Monthly Archives: June 2013

Summer Sessions at University of Detroit-Nuns on Campus

While many students may take the summer off from their studies, the campus is still buzzing with classes for the summer session. During the 1950′s there have been as many as 470 nuns representing twenty-five different orders attending daily classes, studying on campus benches and eating in the Student Union. They would come from all over the country as well as from Canada and even the Sisters of Notre Dame de Sion from Paris, France and Sisters of St. Dorthy...

Town and Gown Celebrity Series: Louis Armstrong, Alvin Ailey, Arthur Fiedler and more!

In the 1960′s, the University of Detroit presented a series of performances from classical, popular and folk artists. “Town and Gown” at U of D was an innovation started by Rev. Herman S. Hughes, S.J. in 1964. Throughout the school year various artists were scheduled included such names as (in no particular order): Louis Armstrong,  Carlos Montoya, the original Broadway cast of the Spoon River Anthology, Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington, Ed Ames, Erroll Garner, Roger Williams, Arthur Fiedler conducting the...

Odds and Ends in the Archives

There are various items that get donated or I pick up on ebay that relate in some way to Mercy College or University of Detroit. This is just a sample of some of the things. If you have any odd thing that happens to have the Mercy College of Detroit or U of D name on it, please consider sending it to the University of Detroit Mercy Archives. The only thing I do not need are U of D Tower...

Love and Marriage at UDMercy

Since June is a popular month for weddings, I thought I would check through the archives for any wedding activity.  The chapel at Mercy College was often used for wedding ceremonies. There was an enclosed area in front of the library and next to the chapel where the bride and her attendants would wait before the ceremony.  I remember seeing one wedding party with a medieval theme complete with the groomsmen dressed like they were part of King Arthur’s round...