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Learn about some of the remarkable U-M alumnae of the Barbour Scholarship program. Since 1917, this program has supported women of the highest academic caliber from across Asia and the Middle East.
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A Historic Facility, a New Director
Meet Gregory Parker, the new director of the Judy and Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory. His passion for public history and experience with exhibits, programing, and U-M converge in his new role.
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Throwback to when the bronze block `M` on U-M’s Diag was installed, on this day in 1953!
A campus landmark just outside of the Harlan Hatcher Library, this block `M` is the center of the famous U-M legend claiming that any student who steps on the `M` will fail their blue book exams!
A gift of the Class of 1953, the design of the block `M` on the Diag was planned by a group of architecture students, and the `M` itself was made of "semi-polished bronze,” according to the Michigan Daily at the time, and installed on May 8, 1953.
But did you know that this campus landmark was actually inspired by an earlier block `M` on the Diag?
It’s true! Before the class of 1953 donated the bronze `M,` there was a brick and tile block `M` in the very same spot, known among students as “the seal,” which helped inspire the well known bronze design.
According to 1953 Michigan Alumnus magazine, the origins of the first brick block `M` can be traced to a mason who worked on the Diag courtyard in the 1920s: Perry Kimbel.
"Without anyone`s requesting the monogram, and with no one to say it couldn`t be done, Perry Kimbel sometime in 1922 went to work with mortar and brick and laid in the monogram which, thirty years later, was to fall to the picks and shovels of the Plant Department," the Alumnus wrote, describing the brick `M` as an “unrequested gift.”
The bronze block ‘M’ that replaced Perry Kimbel’s brickwork design remains a beloved spot on campus today!
📸: Bentley staff photo of the Block ‘M,’ & the Michigan Daily Digital Archives
#TBT #OTD #UMich #Diag #Campus #AnnArbor #1950s #MichiganHistory
Throwback to when the bronze block `M` on U-M’s Diag was installed, on this day in 1953!
A campus landmark just outside of the Harlan Hatcher Library, this block `M` is the center of the famous U-M legend claiming that any student who steps on the `M` will fail their blue book exams!
A gift of the Class of 1953, the design of the block `M` on the Diag was planned by a group of architecture students, and the `M` itself was made of "semi-polished bronze,” according to the Michigan Daily at the time, and installed on May 8, 1953.
But did you know that this campus landmark was actually inspired by an earlier block `M` on the Diag?
It’s true! Before the class of 1953 donated the bronze `M,` there was a brick and tile block `M` in the very same spot, known among students as “the seal,” which helped inspire the well known bronze design.
According to 1953 Michigan Alumnus magazine, the origins of the first brick block `M` can be traced to a mason who worked on the Diag courtyard in the 1920s: Perry Kimbel.
"Without anyone`s requesting the monogram, and with no one to say it couldn`t be done, Perry Kimbel sometime in 1922 went to work with mortar and brick and laid in the monogram which, thirty years later, was to fall to the picks and shovels of the Plant Department," the Alumnus wrote, describing the brick `M` as an “unrequested gift.”
The bronze block ‘M’ that replaced Perry Kimbel’s brickwork design remains a beloved spot on campus today!
📸: Bentley staff photo of the Block ‘M,’ & the Michigan Daily Digital Archives
#TBT #OTD #UMich #Diag #Campus #AnnArbor #1950s #MichiganHistory
We are so proud of all the amazing student history workers who have graduated this year! 🎉
Sanil, pictured here, was one of the very first astronomy docents at U-M’s historic Detroit Observatory, a division of the Bentley Historical Library that works to highlight Michigan’s astronomy history!
Sanil has done all kinds of wonderful work as a student docent, leading tours, using historic telescopes, creating workshops about photographing the stars, and giving talks about things like the history of Mars in science fiction.
“I learned a lot while working on my Mars talk,” Sanil says. “It allowed me to research literature and science fiction writing, and see how it has evolved and been influenced by new theories.”
Sanil just graduated from U-M with his Bachelor of Science degree in Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Interdisciplinary Physics, and also earned a minor in Business, on top of everything else!
In the future, he would love to work in a field where astronomy and business intersect, such as space technology. 🚀✨
Congratulations Sanil!!! 🥳
Click through to learn about the types of historical materials Sanil loves to work with the most!
#GoBlue #UMich #MGoGrad #Congratulations #DetroitObservatory #AstronomyHistory #OurStudentsAreAwesome
We are so proud of all the amazing student history workers who have graduated this year! 🎉
Sanil, pictured here, was one of the very first astronomy docents at U-M’s historic Detroit Observatory, a division of the Bentley Historical Library that works to highlight Michigan’s astronomy history!
Sanil has done all kinds of wonderful work as a student docent, leading tours, using historic telescopes, creating workshops about photographing the stars, and giving talks about things like the history of Mars in science fiction.
“I learned a lot while working on my Mars talk,” Sanil says. “It allowed me to research literature and science fiction writing, and see how it has evolved and been influenced by new theories.”
Sanil just graduated from U-M with his Bachelor of Science degree in Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Interdisciplinary Physics, and also earned a minor in Business, on top of everything else!
In the future, he would love to work in a field where astronomy and business intersect, such as space technology. 🚀✨
Congratulations Sanil!!! 🥳
Click through to learn about the types of historical materials Sanil loves to work with the most!
#GoBlue #UMich #MGoGrad #Congratulations #DetroitObservatory #AstronomyHistory #OurStudentsAreAwesome
In honor of the Class of 2025, we’re taking a look back at U-M’s 1925 commencement! 🎓
According to the Michigan Alumnus magazine, graduating students paraded down the sidewalks of Ann Arbor, making their way down State Street, to Ferry Field, which was the football field at the time.
Michigan Stadium didn’t exist yet; it would open just two years later!
Many of the people watching the long parade of graduates had umbrellas with them, as the sky looked like it might rain; in fact, the weather was so worrying that the Field House had been prepared, just in case graduation had to move indoors.
However, although there was a mild drizzle, according to the Alumnus magazine, “the elements relented,” and the graduates got to have their commencement procession outside after all!
Students crossed the stage on Ferry Field class by class. After the ceremony, there was a performance of the song “The Yellow and Blue,” and triumphant bugle music!
100 years later, we’re excited to share our congratulations to the Class of 2025! 🎉 We know you’ll make all kinds of amazing history!
You can find these photos, and others like them, in historical editions of the Michigan Alumnus magazine in the archives.
#MGoGrad #UMich #StudentLife #MichiganHistory #100YearsAgo #1920s #Commencement
In honor of the Class of 2025, we’re taking a look back at U-M’s 1925 commencement! 🎓
According to the Michigan Alumnus magazine, graduating students paraded down the sidewalks of Ann Arbor, making their way down State Street, to Ferry Field, which was the football field at the time.
Michigan Stadium didn’t exist yet; it would open just two years later!
Many of the people watching the long parade of graduates had umbrellas with them, as the sky looked like it might rain; in fact, the weather was so worrying that the Field House had been prepared, just in case graduation had to move indoors.
However, although there was a mild drizzle, according to the Alumnus magazine, “the elements relented,” and the graduates got to have their commencement procession outside after all!
Students crossed the stage on Ferry Field class by class. After the ceremony, there was a performance of the song “The Yellow and Blue,” and triumphant bugle music!
100 years later, we’re excited to share our congratulations to the Class of 2025! 🎉 We know you’ll make all kinds of amazing history!
You can find these photos, and others like them, in historical editions of the Michigan Alumnus magazine in the archives.
#MGoGrad #UMich #StudentLife #MichiganHistory #100YearsAgo #1920s #Commencement
Throwback to over 100 years ago, when Tomo Inouye attended U-M!
She enrolled in 1899 as a medical student, attending classes in U-M’s very first Medical School building, which used to stand on Central Campus where U-M’s Randall Laboratory stands today.
That early medical building was razed in 1914, and now only survives in places like these historical photos from the archives!
When Inouye first started attending, U-M had just begun to require all medical students to do clinical rotations to gain hands-on experience in U-M`s hospitals.
Tomo Inouye earned her medical degree at U-M in 1901, becoming the first Japanese woman known to have graduated from the University of Michigan!
This year, U-M’s Medical School is celebrating its 175th anniversary; you can learn more about early medical students, and U-M’s long history of medical education, on the Michigan Medicine website! 🎉
📸: University of Michigan student portraits collection, U-M Photo Vertical Files, Sam Sturgis photo collection
#TBT #UMich #StudentLife #AAPIHeritageMonth #TomoInouye #History #MedicalSchool
Throwback to over 100 years ago, when Tomo Inouye attended U-M!
She enrolled in 1899 as a medical student, attending classes in U-M’s very first Medical School building, which used to stand on Central Campus where U-M’s Randall Laboratory stands today.
That early medical building was razed in 1914, and now only survives in places like these historical photos from the archives!
When Inouye first started attending, U-M had just begun to require all medical students to do clinical rotations to gain hands-on experience in U-M`s hospitals.
Tomo Inouye earned her medical degree at U-M in 1901, becoming the first Japanese woman known to have graduated from the University of Michigan!
This year, U-M’s Medical School is celebrating its 175th anniversary; you can learn more about early medical students, and U-M’s long history of medical education, on the Michigan Medicine website! 🎉
📸: University of Michigan student portraits collection, U-M Photo Vertical Files, Sam Sturgis photo collection
#TBT #UMich #StudentLife #AAPIHeritageMonth #TomoInouye #History #MedicalSchool