Symposia & Lectures

To put living force into the symbols: Journeys of Anatol Rapoport

September 29, 2022

In this installment of the Making Michigan lecture series, join us for an exploration of Anatol Rapoport's journeys -- personal and intellectual -- with three panelists: Shirli Kopelman, leading researcher, expert, and educator in the field of negotiations at the U-M Ross School of Business; Anthony Rapoport, son of Anatol and principal violist with Sinfonia Toronto and the Windermere Quartet; and Roger Rapoport, LSA '68, award-winning author and filmmaker and author of "A Professor's War for Peace."

Wolverine Writers: History and Storytelling Across Campus and through the Years

June 30th, 2022

In this installment of the Making Michigan lecture series, a panel of professionals from a range of publications answer questions regarding the process of writing the University's history and explore how this history helps us better understand current events.

Seeing Anew: Welcome to the Reimagined Detroit Observatory

April 8, 2022

Join us for a series of events, where we will explore the history of the Observatory, its impact on American astronomy, and the new educational potential that it has as a result of the new addition generously funded by the Frankels.

First Antiwar Teach-In

March 26, 2022

March 25, 1965. The US is bombing North Vietnam. On the University of Michigan’s campus, students and professors are gathered for a first-of-its-kind protest event.

Conquering Heroines: How Women Fought Sex Bias at Michigan and Paved the Way for Title IX

November 11, 2021

Editor and journalist Sara Fitzgerald details the executive order that came before Title IX and women at the University of Michigan's role in overcoming sex bias. Fitzgerald takes a look at this history with a nuanced, multidimensional approach.

Sing to the Colors: My Complicated Love Song to the University

January 20, 2022

James Tobin reflects on his complicated love story with the vast array of stories that make up the history of the University of Michigan, from his time at the Michigan Daily to reporting for the Detroit News.

Michigan Football Game Films, 1930-1986: Digitizing Game-Day History

December 1, 2021

Join Brian Williams and Greg Kinney as they delve into the process of digitizing over 400 game films, dating from 1930 to 1986, that are now available online. These game films serve as the first phase of a two-phase digitization project at the Bentley Historical Library.

Undermining Racial Justice at the University of Michigan

September 23, 2021

Tune in for a discussion with Associate Professor Matthew Johnson from Texas Tech University about the University of Michigan's history of sacrificing racial equality to other university values. In this installment of the Making Michigan Lecture series, Professor Johnson delves into the history of racial justice approaches at U-M and the remnants of elitism in these approaches.

Pathways to Greatness

April 27, 2021

In this installment of the Making Michigan lecture series, Bentley Director Terry McDonald discusses U-M's rise to becoming a top-ranked university, and what has been gained—and lost—in the process. Learn about who rates universities, how they do it, and what the impact has been.