A Date with History

In December 1898, Fred Newton Scott, a professor of rhetoric in the Department of English, presented a plan to the Regents, “[W]hereby the news of the University may be circulated among the country newspapers throughout the state.” As part of a committee on the subject, Scott recommended U-M establish a University News Bureau, and appoint a university editor.

Whether he wanted it or not, Scott got the job as university editor. This little calendar, which is housed at the Bentley, is likely an outreach piece from his newly created News Bureau.

The calendar is a mix of facts and art, the latter being attributed to the Peninsular Engraving Company of Detroit. This year, the days of the week match exactly with 1899, making the calendar a perfect way to signal U-M’s Bicentennial.

Click through the slideshow below for more of the calendar’s facts and art, and click here to learn more about Scott’s papers, which the Bentley holds:

An early engraving of U-M's Newberry Hall, which today houses the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology.

Ashley Pond was a respected lawyer who taught at U-M's Law School from 1865-1868.

The Law School occupied its original building until 1933. Today, the Law Quad consists of four buildings: The Lawyers Club; the John P. Cook Dormitory; the Legal Research Library; and Hutchins Hall.

Today, the College of LSA alone offers more than 2,000 courses in 75 departments at the University of Michigan.

The Bentley has records of U-M soldiers in conflicts from the Spanish-American War to the Civil War to World Wars I and II, and more.

An engraving of Eliza Mosher, who was the first Dean of Women at U-M.

In Fall 2016, the University Registrar reported that 21,789 females were registered for classes at the University of Michigan.

An engraving of a U-M athlete, likely a baseball player winding up for a pitch.