Let's Get Physical: EMU's Pioneering Efforts in Athletics and Sports

Items

• Bob Garfield, Oral History Interview, 2023
  Bob Garfield is a lifelong resident of Ypsilanti who attended the Roosevelt school in 7th grade. In this interview, Garfield discusses the year he spent at Roosevelt, noting that the lack of structure is what led him to transfer back to public school. He also talks about Ypsilanti's history, exploring how the landscape has changed, popular hangout spots for kids, and businesses that no longer exist. Garfield also speaks candidly about his experiences with substance use, working at the first Domino's pizza, and gushes with pride talking about his musically gifted adult son, J.T.
• Kirk Profit, Oral History Interview, 2023
  Kirk Profit is a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives and currently works as a lawyer and legal consultant in his hometown of Ypsilanti, Michigan. In this interview, Profit speaks about his time as a student at the Roosevelt school, which he attended from kindergarten until 6th grade, leaving early as a result of Roosevelts impending closure. He explains how the education at Roosevelt was creative and innovative, why swimming was so popular among Roosevelt students, and discusses what elementary and middle school students did for fun in the 1960s. He also discusses his life after Roosevelt, exploring his early involvement with politics, developing a social consciousness, and the current state of education in Ypsilanti.
• Jim MacDonald, Oral History Interview, 2023
  Jim MacDonald was a Roosevelt school attendee from 1957 until his junior year 1969, when the school closed, and his dad, Alistair MacDonald, better known as “Mr. Mac was the principal of Roosevelt while he attended. MacDonald is also the proprietor of Jim MacDonald’s Antiques, which shares a shop with Apple Annie's Vintage in Ypsilanti's Historic Depot Town. In this interview MacDonald discusses his experience growing up in Ypsilanti in the 1950s and 60s near Oakwood and Sheridan, playing with his friends in Sleepy Hollow, and the impact his dad had on kids he went to Roosevelt with. MacDonald also talks in detail about his friendship with Wayne Blikken, explaining their cross country trip playing basketball at various colleges.
• Terry and Mary Clark, Oral History Interview, 2023
  Mary and Terry Clark are a married couple who began dating as elementary school students while attending the Roosevelt school. In this interview the couple speaks fondly of their time at Roosevelt, and each explain the extracurriculars they were involved in and the teachers that had an impact on their lives. They also discuss how they met, holding hands while walking to school, where the popular hang out spots were, and what the school meant to them.
• Edwin Pear, Oral History Interview, 2023
  Edwin "Ed" Pear is an attorney with a long distinguished career in real estate, business, and estate planning. Pear attended the Roosevelt school from K-12, and was apart of the graduating class of 1959. In this interview, Ed recounts memories of growing up in a Jewish family in Ypsilanti, his fathers clothing store, and other local businesses that existed at the time. He also reminisces about his time as a student at Roosevelt, sharing his experiences in athletics, extracurriculars, and lamenting about the sadness of the schools closure.
• Gretchen Colbert, Oral History Interview, 2023
  Gretchen [Geiser] Colbert is a 1968 alumna of the Roosevelt School and grew up in Ypsilanti, Michigan. In this interview Colbert discusses her experiences at Roosevelt, highlighting how she developed a passion for music and joined the girl's synchronized swim team as it was the only sport available to women at the time. She explains how she took her passion for music with her through life, and how voice lessons at Roosevelt have led to a lifelong involvement in choir groups.
• Mary Lou James, Oral History Interview, 2023
  Mary Lou James was born and raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan, graduating from Roosevelt in 1947 and from Eastern Michigan University in 1951. In this interview Mary Lou explores her time growing up in Ypsilanti in the 1930s-40s, and recounts memories of going to Roosevelt revealing popular hangout spots, school dances, and what dating looked like back in the day. She also shares her experiences as a student at the Michigan State Normal College, being a sorority sister, and her marriage and children.
• George Goodman, Oral History Interview, 2023
  George Goodman is a Michigan native, military veteran, and was the first African American to be elected as Mayor of Ypsilanti, a position he held from 1972-82. Goodman attended Roosevelt from K-12, graduating in 1958. In this interview, George shares his experiences growing up in a predominantly Black neighborhood, how Ypsilanti has evolved over time, and his experiences at school and in the larger community as a person of color. He also explores his time after Roosevelt, briefly touching on his time as Mayor of Ypsilanti and how Roosevelt left a lasting impact on him.
• Roz [Green] Brumfield, Oral History Interview, 2023
  Roz Brumfield [formerly Green] is one of a handful of Jewish individuals who attended the Roosevelt Laboratory School, graduating in 1968, a year before the school closed. In this interview Brumfield describes the difficulties she had fitting in as a Jewish student, explaining her self-esteem issues and the fact that she never got invited to a school dance. She also speaks fondly of the extracurriculars she participated in while at Roosevelt, with the synchronized swimming club being one of her favorite activities. While Brumfield lived the majority of her life in Pennsylvania she still remembers Ypsilanti fondly, but had a complicated school experience.
• Barry LaRue, Oral History Interview, 2023
  Barry LaRue is a lifelong Ypsilanti resident, EMU alum, founder of the Riverside Arts Center, and former Operations Manager for University of Michigan theatres. Barry attended Roosevelt from Kindergarten through seventh grade, and, in this interview, he explores his experiences at Roosevelt going into detail about his involvement with theatre productions, the lab schools unique “progressive” curriculum, and the teachers and friends who left a lasting impression on him. Additionally, LaRue recounts his feelings of Roosevelt’s closure, his involvement in Ypsilanti city politics and preservation, and the ways that EMU’s campus has evolved since he was a student.
• Margaret "Peg" Porter, Oral History Interview, 2023
  Margaret "Peg" Porter, is a longtime Ypsilanti resident, Roosevelt High School alumna, and involved with local history as a member of the Ladies Literary Society. In this interview, Porter discusses her experiences growing up in Ypsilanti in the 1950s. Porter also recounted her education at Roosevelt, highlighting the small class sizes and the impact of her polio diagnosis in 1955. She also shares her involvement in extracurricular activities, such as the newspaper and yearbook, and her later career in education and disability rights advocacy. Porter emphasizes the importance of community connections and the legacy of Roosevelt's students and teachers.
• Russell Kenyon, Oral History Interview, 2023
• Suzanne "Suzy" Wood, Oral History Interview, 2023
  Suzanne “Suzy” Wood attended the Roosevelt School K-12, she graduated a year before the school’s closure in 1969. In this interview, Suzy recounts growing up in the Normal Park neighborhood and activities kids did while living there in the 1950s-60s, and her experiences attending Roosevelt as a studious honors student who stayed out of trouble. Suzy also discusses meeting her husband, Nelson, while at Roosevelt, what dates looked like in the 1960s, and her life beyond Roosevelt.
• Thomas Dusbiber, Oral History Interview, 2023
  Thomas Dusbiber attended the Roosevelt School from Kindergarten in 1954 until he graduated in 1966. In this interview, Tom recounts his time at Roosevelt, talking about the quality of the teachers, the struggles of high school athletics, and where the popular hangout spots were when he was in school. He also explores the legacy of the school, and the reasons why so many former students remember it so fondly.
• Archives front doors
• Commencement Thumbnail
• Irene and Matt
• [Untitled]
• 601 W. Forest (Brinkerhoff-Becker House)
  This 2 1/2 story Queen Anne structure was built between 1863-69 for insurance and real estate agent Hezekiah Brinkerhoff. The Brinkerhoff's owned the home until 1890. In 1891, it was purchased by Charles J. Becker who remodeled it to include the prominent tower. Eventually, the home was purchased by John M.B. Sill who was the Principal of the Michigan State Normal School from 1886-1893. The home is currently owned by EMU and is split into four different apartments that students over the age of twenty can rent during the school year.
• Honors College
  The home of the EMU Honor's College is 511 W. Forest. Being a part of the Honors College provides students with many benefits, such as exclusive honors advising, priority class registration, scholarships & fellowships, access to Honor’s residence halls, and smaller class sizes. The Honors College Hosts a number of programs that allows students to engage with fellow scholars as well as faculty from many departments. Once accepted into the Honors College, students will have the opportunity to graduate with three different levels of Honors - including the possibility of a published thesis!
• Lakeview Apartments
  Construction began on the Lakeview Apartments in 2022, and was completed in 2024 when the building officially opened for student residence. Studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 4-bedroom apartments are available for all EMU students over the age of 20 to rent during the school year. The units come mostly furnished, and with all expected modern amenities.
• IHA Health Center @ EMU
  The IHA Health Center @ EMU (a joint collaboration between Eastern Michigan University, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System and IHA) opened on November 4, 2019, replacing Snow Health Center and privatizing health care services on-campus. The center provides vital primary health care services to members of the Ypsilanti community at-large as well as the EMU community.
• EMU Campus Wellness Center
  Constructed in 2019, the EMU Campus Wellness Center is home to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and the Community Behavioral Health Clinic (formerly known as the Psychology Clinic). The Center also provides educational opportunities for students and faculty in College of Health and Human Services programs.
• Windgate Arts Complex
  Dedicated on September 12, 2024, the Windgate Arts Complex is a 23,000 sqft. complex designed to house EMU's 3D Media Arts programs. The facility includes state-of-the-art studios for ceramics, sculpture, furniture design, and digital fabrication. Funding for the complex was made possible by a $3.4 million gift from the Windgate Foundation. The new Windgate Arts Complex, completed in just 15 months, represents EMU’s forward-thinking approach to art education, providing a collaborative environment for students to develop their skills across multiple disciplines.
• Rural Education Roster 1925-1926 page 3
• Rural Education Roster 1925-1926 page 2
• Rural Education Roster 1925-1926 page 1
• The Trail Blazer Roster Fall Term 1924-25 page 3
• The Trail Blazer Roster Fall Term 1924-25 page 2
• The Trail Blazer Roster Fall Term 1924-25 page 1
• "The Toymaker" Program page 4
• "The Toymaker" Program page 3
• "The Toymaker" Program page 2
• "The Toymaker" Program page 1
• "The Toy Maker" Ticket
• "The two contracts differ somewhat..."
• "I am enclosing a copy of the contract..." page 2
• "I am enclosing a copy of the contract..." page 1
• "Your committee appointed to consider the contracts..."
• Act No 137, P. A. 1927
• "Agreement entered into between..." page 3
• "Agreement entered into between..." page 2
• "Agreement entered into between..." page 1
• "Your letter of the 7th instant at hand..." page 2
• "Your letter of the 7th instant at hand..." page 1
• "The State Board of Education and the City of Ypsilanti are discussing the possibility..." page 2
• "The State Board of Education and the City of Ypsilanti are discussing the possibility..." page 1
• "(Minutes at State Board of Education 1918-19, page 117)..."
• "(Minutes at State Board of Education 1917-18, page 35)..." page 2
• "(Minutes at State Board of Education 1917-18, page 35)..." page 1
• "At the meeting of the city Board of Education May 1..."
• Contract (Lincoln School) page 3
• Contract (Lincoln School) page 2
• Contract (Lincoln School) page 1
• Rural Training Centers Affliation Agreement page 2
• Rural Training Centers Affliation Agreement page 1
• Portion of Contract page 2
• Portion of Contract page 1
• "Proposed Demonstration Agricultural School Ypsilanti State Normal College" Back Side
  The item is a printed paper, approximately 8.5"X11". The item is an educational pamphlet addressed to "Qualified school electors" who would be voting on a proposed elementary and high school for Ypsilanti and August Townships. The item depicts a rendering of what the proposed demonstration school would look like along with text stating what the school would include. There is a front and back to the handout.
• "Proposed Demonstration Agricultural School Ypsilanti State Normal College" Front Side
  The item shows signs of bleaching and fading on the paper, along with aging that distorts the color of the paper. The item is a printed paper, approximately 8.5"X11". The item is an educational pamphlet addressed to "Qualified school electors" who would be voting on a proposed elementary and high school for Ypsilanti and August Townships. The item depicts a rendering of what the proposed demonstration school would look like along with text stating what the school would include. There is a front and back to the handout.
• "Newly Organized Trail Blazers" pg. 2
• "Newly Organized Trail Blazers" pg. 1
• "(Cornerstone Laid For) New Consolidated School"
  The item is a news clipping from 4/18 detailing the cornerstone being layed for the Lincoln Consolidated Schools building. The story details how much the building will cost, that buses will bring students to the school from across the 63 square mile district, and highlights the way that the building will function for the Rural Education department at Michigan State Normal School.
• "Ypsi School is Dedicated"
  The item is a news clipping of a story printed on 4/17, detailing the laying of the cornerstone of the Lincoln Consolidated Schools building on 4/16/1924.
• Rural Education Roster 1925-1926 page 3
• Rural Education Roster 1925-1926 page 2
• Rural Education Roster 1925-1926 page 1
• The Trail Blazer Roster Fall Term 1924-25 page 3
• The Trail Blazer Roster Fall Term 1924-25 page 2
• The Trail Blazer Roster Fall Term 1924-25 page 1
• "The Toymaker" Program page 4
• "The Toymaker" Program page 3
• "The Toymaker" Program page 2
• "The Toymaker" Program page 1
• "The Toy Maker" Ticket