Memories for the Class of 1978

It has been more than thirty years since the Class of 1978 first set foot at the University of Detroit. Now they can relive some of the memories by checking out the digital version of the 1978 Tower on the library portal on the Special Collections page, at University of Detroit Yearbook Collection.

To help put some of the time period in perspective:

The Detroit Pistons moved to the Pontiac Silverdome – and they rented the U of D basketball floor to show the Silverdome officials what the floor would look like in Pontiac at the suggestion of Athletic Director Dick Vitale. Dick Vitale would later resign citing a recurring ailment, bleeding ulcers.

The University of Detroit Memorial Building was renamed Calihan Hall in honor of the former Athletic Director Robert Calihan who had retired in January.

Some of the movies playing in the area at the time: Looking for Mr. Goodbar, The Goodbye Girl, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Saturday Night Fever, Turning Point and The Gauntlet (Clint Eastwood minus the empty chair!)

Coleman Young won his second term as Mayor of the City of Detroit over Ernest C. Browne Jr.

Award winning musical ‘Chicago‘ plays at the Fisher Theatre

On Television some of the top shows : Roots, Lou Grant, Happy Days, and All in the Family

Now for a real test of the memory for the Class of 1978! In the yearbook there are lots of group pictures of various organizations at U of D, but NO NAMES! This is very frustrating when I get a request from a family member looking for a picture of a relative that attended the University.

Here are a few pictures:

Are you in these pictures? Do you recognize anyone? Check out the whole volume for more memories and see how many of your fellow students you remember.