Fordson High School

When it was dedicated on March 22, 1928, Fordson High School was hailed as “one of the finest school buildings in the United States.” Designed in the Neo-Tudor style, the school is reminiscent of sixteenth century English universities and manor houses. The tower was inspired by the Yale University Memorial Quadrangle and the Lawyers Club at the University of Michigan. Fordson’s interior houses mosaics, statuary, Pewabic tile, and murals by Hungarian-born artist Zoltan Sepeshy (1898-1974). A major restoration occurred during the 1970s. In 1926 the school’s architect, Everett Lane Williams of the Detroit firm of VanLeyen, Schilling and Keough, wrote, “May the youth of this city be inspired to go forth from this building to enjoy life to its full extent.”

[Back]: Completed in 1928, Fordson High School stands on a fifteen-acre parcel in what was then the village of Fordson. Citizens raised $2.2 million through a bond issue to build the school. In 1929 the village merged with the city of Dearborn, creating the current boundaries. Fordson has a rich tradition of graduating students of many nationalities and cultures who have become leaders in all fields of endeavor. Notable graduates include UAW president Walter Reuther, class of 1930; Dr. Jerome Wiesner, 1932, science advisor to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson; and U.S. Senator Robert Griffin, 1941. Local personalities include Wayne County Circuit Court Judge George T. Martin, 1925; and philanthropist and businessman Michael Adray, 1940.