Mullen High School

History

Mullen High School was named for John Kernan Mullen, businessman, philanthropist, and founder of the Colorado Milling and Elevator Company. With his wife, Catherine, Mullen envisioned founding a high school in Denver for orphaned boys. In 1928, working with Henry Tihen, Mullen contacted Edward Flanagan, the founder of Boys Town, for advice on how best to design and operate such a school. Following Flanagan's recommendation, Mullen wrote to the Christian Brothers of St. John Baptist de La Salle in Santa Fe, New Mexico, inviting them to be his planned school's directors and teachers.

In June 1928, Mullen opened negotiations with the De La Salle Christian Brothers. However, both Catherine and John Mullen died before the project could be completed, but their daughters and their husbands carried on with their plans. They purchased a 420 acre plot of land on the outskirts of Denver known as the Shirley Farm Dairy. An agreement was made that would allow the dairy to remain in operation in exchange for the students’ opportunity to work in the dairy and receive training in agriculture and mechanics. On April 8, 1932, 17 boys and three brothers moved into the new J.K. Mullen Home for Boys.

Since then, Mullen High School has experienced four distinct eras of change and growth:

• 1931–1950, when the school was conducted for orphan boys only, who both attended school and worked in the dairy farm;
• 1950–1965, when paying boarders and day students joined the orphans as students, the school's farm operations ended and its name was changed to J.K. Mullen High School;
• 1966–1989, when the last of the orphans graduated, the boarding section closed, and the school became a four-year college preparatory high school for boys;
• 1989–2020, when the school became a co-educational high school and modernized its facilities and programs.
• 2020–present, Modern Era - Mullen enters into a capital improvement plan and campaign to update the facilities and buildings on campus.

Extracurricular activities

Athletics

State championships

Notable alumni

• Chester Burnett (American football), NFL linebacker
• Jim Deidel, MLB player
• Sam Haggerty, MLB player
• Maverick Handley, MLB player
• Ryan Hewitt, NFL football player
• Mark Holzemer, MLB pitcher
• Frank McNulty, Colorado legislator, former Speaker of the House (Colorado House of Representatives)
• David Tate (American football), NFL safety, Chicago Bears
• Bo Scaife, NFL football player
• J. K. Scott, NFL Punter, Los Angeles Chargers
• Alex Smith (tight end), NFL tight end
• Scott Wedman, basketball player
• Brendan Winters, basketball player

References

1. link
2. (25 March 2010). "Past Colorado High School State Champions".
3. "Ryan Hewitt – GoStanford.com – Stanford University". gostanford.com.
4. "Who We Are".