Cooley High School
Encyclopedia
Thomas M. Cooley High School is located at the intersection of Hubbell Avenue and Chalfonte Street, on the northwest side of Detroit
, Michigan
. The three-story, Mediterranean Revival-style facility opened its doors on September 4, 1928.
The school was named in honor of Thomas M. Cooley
, a nineteenth-century jurist
and former Chief Justice
of the Michigan Supreme Court
. Cooley was also a charter member, and first chairman, of the Federal Interstate Commerce Commission
.
Due to budget constraints and declining enrollment, Cooley High School was closed at the end of the 2010 academic year.
efforts in the former Greenfield Township
, and village of Strathmoor. Cooley High was constructed to accommodate a rapidly growing populace on the city's burgeoning northwest side.
The first five years of Cooley's existence was marked by exponential growth. In 1928, the student population stood at 1570, by 1932 the figure had climbed to 3750. That same year, noted author and motion picture celebrity, Frank Buck
visited Cooley High School; Buck thrilled a packed auditorium audience with travelogues of recent African excursions.
In the early years, Cooley students enjoyed a diverse offering of extracurricular activities; including such pursuits as fencing, table tennis, indoor track and field, swimming and diving, speed skating and ice hockey. Throughout much of the twentieth century, in a wide variety of sports, Cooley student-athletes regularly finished at or near the top in the quest for city league (DPSSAL) supremacy.
Beyond the sporting venues of metropolitan Detroit, the Cardinals of Thomas M. Cooley High School will be remembered as one of the most successful programs in the history of Michigan interscholastic athletics.
put points on the board versus the Cardinals. Three members of Cooley's legendary 1932 football team were selected to the Detroit News All-Metropolitan Team. That same school year, Cooley won the Detroit Public Secondary Schools Athletic League title in ice hockey and tennis; adding DPSSAL runner-up trophies in track and field and cross-country.
Claude Snarey, long time Cooley educator and track coach, was a six-time Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
track and field champion for Michigan Normal College (the forerunner of Eastern Michigan University
). Between 1923-26, Snarey won MIAA titles in the 100, 220 and 440-yard dash
. Claude Snarey was a 1991 inductee to the EMU Athletic Hall of Fame; the football stadium at Livonia
-Franklin High School
is named in his honor.
During the 1941 football season, Coach Herb Smith led the Cooley Cardinals to a 9-0-1 record; Michigan sportswriters rewarded Cooley High with a consensus state championship.
All-Star Milt Pappas
led Cooley to consecutive Metropolitan League Baseball Championships in 1956 and 1957. Milt won a total of 209 games during his 17-year professional career; he pitched a no-hitter as a member of the 1972 Chicago Cubs
.
From 1954 through 1964, Cooley football teams posted an eleven-season record of 60-14-8; representing an impressive winning percentage of 810. As the 1960s unfolded, the Cardinals were a dominant force on the Detroit high school football scene. In 1961, Cooley finished finished 7-1; cracking the Associated Press
Top-Ten rankings for the first time - ending the season rated tenth. The 1962 and 1963 teams were undefeated, producing a combined regular-season record of 15-0; both squads were ranked fourth in respective final AP
polling.
Thanks in large measure to the guidance of Abe Eliowitz
and Roger Parmentier, Cooley's football program rose to great heights during the 1950s and 60s. Eliowitz taught and coached at Cooley from 1947 until 1970. Prior to earning his teaching credentials, Abe was an All-American footballer at Michigan State University
. Eliowitz also played five seasons in the Canadian Football League
; he was inducted to the CFL Hall of Fame in 1969. Roger Parmentier played collegiate football at Wayne State University
; he was captain of the 1953 squad. To this day, Coach Parmentier's winning percentage is recognized as the best in DPSSAL football history; Roger was inducted to the Michigan High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1989.
Between 1960 and 1964, Coach Harold Lindsay's swimming and diving program won five consecutive DPSSAL crowns for Cooley High School. At the 1963 Michigan High School Athletic Association
championships, senior All-American William (Bill) Jennison established a state and National high school record in the 100-yard butterfly; Bill's time of :52.60 stood as the MHSAA record until 1971.
Jennison and fellow Cooley Cardinal, Joanne Scarborough competed at the 1964 US Olympic Trials.
John Pheney was an All-City swimmer and co-captain of Cooley's DPSSAL championship teams in 1963 and 1964; John placed 9th in the 100-yard backstroke at the 1963 MHSAA finals. Ten years later, Pheney coached Ann Arbor-Huron High School to the 1973 MHSAA team title in boys' swimming and diving; under Pheney's tutelage, Huron High was also MHSAA team runner-up in 1972, 1977 and 1980.
Other than Bill Jennison, the only Cardinal swimmer to make finals at a MHSAA championship was Robert Foley. By virtue of his 5th place finish in the 200-yard individual medley and a 7th place showing in the 100-yard butterfly, Foley scored 17 team points for Cooley High at the 1967 state meet.
.
Throughout Cooley High School's eighty-two history, the men's basketball program enjoyed top-level success. The Cardinals were DPSSAL champions in 1973; and during the late-1980s, in statewide competition - they reigned supreme. Coach Ben Kelso
led the Cooley Cardinals to unprecedented accolades and consecutive Michigan High School Athletic Association Championship titles in 1987, 1988, and 1989. Cooley won another DPSSAL basketball crown in 1992.
Between 1975 and 1984, Cardinal football teams produced a 10-season record of 68-20 (.772). Cooley's 1980 squad went 9-0, earning a third place Associated Press ranking; the 1981 Cardinals finished 8-1, ending the season rated tenth.
Over the years, numerous Cooley track and field athletes have won individual DPSSAL and MHSAA
gold medals; the Cardinals have also fared well in their quest for a state team title. In 1984 and 1985, Cooley's men finished as runners-up at the MHSAA Track and Field Finals. In 1991, Cooley High School brought home the MHSAA men's track and field championship trophy. At the 1991 championships, Cooley's 1600-meter relay team of Adams, David Norman, Johnson and Marco West established a MHSAA Class-A record of 3:16.05; the mark was not bettered until 2002.
's 1975 feature film Cooley High
, is loosely based upon his experiences at Cooley Vocational High School
, which formerly stood in Chicago, Illinois
. The inspiration for the movie's Edwin G. Cooley High and its screenplay are unrelated to Detroit's Thomas M. Cooley High School.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The three-story, Mediterranean Revival-style facility opened its doors on September 4, 1928.
The school was named in honor of Thomas M. Cooley
Thomas M. Cooley
Thomas McIntyre Cooley, LL.D., was the 25th Justice and a Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, between 1864 and 1885. Born in Attica, New York, he was father to Charles Cooley, a distinguished American sociologist...
, a nineteenth-century jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
and former Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
of the Michigan Supreme Court
Michigan Supreme Court
The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot...
. Cooley was also a charter member, and first chairman, of the Federal Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
.
Due to budget constraints and declining enrollment, Cooley High School was closed at the end of the 2010 academic year.
The early years
Cooley High School's history dates to the late 1920s, a time when thousands of homes were built upon land acquired through Detroit's westernmost annexationAnnexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
efforts in the former Greenfield Township
Greenfield Township, Michigan
Greenfield is a former civil township of Wayne County, Michigan; it was created from a portion of neighboring Springwells Township in 1833. Greenfield eventually encompassed the survey township T1S R11E....
, and village of Strathmoor. Cooley High was constructed to accommodate a rapidly growing populace on the city's burgeoning northwest side.
The first five years of Cooley's existence was marked by exponential growth. In 1928, the student population stood at 1570, by 1932 the figure had climbed to 3750. That same year, noted author and motion picture celebrity, Frank Buck
Frank Buck (animal collector)
Frank Howard Buck was a hunter and "collector of wild animals," as well as a movie actor, director, writer and producer...
visited Cooley High School; Buck thrilled a packed auditorium audience with travelogues of recent African excursions.
In the early years, Cooley students enjoyed a diverse offering of extracurricular activities; including such pursuits as fencing, table tennis, indoor track and field, swimming and diving, speed skating and ice hockey. Throughout much of the twentieth century, in a wide variety of sports, Cooley student-athletes regularly finished at or near the top in the quest for city league (DPSSAL) supremacy.
Beyond the sporting venues of metropolitan Detroit, the Cardinals of Thomas M. Cooley High School will be remembered as one of the most successful programs in the history of Michigan interscholastic athletics.
1930s - 1940s
In 1932, the Cooley Cardinal football team won the Metropolitan League-Northern Division Championship; finishing the regular season at 7-0. In those seven games, only Mackenzie High SchoolMackenzie High School (Michigan)
Mackenzie High School was a public secondary education facility in Detroit, Michigan.-The early years: 1928–1940s :Located on Detroit's west side, David Mackenzie High School was named to honor the innovative educator who had served as principal of Central High School, and as first dean of the...
put points on the board versus the Cardinals. Three members of Cooley's legendary 1932 football team were selected to the Detroit News All-Metropolitan Team. That same school year, Cooley won the Detroit Public Secondary Schools Athletic League title in ice hockey and tennis; adding DPSSAL runner-up trophies in track and field and cross-country.
Claude Snarey, long time Cooley educator and track coach, was a six-time Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association is an athletic conference that competes in the NCAA's Division III. The nine teams in the conference are all located in the states of Michigan and Indiana. The Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association was established on March 24, 1888, making...
track and field champion for Michigan Normal College (the forerunner of Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
). Between 1923-26, Snarey won MIAA titles in the 100, 220 and 440-yard dash
440-yard dash
The 440-yard dash, or quarter-mile race, is a sprint race in track and field competitions.In many countries, athletes previously competed in the 440 yard dash – also referred to as the 'quarter-mile'...
. Claude Snarey was a 1991 inductee to the EMU Athletic Hall of Fame; the football stadium at Livonia
Livonia
Livonia is a historic region along the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It was once the land of the Finnic Livonians inhabiting the principal ancient Livonian County Metsepole with its center at Turaida...
-Franklin High School
Franklin High School (Livonia, Michigan)
Benjamin Franklin High School, also referred to as Franklin High School, Livonia Franklin and FHS, is a public high school located in Livonia, Michigan, a suburb west of Detroit.-History:...
is named in his honor.
During the 1941 football season, Coach Herb Smith led the Cooley Cardinals to a 9-0-1 record; Michigan sportswriters rewarded Cooley High with a consensus state championship.
1950s - 1960s
Future Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
All-Star Milt Pappas
Milt Pappas
Milton Steven "Milt" Pappas is a former professional baseball pitcher...
led Cooley to consecutive Metropolitan League Baseball Championships in 1956 and 1957. Milt won a total of 209 games during his 17-year professional career; he pitched a no-hitter as a member of the 1972 Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
.
From 1954 through 1964, Cooley football teams posted an eleven-season record of 60-14-8; representing an impressive winning percentage of 810. As the 1960s unfolded, the Cardinals were a dominant force on the Detroit high school football scene. In 1961, Cooley finished finished 7-1; cracking the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
Top-Ten rankings for the first time - ending the season rated tenth. The 1962 and 1963 teams were undefeated, producing a combined regular-season record of 15-0; both squads were ranked fourth in respective final AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
polling.
Thanks in large measure to the guidance of Abe Eliowitz
Abe Eliowitz
Abe Eliowitz, was a star football player in American college football and in the days before the Canadian Football League. He was born in New York and died at Livonia, Michigan....
and Roger Parmentier, Cooley's football program rose to great heights during the 1950s and 60s. Eliowitz taught and coached at Cooley from 1947 until 1970. Prior to earning his teaching credentials, Abe was an All-American footballer at Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. Eliowitz also played five seasons in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
; he was inducted to the CFL Hall of Fame in 1969. Roger Parmentier played collegiate football at Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
; he was captain of the 1953 squad. To this day, Coach Parmentier's winning percentage is recognized as the best in DPSSAL football history; Roger was inducted to the Michigan High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1989.
Between 1960 and 1964, Coach Harold Lindsay's swimming and diving program won five consecutive DPSSAL crowns for Cooley High School. At the 1963 Michigan High School Athletic Association
Michigan High School Athletic Association
-About:The Michigan High School Athletic Association is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing...
championships, senior All-American William (Bill) Jennison established a state and National high school record in the 100-yard butterfly; Bill's time of :52.60 stood as the MHSAA record until 1971.
Jennison and fellow Cooley Cardinal, Joanne Scarborough competed at the 1964 US Olympic Trials.
John Pheney was an All-City swimmer and co-captain of Cooley's DPSSAL championship teams in 1963 and 1964; John placed 9th in the 100-yard backstroke at the 1963 MHSAA finals. Ten years later, Pheney coached Ann Arbor-Huron High School to the 1973 MHSAA team title in boys' swimming and diving; under Pheney's tutelage, Huron High was also MHSAA team runner-up in 1972, 1977 and 1980.
Other than Bill Jennison, the only Cardinal swimmer to make finals at a MHSAA championship was Robert Foley. By virtue of his 5th place finish in the 200-yard individual medley and a 7th place showing in the 100-yard butterfly, Foley scored 17 team points for Cooley High at the 1967 state meet.
1970s, 1980s, 1990s
The 1982 Lady Cardinal basketball team won MHSAA District and Regional crowns; advancing all the way to the state tournament quarterfinal round versus five-time defending champion, Flint Northern High SchoolFlint Northern High School
Flint Northern High School, is a public secondary school located in Flint, Michigan. The original building was built in 1928, and the current site was erected in the 1970's. It is one of three high schools in the Flint Community Schools district along with Flint Northwestern High School and Flint...
.
Throughout Cooley High School's eighty-two history, the men's basketball program enjoyed top-level success. The Cardinals were DPSSAL champions in 1973; and during the late-1980s, in statewide competition - they reigned supreme. Coach Ben Kelso
Ben Kelso
Ben Kelso is an American former NBA player for the Detroit Pistons. He has coached basketball for schools in the Detroit area and was accused of an alleged scandal in this capacity...
led the Cooley Cardinals to unprecedented accolades and consecutive Michigan High School Athletic Association Championship titles in 1987, 1988, and 1989. Cooley won another DPSSAL basketball crown in 1992.
Between 1975 and 1984, Cardinal football teams produced a 10-season record of 68-20 (.772). Cooley's 1980 squad went 9-0, earning a third place Associated Press ranking; the 1981 Cardinals finished 8-1, ending the season rated tenth.
Over the years, numerous Cooley track and field athletes have won individual DPSSAL and MHSAA
Michigan High School Athletic Association
-About:The Michigan High School Athletic Association is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing...
gold medals; the Cardinals have also fared well in their quest for a state team title. In 1984 and 1985, Cooley's men finished as runners-up at the MHSAA Track and Field Finals. In 1991, Cooley High School brought home the MHSAA men's track and field championship trophy. At the 1991 championships, Cooley's 1600-meter relay team of Adams, David Norman, Johnson and Marco West established a MHSAA Class-A record of 3:16.05; the mark was not bettered until 2002.
Notable alumni
A partial list of distinguished Cooley graduates includes highly respected names from the world of sports and entertainment.- Miss Margaret Ayers (1932), became Cooley's first State Champion, at the 1930 Michigan Secondary Schools DeclamationDeclamationGrand National Tournament in Declamation is a public speaking event of the National Catholic Forensic League. One can qualify for the annual NCFL Grand National Tournament in Declamation through their local qualifying tournament...
Tournament
- Stan Newsted, Bob Hamel and Ed Miller (1933), selected to the Detroit News All-Metropolitan Football Team for 1932
- Bob Scott (1935), City Champion and top-ranked Michigan performer in the discus throw during 1935
- Britton Lux (1940), DPSSAL Champion & MHSAA Athlete of the Year; five-seconds from US high school record (one-mile run)
- Richard Watson (1946), as a Wayne State UniversityWayne State UniversityWayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
fencerFencerFencer may refer to:* Fencer, a person who participates in the sport of fencing* Fencer, a person who makes fences* Fencer, the device which energizes an electric fence* Fencer, the NATO reporting name of the Sukhoi Su-24 fighter jetSee also:...
, Watson was the sport's first four-time NCAA All-American, 1947–1950.
- Mike IlitchMike IlitchMichael "Mike" Ilitch Sr. is an American entrepreneur and owner of the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Tigers. In addition to his sports ownerships, he is the founder and owner of Little Caesars Pizza since 1959, which has become an international fast food franchise...
(1947), Former CHS shortstop who created the Little Caesar's Pizza empire; Mike owns the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and Detroit Red WingsDetroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
.
- Bob Langas (1948), played collegiate football at Wayne State; played professionally with the 1954 Baltimore ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
.
- Ross Tuttle (1948) was Detroit city league champion and the state's top-ranked high jumper (1.87 meters) in 1948.
- Larry LaVercombe (1954), his DPSSAL basketball single-game scoring record of 53 points stood for nine seasons
- Milt PappasMilt PappasMilton Steven "Milt" Pappas is a former professional baseball pitcher...
(1957), former MLB pitcherPitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
; won 209 games during 17 seasons with CincinnatiCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, BaltimoreBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
and the Chicago CubsChicago CubsThe Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
- Milan StittMilan StittMilan Stitt was an American playwright and educator.Milan Stitt was born in Detroit, Michigan; he graduated from Cooley High School in 1959. Stitt then studied at Albion College to become a priest before receiving his BA from the University of Michigan and MFA from the Yale School of Drama...
(1959), Celebrated playwright, screenwriter and drama professor; best known for his play, The Runner StumblesThe Runner StumblesThe Runner Stumbles is a 1979 film directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, based on the Broadway play by Milan Stitt. The film stars Dick Van Dyke, Kathleen Quinlan, Maureen Stapleton, Tammy Grimes, Beau Bridges and Ray Bolger.-Plot:...
- James P. HoffaJames P. HoffaJames Phillip Hoffa is an attorney and labor leader and the General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Hoffa was first elected during December 1998 and took office on March 19, 1999...
(1959), All-City & All-State footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player; lawyerLawyerA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
; former President of InternationalInternational----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
Teamsters UnionTeamstersThe International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
- Barbara TarbuckBarbara TarbuckBarbara Tarbuck is an American actress born in 1942 in Detroit, Michigan. She is usually seen interpreting Lady Jane Jacks in General Hospital.-Biography:...
(1959), Professional television and cinematic actress; most recently General HospitalGeneral HospitalGeneral Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
and Walking TallWalking Tall (2004 film)Walking Tall is a 2004 remake of the 1973 film of the same name. It stars Dwayne Johnson and Johnny Knoxville. Like the original film, it was based on real-life Sheriff Buford Pusser, however, the main character's name was changed to "Chris Vaughn"...
.
- Bill Jennison (1963), DPSSAL & MHSAA Champion swimmer; former National High School Record Holder, 100-yard butterfly
- Yvonne Drummond (1964), 4th at 1961 and 1962 U.S. Junior Skating Finals; 1st place at 1963 Eastern Great Lakes Championships
- Penellipi (Penny) Liuzzo (1964), daughter of slain civil rights activist, Viola LiuzzoViola LiuzzoViola Fauver Gregg Liuzzo was a Unitarian Universalist civil rights activist from Michigan, who was murdered by Ku Klux Klan members after the 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches in Alabama...
- John Pheney (1964) All-City swimmer and captain of Cooley's DPSSAL championship teams in 1963 and 1964.
- Joanne Scarborough (1966), represented Cooley at 1966 AAUAmateur Athletic UnionThe Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
-USA swimming finals; placed 4th in 200-meter breaststroke
- Rich Fisher (1968), longtime Detroit TelevisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
News Anchorman with WXYZWXYZ-TVWXYZ-TV, channel 7, is an ABC-affiliated television station in Detroit, Michigan, USA. WXYZ-TV is owned by the E.W. Scripps Company, and is the media company's largest-market TV station property...
, WJBKWJBKWJBK is the Fox–owned and operated television station in Detroit, Michigan broadcasting on digital channel 7...
, and WKBDWKBDWKBD-TV, virtual channel 50 , is an owned and operated station of the CW Television Network, based in Detroit, Michigan. The station is owned and operated by the CBS Corporation, and is one-half of a duopoly with sister station WWJ-TV . Its studios and transmitters are located at 11 mile and...
.
- Sandra Blount (1969), MHSAA Track & Field Athlete of the Year (1968); set state record in 400 meter dash at 1968 AAU-USA Championships
- Rodolfo M. FosterLa Palabra (musician)La Palabra is a well-respected bandleader, singer-songwriter, pianist, record producer, and arranger, known for his versatile approach to music, particularly his invention of the Salsa romantica Latin music genre and his signature style of Afro-Cuban-influenced, sensual Latin jazz.-Early...
(1969), (aka La PalabraLa Palabra (musician)La Palabra is a well-respected bandleader, singer-songwriter, pianist, record producer, and arranger, known for his versatile approach to music, particularly his invention of the Salsa romantica Latin music genre and his signature style of Afro-Cuban-influenced, sensual Latin jazz.-Early...
), Afro-Cuban jazz musician/composer/impresario; contributor to the Salsa románticaSalsa romanticaSalsa Romántica, also known as Salsa Erotica, is a soft form of salsa music that emerged between the mid 1980s and early 1990s in New York City and Puerto Rico...
genre
- S. Epatha MerkersonS. Epatha MerkersonS. Epatha Merkerson is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has won a Golden Globe, Emmy Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Obie Award and four NAACP Image Awards. She has also received two Tony Award nominations...
(1970), renowned Emmy & Golden Globe Award winning actress; star of NBC-TV series, Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
- Nick Ellis (1972), MHSAA Track & Field Athlete of the Year; 1972 MHSAA & Golden West Meet Champion (men's two-mile run)
- Larry FogleLarry FogleLarry Fogle is a retired American basketball player. He was an ABA and NBA draft pick. He played in two games for the New York Knicks during 1975-1976 before playing for the CBA and starring on the team that won the league championship in the 1977-78 season.-Background:Fogle, born in Brooklyn, New...
(1972), MHSAA Basketball Player of the Year; still holds DPSSAL single-game record of 73 points (vs. Cody High)
- Keith Tinsley (1983), played college football at the University of PittsburghUniversity of PittsburghThe University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
; played professionally with the 1987 Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
- Ted Harris (1984), MHSAA State Champion (men's high jumpHigh jumpThe high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
)
- John Washington Jr, Willie Jones, Richard Gregory, Derrick Harris (1988), MHSAA State Champion (men's 4x400m relay)
- Derrick Harris (1988), MHSAA State Champion (men's 400 meter dash)
- Dawn Adams (1988), MHSAA State Champion (women's 300 meter hurdles)
- Michael Talley (1989), Detroit Free Press - Mr. Basketball - 1989; led Cooley to consecutive MHSAA titles in 1987, '88 & '89
- Marco West (1991), MHSAA State Champion (men's 400 meter dash)
- David Norman (1992), MHSAA State Champion (men's 800 meters)
- Lionel Boston (1994), MHSAA State Champion (men's shot putShot putThe shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
)
- Shree Jones (1994), MHSAA State Champion (women's 200 meter dash)
- Sylvester Dotson (1996), selected to the 1996 Magic's Roundball Classic All-American Team
- Willie GreenWillie GreenWillie J. Green is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New Orleans Hornets in the NBA. He was selected in the second round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics and later acquired by Philadelphia from Seattle in a draft-night trade for the draft rights...
(1999), professional basketball player with the Philadelphia 76ersPhiladelphia 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
- Demetrius Addison (2008), MHSAA silver medalist (men's 110 meter high-hurdles)
Additionally
- Roy TarpleyRoy TarpleyRoy James Tarpley is an American former professional basketball player. He played the power forward and center positions, earning an NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1988. Despite his talent, Tarpley became notable during his career for being banned from the NBA because of his drug addiction...
, former NBA player - Chris FloydChris Floyd (American football)Christopher Michael "Chris" Floyd is a retired American football fullback who played in the National Football League for the New England Patriots and the Cleveland Browns. He had previously played for the Michigan Wolverines football team where in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season, his...
, former NFL player - Tony OrtizTony OrtizTony Ortiz is a sportscaster and sports talk show host for CBS Radio owned sister stations WXYT-FM, WXYT-AM and WWJ in Detroit, MI.-Education and early positions:...
- Detroit radio personality. - Obie TriceObie TriceObie Trice III is an American rapper and songwriter. He began rapping at the age of 11, and is most known for his time spent signed to Shady Records. Obie Trice has formed his own record label, Black Market Entertainment.-Biography:...
, Rap Music artist - Lional DaltonLional DaltonLional Deshaun Dalton is a former American football defensive tackle in the National Football League.-College career:...
is a 1994 alumnus of Cooley. Former NFL player. - Black MilkBlack MilkCurtis Cross, better known as Black Milk, is a hip hop producer and MC from Detroit, Michigan.-Biography:In 2004, he formed B.R. Gunna, with Young RJ, and Fat Ray, and together they released Dirty District: Vol. 2, a follow up to a compilation released in 2001 by Slum Village, which he had...
, hip-hop producer/rapper affiliated with Slum Village, Phat Kat, and Guilty Simpson - Starr Strukk Hip-Hop producer/C.E.O/Book Writer affiliated with the Streetlordz.Chedda Boyz
Cooley High movie
Writer Eric MonteEric Monte
Eric Monte is an American screenwriter who has written for and created notable shows depicting 1970s African American culture.-Early life and career:...
's 1975 feature film Cooley High
Cooley High
Cooley High is a 1975 American film based upon the real high school located on the near north side of Chicago produced and released by American International Pictures and written by Eric Monte...
, is loosely based upon his experiences at Cooley Vocational High School
Cooley Vocational High School
Cooley Vocational High School was a public vocational high school in Chicago, Illinois, which served grades 7 through 12. It was part of Chicago Public Schools. It was adjacent to the Cabrini–Green housing development. It was named after Chicago Public Schools Superintendent, Edwin G...
, which formerly stood in Chicago, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. The inspiration for the movie's Edwin G. Cooley High and its screenplay are unrelated to Detroit's Thomas M. Cooley High School.