University of Michigan

The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (U-M) is a public coeducational university in Michigan, United States. The flagship and oldest campus of the University of Michigan, U-M Ann Arbor is considered to be a Public Ivy, and is consistently ranked as one of the top public academic institutions in the world.{{ref|worldranking}} The University of Michigan's professional graduate schools in the fields of law, medicine, business, engineering, and education are consistently ranked by US News & World Report in the top 10 in the country. The U-M's departments of philosophy, economics, political science, history, and mathematics are also highly respected for their academic reputations and research activities.

History

Main article: History of the University of Michigan

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The University of Michigan was one of the nation's first public universities, established in 1817 by the Michigan Territorial legislature on 1,920 acres (776 hectares) of land ceded by the Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatomi people. The school moved from Detroit to Ann Arbor in 1837. Hoping to be chosen as the site for the new state capital, Ann Arbor had set aside 40 acres (16 hectares) of land, which it subsequently offered to the University when Lansing was chosen as the state capital instead (the ceded land in Detroit was sold and the proceeds remain in the University's permanent endowment, currently worth $4.2 billion). The first classes were held in 1841; six freshmen and a sophomore were taught by two professors. Eleven men graduated in the first commencement ceremony in 1845. By 1865–66, the university's enrollment increased to 1,205 students, with many of the new enrollees veterans of the Civil War.

Related Topics:
Michigan - 1817 - Michigan Territorial - Acre - Hectare - Chippewa - Ottawa - Potawatomi - Ann Arbor - 1837 - $ - 1841 - 1845 - 1865 - 66 - Civil War

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The first two decades of the 20th century saw a construction boom on campus that included facilities to house the dental and pharmacy programs, a chemistry building, a building for the study of natural sciences, two residence halls, Hill Auditorium, and large hospital and library complexes. The school's position as a prominent research university gained momentum in 1920 with a formal reorganization of the College of Engineering and the formation of an advisory committee of 100 industrialists to guide academic research initiatives. During World War II, the university grew into a true research powerhouse, undertaking major initiatives on behalf of the U.S. Navy and contributing to weapons development with breakthroughs including the VT fuse, depth bombs, the PT boat, and radar jammers. By 1950, university enrollment had reached 21,000, of whom 7,700 were veterans supported by the G.I. Bill.

Related Topics:
Hill Auditorium - 1920 - World War II - U.S. Navy - VT fuse - 1950 - G.I. Bill

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As the Cold War and the Space Race took shape, the U-M became a principal recipient of government research grants, and its researchers were on the vanguard of exploring peacetime uses for atomic power. In a 1966 report by the American Council on Education, the university was rated first or second in the nation in graduate teaching of all twenty-eight disciplines surveyed.

Related Topics:
Cold War - Space Race - 1966 - American Council on Education

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On March 24, 1964, a group of faculty held the nation's first "teach-in" to protest American policy in Southeast Asia. 2,500 students attended the event. A series of 1966 sit-ins by Voice, the campus political party of Students for a Democratic Society, prompted the administration to ban sit-ins, a move that led 1,500 students to conduct a one-hour sit-in in the administration building.

Related Topics:
March 24 - 1964 - Teach-in - 1966 - Students for a Democratic Society - Sit-in

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During the 1970s, severe budget constraints hindered to some extent the university's physical development and academic standing but eventually saw a surge in funds devoted to research in the social and physical sciences, although campus controversy arose over involvement in the anti-missile Strategic Defense Initiative and investments in South Africa. During the 1980s and 1990s, the university devoted substantial resources to renovating its massive hospital complex and improving the academic facilities on the school's North Campus. In the late 1980s and early 1990s the university emphasized uses for computer and information technology throughout the campus.

Related Topics:
1970s - Strategic Defense Initiative - South Africa - 1980s - 1990s

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In 2003, two lawsuits involving the school's affirmative action admissions policy reached the U.S. Supreme Court (Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger). President George W. Bush took the unusual step of publicly opposing the policy before the court issued a ruling, though the eventual ruling was mixed. In the first case, the court upheld the Law School admissions policy, while in the second it ruled against the university's undergraduate admissions policy. In the early 2000s, U-M also faced declining state funding due to state budget shortfalls. At the same time, the university has attempted to maintain its high academic standing while keeping tuition costs affordable.

Related Topics:
2003 - Affirmative action - U.S. Supreme Court - Grutter v. Bollinger - Gratz v. Bollinger - George W. Bush - Law School - 2000s

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