Ypsilanti High School has a lengthy history, and has existed since 1849. Until 1973, the high school was housed in a historic 3-story brick building on Cross Street, which has since been converted into senior citizen housing units.
Bernard Kirk – football player who played for Notre Dame in 1919 and for Michigan from 1921–1922. He was selected as an All-American at the end position in both 1921 and 1922
Byron M. Cutcheon – former YHS teacher and principal who later became an American Civil War general, Medal of Honor recipient, lawyer and Congressman from Michigan. He became principal of YHS in 1861, just before he graduated from the University of Michigan
Braves Logo Controversy
The mascot of Ypsilanti High School has been a source of controversy for over 10 years. In the early 1990s, in response to charges that the mascot was offensive to Native Americans, the first changes were undertaken. The real-life mascot, who dressed up as a stereotypical 'Indian' for football games, was discontinued and a panel for the improvement of Native American cultural education was set up. In 2004, the school's mascot came under fire again, with opponents of the name being organized by an Eastern Michigan University professor. The School Board set up a committee in the fall of 2005 to look into the issue. After a series of open public meetings, the committee returned a report concluding that due to systemic discrimination, the mascot must indeed be changed. However, the committee was the subject of questions itself, with allegations that the group splintered, and none of the public forums gathered much student input. The School Board, while going over the committee's report, scheduled a final public meeting to be held in April 2006. Garnering a large turnout, the event was held in the school's auditorium, with support for the name generally coming from the student body and the community and opponents coming from academia and the Native American community. Following this meeting, the School Board decided in a in May 2006 compromise decision that the name "Braves" could still be used but the Braves logo could not be used in any athletic activities or school events. In the Fall of 2006, after a reshuffling of School Board members following an election the previous spring, the issue was brought up yet again. In another contentious and closely divided decision, the Board chose 4-3 to retire the 'Braves' name completely on December 11, 2006. On November 27, 2007, the school board chose Phoenix as the new school mascot, and on March 31, 2008, the new logo was unveiled.
