University of Michigan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
University of Michigan

Latin: Universitas Michigania
Former names	Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
Motto	Latin: Artes, Scientia, Veritas
Motto in English	"Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
Type	Public research university
Established	August 26, 1817; 207 years ago (1817-08-26)
Accreditation	HLC
Academic affiliations	AAU URA URC Sea-grant Space-grant
Endowment	$17 billion (2021)
Budget	$10.3 billion (2021)
President	Santa J. Ono
Provost	Laurie K. McCauley
Academic staff	6,771 (2014)
Administrative staff	18,986 (2014)
Students	48,090 (2021)
Undergraduates	31,329 (2021)
Postgraduates	16,578 (2021)
Location	Ann Arbor , Michigan , United States 42°16′37″N 83°44′17″W / 42.27694°N 83.73806°W / 42.27694; -83.73806
Campus	Midsize City, 3,177 acres (12.86 km2) Total: 20,965 acres (84.84 km2), including arboretum
Newspaper	The Michigan Daily
Yearbook	Michiganensian
Colors	Maize & Blue
Nickname	Wolverines
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FBS – Big Ten CWPA

The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (often called U of M or just Michigan) is a well-known public university in Michigan. It started in 1817 in Detroit, about 20 years before Michigan became a state. Later, in 1837, it moved to Ann Arbor. It is the oldest university in Michigan and its main campus. There are also two other campuses: the University of Michigan-Flint and the University of Michigan–Dearborn.

The University of Michigan is famous worldwide. Many of its former students, called alumni, have become important people. These include U.S. President Gerald Ford and Supreme Court Justices. The university is highly ranked globally for its quality of education. It also has one of the largest budgets for research among American universities. With 460,000 living alumni, it has one of the biggest groups of former students. The university's sports teams, known as the Michigan Wolverines, are very successful, especially in football, men's basketball, and ice hockey.

History of the University of Michigan

The University of Michigan began in Detroit in 1817. It was first called the Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania. The governor and judges of Michigan Territory started it. Ann Arbor had set aside 40 acres (about 16 hectares) hoping it would become the state capital. When Lansing was chosen instead, Ann Arbor gave this land to the university.

The university moved to Ann Arbor in 1837. This original 40 acres became part of what is now called Central Campus. The first classes in Ann Arbor were held in 1841. There were six freshmen and one sophomore, taught by two professors. Eleven students were in the first class to graduate in 1845. By 1866, 1,205 students were attending the university.

Women were first allowed to attend in 1870. This made the University of Michigan one of the first major universities to let women enroll. James B. Angell was the university's president from 1871 to 1909. He helped the university offer more subjects, like dentistry, architecture, engineering, government, and medicine. The University of Michigan also became the first American university to teach using the seminar style, where students discuss topics in small groups.

Between 1900 and 1920, many new buildings were constructed on campus. These included buildings for dental and pharmacy programs, chemistry, and natural sciences. Hill Auditorium, large hospital and library buildings, and two dorms were also built. In 1920, the university improved its reputation for research. It rebuilt the College of Engineering and created a group of 100 businessmen to help guide research.

The university's reputation as a top national university grew during this time. In the 1920s and 1930s, many Jewish students from New York chose the University of Michigan. This was because Ivy League schools at the time limited how many Jewish students they would accept. Because of this, the University of Michigan was sometimes called "Harvard of the West." Later, John F. Kennedy joked about this, calling himself "a graduate of the Michigan of the East, Harvard University."

During World War II, the university's research expanded. It worked on U.S. Navy projects. These included studying proximity fuzes (devices that make bombs explode near a target), PT boats, and radar jamming (blocking radar signals). By 1950, 21,000 students were attending the university.

As the Cold War and the Space Race began, the university received many government grants for research. It helped find peaceful uses for nuclear energy. Today, much of this work, along with research into other energy types, is done by the Memorial Phoenix Project.

On October 14, 1960, Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy suggested the idea for what became the Peace Corps. He spoke on the steps of Michigan Union. Lyndon B. Johnson also gave a speech about his Great Society program at the university.

The 1960s also saw many student protests at the University of Michigan. On March 24, 1965, a group of professors and 3,000 students held the nation's first "teach-in." This was a special event where people gathered to discuss and protest American policy in Southeast Asia. In 1966, students held a series of sit-ins, where they sat in a place to protest. Because of this, the university banned sit-ins. This led 1,500 students to hold another one-hour sit-in at the LSA Building, where administrative offices were located.

The current Fleming Administration Building was designed by former student and architect Alden B. Dow. It was finished in 1968. The building's design, with its narrow windows and castle-like look, led to a rumor that it was built to be riot-proof. Dow said the small windows were meant to save energy.

In the 1970s, large budget limits made it hard for the university to build new facilities. However, the 1980s saw a big increase in money for research in social and physical sciences. During this time, the university's work on the anti-missile Strategic Defense Initiative and its investments in South Africa caused some protests on campus. In the 1980s and 1990s, the university spent a lot of money to rebuild its large hospital area. It also improved academic buildings on the North Campus and made computer and information technology very important.

Academics and Programs

The University of Michigan has many students. About 26,083 are undergraduate students, and 14,959 are graduate students. They are enrolled in 600 different academic programs. Each year, about 5,400 new students join the university. Students come from all 50 U.S. states and over 100 countries.

Most students who join the university have excellent grades. For example, 98% of the class of 2006 had a high school GPA (Grade Point Average) of 3.0 or higher. The middle 50% of students had a GPA between 3.60 and 3.90. The middle 50% of applicants also had high scores on tests like the SAT (1920–2180) and ACT (27–31). Over 3,000 freshmen students receive credit for AP classes they took in high school. About 22% of new undergraduate students and 25% of all undergraduate students belong to minority groups.

About 65% of undergraduate students attend the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LS&A). The College of Engineering has about 20% of undergraduate students. A smaller number, less than 3%, go to the Ross School of Business. The rest of the undergraduate students attend smaller schools. These include the School of Kinesiology, School of Nursing, the School of Natural Resources and Environment, and the School of Art and Design.

Most graduate students attend the Rackham Graduate School, the College of Engineering, the Law School, the Ross School of Business, and the Medical School. The Medical School works with the University of Michigan Health System. This system includes the university's three hospitals, many clinics, and places for medical care, research, and education.

Other academic parts of the university include the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. There are also schools for Dentistry, Education, Information, Music, Theatre & Dance, Public Health, and Social Work. The School of Social Work has been ranked first by U.S. News and World Report every year since 1994.

More than 70% of the University of Michigan's 200 programs and schools are considered among the best in their fields. Because of this, the school was named one of Richard Moll's "Public Ivies." This means it offers a high-quality education similar to the private Ivy League schools, but at a public university cost. The university has also had 26 students become Rhodes Scholars. This is a very special scholarship that allows students to study at Oxford University in England.

Campus Areas

The Ann Arbor campus is divided into four main areas: North, Central, Medical, and South Campuses. There are over 500 large buildings, covering more than 29 million square feet (about 2.69 square kilometers). The Central and South Campuses are close to each other. The North Campus area is separated from them by the Huron River. An East Medical Campus has also been built on Plymouth Road, with several university-owned buildings.

Notable People

Many important people have worked at or graduated from the University of Michigan. One example is:

• Mary Sheldon Barnes

Images for kids

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  University of Michigan (1855) by Jasper Francis Cropsey

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  The Central Campus Diag, viewed from the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, looking North

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  Law Library Interior

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  Hill Auditorium and Burton Tower

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  Central Campus: Angell Hall, a major building of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts

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  A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Science Research Building at the U-M Medical School

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  North Quad Residence Hall

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  Michigan Union on Central Campus

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  A football game at Michigan Stadium

See also

In Spanish: Universidad de Míchigan para niños