East Physics Building

When President Burton inaugurated a building program in 1921, a new physics facility was given top priority by the Committee of Five. In line with the decision of the regents and the committee that science buildings should occupy the north and east sides of campus, the University erected the new structure on East University Avenue. The old Medical Building, once situated between the West Engineering and West Medical Buildings, had been razed in 1914. The planners of the new building decided on this location for the new physics building.

In 1922, plans were accepted from Albert Kahn, and construction begun. Completed in 1924, a significant portion of the $450,000 appropriation paid for new equipment. The four-story building was constructed of reinforced concrete faced with brick. Campus planners limited the height of the building to conform with the height of surrounding structures. This restriction necessitated the construction of three basements, an unusual plan at that time. The building originally had 121 rooms, some of which were designed for special purposes, such as noise research.

Source: The University of Michigan: An Encyclopedic Survey; Walter A. Donnelly, Wilfred B. Shaw, and Ruth W. Gjelsness, editors; Ann Arbor : University of Michigan Press, 1958.