Memorial Hall School (Houston)

The school began operations in 1966 under the direction of Donna W. Aurich.[9] Her husband, Rev. George Aurich, started the high school portion serving as the headmaster, and the first senior class graduated in 1975 when the high school population totaled 185 students. At this time the lower school population surpassed 300.[10] In 1987, MHS opened the Reserve Ranch (RR Reserve Ranch), an equestrian ranch outside Conroe, Texas, as a rural boarding program.[11] Memorial Hall received international (I-20) status in 1988.[12]

After multiple campus relocations, Memorial Hall School closed following the 2021-22 school year. The formal announcement cited declining enrollment numbers and other difficulties pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13]

Memorial Hall School resided on six separate campuses in the fifty-six years it operated. The original location was started by Donna W. Aurich in an office building.[14] The first separate physical campus was at 9002 Ruland Road.[15] The second campus, 3911 Campbell Road, first housed only the high school portion as of 1975 while the lower school continued to operate at the Ruland campus, though the lower and upper schools would later consolidate at Campbell.[16] Another school, Greater Houston Adventist Academy, occupied the 3911 Campbell Road campus from 1986-2000.[17][18] MHS resided at 3721 Dacoma Street from 1986-2010. The 1.75-acre, 26,000 square-foot[19] facility received over $1 million in donations from the Quaker Oats Company.[20] In 2010, the Dacoma Road campus facilities were purchased by Gateway Academy, a private middle and high school for students with social and learning differences.[21][22] Later campuses were at 5400 Mitchelldale Street[23] and 2501 Central Parkway, the latter of which they occupied from 2015[24] until closing in 2022.

In December 1987, Memorial Hall School opened the forty-acre Reserve (RR) Ranch. Located right outside Conroe, Texas, the ranch provided after-school and weekend boarding options for students whose parents lived a great distance from Houston. The facility also offered outdoor activities and study programs.[25] The entire land, located on League Line Road, was sold in 2005.[26]

The Memorial Hall athletic teams were known as the Cougars. MHS had football and boys basketball[27] teams in the 1970s and 1980s. The football team was subjected to infamy when, on September 29, 1978, they gave up 599 rushing yards to a single player, a then-Texas high school football record, in an 85-22 loss to Marian Christian School.[28][29]

• Getoar Mjeku (2006) - Deputy Minister of Economy of Kosovo

• George Rice (Football Coach, Principal, AD)[30]
• Joe Robb (Athletic Director)[31]