secondary School League standings in boys' basketball; the Huskies won DPSSAL championships in 2001, 2005, 2006, and 2007. Redford High School also finished as runners-up for the MHSAA title in 2002 and 2007. Although not listed here, the Redford High School women had spectacular teams in swimming, field hockey, basketball, and tennis. Prior to Title 9, Redford treated female athletes with the respect of equality.
References
External links
- Redford High School - Detroit Public Schools
- Welcome to Redford High School - Detroit Public Schools
- Inside the abandoned Redford High School