Samuel C. Mumford High School is a public high school located on the near-northwest side of

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, Michigan. It was operated by the

Detroit Public Schools Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) is a school district that covers all of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States and high school students in the insular city of Highland Park. The district, which replaced the original Detr ...

, and had been operated by the

Education Achievement Authority of Michigan The Education Achievement Authority (EAA or Authority) was the governing body of the Education Achievement System (EAS or System), a Michigan statewide school system for failing schools. It was discontinued in 2017 and the schools were returned t ...

(EAA). DPS re-assumed control of Mumford High in fall 2017.

History

Following war-delayed construction, Mumford High opened in September 1949; a time when large segments of Detroit's

Jewish-American American Jews or Jewish Americans are American citizens who are Jewish, whether by religion, ethnicity, culture, or nationality. Today the Jewish community in the United States consists primarily of Ashkenazi Jews, who descend from diaspora J ...

population had already begun an inexorable movement toward the suburban communities of

Oakland County Oakland County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of the metropolitan Detroit area, located northwest of the city. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,274,395, making it the second-most populous county in Michigan, b ...

. Mumford's architectural profile featured imported powder blue limestone block and exquisite

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

styling similar to other Detroit high schools. During much of the 1950s and early 1960s, Mumford High served a predominantly Jewish student population. The original building was demolished during the summer of 2012. A new building was constructed at the same Wyoming Avenue address and opened in August, 2012. It was named after Detroit School Board member and

Detroit Edison DTE Electric Company (formerly The Detroit Edison Company) was founded in 1886. DTE Electric's power generation portfolio includes renewable energy, but is primarily generated by fossil fuels. In 2021, 67.32% of electricity generated by DTE came ...

treasurer Samuel C. Mumford. When it was operated by Detroit Public Schools (DPS), communities within Mumford's attendance zone included Palmer Park,

Palmer Woods The Palmer Woods Historic District is a neighborhood located in Detroit, Michigan, bounded by Seven Mile Road, Woodward Avenue, and Strathcona Drive. There are approximately 295 homes in the district, which is between the City of Highland Park i ...

and

Sherwood Forest Sherwood Forest is a royal forest in Nottinghamshire, England, famous because of its historic association with the legend of Robin Hood. The area has been wooded since the end of the Last Glacial Period (as attested by pollen sampling cor ...

. In 2015 the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...

charged former EAA-era principal Kenyetta "K.C." Wilbourn-Snapp with bribery and conspiracy charges. Wilbourn, who had been principal of Mumford and

Denby High School The Edwin C. Denby High School is a public secondary education school located at 12800 Kelly Road in northeastern Detroit, Michigan. Denby High opened in 1930, and the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. It i ...

, agreed to plead guilty as part of a

plea bargain A plea bargain (also plea agreement or plea deal) is an agreement in criminal law proceedings, whereby the prosecutor provides a concession to the defendant in exchange for a plea of guilt or '' nolo contendere.'' This may mean that the defendan ...

. She pleaded guilty to

tax evasion Tax evasion is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to reduce the taxp ...

and accepting a $58,000 bribe.

Athletics

1959 graduate, Barry Shapiro set a city record on his way to winning the 100-yard breaststroke, at the 1959 Detroit Public School League (DPSSAL) swimming finals. In fact, Shapiro's time was superior to the existing Michigan High School Athletic Association record for the event. Barry was among the fastest breaststrokers in the state, during a period (1931–1961) when Detroit schools did not participate in MHSAA championship events; he never had the chance to swim for a state title. Another Mumford athlete, Richard Golden made the best of his opportunity to compete at the state level. During the 1963 MHSAA finals, Richard finished third in the 50-yard freestyle; to this day, Golden is Mumford's only All-State swimmer. In 1966, in his first year as Mumford's basketball coach, Sam Taub led Mumford to the east side championship in the Detroit Public School league before losing to Northwestern by 3 points in the city championship game. Mumford went on to win district and regional championships in the state tournament before losing to East Detroit in the state quarterfinals. All-State center Larry Moore averaged 27 points a game to lead the Mustangs. In 1969, Coach Taub guided the Mustangs to the PSL title; Mumford defeated Northern High 72–55 to claim the trophy. The Mustangs advanced to the state semifinals before losing to Ypsilanti. Taub was also the school's golf coach and a collegiate basketball referee. More recently, Mumford's track and field program has been nothing less than dynastic; winning a total of six Michigan High School Athletic Association championships since 1999. The Lady Mustangs won state titles in 2004 and 2005; while Mumford's men brought home the MHSAA crown in 1999, 2002, 03 and 04. In 2005, Mumford won its first DPSSAL football title; the Mustangs defeated Finney High, 26–13 to claim the championship trophy.

Notable alumni

John "Tiny" Andrews John Vanderbilt "Tiny" Andrews (November 7, 1951 – June 5, 2015) was an American football defensive tackle in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins and played college football at Morgan State College Background Andrews was born i ...

, class of 1969,

defensive tackle A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...

for NFL's

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

Ivan Boesky Ivan Frederick Boesky (born March 6, 1937) is a former American stock trader who became infamous for his prominent role in an insider trading scandal that occurred in the United States during the mid-1980s. He was charged and pled guilty to insi ...

, a 1955 graduate, came to Mumford after having attended Cranbrook School in

Bloomfield Hills Bloomfield Hills is a small city (5.04 sq. miles) in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Metro Detroit and is approximately northwest of Downtown Detroit. Except a small southern border with the city of Bir ...

; was convicted for role in Wall Street

insider trading Insider trading is the trading of a public company's stock or other securities (such as bonds or stock options) based on material, nonpublic information about the company. In various countries, some kinds of trading based on insider information ...

scandal during mid-1980s; his involvement is recounted in book ''Den of Thieves'' by Pulitzer Prize-winning author James B. Stewart *

Paul Borman Paul David Borman (born January 7, 1939) is a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, having been appointed in 1994. Borman was earlier an Assistant United States Attorney, and Specia ...

, federal judge on

United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan (in case citations, E.D. Mich.) is the federal district court with jurisdiction over of the eastern half of the Lower Peninsula of the State of Michigan. The Court is based ...

since 1994, was earlier an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Special Counsel to the Mayor of Detroit, and Chief Federal Defender of the Legal Aid & Defender Association of Detroit from 1979 to 1994; also professor at

Wayne State University Law School Wayne State University Law School (Wayne Law) is the law school of Wayne State University in Detroit. Wayne Law is located in Midtown, Detroit's Cultural Center. Founded in 1927, the law school offers juris doctor (J.D.), master of laws (LL.M.), ...

and adjunct lecturer at

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. *

Jerry Bruckheimer Jerome Leon Bruckheimer (born September 21, 1943) is an American film and television producer. He has been active in the genres of action, drama, fantasy, and science fiction. His films include '' Flashdance'', ''Top Gun'', '' The Rock'', '' ...

, film and television producer whose credits include three '' CSI'' television series, '' Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series, and ''

Flashdance ''Flashdance'' is a 1983 American romantic drama dance film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Jennifer Beals as a passionate young dancer who aspires to become a professional ballerina (Alex), alongside Michael Nouri playing her boyfriend ...

''; produced ''

Beverly Hills Cop ''Beverly Hills Cop'' is a 1984 American buddy cop action comedy film directed by Martin Brest, screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr., story by Danilo Bach and Daniel Petrie Jr., and starring Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, a street-smart Detroit cop ...

'', in which

Eddie Murphy Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and singer. He rose to fame on the sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'', for which he was a regular cast member from 1980 to 1984. Murphy has als ...

's character

Axel Foley Detective Axel Foley is a fictional character, portrayed by Eddie Murphy, and is the titular protagonist of the ''Beverly Hills Cop (film series), Beverly Hills Cop'' film series. He is ranked 55 on ''Empire (film magazine), Empire'' magazine's ...

is seen wearing a "Mumford Phys Ed Dept" T-shirt * Kenneth Ferguson, world-class track and field athlete; ranked 7th globally in 400-meter hurdles (2007) During his time at Mumford, Ferguson was a six-time Michigan High School Athletic Association champion in the hurdles and relay events *

R. Barri Flowers Ronald Barri Flowers is an American writer of mystery novels and non-fiction books, as well as a criminologist. He lives in Honolulu, Hawaii. Early life and education Flowers was born the second of five children in Michigan. He attended Mumford ...

(1974), criminologist, author, inducted into

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

Criminal Justice Wall of Fame in 2006 *

Cornelius Grant Cornelius Grant (born April 27, 1943) is an American guitarist, composer, and band leader. He served as the musical director, guitar player, and live show arranger for Motown vocal group The Temptations from 1964 until 1982. Early life Grant was ...

, noteworthy guitarist with Motown Records *

Judith Guest Judith Guest (born March 29, 1936) is an American novelist and screenwriter. She was born in Detroit, Michigan and is the great-niece of Poet Laureate Edgar Guest (1881–1959).

(great-niece of

Edgar Guest Edgar Albert Guest (20 August 1881 – 5 August 1959) was a British-born American poet who became known as the People's Poet. His poems often had an inspirational and optimistic view of everyday life. Early life Guest was born in Birmingham ...

); attended Mumford for one year (1951); her first book, ''

Ordinary People ''Ordinary People'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by Robert Redford in his directorial debut. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Judith Guest. The film follows the disintegration of an upper ...

'', published in

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

, was adapted as a 1980

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

that won an

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...

Judith Guest Judith Guest (born March 29, 1936) is an American novelist and screenwriter. She was born in Detroit, Michigan and is the great-niece of Poet Laureate Edgar Guest (1881–1959).

Jemele Hill Jemele Juanita Hill (; born 1975) is an American sports journalist who writes for ''The Atlantic''. She worked nearly 12 years for sports conglomerate ESPN. She wrote a column for ESPN.com's Page 2 and formerly hosted ESPN's '' His and Hers''. ...

(1993), ESPN sportscaster and columnist *

Earl Klugh Earl Klugh ( ; born September 16, 1953) is an American acoustic guitarist and composer. He has won one Grammy award and thirteen nominations. Klugh was awarded the “1977” Best Recording Award For Performance and Sound” for his album “Fin ...

, jazz musician and Grammy Award-winning recording artist *

Ruth Laredo Ruth Laredo (November 20, 1937May 25, 2005) was an American Classical music, classical pianist. She became known in the 1970s in particular for her premiere recordings of the 10 sonatas of Alexander Scriabin, Scriabin and the complete solo piano ...

(née Meckler), concert pianist *

Derrick Mason Derrick James Mason (born January 17, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for fifteen seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Tennessee Oilers in the fourth round of the ...

, played football for

and NFL's

Houston Oilers The Houston Oilers were a professional American football team that played in Houston from its founding in 1960 to 1996 before relocating to Memphis, and later Nashville, Tennessee becoming the Tennessee Titans. The Oilers began play in 1960 a ...

and

Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...

, earning

All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...

recognition *

Roger Penzabene Rodger Penzabene (1945 – December 31, 1967) was an American songwriter for the Motown label. Among his most notable compositions as a lyricist are "Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me" by Gladys Knight & the Pips; " The End of Our Road" by G ...

, songwriter for Motown label; among his most notable compositions are "

The End of Our Road "The End of Our Road" is a single written by Roger Penzabene, Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong in 1967. Originally recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips and issued as a single in 1968, the Pips' version of the song, became another top forty hit f ...

" by

Gladys Knight & the Pips Gladys Knight & the Pips were an American R&B, soul and funk family music group from Atlanta, Georgia, that remained active on the music charts and performing circuit for over three decades starting from the early 1950s. Starting out as simpl ...

and

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

, and a trilogy of hits for the

Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top 1 ...

: " You're My Everything", "

I Wish It Would Rain "I Wish It Would Rain" is a 1967 song recorded by the Temptations for the Motown label (under the "Gordy" imprint) and produced by Norman Whitfield. Release Issued with the Melvin Franklin-led "I Truly, Truly Believe" as its B-side, "I Wish ...

", and "

I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You) "I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)" is a single recorded by the Temptations and released on Motown Records' Gordy label during the spring of 1968. The song is the last with lyrics by Rodger Penzabene, and as the final Temptations sin ...

" * Gilda Radner, actress and original ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...

'' cast member, wife of actor

Gene Wilder Jerome Silberman (June 11, 1933 – August 29, 2016), known professionally as Gene Wilder, was an American actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker. He is known mainly for his comedic roles, but also for his portrayal of Willy Wonka in ''Willy Won ...

; attended Mumford for one year * Stephen M. Ross, CEO and chairman of National Football League's

Bruce Joel Rubin Bruce Joel Rubin (born March 10, 1943) is an American screenwriter, meditation teacher, and photographer. His films often explore themes of life and death with metaphysical and science fiction elements. Prominent among them are '' Jacob's Ladder' ...

, screenwriter whose film credits include ''Deep Impact'', ''Sleeping with the Enemy'' and ''Ghost'' * Bob Shaye, movie producer, director, co-founder of

New Line Cinema New Line Cinema is an American film production studio owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and is a film label of Warner Bros. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye as an independent film distribution company; later becoming a film studio after acq ...

; among his many films, he produced original ''

Nightmare On Elm Street ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' franchise and stars Heather Langenk ...

'' *

Marcus Thigpen Marcus Arnette Thigpen (born May 15, 1986) is a former American professional Canadian football running back and kick returner. He played college football at Indiana University and signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in ...

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

player for

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in 1 ...

and NFL player for

Allee Willis Alta Sherral "Allee" Willis (November 10, 1947 – December 24, 2019) was an American songwriter, multi-media artist, collector, and art director. Willis co-wrote hit songs including " September" and "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire. She ...

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

-winning songwriter and multi-media artist, whose hits include "

September September is the ninth month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars, the third of four months to have a length of 30 days, and the fourth of five months to have a length of fewer than 31 days. September in the Northern H ...

" and "

Boogie Wonderland "Boogie Wonderland" is a song by American band Earth, Wind & Fire with The Emotions, released in April 1979 on Columbia Records as the first single from their ninth album, ''I Am'' (1979). The song peaked at number 14 on the US ''Billboard'' danc ...

" by

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million re ...

; "

Neutron Dance "Neutron Dance" is a song written by Allee Willis and Danny Sembello which was introduced by the Pointer Sisters on their 1983 album '' Break Out''. The song became a Top Ten hit in 1985, its success augmented by being prominently featured on the ...

" by

The Pointer Sisters The Pointer Sisters are an American pop and R&B singing group from Oakland, California, that achieved mainstream success during the 1970s and 1980s. Their repertoire has included such diverse genres as pop, jazz, electronic music, bebop, b ...

; theme song to TV series ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

'' and Broadway musical ''

The Color Purple ''The Color Purple'' is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker which won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.

'' *

The Winans The Winans are an American gospel quartet from Detroit, Michigan consisting of brothers Marvin, Carvin, Michael and Ronald Winans. Members ''Please refer to the Winans family page for more detail on the individual members.'' About: Origins & Mu ...

The Clark Sisters The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of five sisters: Jacky Clark Chisholm (born 1948), Denise "Niecy" Clark-Bradford (born 1953), Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark (born 1954), Dorinda Clark-Cole (born 1957), and Karen Cla ...

Fred Hammond Frederick William Hammond (born December 27, 1960) is an American gospel singer, bass guitar player, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most popular figures in contemporary gospel music. He is known for using a variety of differe ...

and

Deitrick Haddon Deitrick Vaughn Haddon (born May 17, 1973) is an American gospel singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, record producer, pastor, and actor. He is best known for progressive gospel, and contemporary styles of music. He is also one of the cast memb ...

, Gospel singers

References

External links

Mumford High School Official Site

Mumford HS Lea Application Part IIArchive
{{Coord, 42.4215, -83.1646, type:edu_region:US-MI, display=title Public high schools in Michigan High schools in Detroit Buildings with sculpture by Corrado Parducci Art Deco architecture in Michigan Jews and Judaism in Detroit 1949 establishments in Michigan Educational institutions established in 1949 School buildings completed in 1949 Detroit Public Schools Community District School buildings completed in 2012 Buildings and structures demolished in 2012