“Remember the equalizer?” a voice echoes. We are standing before Denby High School. It is more than just a school. Denby High School is a landmark. It stands at 12800 Kelly Road in Detroit. Denby High opened its doors in 1930. The building earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
Denby High School got its name from Edwin C. Denby. He was an attorney and former Michigan legislator. Denby also served as Secretary of the Navy. This was during Warren G. Harding’s administration. Edwin C. Denby faced controversy. He resigned due to the Teapot Dome scandal. He died in 1929. The Detroit School Board honored him by naming the new high school after him.
In 1929, the school board hired Smith, Hinchman & Grylls to design Denby High School. The original construction cost $351,649. The land cost an additional $145,991. The first unit had 19 classrooms, two study halls, and an office. It opened in 1930 with about 1,000 students and 38 teachers. A major addition began just two months later.
This addition cost $338,121. It included sixteen more classrooms and four study halls. It was completed in 1931. Enrollment soared to 2,600. By 1934, Denby High School held double sessions. This helped relieve overcrowding. A third unit was planned in 1938. It was completed in 1939 for $893,000. This unit added seventeen classrooms, art and music rooms, and domestic science classrooms. It also included two machine shops, an auditorium seating 2,230, a large gymnasium, and a swimming pool.
The third unit gave Denby High School capacity for 2,875 students. In 1942, 830 students graduated. Over 800 students graduated each year from 1946 through 1960. In 1960, Denby became a three-year high school. Ninth graders moved to junior high schools. The school still averaged about 800 graduates per year through 1975. But, the number declined sharply in the late 1970s. In 1980, only 269 students graduated.
Denby High School was once known for its strong mathematics department. It ranked high nationally. Rochelle Riley wrote in the Detroit Free Press that by 2010, Denby was known more for its academic decline.
By 2010, Kenyetta “K.C.” Wilbourn-Snapp became principal. She was called the “female Joe Clark.” She carried a baseball bat called the “equalizer.” Wilbourn had witnessed the beating death of a student. This occurred at Finney High School in 2007, while she was assistant principal there. In 2016, Wilbourn-Snapp pleaded guilty to felony charges. These charges included bribery conspiracy and tax evasion.
In 2011, Denby completed a $16.5 million renovation. This restored the 1930s auditorium and constructed new student meeting areas. That same year, Denby transferred from Detroit Public School System to the Education Achievement Authority. There was significant turnover of department heads and school leadership. Denby had three principals between 2012 and 2015. Denby returned to the DPS system in 2017. Since 2015, Tanisha Manningham has been the principal.
The original 1929/1930 building is a symmetrical three-story brick structure. It measures 391 feet long by 117 feet wide. The facade’s middle section is sheathed in concrete. Each half has a concrete-sheathed entrance and a projecting wing. Art Deco elements decorate the facade. Corrado Parducci designed terra cotta panels with ship and lamp reliefs.
The Parducci tiles include two types of reliefs. One is a lamp with a flame. It symbolizes knowledge. The other is a warship. It symbolizes Edwin Denby’s naval background.
The front facade includes strong vertical and horizontal lines. Terra cotta tiles appear between windows. They accentuate the vertical lines. Other decorative elements include arches at the top of stairwell windows, a small roof parapet, and checkerboard brick patterns.
The 1939 addition is also three stories. Its design is compatible with the original. It has the same terra cotta tiles around windows.
Inside, the floors are terrazzo. Brownish tiles cover the walls to a height of seven feet. Classrooms have original wood doors and cabinetry.
Notable alumni include Victor Alexander, Bill Bonds, and Wayne Dyer. Sheila Young also attended Denby. She won three Olympic medals in speed skating.
Denby High School stands as a testament to history and change. It’s a place where students learn and grow. The school continues to evolve. Denby remains a vital part of Detroit.