, motto_translation = Truth and Honor , streetaddress = 6191 Park Avenue , city =

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, state =

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, zipcode = 38119 , province = , country = United States , coordinates = , type = Private,

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

, College-prep, Day , established = 1893 , founders = Edwin Sidney Werts
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Boys A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is described as a man. Definition, etymology, and use According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy is "a ...

, enrollment = 650 , tuition = $22,260 , houses = , colors =

Yale Blue Yale Blue is the dark azure color used in association with Yale University. History Since the 1850s, Yale Crew has rowed in blue uniforms, and in 1894, "dark blue" was officially adopted as Yale's color, after half a century of the univer ...

Harvard Crimson , athletics = , mascot =

Owl Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers a ...

, nickname = , rival = Christian Brothers High School , accreditation =

Southern Association of Independent Schools {{Cleanup-spam, date=April 2011 The Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) is a U.S.-based voluntary organization of more than 380 independent elementary and secondary schools through the South, representing more than 220,000 students ...

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Emblem An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a king or saint. Emblems vs. symbols Although the words ''emblem'' and '' symbol'' are often us ...

, free_label_2 = , free_2 = , free_label_3 = , free_3 = Memphis University School (MUS) is a college-preparatory, independent, day school for boys, grades 7–12, located in

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

History

The Original Campus (1893–1936)

Edwin Sidney Werts and James White Sheffey Rhea founded MUS as a

college-preparatory school A college-preparatory school (usually shortened to preparatory school or prep school) is a type of secondary school. The term refers to public, private independent or parochial schools primarily designed to prepare students for higher educatio ...

for boys in the fall of 1893. Their purpose was threefold: to prepare boys for competitive colleges, to provide them with a liberal arts education, and to help them develop into cultured Christian gentlemen. Patterned largely after Werts's alma mater, the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...

, MUS embraced high academic standards, strong moral development, and an emphasis on athletics. The school adopted red and blue as its official colors to represent the academics standards of two universities, Harvard and

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

. In a short time, the school's reputation was so sound that many of America's leading colleges began to exempt MUS students from entrance examinations or allowed them to take the exams at MUS. After a disappointing initial enrollment, MUS prospered. Within three years, it outgrew its temporary quarters in the old Bethel Building in

Downtown Memphis Downtown Memphis, Tennessee is the central business district of Memphis, Tennessee and is located along the Mississippi River between Interstate 40 to the north, Interstate 55 to the south and I-240 to the east, where it abuts Midtown Memphis. It ...

and occupied the

Clara Conway Institute Clara Conway (August 14, 1844 – November 16, 1904) was a Public School Teacher, School Administrator in the Memphis School district and an early woman's political activist. She founded the Clara ConwaInstitutefor Girls in Memphis, Tennessee and ...

at 297 Poplar Avenue. Shortly after the move, the proprietors built their own building on a small campus near the corner of Madison and Manassas. There the school remained until 1936, when economic factors forced its closure.

The Current Campus (1955–Present)

The economic boom of the 1950s revitalized MUS, and classes began again in 1955 under the leadership of Col. Ross M. Lynn and a dedicated Board of Trustees chaired by Alexander Wellford. The School relocated to its current 94-acre (380,000 m²) campus at 6191 Park Avenue in

East Memphis East Memphis is a region of Memphis, Tennessee with several defined and informal subdivisions and neighborhoods such as Colonial Acres, White Station- Yates, Sherwood Forest, Normal Station, High Point Terrace, Belle Meade, Normandy Meadows, St ...

. By 1958, it graduated its first seniors. Like the first MUS, the new one emphasized academic excellence, high moral standards, strong athletic development, and gentlemanly conduct. Its student-enforced honor system became the moral heart of the school. During the 1960s, the new MUS grew to maturity. Seniors acquired off-campus lunch privileges; Hutchison School moved in next door; the Hyde Chapel was built; and sophisticated language labs were added. Leigh MacQueen became academic dean, Bill Hatchett guided annual student tours to Europe, and MUS worked at living up to its namesake. Clubs and other extracurricular activities proliferated as students increasingly helped run the school. In the 1970s, the school added the Hull Lower School, the Hyde Library, the Fisher Fine Arts Wing, and the McCaughan Science building, fulfilling the school's basic physical plant needs. Ellis Haguewood began his irreverent and hilarious school day picture day (SDPD) talks and served a 16-year stint as yearbook adviser. The school's academics became stronger in a climate of increased diversity. Both faculty and curriculum grew much stronger through the 1970s and the 1980s, and enrollment reached nearly 600 students. In 1990, the school constructed the Sue H. Hyde Sports and Physical Education Center, symbolizing that it had become as much an athletic as an academic powerhouse. Thorn retired in 1992, and William Campbell succeeded Thorn as headmaster for three years. In 1995 the Board of Trustees selected Upper School principal Ellis Haguewood to lead the school. Under the leadership of Headmaster Haguewood and Chairman of the Board Ben Adams (1996-2004), MUS implemented a long-term strategic plan. This included a master plan for expanding and updating the physical plant and a massive capital campaign (more than $21 million total) to fund improvements. The Crump Firm's master plan included a new tennis center with a clubhouse, renovation and expansion of the Hull Lower School, erecting a commodious new Campus Center, and razing and replacing the Upper School and the Clack Dining Hall. Construction, including the new Dunavant Upper School, was completed by January 2003. Alumnus Trow Gillespie, who had spearheaded the fundraising, replaced Ben Adams in 2004 as chairman of the Board of Trustees. Bob Loeb became chairman in 2008, followed by Sam Graham in 2013, and Jim Burnett in 2020. Ellis Haguewood retired in June 2017 after 48 years at the school, including 22 as headmaster. The Board of Trustees selected Pete Sanders from Greenville, South Carolina, as the new headmaster. In February 2021 the school announced a new strategic plan, Legacy Forward, with six strategic goals guided by 12 implementation champions representing the Board and the school.

Academics

MUS enrolls about 640 students from grades 7-12. The student-faculty ratio is 7 to 1, and average class size is 15 students. The school’s intensive academic program emphasizes Advanced Placement and Honors Accelerated courses, offering 22 AP courses for college credit. Historically, more than 90 percent of MUS students score a 3 or above on their AP exams. MUS grades are weighted on a 4.0 scale. Every year a large portion of MUS students are honored by College Board for their performance on standardized tests. MUS claims a 100 percent four-year college acceptance rate.

Faculty

For the 2020-21 school year, the faculty includes 99 teachers, three college counselors, and three guidance counselors. Seventy percent of faculty hold master's degrees or doctorates. Average teaching experience for faculty is 25 years. MUS maintains endowed teaching chairs for its faculty.

Notable alumni

Richard Halliburton Richard Halliburton (January 9, 1900 – presumed dead after March 24, 1939) was an American travel writer and adventurer who swam the length of the Panama Canal and paid the lowest toll in its history—36 cents in 1928. He disappeared at ...

, 1915, Author, adventurer *

Nash Buckingham Theophilus Nash Buckingham (May 31, 1880 – March 10, 1971), commonly referred to as Nash Buckingham, was an American author and conservationist from Tennessee. He is perhaps most famous for writing a collection of short stories entitled De Sh ...

, 1898, Author *

Allen B. Morgan Jr. Allen Benners Morgan Jr. is an American business man who was among the founders and served as chairman and CEO of regional brokerage firm Morgan Keegan & Company, based in Memphis, Tennessee. The firm is now owned by Raymond James Financial. Earl ...

'60, Co-founder, CEO, and chairman of

Morgan Keegan & Company Raymond James , Morgan Keegan is the name of the former Morgan Keegan & Co. business units acquired by Raymond James Financial on April 2, 2012. The combined firms’ subsidiaries engage primarily in investment and financial planning, investment ...

* J. R. Hyde III '61, Founder of

Autozone AutoZone, Inc. is an American retailer of aftermarket automotive parts and accessories, the largest in the United States. Founded in 1979, AutoZone has over 6,400 stores across the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil and the US Virgin Is ...

* Gene Dattel '62, Author and Historian, ''Reckoning with Race: America's Failure'' *

Frederick W. Smith Frederick Wallace Smith (born August 11, 1944) is an American business magnate and investor. He is the founder and chairman of FedEx Corporation, the world's largest transportation company. On June 1, 2022, Smith stepped down as CEO to become exe ...

'62, Founder, CEO of FedEx * John Fry '62, Founder of Ardent Studios * Admiral

Charles H. Johnston Rear Admiral (Upper Half) Charles Herbert Johnston Jr., United States Navy (born 1948), was appointed Vice Commander of the Naval Air Systems Command, (NAVAIR) at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland in December 2001. Biography Johnston grew up in Memph ...

'66,

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

Michael Beck John Michael Beck Taylor (born February 4, 1949), commonly known as Michael Beck, is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Swan in '' The Warriors'' (1979) and Sonny Malone in '' Xanadu'' (1980). Early life Beck was born in Memphis, T ...

'67, Actor * Michael O'Brien '68, photographer * Chris Bell '69, Musician, member of

Big Star Big Star was an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1971 by Alex Chilton (vocals, guiar), Chris Bell (vocals, guitar), Jody Stephens (drums), and Andy Hummel (bass). The group broke up in early 1975, and reorganized with a ne ...

Andy Hummel John Andrew Hummel (January 26, 1951 – July 19, 2010) was an American bassist and singer-songwriter best known as the bass player of Big Star.

'69, Musician, member of

Paul Tudor Jones Paul Tudor Jones II (born September 28, 1954) is an American billionaire hedge fund manager, conservationist and philanthropist. In 1980, he founded his hedge fund, Tudor Investment Corporation, an asset management firm headquartered in Stamfo ...

'72, Hedge Fund Manager *

Hampton Sides Wade Hampton Sides (born 1962) is an American historian, author and journalist. He is the author of '' Hellhound on His Trail,'' ''Ghost Soldiers,'' '' Blood and Thunder'', ''On Desperate Ground'', and other bestselling works of narrative histor ...

'80, Author, ''

Ghost Soldiers Ghost soldiers or ghost battalions refers to army troops whom names appear on military rolls, but who are not actually in military service, generally in order to divert part of the soldiers' salaries to an influential local entity such as army of ...

'', '' Blood and Thunder'' * Edward Felsenthal '84, Editor-in-Chief, ''

Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Ma ...

'' *

John H. Dobbs John Hull Dobbs Jr is an American businessman who is the president and founder of Dobbs Equity Partners LLC of Memphis, Tennessee. Early life He is the son of John Hull Dobbs Sr, and grandson of James K. Dobbs, who owned car dealerships and restau ...

'85, businessman * Sid Evans '87. Editor-in-Chief, ''

Southern Living ''Southern Living'' is a lifestyle magazine aimed at readers in the Southern United States featuring recipes, house plans, garden plans, and information about Southern culture and travel. It is published by Birmingham, Alabama–based Southern Pr ...

'' * Griff Jenkins '89, radio producer and

Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is owne ...

television personality * David O. Sacks '90, Founder and CEO of

Web 2.0 Web 2.0 (also known as participative (or participatory) web and social web) refers to websites that emphasize user-generated content, ease of use, participatory culture and interoperability (i.e., compatibility with other products, systems, and ...

company Geni, Inc.; former COO of

PayPal PayPal Holdings, Inc. is an American multinational financial technology company operating an online payments system in the majority of countries that support online money transfers, and serves as an electronic alternative to traditional paper ...

; movie producer: ex. ''

Thank You for Smoking ''Thank You for Smoking'' is a 2005 American satirical black comedy film written and directed by Jason Reitman and starring Aaron Eckhart, based on the 1994 satirical novel of the same name by Christopher Buckley. It follows the efforts of Bi ...

'' * Tom Hutton '91, Former

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state ...

and NFL punter * Siddharth Kara '92, Writer, expert on human trafficking * Hank Sullivant '01, Musician, frontman for Kuroma, past bassist for The Whigs, touring guitarist for MGMT * Harry Ford, Actor, star of CBS TV series, '' Code Black'' *

Henry Gayden Henry Gayden (born December 28, 1979) is an American screenwriter, best known for writing the films ''Earth to Echo'' (2014), '' Shazam!'' (2019) and '' There's Someone Inside Your House'' (2021). Career Gayden was born in Memphis, Tennessee. ...

'98, Screenwriter - Known for his writing in ''

Earth to Echo ''Earth to Echo'' is a 2014 American science fiction film directed by Dave Green, and produced by Ryan Kavanaugh and Andrew Panay. Based on a screenplay by Henry Gayden, the film stars Teo Halm, Brian "Astro" Bradley, Reese Hartwig, and Ella ...

'' (2014), '' Shazam!'' (2019) and ''

There's Someone Inside Your House ''There's Someone Inside Your House'' is a horror novel by American author Stephanie Perkins, published on September 12, 2017, by Dutton Books. The novel's film adaptation, a slasher film of the same name, was directed by Patrick Brice, and wa ...

'' (2020)

References

{{authority control Private high schools in Tennessee Educational institutions established in 1893 Boys' schools in the United States Preparatory schools in Tennessee Schools in Memphis, Tennessee Private middle schools in Tennessee 1893 establishments in Tennessee