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Timeline [Ford School of Public Policy]

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Project Overview

Creator

Ford School

Format

Timeline

Publication year

2014

Visit Project

Stay Connected to U-M History

#historyofum

Open post by umichbentley with ID 18297763093303903

Meet Skyler Leslie, our newest staff member! 🎉

We’re excited to welcome Skyler (she/they) as the new Museum Events and Operations Coordinator at U-M’s Judy & Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory!

The Observatory is a historic U-M building and a division of the Bentley Historical Library that serves as a museum in Ann Arbor. Skyler will be working there to help share the history of U-M and the history of science with a wide audience!

Skyler brings a wonderful range of expertise from her previous position at Historic Fort Wayne in Detroit, including private and public program support. A lifelong Michigander, she has a Master’s of Science from U-M's School of Environment and Sustainability (@um_seas), and a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from U-M.

Skyler is enthusiastic about bringing her experience in public engagement to the Observatory, where she’ll be supporting programs and assisting with outreach!

In her spare time, Skyler is a printmaker, and likes to dabble in fiber arts. 🎨 She also loves to listen to live music, and enjoys spending time outdoors. She's excited to be working so close to the Arb!

Welcome, Skyler! 🥳

#StaffFeature #Welcome #MichiganHistory #ScienceHistory
#OurStaffAreAwesome

Open post by umichbentley with ID 17933739348257260

We’re delighted to share that Katya, one of the wonderful student docents at U-M's historic observatory, has recently defended her PhD thesis!

Katya will be earning a dual PhD in Astronomy & Astrophysics, and Scientific Computing! When she’s not studying the formation of galaxies, Katya spends her time sharing astronomy history with visitors as a docent at the Frankel Detroit Observatory, the second-oldest U-M building in Ann Arbor.

"I have a blast being able to share my passion with the community, and also meeting visitors from all over the globe," Katya says.

"I am grateful that I get to call my coworkers not only colleagues, but also genuine friends. I get to work with some of the coolest people, and I have made lifelong friends at the Detroit Observatory that I hope will stay with me long after I leave Michigan."

She especially loves getting hands-on experience with historic telescopes, and sharing stories from history with visitors.

"I have always really enjoyed telling stories about science and the people behind it," Katya says. "The Detroit Observatory has a host of amazing historic instruments, tales of colorful past astronomers, and a long tradition of research that is really fun to talk about."

Outside of her work as a docent, Katya studies distant stars which she says act almost like “fossils” that let her study the past and present of the satellite galaxies that orbit the Milky Way.

“I like to call my work "extragalactic archaeology,”” Katya says.

After graduating she will be working at an observatory in Chile, studying astrophysics at a Stanford institute, and more, as a KASI-KIPAC Rubin Fellow of the American Astronomical Society!

Congratulations, Katya! 🥳

#UMich #MGoGrad #GoBlue #OurStudentsAreAwesome #DetroitObservatory #JudyAndStanleyFrankelDetroitObservatory

Open post by umichbentley with ID 17890633662510633

Happy Pride Month! 🌈 In honor of Pride, here are six collections from the archives that explore Michigan's LGBTQ+ history!

Click through to discover records about the history of U-M's Spectrum Center, LGBTQ+ community icon Ruth Ellis, who was once known as the oldest and proudest lesbian in Detroit, and more, from the archives at the Bentley Historical Library.

Interested in learning more? The Bentley is free to visit and open to all. Anyone is welcome here in our reading room!

Be sure to also check out the Spectrum Center's interactive history timeline online for more LGBTQ+ history details!

#HappyPrideMonth #MichiganHistory #LGBTQHistory #Archives #HistoryMatters

Open post by umichbentley with ID 17890361112510654

Then vs. now in the Peony Garden! 🌸 #DidYouKnow that U-M's Peony Garden includes a number of historical peony varieties?

You can visit this garden to see heirloom peonies with names like Loveliness, Jubilee, and Princess Irene, planted over 100 years ago. Here's a view of this garden as it looked in the 1930s, and a glimpse of the beautiful peonies in bloom today!

Planning your visit? The W.E. Upjohn Peony Garden is located at Nichols Arboretum (1610 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48104). Parking is very difficult! We will have free weekend shuttles available for those wanting to visit during peak bloom.

Shuttles run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 23-24, May 30-31, and June 6-7, picking up from Mitchell Field Parking Lot (1900 Fuller Rd, Ann Arbor, MI) and dropping off at Nichols Arboretum.

If you’re interested in even more Peony Garden history, anyone is welcome to visit the Bentley Historical Library to explore the Nichols Arboretum records!

#PeonyGarden #NicholsArboretum #AnnArbor

Open post by umichbentley with ID 17863409205582568

We’re hiring! Check out our open position, and consider joining us at the Bentley Historical Library:

⭐ Reference Assistant

We’re seeking a full-time Reference Assistant to help researchers access the archives at the Bentley Historical Library in Ann Arbor.

If you’re a collaborative person who's passionate about helping people of all backgrounds and experience levels access the archives, this job could be a great fit for you!

In this position, you can help support access by bringing historical materials to visitors, answering research requests, and assisting with duplication orders.

We’re so excited to work with you! Feel free to share this job opportunity with anyone who might be interested!

Learn more and apply at this URL: https://careers.umich.edu/job_detail/278017/reference-assistant

Applications are due by June 12, 2026.

#HiringNow #JobOpportunity #LibraryJob #ArchivesJob #JoinOurTeam

Open post by umichbentley with ID 17989266881797367

Flashback to these U-M Engineering students over 100 years ago!

In the 1910s students studying engineering at U-M went on outings together! This "Engineers Outing" canoeing trip to Crooked Lake was photographed on this day in 1911.

Engineering students also did things like going camping by Douglas Lake in the area that's now home to U-M's Biological Station, shaping metal in U-M's forge, and even testing boat designs in U-M's 300 foot naval tank!

Back then, classes included things like "Railroad Construction!" At the time, students attended classes in places like the West Engineering Building (now known as U-M's West Hall) and the Engineering Annex (which no longer exists, except in historical records like these.)

You can find more photos like these ones in the U-M Photo Vertical Files at the Bentley Historical Library, and the David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography at the William L. Clements Library!

Happy researching!

#UMich #1910s #Over100YearsAgo #OTD #EngineeringHistory #StudentLife

Open post by umichbentley with ID 18585227518004901

Did you know that there is a memorial to U-M soldiers at Michigan Stadium?

Featuring a large bronze eagle delivering a wreath in honor of fallen soldiers, this memorial was designed by the artist Marshall Fredericks, who also created the well-known statue “The Spirit of Detroit.”

In 1950, this bronze eagle was dedicated in memory of the many Wolverines who have given their lives for their country.

Today on Memorial Day, we honor and remember.

#MemorialDay #MichiganHistory

Open post by umichbentley with ID 17965257006082151

Meet Shi Meiyu! Over 100 years ago, Shi Meiyu traveled from China to study medicine at U-M.

She and her friend Kang Cheng became the first Chinese women admitted to the University of Michigan in 1892!

Both students were initially hosted in Ann Arbor by Kang Cheng's adoptive mother, Methodist missionary Gertrude Howe, according to the Michigan Daily. Then they moved into a boarding house on South Ingalls Street, which you may know today as Tappan Avenue.

Most students lived in boarding houses back then. U-M did not have dormitory buildings at the time!

Shi was a popular student in the Medical School, and was elected the Class Secretary in 1896. After graduating with their MD degrees, both she and Kang Cheng went on to found multiple schools and hospitals in China!

Click through to learn more about Shi Meiyu's life as a U-M student in the 1890s.

#AAPIHeritageMonth #UMich #StudentLife #1890s #MichiganHistory

Open post by umichbentley with ID 18079923020443402

A rainy day in Ann Arbor almost 90 years ago!

Here you can see students walking across the Diag in the rain, and sharing an umbrella on an Ann Arbor sidewalk.

When these pictures were taken in 1937:

🔨 Construction was underway on the Rackham Graduate School building!

📽️ Movie promotions in the Michigan Daily newspaper proudly highlighted films played “with sound!”

Although these movies, affectionately known as “talkies,” had already been around for awhile, they were still exciting for audiences at the time.

🎵 U-M was getting ready for its annual May Festival! This old university tradition used to bring orchestras, famous opera singers, and more to Ann Arbor, and for many students was a highlight of the year.

🌧️ Rainy day activities for students at the time included playing pinball, and spending time with friends at Drake’s Sandwich Shop!

You can find these 1937 pictures of a rainy day in Ann Arbor, and more, in the Ivory Photo Collection at the Bentley, which anyone can explore online through the U-M Library’s Digital Collections!

#AnnArbor #1930s #UMich #LocalHistory #RainyDay

Open post by umichbentley with ID 18103120615968133

Join us on for Communities in Conversation on May 21, a free symposium co-presented by the Inclusive History Project, the Bentley, & the School of Information!

Participants will work together to re-envision and re-connect archival collections to communities in engaging and ethical ways.

During this symposium, sessions will feature presentations by unique archives-community collaborations from around the state, and allow for in-depth conversations about how to build and encourage further shared stewardship among Michigan archives.

This symposium is free and open to all!

📆 When: Thursday, May 21, 2026
🗺️ Where: The Leinweber Computer Science and Information Building in Ann Arbor

#AnnArbor #UMich #Archives #AnnArborEvent #OpenToAll

Open post by umichbentley with ID 18036580967797622

Meet Hannah Weinberg, our new Archivist for Reference! 🎉

Hannah helps visitors figure out which historical collections will be most useful to them, so that they have a great place to begin their research here in the archives.

"I feel as though I am constantly getting to solve puzzles that connect patrons to materials that best serve their needs," Hannah says.

"I love the feeling of resolving a question in a way that helps someone to pursue their interests. I also enjoy that I get to continually learn about new topics by helping researchers."

People reach out to us with questions ranging from when U-M's first buildings were built, to where to find early maps of Michigan!

Hannah is one of the archivists who helps figure out which collections will help our researchers the most, which means she explores all kinds of Michigan history during her work.

Outside of the archives, Hannah describes herself as a "lifelong Trekkie," who loves visiting libraries wherever she travels. Click through to learn more fun facts about our new archivist!

Welcome, Hannah! 🥳

#Archivist #StaffFeature #Welcome #Archives #OurStaffAreAwesome

Open post by umichbentley with ID 18134627986553551

We're delighted to share that Sofia, one of our amazing student workers, has earned her master's degree from U-M's School of Information!

Sofia helps people explore Michigan history with papers, photos, maps and more from the archives! As a member of the Reference Team at the Bentley, she works in the reading room, assisting visitors and bringing out historical materials for them to enjoy.

"My favorite part of working in the archives has been getting to know the Reference Team! I've loved getting to work with other students, and learning from more experienced members of the team," Sofia says.

Sofia earned her Master of Science in Information with a focus on Libraries and Archives at U-M. In the future, she hopes to work in a public or academic library in Chicago!

Click through to learn her number one piece of advice for new visitors to the archives.

Congratulations, Sofia! 🥳

#GoBlue #UMich #MGoGrad #Congratulations #InformationScience #OurStudentsAreAwesome

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