Milestones that matter and make you proud. . .

 (if you know of an event or year that we should add to Melrose Golden Wildcats’ timeline, Hit Us Up here and let us know the specifics). 

1890 
First known as the District 18 School of Shelby County
1894
Melrose graduated its first class, comprised of five (5) girls.
1919
Melrose became part of the city school system.
1937
City officials received $137,000 in support and financing for a new building through the New Deal’s Public Works Administration.  This original building was vacated in 1981 but it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
1938
Melrose and Park Avenue Schools merged when the new brick, steel, concrete and fireproof building was completed.
1943-1944
Melrose Golden Wildcats football team was inaugurated with Cecil D. Goodlow as the coach.
1946
Mt. Pisgah Church was the graduation site to an overflow crowd of parents, faculty, and community residents.
1957
Graduate Dr. Alvin Crawford became the first to earn a medical degree from the University of Tennessee
1978
Memphis Melrose Alumni Association established  (See history)
1985 
Los Angeles Melrose Alumni Association established (See history)
Melrose Center for Cultural Enrichment, a 501(c)(3) champions the Orange Mound heritage is established
1988
Detroit Melrose Alumni Association and Atlanta Melrose Alumni Association formed.
1988
Olympic gold medalist Sheila Echols won in the 4 x 100 m relay. She also won the 1989 IAAF World Cup 100 m title.
1996
Rochelle Stevens won the women’s gold medal in 4 x 400 meter relay.
1997
Melrose High School was cited by the Memphis Education Association as School of the Year.
1999
Melrose High School was designated as a Title I School.
2004
Melrose High School was again cited by the Memphis Education Association as School of the Year.
2010
Melrose High School placed on the Smithsonian National Registry
2011
Kirk Whalum Class of 76,  award-winning saxophonist and music educator, wins first Grammy along with 12 other Grammy nominations in his career.
2011
Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit “The Way We Worked” in Orange Mound/ Melrose’ Community Center, was the first urban community in Tennessee to host a Smithsonian traveling exhibition.
2011, 2012
Cheryl Scales ’80 and Bobbie Scales (S ’54, P ’80, ’84, ’93) selected as White House Community Leaders under President Obama.
2013
Orange Mound and Melrose HS featured in the PBS Program ‘A Community Called Orange Mound.
2015
Orange Mound marks its 125th Anniversary with a year long schedule of events including kick-off programs at Melrose High School and a commemorative  special postmark officially issued by the United States Post Office.
Valedictorian Dellarontay Readus Visits First Lady at the White House
2016
18th MASS Reunion Atlanta
2020
20th MASS Reunion 2020 Atlanta