Happy 4th of July! ⭐ Open this envelope with us to celebrate!

This envelope comes from the collection of U-M alum Charles Rasch, who played ragtime piano, served 2 years in the U.S. Army, and snapped all kinds of pictures across the state of Michigan during his lifetime.

His photographs highlight both the beautiful natural environment in Michigan, and the ragtime music scene!

Today we’re showcasing a photo of a 4th of July party from his collection! Thrown by Mike Montgomery, a friend of Rasch, this party featured Michigan musicians performing together, and enjoying the festivities. 🎺

From all of us here at the archives, we hope you have a safe and wonderful 4th of July!

#4thOfJuly #IndependenceDay #1960s #Ragtime #MichiganHistory #OldPhoto #HaveAWonderfulHoliday ...

Flashback to the late 1960s, when this space was being excavated for the Power Center!

U-M’s Power Center for the Performing Arts opened two years after this photo was taken, with the world premiere of the musical “The Grass Harp,” based on a novel by Truman Capote. Many alumni attended the opening performance, including much-beloved actor James Earl Jones.

Featuring large spiral staircases, and mirrored windows that reflect the nearby trees, the Power Center has hosted performances from the Royal Shakespeare Company, folk musicians, and even celebrated French mime Marcel Marceau!

The center’s construction was made possible by three U-M alumni: Eugene and Sadye Power, and their son, Philip. Today it is a crucial part of U-M’s School of Music, Theater, and Dance.

You can find this photo, and others like it, in the Joe O’Neal papers in the archives, which anyone is welcome to view in our reading room!

#UMich #AnnArbor #PowerCenter #History #Campus #Theater #1960s ...

Lawyer Brown Sylvester Smith was one of the many U-M alumni impacted by the history of slavery. He went on to use his legal knowledge to push back against discrimination.

Born to two enslaved parents in Arkansas, Smith was only around two years old when slavery first began to end in the United States. He lost his parents at a young age, and went on to work on a farm in Illinois, where he saved up money to attend university.

After graduating from U-M with his law degree in 1886, Smith spent much of his life as a lawyer in Kansas City, where he battled segregation in the courtroom, and became a City Council member.

Smith also went on to become one of the very first members of the Niagara Movement, an organization started to advocate for civil rights for African Americans by W.E.B. Dubois and William Monroe Trotter (namesake of U-M’s Trotter Multicultural Center @umtrottermc.)

Today on Juneteenth, the anniversary of the day that enslaved African Americans finally gained freedom, we honor his life, as well the many other lives harmed by slavery`s legacy.

📸: 1886 Law School portrait composite, and the U-M Photo Vertical File

#Juneteenth #UMich #BlackHistory #History #StudentLife #Alumni #NiagaraMovement ...

Did you know? This year marks the 20th anniversary of U-M softball’s first national championship! ⭐

U-M and UCLA battled it out with a tied score until the 10th inning, when Samantha Findlay hit a home run, winning the national championship for Michigan!

It was an exciting victory, but Findlay was more excited to celebrate her teammates, telling the Michigan Daily: “I would take this team over any individual awards, because this team has meant the world to me.” Since then, softball, and women’s athletics at large, have only grown.

Following the winning tradition of their teammates before them, U-M softball alumni Sierra Romero, playing with the Volts (@ausl_volts), and Lauren Derkowski, playing with the Talons (@ausl_talons), will both compete professionally in Athletes Unlimited Softball League’s inaugural season this year!

Good luck to Sierra Romero and Lauren Derkowski, and Go Blue! 💙

These national championship photos, and others like them, are being added to the U-M Athletic Department collection by our amazing student fellows through the Peikert Fellowship, made possible by Fran and Michael Peikert.

📸: Photos by Jackson Laizure & Amir Gamzu, Athletic Department collection

#UMich #Softball #GoBlue #ProBlue #AUSL #SportsHistory #NationalChampionship ...