Central High School was originally built in 1897 on Poplar Ave. and was re-built in 1911 at its current location near the medical district in downtown Memphis. In 1918, the school was closed for a month and used as a overflow hospital during the Influenza epidemic, and many teachers served as Red Cross nurses.
In 1939, 20,000 dollars was spent to renovate and improve lighting, heating, and the auditorium, which includes a full stage, backstage, and system of catwalks.
In February of 1937, during a great flood, 1100 cots were placed in the school and again, teachers and students became volunteers.
In February of 1934, E.H. Crump Stadium was built on the east grounds of the remaining thirteen acres of the Central campus at a cost of 35,000 dollars. The stadium originally included three main stands with a capacity of 7500 and underground lockerooms for players on both teams. It was later expanded to seat 25,000. Since there were so few high school teams at the time in Memphis, college teams used the stadium as well. It was not until 1940 that African Americans were allowed access to the stadium.
The stadium is named after the late E.H. "Boss" Crump, a former congressman and businessman in Memphis. He was never the governor, but during his lifetime E.W. Crump was considered the most powerful man in Tennessee. A native of Holly Springs, Mississippi, Crump came to Memphis in 1892 and became a successful businessman. He held numerous political offices, including Commissioner of Fire and Police, Shelby County treasurer, Memphis mayor, and U. S. Congressman.
But Crump was much more than the titles he held; during his lifetime he controlled Memphis politics and, at times, state politics. He was so adept and controlling Memphis, Shelby County, and the state of Tennessee, that he became known as "Boss." In the 1920s and 1930s it was practically impossible to get elected governor or U.S. Senator in Tennessee without Crump's blessing.
To this day, the name "Boss" Crump evokes very negative emotions with many Middle Tennesseans. But many West Tennesseans, especially African Americans, consider Crump a hero. "When I was a child, may parents told me that Boss Crump was the man who gave us the vote," one black newspaper editor in Memphis says today.
The stadium was closed in 2004, and will be replaced by a new stadium.