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"Beware of Kidnappers" (Fugitive Slave Act)
It could very well be that one of the “worst laws in the history of this country” is not what some might imagine. The Fugitive...
"Hello Stranger" 1930 Student Union Opera
"Hello Stranger" was a 1930 production of the University of Detroit's operatic endeavor for the 1930 season. It was a story of aspiring...
1837 William Whipper: "practice of non-resistance to physical aggression"
“Resolved, That the practice of non-resistance to physical aggression, is not only consistent with reason, but the surest method of obtaining a...
1957 Homecoming with a Shakespearean Theme
The University of Detroit Mercy is celebrating Homecoming this weekend, September 29-30. It includes a dinner dance, fun run, a tug-of-war...
1961 Last Dance for J-Prom
What had been an annual tradition, starting in 1914, the Junior Prom (also called J-Hop) came to an end in 1961. It was a grand occasion where...
1965 — Aerial View
The 1965 Tower Yearbook begins with an aerial view of the campus. Spending a few minutes on the two images offered here, allows...
1967 Detroit Riots – The View from University of Detroit McNichols Campus
On the 50th Anniversary of the July 1967 Detroit Riots, there has been a lot of discussion in the media as to how it affected the people in the...
A Note on the New Year from 1855
The following editorial was published in the Provincial Freeman newspaper on January 6, 1855. The digitized version of this editorial in the Black...
A Piece of the Moon at the Library
It was 50 years ago, July 20, 1969, that Neil Armstrong, became the first man to set foot on the moon. It took a few years later, but the University...
A Train Connection at the University of Detroit
With the recent announcement of Ford Motor Company acquiring the historic Michigan Central Train station, in browsing the files in archives, I...
A Very Merry Madrigal Christmas
The University of Detroit sponsored Madrigal Dinners in full medieval costumes from 1964-1966. The students put on the production with songs by...
A Wind Tunnel for Aeronautical Engineering
At a special meeting of the Board of Trustees held on March 19, 1921, the reverend Fathers unanimously agreed with Professor Dunn to start a program...
Aces Wild 1927 University of Detroit Student Opera Musical Comedy
While the Archives floor is undergoing renovation, I will be running some past blogs. In an alphabetical browse through the theatre files of...
Aretha Franklin: Honorary Doctor of Music
Aretha Franklin recieved an honorary degree from the University of Detroit in 1987. Her citation reads: Respect -- not only is it the title...
“A Boy of 1812″
Things were never really what you might call cordial between the New World and Britain during the early 1800s. There was the whole mess between...
“Our Wish is to Do Good”
The Colored American was among 40 black newspapers published before the Civil War. Although it’s first issue was available in...
“Southside View of Slavery”
A documentary on Public Television (PBS) called The African Americans: Many Rivers To Cross offers an excellent overview of slavery in the...
Benny Napoleon, Class of '82
I was sad to hear of Benny Napoleon's passing of the coronovirus. As I was reading all the news articles and hearing on the radio other...
Big Mac on Campus
OK- well not exactly ON campus, but you can't miss it. McDonald's set up shop at the corner of McNichols and Livernois in 1989....
Black Abolitionist Archive – the Canadian connection
Communication holds together the people within a defined social structure. Slavery as a social institution in the early years of this country,...
Bob Seger-The Early Years
Recently, Bob Seger announced some of the dates for his final tour. In one of his early performances, he played here for the University's Spring...
Bob-Lo Memories
The recent news that one of the Bob-Lo boats, the Ste. Claire, caught fire during its renovation, probably brought back a lot of memories from...
Christmas Ads: Smoke'm if you got 'em
Back in the days when companies were allowed to advertise cigarette brands, Varsity News would put them in the student newspapers.Here are a few from...
Civil War and Civil Rights
It was fear mostly that kept free black men from being accepted for enlistment in the early days of the Civil War (1861-1865). Although they...
Come fly the friendly skies of the University of Detroit Flying Club!
While the Archives floor is undergoing renovation, I am rerunning some past blog posts. The University of Detroit Flying Club was first formed...
Editorial Cartoon from Varsity News 1976
I guess some things never change. Editorial cartoon from Varsity News Jan 13, 1976
Equitable Laws: The Greatest Good of the Greatest Number- Black Abolitionist,1863
In light of some current criticisms surrounding some apparent racist comments by Donald Trump, I thought I would find an item in the Black...
Football on Thanksgiving
Around the Detroit area, a football game on Thanksgiving means a game with the Detroit Lions. But long before there was even a Detroit Lions team...
For the Class of 1969: Has it been 50 years since....
Back in 1969: the average cost of a car was $3,270, a gallon of gas was 35 cents. The United States would land the first man on the moon. The first...
From the 1968 Commencement File
From 50 years ago.... from artist Charles Thurston, some pointers on "How to Watch a Graduation"...
Game Night at the Library
Each year the McNichols Library sponsors a night of games for Detroit Mercy students, staff and faculty. A variety of video and card games...
Golfing at the University of Detroit Mercy
The University of Detroit Mercy is one of the partners of the Rocket Mortgage Classic, the first PGA Tour to be held in the City of Detroit at the...
Homecoming 1956: Disneyland Theme
Homecoming time! Back in 1956, the university celebrated with a parade with a Disneyland theme for the 35 floats, a Homecoming Queen, the U. of D....
Human Chess Game at the University Detroit 1959
Monarchy met Democracy in a full scale "Human Chess Game" at the University of Detroit in 1959. Moving on a 576 square-foot chess board...
Index Card Collection: Maurice Greenia Jr.
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International Intercollegiate Turtle Derby at the University of Detroit
It has been ten years since I last posted this item! An oldie but goodie that I think is worth posting again. There are races like the...
James T. Callow Folklore Archive-Some Unexpected Finds
While the Archives and Special Collection area is undergoing some renovations, I will rerun some previous postings. Many times when I am looking...
Josiah Henson and Harriet Beecher Stowe
It seems an unlikely pairing, but one theory in the history of slavery assures us that Harriet Beecher Stowe was influenced to write her novel Uncle...
L. Brooks Patterson, Class of '61, Law '67
Most people in Michigan knew L. Brooks Patterson when he was serving as Prosecutor (4 terms) or Oakland County Executive (7 terms). Love him or hate...
Library Advice: Too Little? Too Late?
Finals week coming up! If you are just now getting started on your report...
Library ALMOST done.....
Just a few more finishing touches to do.... Computers going up! Bookmark cafe coming along.... New furniture added...
Library before the internet
OH NO! The system is down! Well, guess we will just have to do stuff the old fashion way-with paper and pencil and a good memory as to where the...
Library Construction Update
Its getting there, but still has a ways to go.....
Library Renovation Update
Just a couple more weeks and the library renovation should be just about done! See new more modern water fountain! Cafe's new home...
Library renovation-just need to add students!
It took all summer, but the first floor of the library is finally open for business! ...
Lillie B. Kassab Memorial
Students and visitors have probably passed by the Lillie B. Kassab Memorial thousands of times without too much notice. It was...
Manuscribblers to Writers Club to Creative Writing Collective
The University has a number of ways for students to express their creative writing skills. In 1945 a club called "Manuscribblers" was...
March Madness-Maybe Next Year
The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team has in the past, taken part in the NCAA Basketball Tournaments. They have played in the...
Martin Luther King Jr.-Still Dreaming
More on Martin Luther King Jr.-Still Dreaming Updated 1/11/18 by P. Higo
Memorial Day May 29, 1951
Memorial Day Service May 29, 1951 Marble table at the base of the University of Detroit Mercy Tower
Memories for the Class of 1967
No cell phones back then! New buildings on campus being put up. The chaos and frustration of registering for class!...
Mercy College newspaper 1970
From October, 1941 through April 1989, Mercy College of Detroit offered its academic population news and information through the publication of a...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
More on Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Updated 12/10/19 by P. Higo
More things change, more they stay the same: 1946 vs 2017
As I was browsing through the 1946-1947 Varsity News for something to post on this blog, I came across a couple of items that are still very much...
One more time-the Tower clocks
This is a rerun, but it's "timeless" (sorry could not help myself) Take a look at the first picture of the tower and compare it...
Recent Fr. Dowling's Watercolors Acquired
A couple of Fr. Dowling's watercolors have come back home. If these pictures could talk it would be interesting as to what travels they took that...
Roller Skating Party!
Back in the 1940's there was a roller skating rink on the corner of Livernois and McNichols (not sure which corner).
ROTC-Air Force, Angel Flight
Back in the late 1950's to '70's there was an auxillary group of women with the ROTC Air Force division called Angel Flight. The...
Safety Street 2021
This year Safety Street at the University of Detroit Mercy, all the trick or treaters will pick up their treats as a drive through. Maybe not as much...
Safety Street at the University of Detroit Mercy
While the archives area is being renovated, I am rerunning some past postings. In 1990 the University of Detroit Mercy chapter of the American...
Safety Street from 1999
Safety Street is an annual event at the McNichols campus of the University of Detroit Mercy. It started from the School of Architecture in 1990 and...
Some Gestures from the University of Detroit Mercy Folklore Archive
In the archives are photos of gestures from the Folklore Archive collection. I am posting some of them here (there are 79 total pictures, in the...
Some Political Thoughts from 1969 -Fifty Years Ago!
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St. Patrick’s Day Tug-of-War, Irish vs. German with University of Detroit St. Francis Club
HOW IT ALL BEGAN (From the St. Francis Club Archives) Legend has it that the whole thing began with a tussle between one Adolph Schultz...
Take the Library Survey-Chance to WIN $50 Amazon Gift Card
JUST A FEW MORE DAYS LEFT! Click this link or copy into your browser:...
The 1960′s “Take-Over Generation”
The 1963 Tower Yearbook introduces the reader to 12 months of changes summed up in one span of time between March 15, 1962 to March 15, 1963. The...
The age of inquiry
In March, 1827, Freedom’s Journal, the first black-owned and operated newspaper was established with the goal of reaching the free...
The McCabe Lounge
How many times have you gone down to the Lower Level of the McNichols Library on your way to get something to drink or eat from the vending...
The VITA 1928
Just an interesting Ad from the 1928 Varsity News Commencement issue. Not much in the way about the commencement-mostly ads, jokes, cartoons (I guess...
Tiny Treasures in the Archives
A few of the very small items held in the university library archives.
Travelogue 1863
During the years of African-American Newspaper publication in the 1800s, articles would often appear regarding travel across the new territory that...
Tribute to Peter Sieruta
The Archives are undergoing a major renovation for the next few weeks. The material will, for the most part, not be available. so I will be rerunning...
Tuyere Fraternity 1918-1977?
The Tuyere fraternity started in 1918, but under the name "Cosine Theta". At first it was just a club licensed to play cards and have a...
University of Detroit Mercy Presidential Trivia
As Donald B. Taylor has been offically installed as the latest president of the University of Detroit Mercy, here is a bit of trivia on some past...
Valentine's Day Blog from 2014
This is an update of a blog posted in 2014. I thought since this blog would come up around February 14, I would find some nice Valentine’s...
Valuable Package (Henry 'Box' Brown)
On June 7, 1849, an amazing tale of one man’s courageous flight from slavery was published in the Emancipator, one of many black abolitionist...
Varsity News: Celebrating 100 Years!
Varsity News, the student newspaper is published by the University of Detroit Mercy. It has been running almost continuously for 100 years. There...
Watergate and Impeachment
There is growing talk of impeachment and comparison of the Watergate scandal to Mueller's report on the Russian interference of the 2016...
Welcome National Jesuit Student Leadership Conference!
The first Jesuit to set foot on what is now Detroit was Father Jean Enjalran on June 7, 1687. Fast forward 190 years for the establishment of the...
William Still, Black Abolitionist
“There is a flow to history and culture. This flow is rooted and has its wellspring in the thoughts of people. People are unique in the inner...
Women's and Gender Studies Program: Celebrating 25 Years!
In response to student concerns, academic developments of the the late 20th century, and social movements around the globe, the idea of a...