Oakland University

Dominique Daniel

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9781467126342
• eBook ISBN: 9781439663455
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Education General
• Index: History

Oakland University was founded in 1957 when Alfred Wilson and Matilda Dodge Wilson donated $2 million and their 1,400-acre estate to Michigan State University to begin a new college in Oakland County. In 1959, the first students enrolled at Michigan State University-Oakland, and the university officially changed its name to Oakland University in 1963. From these beginnings, Oakland University has emphasized academic quality, concentrating on providing a dynamic, student-focused learning environment with integration of liberal and professional studies by a faculty of dedicated scholar-teachers. The natural beauty of the campus is enhanced by comprehensive recreational facilities and modern buildings that house the university's many academic and student service programs as well as a growing population of residential students. From spirited Division I athletic events to visually engaging artistic performances and everything in between, OU allows students to engage with and discover a wide range of organizations and activities on campus.

One

THE FOUNDERS

Matilda R. Dodge Wilson and Alfred G. Wilson stand in front of their home, Meadow Brook Hall. They married in 1925 and adopted two children, Richard and Barbara, who joined Frances and Danny, the children Matilda had with her first husband, John Dodge. Alfred Wilson was a lumber businessman, and both he and Matilda were actively involved in civic, social, and charitable causes. (Meadow Brook Hall Archives.)

Meadow Brook Hall is nestled in a bucolic landscape with gently rolling hills and clumps of trees, white board fences, and barns. The land was originally acquired by automobile manufacturer John Dodge, who died in 1920. His widow, Matilda, married Alfred Wilson five years later, and the Wilsons started to build their Tudor Revival home, formal gardens, and farming operations. The house was completed in 1929 at a cost of nearly $4 million. On the estate, which grew to 1,400 acres, the Wilsons bred and raised Belgian draft horses, Guernsey and Holstein milk cows, and several breeds of poultry. Matilda later fondly recalled the views of cattle and horses from the residence. In 1957, she donated the estate to Michigan State University (MSU) along with $2 million to establish “a college to serve southeastern Michigan.” She retained life tenancy of a portion of the property until her death in 1967. Meadow Brook Hall is now part of Oakland University (OU). (Ann Arbor Heli Photograph.)

Excluding some time during the Depression and in Alfred’s later years, Matilda lived in Meadow Brook Hall from the time it was built in 1929 until her death in 1967. She was the driving force behind its design and furnishing. Today, Meadow Brook Hall is a National Historic Landmark. It is one of the finest examples of Tudor Revival architecture in the United States. (Meadow Brook Hall Archives.)

Meadow Brook Hall is an 88,000-square-foot, 110-room mansion designed by William E. Kapp of Smith, Hinchman and Grylls and constructed from 1926 to 1929. The main entrance is located in a two-story crenellated limestone structure projecting from the brick wall. The arched portal has a decorative iron gate by Oscar Bach. Above the entrance is a crest inscribed with the Wilson family motto, “Pro Legibus ac Regibus.”

The Wilsons built Sunset Terrace in 1951–1953 as a smaller retirement home on their property. Matilda Wilson occupied the house from 1953 to 1962 and left the Terrace following her husband’s death in 1962. It is designed in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright’s mid-20th century work to make the most of the surrounding grounds. It later served as a residence for numerous OU presidents.

The riding ring and stables were built in 1935 by Frances Dodge. The riding ring is nearly 23,000 square feet. It is now used by the university as the Shotwell-Gustafson Pavilion. The water tower is a reminder that the estate was not connected to city water until the late 1960s; in its early years, the university relied on several towers (now demolished) and a well for its water supply.

Concours d’Elegance, the prestigious antique and classic car exhibition, was held yearly at Meadow Brook Hall from 1979 to 2010. The August 5, 1984, edition shown here raised more than $60,000 to help support the preservation of the hall. That year, Chrysler Corporation chairman Lee Iacocca served as honorary chairman, and Robert E. Larivee Sr. of Group Promotions, Pontiac, served as general chairman.

On May 9, 1958, ground was broken on the site of the university’s first building. In the above photograph, from left to right are (first row) Connor D. Smith (chair of the state board of agriculture, MSU’s governing body), MSU president John A. Hannah, and Matilda Wilson; (second row) state senator L. Harvey Lodge, Alfred Wilson, unidentified, Arthur K. Rouse, Durward B. “Woody” Varner, Lynn Smith, Jan B. Vanderploeg, William Baker, Harold A. Fitzgerald, and unidentified. Matilda Wilson summarized her motivations: “We believe these acres, under the wise and skilled direction of Dr. Hannah and his faculty will produce a new product—educated men and women of high standards and ideals to serve mankind.” Below, Alfred Wilson and President Hannah chat after the ceremony. (Both, Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections.)

In 1957, Sarah Van Hoosen Jones (far left) and Matilda Wilson (second from right) watch MSU president John Hannah (second from left) receive a certificate from village president Sidney Q. Ennis that made Hannah an honorary citizen of the Village of Rochester. The Wilsons had just signed the transfer of the Meadow Brook Estate to the university. Van Hoosen Jones also conveyed her 365-acre home farm to MSU. (Michigan State University Archives and Historical Collections.)

D.B. “Woody” Varner was the first chancellor of Michigan State University–Oakland (MSUO), which was renamed Oakland University in 1963 after the graduation of the charter class. Varner served until 1970. Before coming to OU, he was a vice president at MSU under Pres. John Hannah, and played a key role in the planning and founding of MSU’s new branch in Oakland County. Varner volunteered to become its first chancellor. As he put it, “I was a president of a university that had no students, no alumni, no faculty. Couldn’t beat that for a job.” In fact, he enjoyed the challenge of starting from scratch and described himself as a gardener who liked “to grow things, and the university was a great thing to grow.” Throughout his tenure, Varner was popular with both faculty and students. 15

George Karas was the university’s first employee. He was hired by Matilda Wilson in 1957 to oversee the buildings and grounds of Meadow Brook Estate and then served as director of physical plant and as university engineer until he retired in 1987. He was responsible for the development of utilities and buildings on campus.

The charter members of the MSUO Foundation were, from left to right, Alfred Girard, Community National Bank of Pontiac; Elizabeth Gossett, wife of a Ford vice president; Harold Fitzgerald, publisher of the Pontiac Press; Donald Ahrens, former general manager of Cadillac; and Dana P. Whitmer, superintendent of Po...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half-Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1. The Founders
• 2. The Pioneers
• 3. The Architects
• 4. The Innovators
• 5. The Reformers
• 6. The Golden Grizzlies