Tag Archives: Town and Gown

1966 Mardi Gras at UD with Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong gave a performance as part of the University of Detroit’s Town and Gown Series. He was in town during the UD’s Mardi Gras weekend and help crown the King (Robert Plantz) and Queen (Carolyn J. Popp) of Mardi Gras at his concert.   As part of the festivities during that weekend there was a street parade of costumed marchers down Livernois, a Mardi Gras Ball, and after Louis Armstrong’s concert and again after the basketball game, students could...

1966 UD Town & Gown Series: Fiesta Mexicana

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH SEPTEMBER 15 – OCTOBER 15, 2015 As part of the University of Detroit Town and Gown Celebrity Series, a program “Fiesta Mexicana”, a company of 30 of Mexico’s top singers, dancers, and musicians gave a performance at the Memorial building (now Calihan Hall). The company had performed all over the world including London, Milan, Paris, Berlin, and Tokoyo. The performance covered Mexican culture from the pre-Hispanic Aztec and Mayan civilizations to modern times through folk and popular...

Mardi Gras Time!

University of Detroit used to have big Mardi Gras celebrations with parades, dances , and  elect a king and queen to reign over the festivities. In 1967, as part of the Town and Gown concert series, Al Hirt and his band from his New Orleans Bourbon Street Club played on campus in the Memorial Building (now called Calihan Hall). I guess I am dating myself, but I always associate Al Hirt with Mardi Gras like Guy Lombardo with New Years...

Detroit Tigers: Memories of 1968 World Champions!

As the Detroit Tigers prepare for the American League Division playoffs, I thought I would take a moment to reminisce about my favorite team-the 1968 Detroit Tigers. Things were much simpler back then, they didn’t have to go through this whole division playoffs system like they do now. At the end of the regular season it was just whoever was in first place in the American League vs. National League. I guess there was not as much emphasis on getting...

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...