 Mechanic Arts was the initial favorite after alumni of the former school campaigned for the name to be reused after the first Mechanic Arts High School was closed down in 1976 after operating for 86 years.The alumni created a lobbying group and even enlisted the help of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun, a 1925 graduate of Mechanic Arts.However, the school board's policy of naming schools after local neighborhoods and street names eventually won out with the name Arlington being chosen in a 5-2 vote.