University of Michigan Main Campus in Ann Arbor in Washtenaw County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Alumni Memorial Hall

1910

Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, November 6, 2022

1. Alumni Memorial Hall Marker

Inscription. Following the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865) a movement began to create a war memorial to University of Michigan persons who had served in any of the nation's wars. A committee of the Alumni Association sought to raise funds for a suitable memorial, and in 1903, a plan was agreed upon that would lead to the construction of a memorial hall on Central Campus. In addition to being a war memorial, the Building was to serve as a gathering place for the University community, contain offices for the Alumni Association, and house the University's growing art collections. Designed in a Beaux Arts era classical style by the Detroit firm of Donaldson and Meier, the cornerstone was laid in 1908. Alumni Memorial Hall was completed in 1910 and dedicated as a memorial to "the long line of noble men and women who have rendered conspicuous service, whether in war or in peace, on the field of battle or in the classroom, to the university and to the country." In 1967, the Museum of Art expanded to occupy all of Alumni Memorial Hall, which also continues to serve its memorial purpose.

Erected 2006 by History and Traditions Committee, University of Michigan. (Marker Number 18.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music

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• Education • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1903.

Location. 42° 16.521′ N, 83° 44.412′ W. Marker is in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in Washtenaw County. It is in University of Michigan Main Campus. Marker can be reached from the intersection of South State Street and South University Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 525 South State Street, Ann Arbor MI 48109, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Michigan Union and the Peace Corps (within shouting distance of this marker); Michigan Union (within shouting distance of this marker); University of Michigan Campus 1907 (within shouting distance of this marker); Tappan Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); The Making of a Great University (within shouting distance of this marker); Michigan Union 75th Anniversary (within shouting distance of this marker); John F. Kennedy Defines The Peace Corps (within shouting distance of this marker); Law Quadrangle (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ann Arbor.

Also see . . . University of Michigan Museum of Art. Excerpt:

Alumni Memorial Hall was
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, November 6, 2022

2. Alumni Memorial Hall Marker
originally conceived in 1864 as a way to honor the University of Michigan students, faculty, and alumni who had died fighting in the Civil War. However, the project was put on hold until 1904, when a committee of Michigan alumni and professors, led by Professor Martin Luther D'Ooge and Judge Claudius B. Grant, secured a promissory note from the Board of Regents for the land the hall would eventually be built on.

With the land set aside, the Board of Regents created a committee to work in parallel with the Alumni Memorial Committee in 1905, and by the end of the year had awarded the project to the Detroit architecture firm Donaldson and Meier at the cost of $175,000. The hall's cornerstone was laid by Judge Grant and construction began in June 1908. Alumni Memorial Hall was dedicated on May 11, 1910, with a final building cost of $190,000.

(Submitted on November 27, 2022, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.)

Alumni Memorial Hall image. Click for full size.

Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, November 6, 2022

3. Alumni Memorial Hall

Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, November 6, 2022

4. Alumni Memorial Hall

Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, November 6, 2022

5. Cornerstone

Credits. This page was last revised on March 1, 2024. It was originally submitted on November 27, 2022, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 115 times since then and 22 times this year. Last updated on February 28, 2024, by Tom Nanzig of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on November 27, 2022, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.