To Gather Again

Michigan Alumnus celebrates a century’s worth of images of students gathering on campus.

By Gregory Lucas-Myers, ’10

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Read time: < 1 minute

A campus with no students is like a play without actors. While looking forward to the days when students can gather again on campus, Michigan Alumnus looks back at a century’s worth of images from U-M’s Bentley Historical Library. Regardless of the era, these images show students’ penchant for gathering on campus in all sorts of ways, from cheering on athletes to protesting policy changes.

1916 Spring Games Huron River — The most dramatic contest of the annual freshmen versus sophomores Spring Games was undoubtedly the tug-of-war contest on both banks — and in the water — of the Huron River, as seen here in 1916. The tradition fell by the wayside as the student population ballooned over the years, but at the time the games symbolizing class pride included relay races and pushball contests on Ferry Field.

1928 Martha Cook May Day — Attendees enjoyed a May Day party at Martha Cook Building in 1928. Opened in 1915, the women’s residence hall continues to hold weekly and seasonal special events, from classic gatherings, such as Friday afternoon teas, to newer traditions, like a week celebrating the “Harry Potter” novels.

1937 Barbour Gym Womens Basketball — Female students of 1937 kept active with the help of the basketball court in Barbour Gymnasium. Named in honor of former regent Levi L. Barbour, the facility was opened in 1897 after a campaign spearheaded by the Women’s League. It served as a counterpart to the men-only Waterman Gymnasium. Barbour was demolished in 1977 to make way for an expansion of the Chemistry Building.

1944 Campus Cleanup — While World War II continued overseas, many sought to keep morale and spirits high at home. The U-M’s Women’s War Council and Michigan Union staff called out to students for an afternoon “cleanup” hour on June 1, 1944. Central Campus was divided into two zones, and the group that made its section immaculate first was declared the winner. Afterward, all involved enjoyed Coca-Cola and doughnuts on the Diag.

1962 Twist Contest — Ferry Field hosted a homecoming “twist” contest on Oct. 26, 1962. Around 100 couples took part, demonstrating how ubiquitous the dance craze was at its height.

1977 Gerald Ford Rackham — Students pack Rackham Auditorium in April 1977 to hear former president Gerald Ford, ’35, HLLD’74, speak and to ask questions. The talk was part of a five-day stint as a guest professor at the University, where he lectured on many political science topics.

1988 Fleming Protest — In April 1988, student activists confronted U-M Interim President Robben Fleming and disrupted board of regents meetings in protest of proposed changes to U-M’s policies on harassment and discrimination. Though the changes were intended to give the University more disciplinary powers, protesters felt they were overreaching and too vague, and ignored student input. Ultimately, the proposals were not implemented.

1981 Desmond Howard Wolverines Banner — Desmond Howard, ’92, takes the traditional leap to tag the M Club banner before joining the rest of the Wolverines in their home game against Northwestern in October 1991. U-M would go on to win, 38-0.

1995 Student BBQ — The U-M Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs and Sigma Lambda Beta fraternity co-sponsored a welcome picnic for new Latino students at Palmer Field on Sept. 24, 1995.

2000 Union Peer Mentorship — Students take part in a group peer mentorship activity in the Michigan Union in the early fall of 2000.

Gregory Lucas-Myers, ’10, is assistant editor of Michigan Alumnus.

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