Famous people's places / Royal Oak
Dondero High School
Closed – archive entry · 2006
Royal Oak's high school from 1927, where Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey graduated in 1966; the building is now Royal Oak Middle School.
01 / The story of this place
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The school at 709 North Washington Avenue in Royal Oak opened in 1927 as Royal Oak High School and was renamed George A. Dondero High School in 1957, after Royal Oak split into two rival high schools. Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey grew up in Royal Oak and graduated from Dondero in 1966, having played trumpet in the school's marching band before turning to rock and roll. Royal Oak's school district closed and consolidated Dondero with its crosstown rival, Kimball High School, after the 2005–2006 school year amid declining enrollment. The Dondero building did not close for good, though: it reopened in 2007 as Royal Oak Middle School and still serves students today.
- Opened in 1927 as Royal Oak High School, renamed Dondero in 1957
- Glenn Frey graduated in 1966 after playing in the marching band
- Closed as a high school after the 2005–2006 school year
- Consolidated with rival Kimball High School
- Building reopened in 2007 as Royal Oak Middle School
Famous Detroiters
Famous people tied to this place 5
Lexicon entries for the people who lived, worked, performed or liked to spend time here.
- Glenn Frey 1948–2016 · singer, songwriter, guitarist
Studied here
He graduated in 1966 after playing trumpet in the marching band. The building is now Royal Oak Middle School.
- Chris Savino born 1971 · animator, comic book artist
Studied here
Savino's Royal Oak high school; it closed in 2006 and reopened as Royal Oak Middle School in 2007.
- Jordan Vogt-Roberts born 1984 · film and television director
Studied here
Royal Oak high school from which Vogt-Roberts graduated in 2003; it closed in 2006 and the building was rededicated as Royal Oak Middle School in 2007.
- Tom Hayden 1939–2016 · activist, author, politician
Studied here
The Royal Oak public high school where he edited the student newspaper; it merged into Royal Oak High School in 2006.
- Bill Muncey 1928–1981 · unlimited hydroplane racer
Studied here
His high school in suburban Royal Oak.
Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-09-25
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
03 / Events
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