Bentley Historical Library

Snapshots of U-M History

  • A Date with History

    This little calendar from 1899 is inscribed “With compliments of the season and of the university editor.” Each day has a printed factoid on it about the University of Michigan. This year, on the occasion of U-M’s Bicentennial, the days of 1899 and 2017 are an exact calendar match.

    … Complete Story

  • The Trailblazer

    Sixty-five years ago, scientist and educator Pearl Kendrick became a lecturer in the Department of Epidemiology at U-M. It was a capstone in an incredible career that would change the landscape of infectious disease and save countless lives.

    … Complete Story

  • The Great Society and Michigan

    On the 42nd anniversary of Lyndon Johnson’s death, the Bentley takes a look back at how months of persistence and planning came to unveil the president’s monumental speech at the University of Michigan—and how the Bentley received a treasure after it was all over.

    … Complete Story

  • The Long, Slow Death of a Statue

    The class of 1870 donated a statue of Ben Franklin to the campus. They thought it was bronze, but it was actually pewter. That was just the beginning of the statue’s problems.

    … Complete Story

  • A Bibliography 200 Years in the Making

    After almost 200 years, it’s inevitable that some parts of University of Michigan history have faded into obscurity. But thanks to a new bibliography compiled by the Bentley Historical Library, some of those facts are coming back to life.

    … Complete Story

  • Rising from the Ashes

    How a fire, a new location for the state capitol, and a tongue-tying, seven-syllable word led to the University of Michigan’s creation.

    … Complete Story
  • Little brown jug

    The Origins of the Little Brown Jug

    How a five-gallon water jug became a much-coveted trophy in a fierce football rivalry.

    … Complete Story