Fordson High School
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Fordson High School is a secondary school located in Dearborn, Michigan, United States in
Greater Detroit The Detroit metropolitan area, often referred to as Metro Detroit, is a major metropolitan area in the U.S. State of Michigan, consisting of the city of Detroit and its surrounding area. There are varied definitions of the area, including the ...
. It was completed in 1928 on a parcel of land which was then the village of Fordson, named for
Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that ...
and his son
Edsel Ford Edsel Bryant Ford (November 6, 1893 – May 26, 1943) was an American business executive and philanthropist who was the son of pioneering industrialist Henry Ford and his wife, Clara Jane Bryant Ford. He was the president of Ford Motor Company f ...
. It is a part of
Dearborn Public Schools The Dearborn Public Schools is a school district that includes the entire city of Dearborn, Michigan and a small portion of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Dearborn Heights, both in Greater Detroit. Dearborn Public Schools is the third largest school ...
.


History

Prior to the opening of the school, students attended the nearby Miller School.
Henry Ford Henry Ford (July 30, 1863 – April 7, 1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. By creating the first automobile that ...
contributed most of the money that was used to build the school.Cameron, T.C. ''Metro Detroit's High School Football Rivalries''.
Arcadia Publishing Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of neighborhood, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the History Press, which publ ...
, 2008. , 9780738561684. p
33
Fordson was named as such since the community of Fordson was originally separate from Dearborn, prior to the year the school opened. The cost to construct the campus was $2,500,000.
Clipping from
Newspapers.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. In November 2018, ...

Detail on article text
Ground was broken for the original school building in 1926 with representatives from each of the four entering grades participating. The senior class president was George E. Sarkozy, one of those that participated in the ceremony. The school was designed by architect Everett Lane Williams of the
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 t ...
architectural firm Van Leyen, Schilling & Keough. The school building, designed in the Collegiate Gothic style, was inspired in part by the buildings of the
University of Michigan Law School The University of Michigan Law School (Michigan Law) is the law school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1859, the school offers Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Comparative Law (MCL ...
in Ann Arbor, Michigan as well as the Rushton and Apethore halls in
Northamptonshire, England Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is k ...
.
Henry Ford Community College Henry Ford College (HFC) is a public community college in Dearborn, Michigan. The institution, established in 1938 by the Dearborn Fordson Public Schools Board of Education, is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. The institution was ...
began operations at Fordson High. The college initially held classes in the Fordson basement.


Fordson Tower

The Tower was constructed in 1926 and has been used for innumerable things. During World War II, the Tower was used to spot enemy aircraft that could have been headed for the River Rouge Plant, where tanks were in production. The media center used the Tower for archival storage, classes, and media center office space. Students of Fordson hung signs over the Tower including a "for sale" sign in the 1950s and the most recent in 1993 exclaiming Fordson's State Championship in football.


Renovations and additions

In 2005, an addition was adjoined to the northwestern body of the school. A cafeteria, ten classrooms including science and computer labs, and the replacement of the greenhouse comprised the new wing. The addition preserved the structure and appearance of the school by using the alternating dark and light limestone scheme and proceeding with the same architectural model developed from the school's inception. Consequently, Fordson received the Governor's Award for Historic Preservation and has been featured in many publications including the Masonry Institute of Michiga

and the architects of the addition, TMP architecture

In 2007, the athletic facilities underwent an extensive renovation. The natural turf varsity football field and the practice field on the eastern side of the athletic campus were replaced by AstroTurf surfaces. The track and tennis courts were also renovated. Beyond the tennis courts on the northern side of the campus, trees were planted when a seldom used sidewalk was demolished. Sarkozy field, the prior soccer field for the school was sold to the city of Dearborn for $800,000. The total cost before the sale was $1.6 million.


Present day

In 2009 the
Wayne County Regional Education Service Agency The Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency or Wayne RESA is a regional educational service agency for schools in Wayne County, Michigan within Metro Detroit. Its headquarters is in the Wayne RESA Education Center in Wayne.
issued a report strongly asking Fordson High's administration to only use Arabic when absolutely necessary to communicate to students and parents. The school district administration stated they disagreed with the decision and would not enact it. As of 2013, the principal of Fordson is Youssef Mosallam, who was a graduate of the Fordson Class of 1994 and senior on the 1993 Class AA State Football Championship team. Fordson is located in Dearborn, the largest Arab community outside the Middle East, where more than 40% of the residents are of Arab ancestry. This is reflected at Fordson, where approximately, as of 2006, 95% of the 2,700 student body is of Arab ancestry. According to SchoolMatters, in 2006, 91.6% of students passed the Michigan reading test while 80.4% passed the math portion. Of the students taking the ACT, the average score was 19.7 out of a possible 36. According to the 2015 Mackinac Center Report, Fordson High School was ranked the 13th Best Non-Charter Public High School in the State of Michigan due to gains over the last five years of all subgroups. In 2011 North Shore Films produced ''Fordson- Faith, Fasting, Football and the American Dream'', highlighting the Fordson football tradition and its deep roots within the Dearborn community.


Campus

The campus has a Gothic Revival style design. The exterior of Fordson is made of granite and uses Briar Hill sandstone trim. The library has hand carved oak paneling, a fireplace, painted wall murals by Zoltan Sepeshy, tapestries and Jacobean fumed-oak furnishings and many bronze and marble statues including,
Athena Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretism, syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarded ...
,
Apollo Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label= Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label ...
,
Artemis In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
,
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
,
Niobe In Greek mythology, Niobe (; grc-gre, Νιόβη ) was a daughter of Tantalus and of either Dione, the most frequently cited, or of Eurythemista or Euryanassa, the wife of Amphion and the sister of Pelops and Broteas. Her father was the r ...
,
Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...
, and Mercury. The main entrance has ten busts that include philosophers, playwrights, and mathematicians like
Plato Plato ( ; grc-gre, Πλάτων ; 428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was a Greek philosopher born in Athens during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. He founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy, the first institution ...
,
Aristotle Aristotle (; grc-gre, Ἀριστοτέλης ''Aristotélēs'', ; 384–322 BC) was a Greek philosopher and polymath during the Classical period in Ancient Greece. Taught by Plato, he was the founder of the Peripatetic school of ph ...
, Aristedes,
Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or c ...
,
Homer Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
,
Demosthenes Demosthenes (; el, Δημοσθένης, translit=Dēmosthénēs; ; 384 – 12 October 322 BC) was a Greek statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual pr ...
, Aesculapius,
Euripides Euripides (; grc, Εὐριπίδης, Eurīpídēs, ; ) was a tragedian of classical Athens. Along with Aeschylus and Sophocles, he is one of the three ancient Greek tragedians for whom any plays have survived in full. Some ancient scholars a ...
,
Pindar Pindar (; grc-gre, Πίνδαρος , ; la, Pindarus; ) was an Ancient Greek lyric poet from Thebes. Of the canonical nine lyric poets of ancient Greece, his work is the best preserved. Quintilian wrote, "Of the nine lyric poets, Pindar ...
, Archimedes, and
Socrates Socrates (; ; –399 BC) was a Greek philosopher from Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and among the first moral philosophers of the ethical tradition of thought. An enigmatic figure, Socrates authored no te ...
. The main hall also includes a blue and gold
Fordson Tractor Fordson was a brand name of tractors and trucks. It was used on a range of mass-produced general-purpose tractors manufactured by Henry Ford & Son Inc from 1917 to 1920, by Ford Motor Company (U.S.) and Ford Motor Company Ltd (U.K.) from 1920 to ...
with lettering of state champions imprinted on its to

The building features architectural sculpture by
Corrado Parducci Corrado Giuseppe Parducci (March 10, 1900 – November 22, 1981) was an Italian-American architectural sculptor who was a celebrated artist for his numerous early-20th century works. Early life and education Parducci was born in Buti, Italy, a ...
. Fordson's architecture was represented in the 1987 film,
The Rosary Murders ''The Rosary Murders'' is a 1987 American mystery film, mystery crime film directed by Fred Walton (director), Fred Walton and starring Donald Sutherland, Charles Durning, Belinda Bauer (actress), Belinda Bauer, and Josef Sommer. Its plot follows ...
when the library and tower were displayed. The school also became recognized as a Michigan Historical Site in 1998. The 1928 swimming pool uses
Pewabic Pottery Pewabic Pottery is a ceramic studio and school in Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1903, the studio is known for its iridescent glazes, some of which grace notable buildings such as the Shedd Aquarium and Basilica of the National Shrine of the Imma ...
tile and formerly had a skylight. It houses swim team and physical education swimming classes.


Academics


Academic performance

In 1986 Tom Hundley of the ''
Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...
'' wrote that the school "has a reputation for solid academics." In 1986 many students matriculated to Henry Ford Community College. , according to Brian Stone of the '' Huffington Post'', Fordson was "consistently praised" because larger than average numbers of its students, many of whom were from low socioeconomic backgrounds, matriculated to elite universities.


Programs

By 1986 the school established an
English as a second language English as a second or foreign language is the use of English by speakers with different native languages. Language education for people learning English may be known as English as a second language (ESL), English as a foreign language (EFL ...
program for newly arrived immigrants. In 1986 the program had 46 students. By 1986 the school established a program to defuse tensions between Arab and non-Arab students through periodic meetings.


Athletics

Fordson is a member of the
Kensington Lakes Activities Association The Kensington Lakes Activities Association (KLAA) is an athletic conference for high schools in Michigan. It was formed in the 2008-2009 school year as a result of the merger of the Kensington Valley Conference and the Western Lakes Activities ...
. Wayne Drehs of ''
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). Th ...
'' wrote that the football team uses a very aggressive style of play. The school's football team performed strongly since Fordson first opened. By 2003 the team had received 22 conference titles, four Michigan state titles, and four runner-up finishes; Christopher Lawlor of ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
'' stated that the Fordson football team "traditionally is one of Michigan's top teams". In a 38-year period until 2006 the team lost four seasons total. Its primary rival is intracity foe
Dearborn High School Dearborn High School (DHS) is a public high school located in Dearborn, Michigan. It was founded in 1893 in Dearborn near Greater Detroit. Dearborn High is one of the three high schools of the Dearborn City School District and is located at 19 ...
. According to T.C. Cameron, author of the 2008 book ''Metro Detroit's High School Football Rivalries'', the games have been "scrubbed for years at a time" and that the rivalry was "love-to-hate". Fordson High students perceive Dearborn High as being more affluent than Fordson. The rivalry was affected by the 2006 job change of Jeff Stergalas, previously the head coach of Fordson, into being an assistant coach at Dearborn High School. In 2015 both schools held food drives to coincide with the Dearborn-Ford football game. It also plays against
Edsel Ford High School Edsel Ford High School is a public high school located in Dearborn, Michigan, USA in Greater Detroit. Edsel Ford, located on Rotunda Drive, near Oakwood, is one of three public high schools in the Dearborn Public Schools (along with Fordson and ...
while also having a longtime rivalry with Monroe High School, an opponent since 1928 when Fordson was established. The school's strongest program lies within its football team. Fordson Football has accumulated 4 state championships (1930, 1943,1971, 1993). By 1986 some religious Muslim female students and their parents wanted separate physical education classes for girls, so the school established such classes.


State Champions

* Fordson won the 1975 State Volleyball Championship albeit it was not an MHSAA-sanctioned tournament. The MHSAA started sponsoring volleyball in 1976.


Student life


Student body

When Fordson first opened, about all of the students were European American. For much of its history the students were immigrants of
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
,
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
, and
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
heritage, or other areas in Central and Southern areas of the continent.
Clipping from first
an
from second page
at
Newspapers.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. In November 2018, ...
.
Many had parents working for the automobile industry. In 1986 the school had 1,755 students.
Clipping of first
an
of second page
at
Newspapers.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. In November 2018, ...
.
The majority of non-Arab students, referred to as "Americans" or "Anglos" in the school parlance, were of Italian and Greek heritage, and were by then in their second and third generations.
Clipping of firstsecondtext detail 1text detail 2
, an
third pages
at
Newspapers.com Ancestry.com LLC is an American genealogy company based in Lehi, Utah. The largest for-profit genealogy company in the world, it operates a network of genealogical, historical records, and related genetic genealogy websites. In November 2018, ...
.
Arab Americans Arab Americans ( ar, عَرَبٌ أَمْرِيكِا or ) are Americans of Arab ancestry. Arab Americans trace ancestry to any of the various waves of immigrants of the countries comprising the Arab World. According to the Arab American Ins ...
had been in the student body since the establishment of the school, with the original generations prior to the late 1960s seeking to fully assimilate into the dominant culture of the area. By the 1970s numbers of Arab Americans increased. Numbers of Students of Arab ancestry increased after the outbreak of the
Lebanese Civil War The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...
and the
1978 South Lebanon conflict The 1978 South Lebanon conflict (codenamed Operation Litani by Israel) began after Israel invaded southern Lebanon up to the Litani River in March 1978, in response to the Coastal Road massacre near Tel Aviv by Lebanon-based Palestinian ...
. By 1986 Arab Americans were almost 40% of the student body, with Lebanese,
Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
, Syrian, and
Yemeni Yemen (; ar, ٱلْيَمَن, al-Yaman), officially the Republic of Yemen,, ) is a country in Western Asia. It is situated on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, and borders Saudi Arabia to the Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, north and ...
-origin students represented, with the first group being the largest. Some of the students fled strife and were relatively uneducated before coming to Fordson. Unlike previous generations, some students chose to avoid assimilation. Some felt that they were not meant to stay in the United States permanently. By 1986 the school had established a prayer room for students and began accommodating requests from devout students, such as exempting them from some classes. In addition to Arab immigrants, there were students of recent non-Arab immigrant backgrounds, including Albanians, Ivorians, Pakistanis, and Romanians. Arab Americans made up over 90% of the student body,David, Gary and Kenneth K. Ayouby. "Being Arab and Becoming Americanized: Forms of Mediated Assimilation in Metropolitan Detroit" (Chapter 7). In: Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck and Jane I. Smith (editors). ''Muslim Minorities in the West: Visible and Invisible''.
Rowman Altamira Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an independent publishing house founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns the book distributing compa ...
, 2002. , 9780759102187. Start: p
125
CITED: p
138
and as of 2012 Muslims made up about 97% of the students. In the 2000s, those of Lebanese
Shia Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mo ...
ancestry made up the largest group of Arab students. Among the Arab students were longtime residents as well as recent immigrants; as of 2002 the latter often ate lunch inside the student cafeteria. Longtime residents, who often ate lunch in off-campus restaurants, thought the recent immigrants, known as "boaters" meaning "
fresh off the boat The phrase fresh off the boat ''(FOB)'', off the boat ''(OTB)'', are sometimes-derogatory terms used to describe immigrants who have arrived from a foreign nation and have yet to assimilate into the host nation's culture, language, and behavior, ...
" in area Arab-American slang, had a lack of sophistication. In the words of Gary David and Kenneth K. Ayouby, authors of "Being Arab and Becoming Americanized: Forms of Mediated Assimilation in Metropolitan Detroit," the longtimers perceived the recent immigrants as being "nerdy". To accommodate religious Muslims, the cafeteria offers
halal ''Halal'' (; ar, حلال, ) is an Arabic word that translates to "permissible" in English. In the Quran, the word ''halal'' is contrasted with '' haram'' (forbidden). This binary opposition was elaborated into a more complex classification k ...
food. In 2003 52 of 53 members of the football team were Muslim while the coach was Catholic, and players used Arabic on the field to issue commands. Around that period some Muslim players active during the Islamic month of Ramadan chose to break their fasts, which they would normally observe, in order to play in the games. By 2010 coach Fouad Zaban began holding football practice at night in order to make it easier for devout Muslims to participate during Ramadan. Zaban had received approval to do so from Fordson and DPS administrators as well as the Dearborn police department and area residents. In a 30 year period prior to that time, Ramadan had not coincided with the beginning of football season. The film ''Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football'' documented the Muslim football players at Dearborn High; a 2003 ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
'' article inspired a British Indian Muslim, Rashid Ghazi to produce and direct the film.


Traditions

Fordson has many traditions within its history. Every class that graduates from Fordson provides the school with a gift. The class of 1956 presented seventy-six flags representing members of the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
of that year. The flags have been used at every graduation since then with many other flags being donated over the years. Football has a strong tradition within the school and the helmet is a basic element of this example. The helmet at Fordson comprises yellow with two blue stripes over the top for the varsity team, one for the junior varsity team and zero for the freshman team. Also tradition, the stripes are made with electrical tape.


Winthrop Trip

Every spring since 1991, a few Fordson juniors and seniors have had the opportunity to travel by train across the country to
Winthrop, Washington Winthrop is a town in Okanogan County, Washington, United States. It is east of Mazama and north of Twisp. The population was 349 at the 2000 census, and it increased to 394 at the 2010 census. History Winthrop was incorporated on March 12, ...
. They visit
Liberty Bell Junior-Senior High School Liberty Bell Junior-Senior High School is a high school in Okanogan County, Washington, USA. The school is part of the Methow Valley School District and is located between Twisp, Washington, Twisp and Winthrop, Washington, Winthrop. The school se ...
and teach the local elementary students about the history and politics of Michigan.


Notable alumni

*
Ed Bagdon Edward Bagdon (April 30, 1926 – October 25, 1990) was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Chicago Cardinals and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Michigan State University ...
, guard and linebacker for
Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ...
and
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
; at Michigan State University; received 1949
Outland Trophy The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football interior lineman in the United States as adjudged by the Football Writers Association of America. It is named after John H. Outland. One of only a few players ever to be named an All-Am ...
for being nation's top lineman. * Chuck Davey, Michigan State University and Olympic boxer, boxing commissioner for state of Michigan. *
William Dear William Dear (born November 30, 1943) is a Canadian actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He is known for directing the films ''Harry and the Hendersons'', '' If Looks Could Kill'', '' Angels in the Outfield'', '' Wild America'', and ''San ...
, Hollywood director, most notably of '' Angels in the Outfield'' and '' Harry and the Hendersons''. *
Jim Dunbar Jim or JIM may refer to: * Jim (given name), a given name * Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James * Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy * OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism * ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring * ''Jim' ...
, radio program director, talk show host, and news anchor; elected to National Radio Hall of Fame for work with KGO in 1999; portrayed in 2007 film ''
Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The pat ...
''. * Chad Everett (1955) film and TV actor, who appeared in more than forty films and television series, including '' Medical Center'' (1969–1976). *
Artie Fields Arthur "Artie" Fields (April 13, 1922 – October 14, 2009) was an American bandleader, songwriter, record producer and jazz trumpeter. Fields was born in Brooklyn, New York, United States. After his family moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and ...
(1939) bandleader, songwriter, record producer and jazz trumpeter *
Thomas Forsthoefel Thomas Forsthoefel is a professor of religious studies at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania, as well as a poet and author.
, chair of the religious studies department at
Mercyhurst College (Seize the day) , former_names = Mercyhurst College (1926–2012) , established = , type = Private university , religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Sisters of Mercy) , endowment = $31.8 million , faculty = 136 full-time , administra ...
. *
Russ Gibb Russel James Gibb (June 15, 1931 – April 30, 2019) was an American rock concert promoter, school teacher and disc jockey from Dearborn, Michigan, best known for his role in the "Paul is dead" phenomenon, a story he broke on radio station WKNR-F ...
, concert promoter, most notably of
MC5 MC5, also commonly called The MC5, is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan, in 1963. The original line-up consisted of Rob Tyner (vocals) Wayne Kramer (guitar), Fred "Sonic" Smith (guitar), Michael Davis (bass), and Dennis ...
and Iggy Pop. *
Robert P. Griffin Robert Paul Griffin (November 6, 1923 – April 16, 2015) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he represented Michigan in the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate and was a Justice of the M ...
, former
US Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
, former
Michigan Supreme Court The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is Michigan's court of last resort and consists of seven justices. The Court is located in the Michigan Hall of Justice at 925 Ottawa Street in Lansing, the sta ...
associate justice * Joe Hamood,
Houston Mavericks The Houston Mavericks were a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA). They played in the upstart league's first two seasons, from 1967 to 1969. Their home arena was the Sam Houston Coliseum. In 1947–48, there was an unrela ...
basketball player. *
Orville L. Hubbard Orville Liscum Hubbard (April 2, 1903 – December 16, 1982) was an American politician who served as the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan from 1942 to 1978. Hubbard was an effective administrator who served 15 consecutive terms while being national ...
, Mayor of Dearborn * Michael Iaquaniello, quarterback for
Michigan State Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
and 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 p ...
. * Marian Bayoff Ilitch (1951) founder and owner of
Little Caesars Little Caesar Enterprises Inc. (doing business as Little Caesars) is an American multi-national pizza chain. Based on 2020 statistics, Little Caesars is the third-largest pizza chain by total sales in the United States, behind Pizza Hut and ...
Pizza and
Motor City Casino MotorCity Casino Hotel is a casino and hotel in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It was opened in December 1999 and is one of three casino hotels in the city. There are four hotels in the Detroit–Windsor area, including the Ontario-owned Caes ...
; inducted into the
Michigan Sports Hall of Fame The Michigan Sports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame to honor Michigan sports athletes, coaches and contributors. It was organized in 1954 by Michigan Lieutenant Governor Philip Hart, Michigan State University athletic director Biggie Munn, presid ...
in 2008. *
Art James Art James (born Arthur Simeonovich Efimchick; October 15, 1929 – March 28, 2004) was an American game-show host, best known for shows such as ''The Who, What, or Where Game'', ''It's Academic''. and ''Pay Cards!'' He was also the announcer a ...
, television game show host; hosted ''
Blank Check A blank cheque in the literal sense is a cheque that has no monetary value written in, but is already signed. In the figurative sense, it is used to describe a situation in which an agreement has been made that is open-ended or vague, and therefo ...
'' and ''The Magnificent Marble Machine''; also announcer for a dozen game shows including ''Family Feud''. * Andrea Joyce, sports broadcaster *John C. Kornblum, diplomat, Ambassador to Germany, responsible for Ronald Reagan's historic speech in Berlin 1987. *John Lesinski, Jr. former Congressman for Michigan (D, 1951–1965) *Mei Lin (chef), Mei Lin, chef, Top Chef Season 12 Winner *Adele Mara, actress, most famous for her role in ''Sands of Iwo Jima''. *Kid McCoy, Charles "Kid" McCoy, world champion boxer. *Gino Polidori, Michigan's 15th District representative. *Walter Reuther, President of United Auto Workers (UAW) 1946–1970, President of Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) 1952–1955; named to Time (magazine), Time's 100 most influential people of 20th Century; I-696 freeway in Michigan and library at Wayne State University named after him. *Tom Saidock, defensive tackle at Michigan State University; played professionally for the Philadelphia Eagles (1957), New York Titans (football), New York Titans (1960–61), and Buffalo Bills (1962). *Robert Saleh, head coach of NFL's New York Jets; member of 2013 Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. *Tarick Salmaci, boxer, also featured on reality TV show ''The Contender (TV series), The Contender''. *Martin Shakar (1957) stage, film, and TV actor, who has played on Broadway and Off-Broadway, and appeared in some television shows and more than fifteen films, including ''Saturday Night Fever'' (1977). *Eddie Slovik, only American soldier to be executed for desertion since the American Civil War; was executed during World War II. * Alex Smail, played football for Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers *Jim Snyder (second baseman), Jim Snyder, played baseball for Minnesota Twins from 1961–1964; managed the Seattle Mariners in 1988. *Jerome Wiesner, president of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 1971–1980 and science advisor to United States Presidents Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.


Notes


References

*
History of Fordson High School




(Chad Everett)


William K. Brehm Biography



Former NFL Paul Tagliabue and Detroit Lions President Matt Millen engage with football players after 9/11


External links


Fordson High School website

Fordson High School Alumni website


{{authority control Public high schools in Michigan Schools in Wayne County, Michigan Education in Dearborn, Michigan Buildings with sculpture by Corrado Parducci Michigan State Historic Sites in Wayne County, Michigan Educational institutions established in 1928 1928 establishments in Michigan