Flint in Genesee County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Flint
College and Cultural Center
Photographed By Joel Seewald, September 28, 2019
1. Flint: College and Cultural Center Marker
Creating a cultural core for the city,
the Flint College and Cultural Center was established in the 1950s. C. S. Mott donated 36 acres of his land for the complex, which now includes Mott Community College and the University of Michigan-Flint, a planetarium, two museums, an auditorium, a theatre, the Institute of Music, and a food technology center.
Community leaders raised $30 million for the center.
The effort was led by Flint Journal editor Michael A. Gorman, and included $4.5 million from General Motors and $3.7 million from the C.S. Mott Foundation. Significant support was provided by auto industrialists Alfred P. Sloan and Harlow Curtice, as well as William Ballenger, Mrs. J.Dallas Dort, F. A. Bower, Robert T. Longway, Enos DeWaters, the James Whiting family and Cady Durham.
"Flint is a growing and prosperous community. General Motors is happy to have contributed to this prosperity through its own growth. We recognize, too, that the support of the citizens of Flint has had a great deal to do with the growth and prosperity of General Motors."
Harlow Curtice, 1954
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Full sponsorships for the Flint College and Cultural Center's fundraising campaign began at $25,000.
Erected by MotorCities National Heritage Area, National Park Service.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education. In addition, it is included in the MotorCities National Heritage Area series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1954.
Location. 43° 1.391′ N, 83° 40.675′ W. Marker is in Flint, Michigan, in Genesee County. Marker is at the intersection of East Kearsley Street and Forest Street, on the left when traveling east on East Kearsley Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1310 East Kearsley Street, Flint MI 48503, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Josiah Dallas Dort (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Applewood Estate (about 700 feet away); Gatehouse (about 700 feet away); The Heart of the Farm (about 700 feet away); The Demonstration Garden (about 800 feet away); Flint Automobile Company (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fun and Games (approx. 0.2 miles away); Ruth Mott's Point of View (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Flint.
Also see . . . Flint Cultural Center. (Submitted on December 17, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.)
Photo courtesy of the Kettereing University Archives, Flint.
2. Flint: College and Cultural Center - left image
Harlow Curtice, President of General Motors and Charles Mott at the dedication of the Durant Plaza in the Cultural Center.
Photo courtesy of the Kettering University Archives, Flint.
3. Flint: College and Cultural Center Marker - upper right image
Longway Planetarium, one of the first buildings in the College and Cultural Area. The reflecting pool around the building was to represent the sky.
Left: Courtesy of the Sloan Museum, Flint. Right: Courtesy of the Kettering Univ. Archives, Flint., September 28, 2019
4. Flint: College and Cultural Center Marker - lower right images
Left: Some key players in the creation of the College and Cultural Center were (clockwise from upper right): Carl Bonbright, Harlow Curtice, Michael Gorman, Charles Stewart Mott, and John Goodman.
Right: Robert Longway, right, retired GM engineer accepts a check for $3 million from GM President Harlow Curtice for the College and Cultural Center.
Right: Robert Longway, right, retired GM engineer accepts a check for $3 million from GM President Harlow Curtice for the College and Cultural Center.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, September 28, 2019
5. Flint: College and Cultural Center Marker
In the background is the Sloan Museum, which is undergoing renovation.
Photographed By Joel Seewald, September 28, 2019
6. Flint Institute of Arts
The Flint Institute of Arts is across East Kearsley Street from the marker.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 17, 2019. It was originally submitted on December 17, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 342 times since then and 78 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on December 17, 2019, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
