NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Two Shelby County high schools, Middle College High School at Christian Brothers University and Tipton-Rosemark Academy, earned the Secretary of State's Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Award by registering 100% of the eligible students to vote.

"I commend both Middle College High School and Tipton-Rosemark Academy for reaching 100% voter registration," said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. "We created the Anne Dallas Dudley Award program to promote voter registration among Tennessee high school students. I appreciate the Shelby County Election Commission and these schools' students, faculty, and staff working with us to increase voter registration." 

The Secretary of State's office launched the Anne Dallas Dudley Award program for the 2021-2022 school year to promote voter registration among Tennessee high school students. High schools that registered 100% of the eligible students earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Award. High schools that registered at least 85% of the eligible students earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award. 

"We are thrilled to have some winners of the Anne Dallas Dudley award in Shelby County.  We look forward to working to expand the success of the winning schools to all schools in Shelby County," said Shelby County Administrator of Elections Linda Phillips. 

Five Shelby County high schools earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award by registering 85% of the eligible students to vote. The Silver Level Award winners are Central High School, East High School, KIPP Memphis Collegiate High, Millington Central Middle High School and White Station High School.

All Tennessee public, charter or private school or home school association can participate in the Anne Dallas Dudley Award program. This year 18 Tennessee high schools in 12 counties earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level Award. Eighteen high schools representing 13 counties earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Silver Level Award.

“At Middle College High School, we equip students to be socially responsible individuals in high school and beyond. Part of being an engaged citizen is registering to vote and being prepared to exercise that right on Election Day,” said Middle College High School Principal Kimberly Eason. “Our school is proud to have earned the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Award. We appreciate the work of the Shelby County Election Commission to register student voters and the Secretary of State’s office for creating this award to encourage student civic engagement.”

“We feel that schools have an opportunity and a responsibility to support engagement from the future generations of voters through meaningful government and social studies instruction before they graduate,” said Tipton-Rosemark Academy Upper School Principal Stephanie Wehrer. “It is an honor for our school to receive the Anne Dallas Dudley Gold Level award. We hope our students continue to be engaged citizens by utilizing their right to vote.”

The award is named in honor of renowned Tennessee suffragist Anne Dallas Dudley who helped lead the successful effort to get the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution ratified. On Aug. 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th and final state needed to give women the right to vote.

The Anne Dallas Dudley Award is part of the Secretary of State's civics engagement initiative to increase voter registration in Tennessee and prepare students to be actively engaged citizens. For more information about the Anne Dallas Dudley Award and other civic engagement efforts from the Tennessee Department of State, visit sos.tn.gov/civics.