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Baseball’s Barrier Breaker

Before Jackie Robinson, there was Moses Fleetwood Walker, who would use the racism and discrimination he faced in baseball to fuel a career as an editor, author, and political advocate for Black rights.

A Sub Goes Missing

When the Soviets declared the submarine K-129, with 83 men aboard, “missing,” the CIA's rigorous due diligence led them directly to GMI and their largest drilling ship. Most of those working on the ship’s design and construction were unaware, and would remain unaware, of its true purpose. This included as many as 11 U-M alumni – nine Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering graduates and two electrical engineers.

No women allowed

The Michigan Union was founded in 1903 as a club for all University of Michigan students, faculty, and alumni — all, that is, except women.

Arab Liberation Radio

For 25 years, Radio Tahrir aired interviews with writers, musicians, academics and others—all Arab or Arab American—and became a vital resource for listeners in the New York Region. With archives housed at the Bentley, these interviews can now be heard around the world.

A Gateway to
the History of U-M

GET THE RESOURCES YOU NEED TO EXPLORE U-M’S PAST

The history of the University of Michigan is rich and complex, filled with important lessons for anyone interested in envisioning its future. This website serves as a doorway to historical resources across the University that showcase 200 years of transformation.

Faculty, students, staff, alumni, and the avidly curious are invited to explore the site, which features stories about U-M history, links to archival records and databases, material from the U-M’s bicentennial celebration, and much more.

Many of these resources will link you to other websites. Please note that you may leave this site as you explore.

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Students walking on campus
  • Heritage

    How the Net Was Won

    Randy Milgrom | June 26, 2023

    Before the internet was anywhere and everywhere on campus, "the heart of the Internet was once on North Campus." Read to learn more about the evolution of the internet's bumpy road.

    technology
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  • Bentley Historical Library

    The Improbable Herpetologist

    Madeleine Bradford | May 19, 2023

    Helen Thompson Gaige’s passion for frogs, salamanders, lizards and more was unusual for a woman at the turn of the century. She defied gender stereotypes by becoming an expert in zoology and launching herself into globetrotting adventures to collect and study specimens. Her scientific legacy endures in the archive—and beyond.

    science
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Resources & Research

DIVE INTO U-M HISTORY

Listen to an oral history from William Hubbard, an African American U-M track athlete and 1924 Olympian. Watch a lecture on the early history of the University of Michigan Hospital. Or click through an online exhibit about the history of women at U-M and their frequent battles for educational equality. Our wealth of historical resources can be read, watched, scrolled through, or listened to.

Go to resources

Grand Army of the Republic Parade, 1891 Grand Army of the Republic Parade, 1891

Databases

Compilations from across campus

University Library, View of Fine Arts Galleries, late 19th century University Library, View of Fine Arts Galleries, late 19th century

Exhibits

A visual exploration of
U-M history

Tom Harmon, UM Football, vs Iowa 1939 Tom Harmon, UM Football, vs Iowa 1939

Featured Sites

Additional webpages featuring U-M History

People's Rights Rally, January 1, 1981 People's Rights Rally, January 1, 1981

Oral Histories

U-M in an individual’s
own words

Dancers in Costume Dancers in Costume

Performances

Experiencing and understanding U-M history through the arts

Professor seated in front of class "chock full of knowledge," 1951 Professor seated in front of class "chock full of knowledge," 1951

Symposia & Lectures

Experts share their deep knowledge

Students study on the lawn Students study on the lawn

Timelines & Histories

Departments and units showcase their own milestones

First three coeds to study naval architecture. Darien Pinney, Judy Robinson & Susan Ott First three coeds to study naval architecture. Darien Pinney, Judy Robinson & Susan Ott

Resources

See all resources

Read the Go-To Guide
about U-M

THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN: AN ENCYCLOPEDIC SURVEY

The Encyclopedic Survey is a comprehensive historical resource of U-M since its founding. For
U-M’s bicentennial, the Encyclopedic Survey was updated for the first time in nearly 40 years. To date, new contributions by nearly every school, college, and academic unit have brought the Encyclopedic Survey to more than 2,800 pages and 400 entries covering all aspects of the University. It is an unparalleled resource for knowledge about U-M’s past—and it continues to grow. The Bentley Historical Library has made the new Encyclopedic Survey available online and in print-on-demand formats, bringing it into the 21st century.

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Tuned in
to History

Many of the topics from Michigan’s past still resonate on campus today. The short documentary series “Uncommon Education—Celebrating 200 Years of the University of Michigan,” created during U-M’s bicentennial, explores topics connecting Michigan’s past and present.

Watch Videos
Library Science Class of 1972 on Campus

Why 1817 Matters

When was the University of Michigan founded? It’s a seemingly simple question that requires more context than you might think. This founding 411 is an easy-to-understand overview of the university’s earliest days, and why U-M celebrated its bicentennial in 2017.

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Annotated photostat enlargement of portion of the Map of the Island of Michilimackinac
  • Madelon Stockwell in 1902
    Heritage

    Madelon’s World

    Kim Clarke | February 3, 2020

    This week marks the 150th anniversary of Madelon Stockwell becoming U-M's first female student. Her arrival disrupted a world that had been all male since 1817.

    women at Michigan
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  • Pride and Prejudice

    By Robert Havey | December 3, 2019

    Jim Toy stood on the front lines of the gay rights movement in its earliest days, and his perseverance changed the face of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and beyond.

    gay rights
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  • Mary Henrietta Graham
    Heritage

    “Of Splendid Ability”

    Kim Clarke | October 13, 2020

    Mary Henrietta Graham’s accomplishments went far beyond being the first Black woman to enroll at Michigan. After obtaining her bachelor's of philosophy degree, she became a teacher, then worked at The Conservator, Chicago’s first African American newspaper.

    history of race at U-M
    read more