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You’ve made it to Ace #3, the University of Michigan. Do you know when the university came to Ann Arbor? All the way back in 1837. It didn’t look anything like it does now. Today we have a central campus, north campus, the medical buildings and even campuses in other cities. Back then, there was only one campus with one building for classes and four houses for the professors to live in. Caleb Carr was an attorney living in Ann Arbor in 1841 and he described the university in a letter to a friend. Remember, this is only four years after the university was founded:
"The State University, when finished, will be the noblest in the western states. One wing 106 ft. long and four stories high is nearly completed. Together with four houses for the professors which are beautiful specimens of architecture and which cost about $7,000 each."
But the first university in Michigan wasn’t in Ann Arbor - it was in Detroit and started in 1817. John Allen knew that moving the university to his new city would make the city that much more attractive so he donated 40 acres of land to the state as an incentive. That first forty acres are what make up Central Campus today.
The University of Michigan was a great opportunity for the city. It created many jobs and sources of income. Can you think of ways a university might do these things? Well, the university needed places to hold classes and so buildings had to be built. This means carpenters and plasters and architects. When students arrived for school they would need places to stay. Since there weren’t any dormitories yet (remember, those first four houses were for professors only!) that meant apartments for landlords. Students also needed clothing and food and books and supplies. The University still brings jobs and income into the city today. Students still rent rooms or apartments and they still buy supplies from the stores in town. And I almost overlooked one of the biggest employers of all - the University itself! Universities need more than professors and teachers. They need librarians, administrators, secretaries, groundkeepers, and sports coaches…. all kinds of people, really. Do you know anyone who works for the University? Chances are, you do.
Some of the most important employees of the University had buildings or monuments names after them. One very important President was James Angell. Can you think of anything on campus that might be named for him? Angell was the University president from 1871 to 1909. He was responsible for adding many buildings to the campus. By the time he retired, there were fifty new buildings and nearly five times as many students as when he started.
Just to Think About: