Suggested Research Topics - The Development of Athletic Facilities at the University of Michigan

The physical plant of the university's Athletic, Physical Education, and Recreation programs has grown from several rough playing fields to a complex of buildings serving a wide variety of users. Several of these buildings, Waterman-Barbour Gymnasium, The Intra-Mural Sports Building, Yost Arena, and Michigan Stadium, were of some significance nationally as model university athletic facilities.

In this paper the student would trace the history of a particular building or facility, for example Ferry Field or Yost Arena. For most athletic facilities a researcher should be able to follow a building from initial proposal and planning stages through approval by the Regents, funding, construction, use, and, in some cases eventual destruction. Questions to be examined would include the stated need for the facility? Who supported it? Was their any opposition to its construction? Did it replace an existing facility - if so why? How was the building funded? Who were the architects and contractors? Were there problems in construction? Was there anything innovative or unique in the design of the building? Was there a formal ground breaking or dedication ceremony? What was the reaction of the university - how well did the building serve its intended purpose? Were there ever major renovations or remodelings?

The Bentley has some sources which will be relevant for a history of nearly any building, for example Regents proceedings and exhibits, papers of the university president, Plant Extension Services or office of the University Architect. Types of records will include correspondence and papers of various university department's and officers, architectural records, articles in the Daily and other student and university publications, student and faculty papers, and the Bentley's vertical file and extensive photograph collections.

There will be some collections uniquely relevant to particular buildings however. As an example, listed below are sources for a history of the Waterman-Barbour Gymnasium.

Sources:

Printed Secondary Material:

University Records andManuscript material:

Printed Primary Material:


In an effort to encourage creative thinking about possible research topics for students unfamiliar with archives and their inevitable complexities, archivists and student employees of the Bentley Historical Library have authored "suggested research topics ." The purpose of these is not to define a topic but rather to stimulate thinking about a topic where the holdings of the Bentley Library are particularly strong.