Vel Phillips Memorial High School

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Coordinates: 43°03′49″N 89°30′03″W / 43.06374°N 89.50079°W / 43.06374; -89.50079
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Vel Phillips Memorial High School
Address
Map
201 South Gammon Road

Madison
,
Wisconsin
53717

United States
Coordinates43°03′49″N 89°30′03″W / 43.06374°N 89.50079°W / 43.06374; -89.50079
Information
Former nameJames Madison Memorial High School (1966-2021)
TypePublic high school
Established1966 (1966)
School districtMadison Metropolitan School District
NCES School ID550852000937[1]
PrincipalMatt Hendrickson
Teaching staff124.50 (on an FTE basis)[2]
Grades9–12
Enrollment2,025 (2023-2024) [2]
Student to teacher ratio16.65 [2]
Color(s)Green and White   
Athletics conferenceBig Eight Conference
MascotBruce the Spartan
NewspaperThe Sword and Shield
YearbookThe Olympian
Websitememorial.madison.k12.wi.us

Vel Phillips Memorial High School (formerly James Madison Memorial High School) is a public high school on the west side of Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was built in 1966 and is part of the Madison Metropolitan School District. It houses the MMSD planetarium

The school is named after Vel Phillips, an American attorney, politician, jurist, and Civil Rights activist, who served as the first female alderperson and judge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and as Secretary of State of Wisconsin (1979-1983).


History[edit]

The school was originally built in 1966 but received a major addition in 1967 because the school's population was higher than expected. The A-Wing housed the senior high and B-Wing the junior high. It was not until the 1970s that Thomas Jefferson Middle School (now Ezekiel Gillespie) was built. A fieldhouse was added in 1992.

On February 11, 2014, principal Bruce Dahmen unexpectedly died from a heart attack while on a field trip with students. A memorial service was held in the main gym.[3] The welcome center was named after Dahmen.

Starting in May 2022, the school is currently undergoing extensive renovation as part of a referendum passed in the fall of 2020.[4]

In 2022 the school was renamed as Vel Phillips Memorial High School by the Madison Metropolitan School District board after concern was raised by the public over James Madison's ownership of enslaved people, following a petition started by a student in 2017. Only one year later, the adjacent Thomas Jefferson Middle School was renamed as Ezekiel Gillespie Middle School. [citation needed]

Academics[edit]

Memorial offers classes ranging from Algebra 1 to Photography. Chinese, German, French and Spanish are some of their language classes.[5]

The school also hosts the Madison school district's planetarium and offers an Astronomy class.[6]

Small Learning Communities grant[edit]

In 2001, Memorial received a U.S. Department of Education Small Learning Communities federal grant to support a "neighborhood" reorganization.[7] The four neighborhoods are Rock, Wolf, Fox, and Wisconsin .[7] Each of the neighborhoods have a neighborhood center. The Fox Neighborhood Center is known by the students and staff as the "fishbowl".

School newspapers[edit]

The official school newspaper is The Sword and Shield and until 2014 kept all issues online.[8] Independent newspapers, The Spartacus and Aficionado existed at one time, but have all ceased distribution. The Independent was created after the 1990–91 school year by The Sword and Shield staff.


Extracurricular activities[edit]

Memorial offers interscholastic sports[9] and extramural activities. .[citation needed]

Athletics[edit]

Basketball (boys)[edit]

  • 2005 State champion; beat Milwaukee Vincent, 63-55[10]
  • 2009 State champion; beat Racine Horlick, 56-41[11]
  • 2011 State champion; beat De Pere, 80-78 (3OT)[12]

Cross country (boys)[edit]

  • 1967 State champion; beat Antigo, 80-82[13]
  • 1969 State champion; beat Milwaukee Marshall, 52-109[13]
  • 1991 State champion; beat Homestead, 65-97[13]

Soccer (boys)[edit]

  • 2006 State champion; beat Brookfield East, 2-0[14]

Swimming and diving (boys)[edit]

  • 2005 State champion; beat Arrowhead, 269.5-222[15]
  • 2006 State champion; beat Arrowhead, 272-245[16]
  • 2007 State champion; beat Arrowhead, 257.5-212.5[17]
  • 2009 State champion; beat Sauk Prairie/Wisconsin Heights, 200.5-182.5[18]
  • 2011 State champion; beat Waukesha South/Catholic Memorial, 234.5-192[19]
  • 2012 State champion; beat Arrowhead, 326-234[20]
  • 2013 State champion; beat Madison West, 316-206[21]
  • 2014 State champion; beat Madison West, 319–216.5[22]
  • 2015 State champion; beat Madison West, 350.5-201[23]
  • 2016 State champion; beat Madison West, 314-202[24]

Swimming and diving (girls)[edit]

  • 1999 State champion; beat Arrowhead, 313–242.5[25]
  • 2000 State champion; beat Arrowhead, 320.5-236[26]
  • 2001 State champion; beat Madison West, 295–267.5[27]

Track and field (girls)[edit]

  • 2003 State champion; beat Waukesha West, Hartford, Cudahy & Waukesha Catholic Memorial, 34-25[28]

Notable alumni[edit]


References[edit]

  1. ^ "Search for Public Schools - Memorial High (550852000937)". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "NCES". NCES. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  3. ^ Madeline Anderson. "UPDATE: Thousands gather to remember late principal Bruce Dahmen".
  4. ^ "Memorial High School - Referendum 2020". madison.k12.wi.us.
  5. ^ "School profile". Archived from the original on February 1, 2005. Retrieved 2007-05-23.
  6. ^ "Planetarium - Madison Metropolitan School District". www.madison.k12.wi.us.
  7. ^ a b Lackney, Jeffrey (July 6, 2001). "Forming Small Learning Communities: Implementing Neighborhoods in Existing High Schools". Archived from the original on December 9, 2002. Retrieved November 1, 2009.
  8. ^ "Sword and Shield - Current Issue: MARCH 2014". memorialweb.madison.k12.wi.us. Archived from the original on 2014-03-09.
  9. ^ "Spartan Athletics | James Madison Memorial High School". Archived from the original on 2015-09-11.
  10. ^ "BOX SCORE FROM 03-19-05 8:15pm".
  11. ^ "MADISON MEMORIAL vs RACINE HORLICK (03/21/09 at Kohl Center - Madison, Wisconsin)".
  12. ^ "DE PERE vs MADISON MEMORIAL (03/19/11 at Kohl Center - Madison, Wisconsin)".
  13. ^ a b c 2019 State Cross Country Meet Souvenir Program. Wisconsin Rapids, WI: Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association. November 2, 2019. p. 26.
  14. ^ "Brookfield East vs Madison Memorial". www.wiaawi.org.
  15. ^ "2005 WIAA Division 1 State Meet - UW Natatorium - Team Rankings - Through Event 12 - Male Team Scores". wiaawi.org.
  16. ^ "2006 WIAA Division 1 State Meet - UW Natatorium - Team Rankings - Through Event 12 - Boys - Team Scores". wiaawi.org.
  17. ^ "2007 WIAA Division 1 State Meet - UW Natatorium - Team Rankings - Through Event 12 - Boys - Team Scores". wiaawi.org.
  18. ^ "2009 WIAA Boys Division 1 State Meet - UW Natatorium - Team Rankings - Through Event 12 - Boys - Team Scores". wiaawi.org.
  19. ^ "2011 WIAA Boys Division 1 State Meet - UW Natatorium - Team Rankings - Through Event 12 - Boys - Team Scores". wiaawi.org.
  20. ^ "2012 WIAA Division 1 State Meet - UW Natatorium - Team Rankings - Through Event 12 - Boys - Team Scores". wiaawi.org.
  21. ^ "2013 WIAA Division 1 State Meet - UW Natatorium - Team Rankings - Through Event 12 - Boys - Team Scores". wiaawi.org.
  22. ^ "2013 WIAA Division 1 State Meet - UW Natatorium - Team Rankings - Through Event 12 - Boys - Team Scores". wiaawi.org.
  23. ^ "2015 WIAA Division 1 State Meet - UW Natatorium - Team Rankings - Through Event 12 - Boys - Team Scores". wiaawi.org.
  24. ^ "2016 WIAA Division 1 State Meet - UW Natatorium - Team Rankings - Through Event 12 - Boys - Team Scores" (PDF). wiaawi.org.
  25. ^ "WIAA 1999 State Girls Swimming & Diving Tournament - Nov. 13, UW-Natatorium, Madison - Div. 1 Event Results & Final Team Scores". wiaawi.org.
  26. ^ ".I.A.A. GIRLS' DIVISION 1 STATE SWIMMING AND DIVING MEET - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2000". wiaawi.org.
  27. ^ "W.I.A.A. GIRLS' DIVISION 1 STATE SWIMMING AND DIVING MEET - SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2001".
  28. ^ "WIAA Track & Field State Championships - 6/6/2003 to 6/7/2003 - UW-La Crosse - Results". wiaawi.org.
  29. ^ "DIY success story". isthmus.com. 23 February 2017.
  30. ^ Borzi, Pat (2010-01-25). "The U.S. Women's Hockey Team Is Not as Battle-Tested as It Intended". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-05.
  31. ^ "Wesley Matthews". Basketball-Reference.Com. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
  32. ^ "Jeronne Maymon Profile - UTSPORTS.COM - University of Tennessee Athletics". www.utsports.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-16.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Madison Memorial High School.


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