Wayne State University

Anthony Wayne Wayne State University was established in 1868 as the Detroit Medical College by five returning Civil War veterans. The college charter from 1868 was signed by founder Theodore Andrews McGraw, M.D., a University of Michigan graduate (B.A. 1859). [ 8 ] In 1885, the Detroit College of Medicine merged with its competitor, the Michigan College of Medicine and they consolidated buildings. After the reorganization, McGraw became the first president and dean. The institutions evolved into the Wayne State University School of Medicine . In 1881, the Detroit Normal Training School for Teachers was established by the Detroit Board of Education. In 1920, after several relocations to larger quarters, the school became the Detroit Teachers College . The Board of Education voted in 1924 to make the college a part of the new College of the City of Detroit . Eventually it became the Wayne State University College of Education. In 1917, the Detroit Board of Education founded the Detroit Junior College and would make Detroit Central High School's Old Main Hall its campus. Detroit's College of Pharmacy and the Detroit Teachers College were added to the campus in 1924, and were organized into the College of the City of Detroit. The original junior college became the College of Liberal Arts. The first bachelor's degrees were awarded in 1925. The College of Liberal Arts of the College of the City of Detroit became the Wayne State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences . Detroit College of Medicine, c. 1911 Recognizing the need for a good law school, a group of lawyers, including Allan Campbell, the school's founding dean, established Detroit City Law School in 1927 as part of the College of the City of Detroit. Originally structured as a part-time evening program, the school's first class graduated with the bachelor of laws degree (LL.B.) in 1928 and achieved full American Bar Association accreditation in 1939. The school became Wayne State University Law School .

In 1933, the Detroit Board of Education voted to unify its colleges into a university. In January 1934, that institution was officially named Wayne University , taking its name from Wayne County (in which both the university and the city of Detroit reside), which was itself named after Revolutionary War Major-General Anthony Wayne . [ 9 ] Wayne University added a School of Social Work in 1935, and the School of Business Administration in 1946. Wayne University was renamed Wayne State University in 1956 and the institution became mandated by an amendment to the Michigan Constitution in 1959. The Wayne State University Board of Governors created the Institute of Gerontology in 1965 in response to a State of Michigan mandate. The institute's primary mission in that era was to engage in research, education and service in the field of aging. Wayne State University in 1973 added the College of Lifelong Learning. In 1985, the School of Fine and the Performing Arts, and the College of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs further grew the university. [ citation needed ] In the early 21st century, WSU constructed the Integrative Biosciences Center (IBio), a 207,000-square-foot (19,200 m 2 ) facility for interdisciplinary work in the biosciences . More than 500 researchers, staff and principal investigators work out of the building, which opened in 2016. [ 10 ] In 2013, M. Roy Wilson became Wayne State's 12th president. In 2018, the new Mike Ilitch School of Business facility opened in The District Detroit. [ 11 ]

Aerial view of the campus Old Main Entrance of the Maccabees Building Wayne State's main campus in Detroit encompasses 203 acres (0.82 km 2 ) of landscaped walkways and gathering spots linking over 100 education and research buildings. [ 12 ] The campus is urban and features many architecturally significant buildings, including the University Auditorium (formerly the Helen L. DeRoy Auditorium [ 13 ] the Education Building, the Maccabees Building , Old Main , McGregor Memorial Conference Center , Chatsworth Suites , IBio, STEM Innovation Learning Center, M. Roy Wilson State Hall, Hilberry Gateway and the Gretchen Valade Jazz Center . Many buildings have been designed by notable architects such as Albert Kahn and Minoru Yamasaki . Wayne State University is located in Midtown Detroit near many notable institutions and attractions. The Cass Corridor is one of the university's notable surroundings. Many events have taken place on or near the campus as a result of its unique location. Tom Adams Field Tom Adams Field is a 6,000-seat football stadium located on the campus. It is primarily used for Wayne State Warriors football of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference , a Division II conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association . The field was named after Thomas B. Adams, a 1944 graduate and football and track athlete who later served on as a board member at WSU. Due to his athletic, military and business achievements, the Wayne State football field was named in honor of him in 2003. [ 14 ] A new 35-foot video board was installed in August 2015. [ 15 ] The eight-lane Lowell Blanchard Track, located in the stadium, was first installed in 2006. Mondo surfacing was added to the track in 2011. [ 16 ]

The Wayne State Fieldhouse, a 70,000-square-foot arena with seating for 3,000 fans, opened in October 2021. The arena is home to Wayne State's basketball teams as well as the Detroit Pistons' G League team, the Motor City Cruise . [ 17 ]