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Douglass High School (Memphis, Tennessee)

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Coordinates: 35°10′32″N 89°57′6″W / 35.17556°N 89.95167°W / 35.17556; -89.95167
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Douglass High School
Location
Map
Memphis
,
Tenn.

United States
Information
TypePublic
Established1940, closed 1981
reopened 2008
FounderMemphis City Schools
PrincipalJohn S. Bush[1]
Color(s)Maroon and white     [2]
MascotRed Devils[2]
Websitehttps://schools.scsk12.org/frederickdouglass-hs
Douglass High School
Douglass High School (Memphis, Tennessee) is located in Tennessee
Douglass High School (Memphis, Tennessee)
Douglass High School (Memphis, Tennessee) is located in the United States
Douglass High School (Memphis, Tennessee)
Location3200 Mount Olive Rd
Memphis, Tennessee
Coordinates35°10′32″N 89°57′6″W / 35.17556°N 89.95167°W / 35.17556; -89.95167
NRHP reference No.98000241[3]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMarch 12, 1998[3]
Removed from NRHPNovember 9, 2007

Douglass High School is a public high school (grades 9-12) in Memphis, United States, Tennessee, operated in the Shelby County Schools. Located in the African American Douglass neighborhood in North Memphis, it is named for Frederick Douglass, a 19th-century abolitionist.[4]

The original Douglass High School was built in 1938.[citation needed] It burned to the ground and was replaced by a new building in 1946.

The school opened in 1946 in the Shelby County Schools district[5] and operated in the original Frederick Douglass High School building until 1981 when it closed. Closure occurred after cross-town busing for desegregation caused enrollment to plummet as African American students were bused out of the neighborhood, but few white students reciprocated by attending Douglass.[4] Subsequently, the school district used the building for storage, and it fell into a state of disrepair.[6] The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998,[3] but was torn down in 2006 to be replaced by a new building.[4][6]

The current building was started in 2006 and the new Douglass High School opened to students in fall 2008.[6] The new Douglass School opened for the 2008-09 school year, with expected enrollment of at least 800 students. The mascot is the Red Devil and colors are maroon, red and white.

Douglass High School has an active alumni association with more than 500 members in seven chapters across the United States. The association raises funds for scholarships and other purposes, and its member alumni lobbied public officials to reopen the school.[4] A parade was held to commemorate the demolition of the building.

References

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  1. ^ "Douglas High School, Principal's message". Memphis City Schools. Archived from the original on February 15, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
  2. ^ a b "Douglass High School". Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d Jane Roberts, Douglass community prepares to usher in a new era with high school grand opening, Memphis Commercial Appeal, November 20, 2008
  5. ^ "Douglass High School, Memphis Tennessee". Historic Structures. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Michael Sheffield, Defunct Douglass High School to reopen as optional program, Memphis Business Journal, July 25, 2008
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