University of Michigan. Alumni Association

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The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan was established in 1897 following a consolidation of the Society of Alumni with the alumni societies of the professional schools.

The Michigan Alumnus became the association's official organ. As the organization grew local chapters were established and provided greater structure.

Alumni activities at the University of Michigan began almost as soon as there were alumni. The Society of Alumni was formed in 1845, immediately after the first commencement. At first the society accepted graduates of any college as members, but by 1853 it had defined itself as the alumni organization of the University of Michigan, and specifically of the Literary College. The society combined social activity with promotion of the interests of the University in its early years, but was not particularly important to the running of the University. In 1874, however, the society began to take a more active role, establishing the Williams professorship fund, which was used for the support of retired professors.

In the 1870s alumni of the professional schools began to organize their own societies, law alumni in 1871, the Association of Medical Alumni in 1875, and dentistry, pharmacy, and homeopathic medicine alumni by 1884. After a financial scandal in the Society of Alumni came to light in 1889, a movement began to consolidate all the alumni societies, in order to improve confidence in the organizations. In 1897 the societies were combined into the Alumni Association.

The new society soon began to expand its activities. It bought the Michigan Alumnus, a private publication founded in 1894, to serve as its official organ. The number of local alumni clubs was expanded and an endowment fund was established to support the association's activities.

Although the University began to support the Alumni Association financially during Shirley W. Smith's tenure as secretary of the association (1901-1904), the University's support of the association increased greatly with the appointment of Harry Burns Hutchins to the presidency of the University in 1910. Hutchins saw the association as a potentially important source of funds for the University. The Association's ties with the University's development activities became even stronger after World War II, when the Phoenix Project, the $55 Million campaign, and other campaigns relied heavily on alumni support.

In 1923 the structure of the association was changed, with the local alumni chapters becoming the basic units of the organization. At this time a field secretary was also appointed, to stimulate the development of the local chapters and organization of districts.

By the end of the 20th century the Alumni Association boasted more than 104,000 members. The mission statement described the association as "an independent worldwide organization that nurtures lifelong relationships with and among current and future Michigan alumni. As a committed partner of the University, the Association offers programs of relevance and service to alumni and creates support for the University. Underlying all that we do is the belief in the value of education to the well-being of society, and a commitment to integrity, diversity, and service." Activities include organizing alumni excursions and lecture tours, coordinating reunions, operating a career assistance network, and offering lifelong learning opportunities.

Until 1914, when an alumnae representative was added to the board of directors of the Alumni Association, alumnae were not organized at the university level. A number of alumnae clubs had been organized in various localities, but there was no central organization. In 1917 a Central Coordinating Committee was formed as a part of the Alumni Association, to allow alumnae to support the needs of women students. At that time, the University was the first co-educational institution to be represented at an Alumnae Conference held in Washington, D.C. Prior to the establishment of the university organization, however, University of Michigan alumnae took an active role in the building of the national Association of Collegiate Alumnae, now referred to as the American Association of University Women. Alice Freeman Palmer, President of Wellesley College, (1876, Ph.D. hon, 1882) was one of three University of Michigan women who established the Association in 1882 in conjunction with women from the University of Wisconsin, Oberlin College, Boston University, Cornell, Vassar, Smith, and Wellesley.

The original University of Michigan organization functioned as a central correspondence committee whose purpose was to keep in touch with the needs and life of women at the university and report activities to the alumnae. In the first year, there were 14 alumnae groups in various cities throughout the United States. The first meeting of all University of Michigan alumnae was held in 1917 in Ann Arbor to discuss projects for the organization to undertake that were important to the University's women. From that meeting came the plans to fund and construct Alumnae House, the first women's residence.

In 1920, the central correspondence committee changed its name to the Alumnae Council of the Alumni Association to better reflect the growing function of the committee as an integral part of the Alumni Association. It was also decided to admit representatives from each of the alumnae groups to the Council. In 1921 a constitution for the organization was adopted. It was also in 1921 that the Council began a campaign to raise $1,000,000 for a women's building to meet the social as well as the educational requirements for women on campus. By 1926, the money was raised and in 1928 the cornerstone was laid for the Michigan League building.

In 1930, the Council began a program in cooperation with the Graduate School to aid women with financial needs. The first graduate endowment fund established was the Lucy Elliot Fellowship. This was soon followed by the Alice Crocker Lloyd Fellowship. The Henderson House, a women's cooperative dormitory, was also established, with residence based on scholastic achievement. The Council continues to sponsor scholarships for women in addition to other fellowships and loans.

The Council's activities remained somewhat independent of those of the Alumni Association until 1955, when an attempt was made to integrate alumnae activities into those of the Association.

Current information is available at the Alumni Association's web site at the following URL: http://www.umich.edu/~umalumni/