A public university founded in 1817, the University of Michigan had a rustic beginning. At its campus in Ann Arbor, west of Detroit, cows owned by the faculty once grazed, and as late as 1845, wheat was grown on site as part of a janitorās remuneration.
By 1866, the university had become the largest in the country. Now, the University of Michigan is one of the biggest research universities in the United States. It boasts alumni including Gerald Ford, former US president; Larry Page, co-founder of Google; and actor James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader.Ā
The universityās sporting tradition began in 1865, and its sports teams, collectively known as the Michigan Wolverines, have won more than 50 national championships in 12 sports. Why the wolverine became the universityās mascot is a mystery, as although the nickname caught on in the middle of the 19th century, the first verified sighting of the animal in Michigan state did not occur until 2004.
Michiganās mission is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through āpreeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the futureā. It offers 250 undergraduate majors, 100 doctoral and 200 masterās programmes, as well as more than 1,400 student clubs.
The university has no shortage of bizarre traditions. On campus sits āThe Cubeā, a huge black object so finely balanced on one corner that students can spin it around despite its great weight. One myth is that the president gives it a push each morning in order to keep the campus running smoothly.
When students first arrive at Michigan they walk through a campus fountain to make them an āofficial wolverineā. After graduation, they walk the other way through the water, signifying their departure to join the professional world. And donāt step on the brass āMā at the centre of the campus, or exam failure awaits.