200 Years of Giving at Michigan (PDF)
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GIVING AT MICHIGAN BICENTENNIAL 2017 200 YEARS OF GIVING AT MICHIGAN—AND COUNTING 16 Connections Through Time An illustrated guide to the unlikely web of connections created by not-so-random acts of philanthropy at U-M 22 Michigan’s Man of Mystery The untold tale of a reserved gentleman, the Michigan Union, and a shocking secret 26 In Pursuit of Excellence Tracing the history of the comprehensive fundraising campaign at Michigan Above: Presidential nominee John F. Kennedy—in a speech at the Michigan Union on October 14, 1960—laid the foundation for the Peace Corps. For more, see how past meets present on campus in “Take a Tour With Me” on page 34. 30 A Force of Character A look back at the remarkable physician who funded the university’s oldest endowed professorship In justice, then, to the true spirit of Talent is distributed evenly throughout Contents 34 Take a Tour With Me learning, to the best interests of society, our society, but opportunity most 2 A Word From A student perspective on seven iconic President Mark Schlissel U-M landmarks that were influenced to the historic life of this state, let us now certainly is not. The University of by philanthropy On 200 years of philanthropic history and donors’ role in achieving the hold wide open the gates of this university Michigan is proud to partner on this bicentennial promise We extend our sincerest thanks to the dedicated professionals of the Bentley Historical Library. Without your work in preserving— and helping to all our sons and daughters, rich or historic initiative to address others access—the history of the university, this 4 publication would not have been possible. The Gifts That Started It All Thank you. poor, whom God by gifts of intellect and our nation’s pressing need to ensure equal A retrospective on the generosities that have shaped U-M’s history and defined by kindly providences has called to seek opportunities for students across the the university Leaders & Best Bicentennial Website for a liberal education. socioeconomic spectrum. 12 Have Your President Call on Me The story of one of U-M’s most generous It was recognized — PRESIDENT JAMES BURRILL ANGELL —PRESIDENT MARK SCHLISSEL benefactors and the ambitious young fundraiser June 26, 1879 December 13, 2016 who sought him out that without a certain amount In his 1879 commencement address, “The Higher More than a century later, Angell’s vision On the front cover: Photo of U-M Law School library: of assistance from VP of Development and Communications collection, Education: A Plea for Making It Accessible to continues to define the university. President Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan; private sources the All,” President Angell implored his audience to Schlissel recently announced U-M’s partnership composed photo by Michigan Photography, Austin Thomason On the back cover: Photo of Ross School: university could not remember that pillar of equality on which the with the American Talent Initiative. Like the HAIL Raimund Koch for Kohn Pedersen Fox; composed university was established. During his tenure, Scholarships and Wolverine Pathways program, photo by Michigan Photography, Austin Thomason properly fulfill its The names of U-M donors in this publication To enjoy an enriched, online Angell fought vigorously to equalize opportunities the initiative will provide opportunities at U-M for appear in boldface type. destiny. experience of the stories in this for a college education across economic strata. talented low- and middle-income students. special bicentennial edition of UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN —WILFRED B. SHAW (AB 1904), Leaders & Best, be sure to check out the OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT an early-20th-century U-M director 3003 South State Street of alumni relations and encyclopedic Leaders & Best bicentennial website at Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1288 chronicler of U-M history LeadersandBest200.umich.edu P | 734.647.6000 F | BENTLEY HISTORICAL LIBRARY PHOTOS—PRESIDENT ANGELL: JAMES B. ANGELL PAPERS, RENTSCHLER’S STUDIO (ANN ARBOR, MICH.); JFK PHOTO: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN NEWS AND INFORMATION SERVICES PHOTOGRAPHS, ECK STANGER (ANN ARBOR NEWS). MOBILE PHONE PHOTO—MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY, AUSTIN THOMASON 734.647.6100 1 2 Leaders & Best :: SEASON TK 2000 BICENTENNIAL SPECIAL :: Leaders & Best A WORD FROM PRESIDENT MARK SCHLISSEL 2 This year marks the bicentennial of the founding THE ROOTS of the University of Michigan. OF BLUE Among the treasures documenting U-M’s In honor of our history, and to help us What began as an ambitious educational history—including early pave the way to a bright future, we experiment conceived as part of the support from donors— 1 invite you to enjoy this special edition Northwest Ordinance of 1787 has become are (clockwise from top of Leaders & Best as we pause to reflect a global research university advancing the left) [1] an act signed on the important role philanthropy highest ideals of what a public research by founding father John has played in shaping the university university should be. The enterprise as we Monteith on September throughout our first two centuries. know it today includes some 40,000 faculty 12, 1817, establishing and staff members working with 61,000 that “no subscriber... shall be required to pay Our bicentennial would not be complete students on three vibrant campuses. more than $50 in one without recognition of the amazing role We’ve come a long way, thanks in part to year if he desires such our friends and supporters have played the work of volunteers and the generosity accommodation;” in taking this institution from good to of philanthropists. [2] a chart of proposed great. For the remarkable achievements areas for teaching and of the past 200 years, the university owes Donors have always played a vital role learning, handwritten a tremendous debt of gratitude to the in shaping the University of Michigan— by founding father passion and dedication of its friends and, by extension, the mission of a great Augustus Woodward 5 and supporters. public research university in a world that in the act establishing has grown increasingly complex. A solid the university; [3] an The university’s earliest “subscribers”— appreciation of the university’s history original receipt from December 9, 1817, for 3 as donors were then called—donated will position U-M to continue its role as Woodward’s $12.50 funds to construct the first building and a world leader in defining the future of gift to the university; hire the first two instructors, who taught a public higher education. I encourage you to [4] a document signed grand total of six or seven students. Those learn more about how the generosity and by Monteith appointing early teachers and learners gave birth to a foresight of people like you have helped the a trustee to office; long tradition of academic excellence. university to become what it is today. [5] page one of the act establishing the university. EARLY DOCUMENTS: CHARLES I. WALKER COLLECTION, BENTLEY HISTORICAL LIBRARY, One of the very first available rankings Through your engagement with the UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN; PHOTO BY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY, AUSTIN THOMASON of universities dates back to 1908, when university, you help make the university the Carnegie Foundation ranked U-M what it is. With your ongoing support, you No. 4 among North American universities. help define what it can become. For your More than 100 years later, the university part in helping the university achieve its continues to be recognized among the bicentennial promise—always leading, nation’s leading institutions of higher forever valiant—thank you. education. This past fall, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education Sincerely, 4 ranked U-M the No. 1 public university in the country. MARK SCHLISSEL PRESIDENT 2 Leaders & Best :: BICENTENNIAL SPECIAL TheThe GIFTSGIFT hen dozens of Native Americans gathered along the Maumee River in THAT STARTED northwest Ohio in 1817 to sign a treaty brokered by territorial governor THAT STARTED Lewis Cass, their signatures—simple “X” marks, as they were—set into W motion the richest custom at the University of Michigan. By ceding land to the fledgling “University of Michigania,” Native Americans were the first benefactors. Records do not indicate how willing the native peoples were; their giving, however, began a custom that stretches deeper into the institution’s past than the art of The practice of teaching, the sharing of a library, or the granting of diplomas. private support For nearly two centuries, philanthropy has shaped the university with gifts of land, artwork, for the University scientific specimens, books, and cash. When Wilfred B. Shaw (AB 1904), the director of Michigan, well The First Century of of alumni relations, set out in the early 1930s to catalog the history of giving at Michigan, established in its It All the result was a 50-page treatise to President Alexander Ruthven (PhD 1906) about ItPhilanthropy All at U-M gifts large and small, including three deer heads for the School of Forestry, dynamos for the early days, has Engineering College, 100 volumes of Russian history from Grand Duke Alexis, and 40 acres set up a tradition of Ann Arbor real estate. “The practice of private support for the University of Michigan, well established in its early days, has set up a tradition never broken, as the long list of gifts reveals,” never broken. Shaw concluded. —WILFRED B. SHAW Shown here, Jasper F. Cropsey’s For all the diversity of gifts through the years, the earliest ones shaped the physical and 1855 painting The University of Michigan Campus was a gift to U-M intellectual scope of the university and the students it educated. As Shaw observed, from Andrew Dickson White. “Throughout the university’s history…it was recognized that without a certain amount of assistance from private sources the university could not properly fulfill its destiny.” BY KIM CLARKE CROPSEY PAINTING: JASPER FRANCIS CROPSEY VISUAL MATERIALS, BENTLEY HISTORICAL LIBRARY, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN These are some of the transformative gifts from the university’s first 100 years.