A great c1920 3x4 inch photo of Ypsilanti Michigan Fraternity (most likely from Michigan State Normal College presently known as Eastern Michigan University) showing girls with a Ypsilanti banner.
Eastern Michigan University (EMU) is a comprehensive, co-educational public university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is 35 miles (56 km) west of Detroit and eight miles (13 km) east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School. Today, the university is governed by an eight-member Board of Regents whose members are appointed by the Governor of Michigan for eight-year terms. The school belongs to the Mid-American Conference and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Since 1991 EMU athletics has gone by the name "Eagles". Then in 1994, "Swoop" was officially adopted by the university as the school's mascot.[7] Currently, EMU comprises seven colleges and schools:[8] College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education, College of Health and Human Services, College of Technology, an Honors College, and a Graduate School. The university's site is composed of an academic and athletic campus spread across 800 acres (3.2 km2), with over 120 buildings. EMU has a total enrollment of more than 23,000 students.
Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 Governance
2 Academics
2.1 Academic divisions
3 Campus
3.1 University sites
4 Student life
4.1 Student organizations
4.2 Greek life
4.3 Campus media and publications
4.4 Traditions
4.5 Residence halls & apartments
4.6 Dining
5 Athletics
5.1 Nicknames
6 Notable alumni
7 References
8 External links
History[edit]
Adonijah Welch, the first principal of Michigan State Normal School
Main article: History of Eastern Michigan University
The university was founded in 1849 and opened its doors in 1853 as Michigan State Normal School. Michigan State Normal School was the first in Michigan and the first normal school created outside the original 13 colonies. One hundred and twenty-two students started classes March 29, 1853.[9] Adonijah Welch served as Michigan State Normal School's first principal. Michigan created a state educational system modeled on Germany. The normal schools were to train teachers for common schools, which were being established rapidly in new towns in the state. In 1899, the school became the Michigan State Normal College when it created the first four-year curriculum for a normal college in the nation. Normal began the 20th century as Michigan's premier teacher-preparatory school and had become the first teacher-training school in the United States to have a four-year degree program.[9] Just like many other universities during World War I, the Great Depression and World War II, the school survived and expanded further.[9] With the additions of departments and the large educational enrollment after WWII, the school became Eastern Michigan College in 1956.
University Enrollment
Year
Enrollment
1853 122
1905 1,130
1930 2,250
1960 5,137
1970 21,410
1980 19,326
1990 26,000*
2000 23,181
2010 23,503
*Data from 1990 is based on university publication.[10][11][12]
In 1959 the school became a university gaining the title Eastern Michigan University after establishing the Graduate School (graduate classes were offered since 1939).[9] Between 1959 through 1980 the College of Education, College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School, College of Business, College of Health and Human Services and College of Technology were established. In the early 1970s, international student exchange schemes were organised, including one with Coventry College of Education (later part of the University of Warwick) in Britain.[13][14] In 2005, the Honors Program became the Eastern Michigan University Honors College. More recently, extended programs were added such as Continuing Education (which includes EMU Online), the Centers for Corporate Training, the World College and numerous community-focused institutes. Today the university's total student population averages about 23,000, of whom roughly 5,000 are graduate students. Most programs are undergraduate or master's level, although the university has doctoral programs in Educational Leadership, Technology, and Psychology. EMU former-President Susan W. Martin, Ph.D., took office as EMU's twenty-second president on July 7, 2008, just after the university was fined a then-record $350,000 for not reporting to students the sexual assault and murder of a student in her residence hall room.
Governance[edit]
Michigan State Normal School Logo
"Other institutions of higher education established by law having authority to grant baccalaureate degrees shall each be governed by a board of control which shall be a body corporate. The board shall have general supervision of the institution and the control and direction of all expenditures from the institution's funds. It shall, as often as necessary, elect a president of the institution under its supervision. He shall be the principal executive officer of the institution and be ex-officio a member of the board without the right to vote. The board may elect one of its members or may designate the president to preside at board meetings. Each board of control shall consist of eight members who shall hold office for terms of eight years, not more than two of which shall expire in the same year, and who shall be appointed by the governor by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Vacancies shall be filled in like manner."[15]
Under Michigan's 1964 state constitution, Eastern Michigan University is governed by an eight-member Board of Regents. The Regents are appointed by the governor, "with the advice and consent of the Senate", and serve eight-year terms. The Regents, in turn, elect the president of the university[15]
Academics[edit]
University rankings
National
Forbes[16] 623
Starkweather Hall is the oldest building on campus.
College/School founding
College/school
Founded
College of Arts and Sciences 1959[9]
College of Education 1959[9]
Graduate School 1959[4]
College of Business 1964[4]
College of Health and Human Services 1975[4]
College of Technology 1980[4]
Honors College 2005[17]
Eastern Michigan University offers degrees and programs at the bachelor's, master's, specialist's and doctoral levels. There are more than 200 majors and minors at the undergraduate level, and more than 170 graduate programs. EMU has six Academic Divisions and eight University Sites which include satellite campuses. Just like many other large universities EMU does offer online courses and degrees.
Academic divisions[edit]
The University has seven Colleges and Schools.[8] Areas of study are divided by College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education, College of Health and Human Services and College of Technology. Beyond this there are two other colleges: an Honors College, which oversees honors courses, and the Graduate School. The Honors College and Graduate school handles courses that are honors and graduate program within the various colleges. Eastern has offered graduate courses since 1939.[18] The graduate school has close to 5,000 students enrolled in masters and doctoral programs and is house in Boone Hall.
Pray-Harrold
Porter Hall
The two oldest colleges at the university are the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Education. The largest college is the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) with 125 programs of study.[19] Beyond this CAS oversees the most facilities such as Ford Gallery, Sherzer Hall, Kresge Environmental Education Center, the Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Research Facility, and Pease Auditorium. Eastern Michigan has had a long history of developing educators since its founding. EMU prides itself as the largest producer of educational personnel in the country since 1991.[20] Eastern Michigan University's Department of Special Education is among the oldest special education program in the United States, started In 1923.[21]
Marshall Hall
The College of Business
The College of Business (COB) was established in 1964.[22] The COB is the only college not on the main campus, it is housed in the Gary M. Owen building in downtown Ypsilanti.[22] The COB is known for having the First Ethos Week and Ethos Honor Society in the country.[23][24]
Eastern Michigan University established the College of Human Services in 1975. Eventually the university changed the name to the College of Health and Human Services on April 21, 1982.[25]
The two most recent established colleges are the College of Technology (COT) in 2008 and the Honors College in 2005.[26][27] The EMU Honors Program started in 1984.[26]
Campus[edit]
University Park, in the background is the Rec/IM, Student Center and Lakehouse.
Main article: List of Eastern Michigan University buildings
EMU is in Ypsilanti, a city 35 miles (56 km) west of Detroit and eight miles (13 km) east of Ann Arbor. Detroit Metro Airport is a fifteen-minute drive from campus. The school is a culturally diverse learning and teaching community set in a small city environment, amid a major metropolitan area. Students, attracted by the school's atmosphere and location, come not only from the Metro Detroit area but from the entire state of Michigan; EMU is well known both nationally and internationally. The university's site is composed of an academic and athletic campus spread across 800 acres (3.2 km2), with 122 buildings. The EMU campus includes several buildings with sculpture by Corrado Parducci. Just like many larger campuses Eastern Michigan University has its own department of public safety.
University sites[edit]
EMU Livonia
University Sites
Site
Location
EMU Ypsilanti, MI
EMU–Brighton Brighton, MI
EMU–Detroit Detroit, MI
EMU–Jackson Jackson, MI
EMU–Livonia Livonia, MI
EMU–Monroe Monroe, MI
EMU–Northern Michigan Traverse City, MI
Kresge Environmental Center Lapeer, MI
The University has a main campus and eight University Sites including satellite campuses.[28] The earliest off-site campus is EMU-Jackson. Courses have been offered in Jackson Michigan since the 1970s.[29] Course catalog records show courses have been offered at the Kresge Environmental Center dating back to at least 1976.[30] EMU has held courses in Flint and Traverse City since 1987.[31] EMU-Livonia began offering courses in 2000.[32][33] In 2001, EMU-Detroit opened (moved to a new location in Detroit in 2013).[34] EMU opened its Monroe location in 2002.[35] The last off-campus site, EMU-Brighton, opened in 2003.[36] EMU and Grand Valley State University offers a joint doctoral program in Educational Leadership at the Eberhard Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Eberhard Center facility is part of the GVSU downtown campus.[37] This location is sometimes referred to as EMU-Grand Rapids but is not officially listed as a university site.
Student life[edit]
for a list of EMU Student life buildings, see Student Life Buildings
EMUstudentCenterYpsilantiMI.jpg WMIHalleLibrary.jpg
EMU Student Center (left) Halle Library (Right)
Just like many large universities EMU has many student oriented facilities outside the classroom. The university has plays, musicals, student organizations, and various social activities for students. On-campus hangouts include the Student Center, The Rec/IM, Halle Library, and dining facilities like the Eastern Eateries and the Commons (DC1). EMU's office of Campus Life provides many co-curricular opportunities for both resident students and commuter students which include Friday night movies, Laugh Lounge and Sky Lounge. In addition to activities on campus, EMU's campus life office also organizes occasional "Eastern Excursions" to cities such as Detroit, Cleveland, and Chicago. Off-campus hangouts include Depot Town, Frog Island, Riverside Park, downtown Ann Arbor and The Ugly Mug coffee shop.[38]
Student organizations[edit]
Student Organizations at Eastern are housed under Campus Life. Most academic departments on campus have at least one student organization for students who are interested in that subject area. Students work with volunteer organizations such as Habitat for Humanity both during the school year and on breaks. Other clubs include the Muslim Student Association and the LGBTA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender/Transsexual Association). Eastern Michigan University has over 340 student clubs and organizations.[39]
Greek life[edit]
Fraternities[40] Sororities[40]
Alpha Kappa Lambda
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Sigma Phi
Arm of Honor
Delta Sigma Phi
Delta Tau Delta
Iota Phi Theta
Kappa Alpha Psi
Omega Psi Phi
Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Sigma Kappa
Phi Sigma Phi
Sigma Nu
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Theta Chi - Epsilon Mu Chapter
Alpha Gamma Delta
Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Sigma Tau
Alpha Xi Delta
Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Zeta
Sigma Delta Tau
Sigma Kappa
Sigma Nu Phi
Sigma Sigma Sigma
Zeta Phi Beta
Sigma Gamma Rho
Beyond student organizations EMU offers a variety of Greek organizations on campus. The Greek system provides fraternities and sororities students can join, many of which have houses within walking distance of campus.[41] Just like most universities EMU has a National Pan-Hellenic Council, College Panhellenic Council and Interfraternity Council[42] Interfraternity Council comprises eight fraternities, and the Panhellenic Council is made up of nine sororities. National Pan-Hellenic Council consists of 9 historically African-American fraternities and sororities, five fraternities and four sororities.[43]
Alpha Sigma Tau, a national Panhellenic sorority was founded at EMU on November 4, 1899. Sigma Nu Phi, a local sorority, was founded on Eastern's campus September 30, 1897. It is the oldest Greek organization on campus as well as the oldest continually-functioning local sorority in the nation. Greek Life at EMU hosts a yearly event called Greek Week. Greek Week is a week of events centered on Greek unity and spirit. The week often occurs in the beginning of April.[44] Other traditions include Greek Awards. The yearly awards are based on the University's Greek Standards and Assessment Program (GSAP).[45]
Campus media and publications[edit]
See also: Eastern Echo, WEMU, and LINGUIST List
The Eastern Echo started as the Normal News in 1881
The Eastern Echo, EMU's independent student newspaper, is published three times a week during the fall and winter semesters and once a week during the spring semester, as well as publishing content online. The paper won eight awards in the 2005 Division 1 Michigan Collegiate Press Association contest, including second place in the general excellence category. The newspaper, which is funded through advertising revenue and university funds, is not under the editorial control of the university.
Also part of the EMU Student Media Office is Cellar Roots, the school's student-run literary and fine arts magazine. Cellar Roots celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2006 with a week of events that highlighted the history of the publication. Cellar Roots is a five-time winner of the National Pacemaker award for design, an award often equated with the Pulitzer Prize for the college level, as well numerous other awards.[46]
EMU hosts two radio stations WQBR and WEMU 89.1 FM. WEMU is a National Public Radio member station. The radio station, which features jazz music, has many student employees and broadcasts many EMU athletic games. WQBR stands for Quirk Building Radio, where the station was once hosted in Quirk. Today WQBR is named Eagle Radio and is no longer hosted in Quirk. Eagle Radio broadcasts from Halle library and is an Internet only radio station at www.eagleradio.org.
The LINGUIST List is a major online resource for the academic field of linguistics. It was founded by Anthony Aristar in early 1990 at the University of Western Australia,[47] and is used as a reference by the National Science Foundation in the United States.[48] Its main and oldest feature is the premoderated electronic mailing list, now with thousands of subscribers all over the world, where queries and their summarized results, discussions, journal table of contents, dissertation abstracts, calls for papers, book and conference announcements, software notices and other useful pieces of linguistic information are posted.
Traditions[edit]
Pray-Harrold Kiosk.
Eastern Michigan has several campus-wide traditions throughout the school year. Longstanding traditions include Homecoming, Martin Luther King, Jr. Week and the use of the Pray-Harrold Kiosk by students.
The Pray-Harrold Kiosk is a large cement pillar outside Snow Health Center and the Rec/IM. The Pillar is painted by various organizations for campus awareness, advertisements and organization unity.[49][50]
During Eastern's fall semester, traditions include Fajita Fest, Community Plunge, and Homecoming. Fajita Fest occurs during the school's orientation and welcoming weekend in September.[51] The event brings more than 300 campus offices, and student organizations together in University Park & Bowen Field House to showcase campus organizations and services. Community Plunge also occurs during orientation and offers the opportunity for students, staff and faculty to participate in service in the Ypsilanti community.[52][53]
During Eastern's winter semester campus traditions include Martin Luther King, Jr. Week, Ethos Week, The Gold Medallion Awards, and Relay For Life. Martin Luther King, Jr. Week occurs around Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. The university holds various speakers, learning opportunities, creative expression, community building, events, and awards in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his dream.[54][55] Ethos Week is a week-long annual event occurring in March and is led by the COB. The event promotes business ethics and ethics education.[23][24] The Gold Medallions Awards are split into two ceremonies. The Gold Medallion Awards started in 1982 and is organized by Eastern's Student Affairs Division to recognize faculty, students and staff.[56] In 1996, the Student Gold Medallion Awards were established. The award ceremony recognizes student leaders, student organizations, divisional programs, activities or service.[57] Eastern's Relay For Life event is a 24-hour, yearly event held in University Park that started in 1985.[58] The event is centered on supporting the American Cancer Society. The event brings in campus organizations from the entire campus.[59][60] The event has been held at various times during the year but in recent times the event is held in early April before the school-year ends.
Residence halls & apartments[edit]
for a list of EMU Residence Halls and Apartments, see EMU Residence Halls & Apartments.
The Village Complex.
Eastern Michigan University has 14 residence halls. As of Fall 2014 first-year only residence halls will include Putnam and Phelps. Upperclassmen student living options include: the Village, Buell, and the three apartment complexes. Sellers, Wise, Walton, Downing, Wise, Hill, Hoyt, Pittman and Best house all students, regardless of class ranking. Honors students are housed in Downing and Best Halls. Past locations included Jones and Goddard Halls.[26][61][62] Eastern also offers faculty, staff and family housing options in Cornell Courts, and Westview apartments.
According to the university, approximately 5,000[63][64] students live on campus. In the fall of 2010, EMU began housing some full-time students in the Village Complex from Washtenaw Community College, which is less than half a mile away, however the program ended in 2011 when housing enrollment went up.[65]
In 2011, Eastern Michigan became the first university in Michigan and the eighth nationwide to offer a targeted program to house single parents with their children on campus. Called "Keys to Degrees", the program will house single-parent families near each other in one of Eastern Michigan's on-campus apartment complexes, and will offer extra academic and personal support to enrollees.[66][67]
Dining[edit]
CrossRoads Marketplace
for a list of dining facilities, see EMU Dining.
Eastern Michigan University Dining Services an independent department following an organizational shift wherein it was separated from the department of Housing and Residence Life.. EMU has numerous dining and satellite operations. The larger dining facilities on campus include the Commons (DC1), the Eateries, Crossroads Marketplace, and the Student Center. Satellite operations and several Convenience Stores across campus.
Athletics[edit]
EMU Convocation Center
Main article: Eastern Michigan Eagles
for information about EMU Athletic Bands, see EMU Athletic Bands.
for information about EMU Athletic Facilities, see EMU Athletic Facilities.
Eastern Michigan athletic teams have been successful on a national level, winning three NCAA Division II national championships and 13 NAIA Division I national championships in five different sports (baseball, men's cross country, men's swimming and diving, men's indoor track and field, and men's outdoor track and field).
Swoop, EMU's Mascot since 1994[7]
EMU has also been NCAA Division I national runner-up twice in 1940 and 1976. In 1940, the men's cross country team finished second to Indiana University. In 1976, the baseball team was defeated by the University of Arizona in the final game of the College World Series. The Eagles have the most MAC championships in a single sport, 29, in men's swimming and diving. For men's and women's Track and field (indoor and outdoor), collectively holds the record for most MAC titles out of all the EMU athletics teams.
Eastern's men's basketball team has appeared in four NCAA Division I tournaments, and have a 3-4 record, tied for third best among Michigan colleges. In the 1996 Men's Basketball Tournament, Eastern Michigan defeated the Duke Blue Devils in the opening round.
Rynearson Stadium
The 2006–2007 season was a successful one for Eastern Michigan, as they won an EMU and Mid-American Conference record eight conference titles: Men's Cross Country, Men's Swimming And Diving, Women's Swimming And Diving, Softball, Men's Indoor Track, Women's Gymnastics, Men's Golf and Men's Outdoor Track. This beat the school's previous record of five titles as well as the previous MAC record of six.
Traditionally, Eastern's football teams have struggled to attract fans, partially due to the team's proximity to the University of Michigan. In 1987, EMU won its first Mid-American Conference title then defeated 17½-point favorite San Jose State in the California Bowl.
There have been small successes though, such as a 6-4 record against rivals Western Michigan and Central Michigan in the 5 years under coach Jeff Genyk from 2004 to 2008, setting a school record for a 5-year span against Western and Central.[68]
Nicknames[edit]
For information about the teams' nicknames, see EMU team name history.
Since the 1991 season, Eastern Michigan University athletic teams have gone by the nickname "Eagles." Prior to the 1991 season EMU used the name "Hurons". EMU used the Hurons name and Indian logo from 1929 until 1991. Despite much controversy, support of the Huron tribes in Oklahoma and Quebec, and anger among its alumni, EMU changed the logo after the Michigan Department of Civil Rights issued a report suggesting all schools drop such logos. During the Michigan State Normal College years the school went by the nicknames such as "Normalites" and "Men from Ypsi" and various other titles.
Notable alumni[edit]
Main articles: List of Eastern Michigan University people and List of Presidents of Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University has more than 145,000 living alumni, more than 100,000 of whom still reside in Michigan.[69] Some notable Eastern Michigan University alumni include Joseph Sobran, Dann Florek, Tara Wall, Andrew Miles Davis, Akkineni Nagarjuna, Greg Mathis, Rodney E. Slater, Marilyn Jean Kelly, Jack Roush, John Harvey Kellogg, and Bruce T. Halle. NFL player Charlie Batch and NBA players Earl Boykins and George Gervin also attended Eastern Michigan.
Ypsilanti (/ˌɪpsɪˈlænti/ ip-si-LAN-tee; often mispronounced /ˌjɪpsɪˈlænti/ yip-si-LAN-tee[6]), commonly shortened to Ypsi, is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan, perhaps best known as the home of Eastern Michigan University. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 19,435. The city is bounded to the north by Superior Township and on the west, south, and east by Ypsilanti Township. Ypsilanti is located 6 miles (10 km) east of Ann Arbor and about 18 miles (29 km) west of the Detroit city limits.
The geographic grid center of Ypsilanti is the intersection of the Huron River and Michigan Avenue, the latter of which connects downtown Detroit, Michigan with Chicago, Illinois, and through Ypsilanti is partially concurrent with U.S. Route 12 Business and M-17.
Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 Early history
1.2 Automotive history
1.3 Political history
1.4 Timeline
2 Geography
3 Demographics
3.1 2010 census
3.2 2000 census
4 Nicknames
5 Education
5.1 K–12 education
5.2 Higher education
5.3 Linguist List
6 Sites of interest
7 Local media
8 Transportation
8.1 Highways
8.2 Other
9 Culture
9.1 Cultural history and attractions
9.2 In popular culture
10 Notable people
11 Sister cities
12 See also
13 References
14 Further reading
15 External links
History[edit]
Early history[edit]
Bust of Demetrios Ypsilantis at the Ypsilanti Water Tower
Originally a trading post established in 1809 by Gabriel Godfroy, a French-Canadian fur trader from Montreal, a permanent settlement was established on the east side of the Huron River in 1823 by Major Thomas Woodruff. It was incorporated into the Territory of Michigan as the village Woodruff's Grove. A separate community a short distance away on the west side of the river was established in 1825 under the name "Ypsilanti", after Demetrios Ypsilantis, a hero in the Greek War of Independence.[7] Woodruff's Grove changed its name to Ypsilanti in 1829, the year its namesake effectively won the Greek war, and the two communities eventually merged. A bust of Demetrios Ypsilantis by Greek sculptor Christopher Nastos[8] stands between a Greek and a US flag at the base of the landmark Ypsilanti Water Tower.
Automotive history[edit]
Ypsilanti has played an important role in the automobile industry. From 1920 to 1922, Apex Motors produced the "ACE" car. It was in Ypsilanti that Preston Tucker (whose family owned the Ypsilanti Machine Tool Company) designed and built the prototypes for his Tucker '48. Tucker's story was related in the film Tucker: The Man and His Dream, directed by Francis Ford Coppola.
In 1945, Henry J. Kaiser and Joseph W. Frazer bought the nearby Willow Run B-24 Liberator bomber plant from Ford Motor Company, and started to make Kaiser and Frazer model cars in 1947. The last Kaiser car made in Ypsilanti rolled off the assembly line in 1953, when the company merged with Willys-Overland and moved production to Toledo, Ohio. General Motors purchased the Kaiser Frazer plant, and converted it into its Hydramatic Division (now called its Powertrain division), beginning production in November 1953. The GM Powertrain Division ceased production at this facility in 2010.
Ypsilanti is also the location of the last Hudson automobile dealership. Today, the former dealership is the site of the Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Collection. The museum is the home to an original Fabulous Hudson Hornet race car, which inspired the character Doc Hudson in the 2006 Pixar animated film Cars.
Political history[edit]
Statue of Harriet Tubman in Ypsilanti, Michigan.
In the early 1970s, along with neighboring city of Ann Arbor, the citizens reduced the penalty for the use and sale of marijuana to $5[9] (the Ypsilanti Marijuana Initiative; see also the Human Rights Party). When Ypsilanti prosecuted a man possessing 100 pounds (45 kg) of cannabis under state law, the defense argued he should have been charged under Ypsilanti's ordinance. The trial judge declared the ordinance's requirement that Ypsilanti prosecute only under city law unenforceable. An appeal court upheld the trial judge's ruling. Later, Ypsilanti City Council, using its power of codification, deleted the ordinance.[citation needed]
In 1979, Faz Husain was elected to the Ypsilanti city council, the first Muslim and the first native of India to win elected office in Michigan.
In the 1990s Ypsilanti became the first city in Michigan to pass a living wage ordinance.
In the late 1990s, the city adopted an ordinance to ban discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity/transgender status, body weight (i.e., being obese or underweight). Two ballot measures to repeal the ordinance were led and bankrolled by conservatives, including Tom Monaghan. Both measures failed, the second by a larger percentage than the first.[citation needed]
On July 23, 2007, Governor Jennifer Granholm announced that Ypsilanti, along with the cities of Caro and Clio, was chosen by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) to take part in the Blueprints for Michigan's Downtowns program. The award provides for an economic development consultant to assist Ypsilanti in developing a growth and job creation strategy for the downtown area.[10]
Timeline[edit]
1809 – Trading post established by French-Canadian Gabriel Godfroy from Montreal
1823 – Village of Woodruff's Grove platted
1825 – April 21, Plat recorded under the name Ypsilanti
1827 – Ypsilanti Township organized
1832 – June 19, Woodruff's Grove re-organized and incorporated as the Village of Ypsilanti
1849 – Eastern Michigan University founded as Michigan State Normal School
1858 – February 4, the Village of Ypsilanti reincorporated as a city
1890 – Michigan's first interurban, the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti Street Railway, begins service
1890 – The Ypsilanti Water Tower is completed
1929 – Miller Motors Hudson opens, it eventually becomes the last Hudson dealership in the world[11]
1931 – McKenny Union opens as the first student union on the campus of a teachers' college.[12]
1959 – Eastern Michigan becomes a university
1960 – Tom Monaghan founds Domino's Pizza as DomiNick's Pizza at 507 W. Cross St, Ypsilanti.
1967 – Ypsilanti resident John Norman Collins is suspected of being the perpetrator of the Michigan murders, a series of murders of coeds at the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University. He was convicted in 1969, but of only one of the murders.
1990 – Eastern Michigan University achieves its highest student enrollment of 26,000
1998 – The Michigan Firehouse Museum is established preserving a firehouse built in 1898.
Geography[edit]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.52 square miles (11.71 km2), of which 4.33 square miles (11.21 km2) is land and 0.19 square miles (0.49 km2) is water.[1] The Huron River flows through both the City of Ypsilanti and the Charter Township of Ypsilanti.
Ypsilanti is located at 42.24°N 83.62°W, in the western reaches of the Detroit/Windsor metropolitan area. Suburban development between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor, via Washtenaw Avenue and Packard Road, has been unbroken since the late 1960s. Downtown Ypsilanti and the surrounding neighborhoods are the site of many historical homes, including kit homes by companies like Aladdin and Sears.
Demographics[edit]
Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 3,955 —
1870 5,471 38.3%
1880 4,984 −8.9%
1890 6,129 23.0%
1900 7,378 20.4%
1910 6,230 −15.6%
1920 7,413 19.0%
1930 10,143 36.8%
1940 12,121 19.5%
1950 18,302 51.0%
1960 20,957 14.5%
1970 29,538 40.9%
1980 24,031 −18.6%
1990 24,818 3.3%
2000 22,362 −9.9%
2010 19,435 −13.1%
Est. 2016 21,018 [3] 8.1%
Sources: United States Census[13] (1900–2000)
U.S. Census Bureau[14] (2009)
2010 census[edit]
As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 19,435 people, 8,026 households, and 2,880 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,488.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,733.0/km2). There were 9,271 housing units at an average density of 2,141.1 per square mile (826.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 61.5% White, 29.2% African American, 0.6% Native American, 3.4% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 4.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.9% of the population.
There were 8,026 households of which 18.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 19.7% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 64.1% were non-families. 42.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.92.
The median age in the city was 25 years. 14.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 35.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.3% were from 25 to 44; 16.6% were from 45 to 64; and 8.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.7% male and 50.3% female.
2000 census[edit]
As of the census[4] of 2000, there were 22,362 people, 8,551 households, and 3,377 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,081.5 per square mile (1,962.3/km2). There were 9,215 housing units at an average density of 2,094.0 per square mile (808.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 61.40% White, 30.58% African American, 0.44% Native American, 3.18% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.32% from other races, and 3.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.47% of the population. 13.6% were of German, 6.8% Irish, 6.4% English and 5.5% Polish ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 8,551 households out of which 19.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.0% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 60.5% were non-families. 40.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 15.9% under the age of 18, 38.2% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 12.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,610, and the median income for a family was $40,793. Males had a median income of $30,328 versus $26,745 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,692. About 16.9% of families and 25.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 30.1% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.
Nicknames[edit]
Ypsilanti is often shortened to "Ypsi," particularly in spoken conversation and local/regional usage.
Because a large number of residents or their ancestors migrated from Appalachia, certain neighborhoods (particularly on the far east side of the city and into Ypsilanti Township) are sometimes called "Ypsitucky." Harriette Arnow's book The Dollmaker, which was made into a film starring Jane Fonda, focused on the lives of these "Ypsituckians."
Recently, the use of the term "Ypsitucky" has come under increased scrutiny due to its historically derogatory connotation. In 2008, the issue was raised after a dinner being held in Ann Arbor to honor Harriette Arnow was described as an "Ypsitucky Supper" in some of the event organizer's media releases.[15][16] In 2009, planning began for the "Ypsitucky Jamboree," a new music festival celebrating bluegrass music to be held in Ypsilanti in September 2009; this resulted in objections from some area residents and some members of the City Council, leading to renaming the event as simply "The Jamboree."[17][18][19]
Education[edit]
See also: Ypsilanti District Library
See also: HighScope
K–12 education[edit]
Ypsilanti Community Schools serve residents of the city, as well as parts of Ypsilanti Township and Superior Township. Ypsilanti Public Schools and Willow Run Community Schools merged to form a new, united district on July 1, 2013. Charter schools in the city include Arbor Preparatory High School.
It also was the setting of a well known and long running High/Scope Perry Preschool Study regarding the effects of early childhood education in children. The study researched the effects of preschool on the later lives of low income children from the area.[20]
Global Educational Excellence operates the Global Tech Academy (PreK-5) in nearby Ypsilanti Township.[21][22]
Higher education[edit]
University Park on EMU campus.
A college town, Ypsilanti is home to Eastern Michigan University, founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School. Today, Eastern Michigan University has 18,000+ undergraduate and more than 4,800 graduate students.[23] As well, Ypsilanti is home to Washtenaw Community College (WCC) sponsored off-site extension center.
Linguist List[edit]
Ypsilanti was also the home to the main editing site of the Linguist List, a major online resource for the field of linguistics. It was mostly staffed by graduate students who attend Eastern Michigan University and runs several database websites and mailing lists.[24]
Sites of interest[edit]
The new addition to the historic building which houses the Michigan Firehouse Museum was completed in the summer of 2002.
Ypsilanti has the second largest contiguous historic district in the state of Michigan,[25] behind only the much larger city of Grand Rapids. The historic district includes both downtown Ypsilanti, along Michigan Avenue, and the Depot Town area adjacent to Frog Island Park and Riverside Park, which features many specialty shops, bars and grills, and a farmers' market.
The Tridge is a three-way wooden footbridge under the Cross Street bridge over the Huron River at 42.24561°N 83.61160°W. The Tridge connects Riverside Park, Frog Island Park, and Depot Town.[26][27]
The Ypsilanti Water Tower, adjacent to the campus of Eastern Michigan University, holds the unique distinction of being the winner of the Most Phallic Building contest.
Starkweather Chapel, in Richardsonian Romanesque architectonic style, in Highland Cemetery
Other sites of interest include:
Ypsilanti District Library
Ypsilanti Historical Museum (housed in a Victorian mansion built in 1860)
Automotive Heritage Museum
Michigan Firehouse Museum
Ypsilanti Water Tower (built in 1890)
Ypsilanti Food Co-op
Highland Cemetery
Pease Auditorium (on the campus of Eastern Michigan University)
Starkweather Hall, built in 1896 as a student religious center (currently housing EMU Honors College)
Local media[edit]
Ypsilanti is served by daily newspapers from Detroit. Ypsilanti once had its own daily newspaper, the Ypsilanti Press, but that paper closed June 28, 1994, after 90 years in business.[28] Upon closing, the Press sold its masthead, archives and subscriber list to the Ann Arbor News, which then began publishing an Ypsilanti edition. The Ann Arbor News ceased publication on July 23, 2009; it was replaced by a new Internet-based news operation, AnnArbor.com, which also produces print editions on Thursdays and Sundays. A weekly newspaper, the Ypsilanti Courier, is published every Thursday by Heritage Media from their Saline, MI offices.
Local radio stations include:
WEMU FM (89.1 FM), a public radio station, which broadcasts jazz and blues music and NPR news from Eastern Michigan University
WQBR (610 AM carrier-current and University Cable Channel 10), EMU's student-run radio station
WDEO (990 AM), a Catholic religious radio station targeting the Detroit area
WSDS (1480 AM), licensed to nearby Salem and a former longtime country-music station, now broadcasts Spanish-language popular music as "La Explosiva" and has studios in Ypsilanti.
WAAM (1600 AM), a conservative Talk and News station serving Washtenaw County. Broadcasting local talk, sports and music shows. Owned by First Broadcasting.
Transportation[edit]
Street map of Ypsilanti
Highways[edit]
I-94 bypasses the city to the south.
US 12 travels east to Detroit and west toward Chicago; it runs concurrently with I-94 from exit 181 to the west of the city to exit 185 to the east of the city.
US 23 passes just west of the city.
Bus. US 12 is a loop route through downtown Ypsilanti.
M-17 connects Ypsilanti with nearby Ann Arbor.
Other[edit]
Willow Run Airport, located near Ypsilanti, serves a variety of freight and general aviation air traffic. Major international freight carriers Kalitta Air and National Airlines are based there, however there are no scheduled commercial flights. Willow Run was once one of the Detroit area's major commercial airports, hosting international flights to Europe, but all commercial traffic had switched to nearby Detroit Metro Airport by 1967.
Amtrak's twice daily Wolverine service from Chicago to Pontiac passes through Ypsilanti, but does not stop. Amtrak's last passenger train stopped in Ypsilanti in 1984. Amtrak and area leaders have said they are considering reinstating a stop at Ypsilanti, however.[29]
The Border-to-Border Trail winds through Ypsilanti, linking the city to Ann Arbor and (eventually) Dexter.
Culture[edit]
The Ypsilanti Water Tower and bust of Demetrios Ypsilantis.
Cultural history and attractions[edit]
Domino's Pizza was founded in Ypsilanti in 1960 near the campus of Eastern Michigan University.
By 1963, Clara Owens established the Ypsilanti Greek Theater in Ypsilanti, Michigan for the performance of Greek theater productions.
In 1966 the Ypsilanti Greek Theater opened at the EMU Baseball field. Bert Lahr and Dame Judith Anderson starred in two productions, The Oresteia, a trilogy of Greek tragedies written by Aeschylus and The Birds by playwright Aristophanes.
Since 1979, the city has become known for summer festivals in the part of the city called "Depot Town", which is adjacent to both Riverside and Frog Island Parks along the banks of the Huron River. Festivals include the annual Ypsilanti Heritage Festival, Michigan ElvisFest, the Orphan Car Festival, the Michigan Brewers Guild Summer Beer Festival, the former Frog Island Festival, and a Latino festival.
Painter Fay Kleinman moved to Ypsilanti in the late 1980s with her husband, pianist Emanuel Levenson.
Overlooking Riverside Park is the non-profit Riverside Arts Center. Established in 1994 through the efforts of the Ypsilanti Downtown Development Authority and several public spirited citizens, the Riverside boasts a 115-seat black box theater, a sizable art gallery and some meeting rooms and offices. In 2006 the adjacent DTE building was renovated with "Cool Cities Initiative" money and is in the process of being incorporated into the center's activities.
In popular culture[edit]
It has been said that Ypsilanti is the Brooklyn to Ann Arbor's Manhattan.[30] Comparable to the gentrification causing many artists, poets, musicians, and hipsters to flee the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City to areas like Bushwick, Brooklyn, nearby Ann Arbor has experienced massive increases in land value and taxes over the last several decades. Despite Ann Arbor's reputation in the region as a bohemian cultural center, many creative people have been driven out of the city to Ypsilanti due to these changes. A vibrant, underground arts scene has begun to emerge as a result.[31] This community gathered semiannually at the juried Shadow Art Fair held at the Arbor Brewing Company Microbrewery,[32] which has now evolved into DIYpsi.[33]
Milton Rokeach's 1964 psychiatric case study, The Three Christs of Ypsilanti, inspired a stage play and two operas. Poet W. H. Auden described it as "a very funny book ... about a hospital in which there are three gents, all of whom believe themselves to be the Lord. Which is common enough, except in the case of one—who had actually found a disciple!"[34]
Author Kurt Vonnegut has a chapter titled "A Sappy Girl From Ypsilanti" in his 2005 book A Man Without a Country.
The Ypsilanti City Council declared Lee Osler's "Back To Ypsilanti" the city's official song in 1983.
Iggy Pop grew up in the Coachville trailer park, lot 963423,[35] on Carpenter Road in Pittsfield Township (near Ypsilanti) during his teenage years at the start of his music career.
Ypsilanti is the subject of Sufjan Stevens' song, "For The Widows In Paradise, For The Fatherless In Ypsilanti", on his 2003 album Michigan.
A portrait of jazz guitarist Randy Napoleon, painted by his grandmother, Fay Kleinman, is part of the permanent art collection of the Ypsilanti District Library. Napoleon performed his first public gig as leader at the age of twelve under a tent at the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival, an event sponsored by WEMU radio.
The Emmanuel Lutheran Church of Ypsilanti hosted filming for two days of the Movie Stone, starring Robert De Niro. The funeral service and a few outside scenes were filmed at the Church, with locals posing as extras.[36]
In the 2004 cartoon Superior Defender Gundam Force, in the intro for the eighth episode "A Princess, A Cake, and A Winged Knight" a character named Shute goes onto to describe his hometown and claims it to be Ypsilanti, Michigan, shortly after he says he was "just kidding" and introduces the city as Neotopia.
Notable people[edit]
Nickolas Ashford – songwriter and singer in the duo Ashford & Simpson[37]
Mike Bass – NFL player, defensive back for Detroit Lions (1967) and Washington Redskins (1969–1975), scored touchdown in Super Bowl VII[38]
Walter Briggs Sr. -- owner of Detroit Tigers 1919-1952, born in Ypsilanti
Byron M. Cutcheon – American Civil War general and U.S. Congressman[39]
Brandon Denson – professional Canadian Football League player who plays defensive end for the Ottawa Redblacks[40]
Amy Devers – furniture designer and TV personality (Freeform Furniture, Designer People, Trading Spaces, Fix This Yard, Home Made Simple)[41]
Adam Gase – Miami Dolphins head coach
Rodney Holman – NFL player, tight end for the Cincinnati Bengals (1982–1992), and the Detroit Lions (1993–1995)[42]
Charles S. Kettles (born January 9, 1930) is a retired United States Army lieutenant colonel and a Medal of Honor recipient.
Carolyn King – one of first girls to play Little League baseball; centerpiece of landmark lawsuit in 1973 that led to Little League dropping boys-only policy[43]
Janae Marie Kroc - record-setting powerlifter and transgender model
Alfred Lucking – U.S. Congressman[44]
Russell C. Ostrander - former mayor of Lansing and Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court[45]
Frank Owen - pitcher for 1906 World Series champion Chicago White Sox
Lowell Perry – NFL football player, first African American hired to be assistant coach in the NFL
Charles Ramsey – former Eastern Michigan Eagles men's basketball head coach; he played on the YHS baseball, basketball and football teams[46]
Victor Roache - left fielder for Milwaukee Brewers
Don Schwall – former MLB player (Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves)[47]
Ryan Shay (1979-2007) – long distance runner
Bob Sutton - defensive coordinator for NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets; head coach for Army 1991-99
Marie Tharp (1920-2006) - geologist who pioneered understanding of plate tectonics and continental drift
Edwin F. Uhl - mayor of Grand Rapids, ambassador, U.S. Secretary of State
Shara Worden – lead singer and songwriter for My Brightest Diamond[48]