Historical timeline
Today, Wayne State is proud to set the standard as a premier, public urban research university — but we didn’t get to where we are overnight. Explore our timeline to learn how Wayne State has grown from humble beginnings while staying firmly rooted in Detroit.
1868 - 1897
| 1868 | Detroit Medical College (predecessor of the School of Medicine) founded |
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| 1881 | Detroit Normal Training School (predecessor of the College of Education) founded |
| 1885 | Detroit Medical College and Michigan Medical College merge to create the Detroit College of Medicine |
| 1894 | Detroit College of Medicine publishes first edition of its student magazine, The Leucocyte |
| 1896 | Central High School building completed |
1898 - 1927
| 1904 | David Mackenzie named principal of Central High School |
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| 1913 | First college classes held at Central High School Detroit College of Medicine reorganized and renamed Detroit College of Medicine and Surgery |
| 1915 | College classes at Central High School become accredited by North Central Association |
| 1917 | Detroit College of Medicine and Surgery admits first female students Detroit Normal Training School begins admitting married women Detroit Junior College becomes authorized by the state legislature and begins offering two-year liberal arts and sciences program |
| 1918 | Detroit Junior College publishes first edition of its student newspaper, The Collegian, and adopts old gold and Kelly green as school colors Detroit Normal Training School begins admitting male students and introduces first evening classes and summer session Control of the Detroit College of Medicine and Surgery is transferred to the Detroit Board of Education |
| 1920 | Detroit Normal Training School upgraded to four-year institution and renamed the Detroit Teachers College |
| 1923 | Detroit Junior College upgraded to four-year institution and renamed the College of the City of Detroit (also known as City College) David Mackenzie named dean of the College of the City of Detroit |
| 1924 | College of Pharmacy founded Detroit Teachers College awards first bachelor’s degrees |
| 1925 | College of the City of Detroit celebrates first graduating class |
| 1926 | High school classes move from Central High School building, which is designated the Main Building of the College of the City of Detroit |
| 1927 | College of the City of Detroit adopts Tartars as mascot Detroit Law School founded |
1928 - 1957
| 1929 | Department of Engineering established |
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| 1930 | Department of Nursing established Detroit Teachers College moves to Main Building |
| 1933 | Detroit Board of Education combines six colleges — liberal arts, education, pharmacy, engineering, medicine and a graduate school — into one university, with Frank Cody named president |
| 1934 | Wayne University adopted as name |
| 1935 | School of Social Affairs founded Wayne University holds first homecoming |
| 1936 | School of Social Affairs renamed School of Public Affairs and Social Work |
| 1937 | Detroit City Law School accredited by American Bar Association and incorporated into Wayne University as Law School |
| 1939 | Department of Business Administration established |
| 1941 | Wayne University Press (later renamed Wayne State University Press) formed |
| 1942 | Architect Suren Pilafian wins competition for developing master plan for Wayne University campus University purchases first block of campus real estate (Warren to Putnam, west of Cass) College of Medicine staffs 36th General Hospital in Europe, which operates throughout World War II in Algiers, Naples and three cities in southern France Horace H. Rackham Building becomes first new building completed in the Cultural Center of Detroit since 1927 Warren E. Bow named president of Wayne University |
| 1943 | University purchases Michigan College of Mortuary Science and renames it Department of Mortuary Science |
| 1944 | University purchases second block of campus real estate (Putnam to Merrick) The Office of Veteran Affairs established to help World War II veterans continue education, enter vocational training programs and find jobs |
| 1945 | College of Nursing founded University purchases third block of campus real estate (Merrick to Kirby) David D. Henry named president of Wayne University |
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| 1946 | University purchases Webster Hall hotel and renames it the Student Center Building The School of Business Administration was established |
| 1947 | Veteran enrollment peaks at 7,685 students in the fall |
| 1948 | State Hall completed University awards first doctoral degree in biochemistry |
| 1949 | Postwar enrollment peaks at 18,612 students during calendar year |
| 1950 | Main Building officially renamed Old Main School of Social Work given separate status from the School of Public Affairs |
| 1952 | Engineering Building at 5050 Third Avenue completed Radio station WDET-FM given to university by UAW-CIO Clarence B. Hilberry named president of Wayne University |
| 1953 | General Library and Science Library completed |
| 1954 | Medical Science Building (later renamed Health Sciences Building) completed at 1401 Rivard (street later transforms into Chrysler Service Drive) Tartar Field debuts north of Ford Expressway |
| 1955 | Music Building of Community Arts Center completed |
| 1956 | State legislature approves Public Act 183, granting state control and support of the university, which becomes Wayne State University Art Building of Community Art Center completed War Memorial Mall dedicated University purchases Bonstelle Playhouse and renames it Wayne University Theatre (and later Bonstelle Theatre) |
1958 - 1967
| 1958 | University Archives formed Minoru Yamasaki presents master plan for campus McGregor Memorial Community Conference Center completed |
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| 1959 | First six-member Wayne State University Board of Governors appointed after statewide election, completing transfer to state control Monteith College founded Community Arts Auditorium, Alumni House/President’s home and Richard Cohn Memorial Building completed University purchases Bliss Motors Building and renames it Administrative Services Building Last of temporary barrack classrooms demolished |
| 1960 | College of Education Building and Life Science Building completed |
| 1961 | Student Center Building renamed David Mackenzie Hall University purchases Chatsworth Tower and Chatsworth Annex University purchases First Church of Christ, Scientist and renames it Hilberry Theatre The Office of Counseling for the Handicapped established at a time when Wayne State was one of 11 universities in the nation to provide inclusive services for disabled students |
| 1963 | Helen Newberry Joy Residence for Women (now Reuther Mall) completed |
| 1964 | Second Avenue closed to motor vehicles and becomes the center of campus Helen L. DeRoy Auditorium completed |
| 1965 | Shapero Hall, Physics Research Building and Medical Research Building completed William R. Keast named president of Wayne State University |
| 1966 | Law School Building on Ferry Mall completed Wayne State University Police Department established |
| 1967 | The South End replaces The Daily Collegian as Wayne State’s student newspaper to expand coverage outside of the university to topics such as civil rights and the Vietnam War Frederick C. Matthaei Physical Education and Recreation Building completed Center for Urban Studies established |
1968 - 1977
| 1968 | Vera Shiffman Medical Library completed Wayne State celebrates its centennial Third Avenue renamed Anthony Wayne Drive |
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| 1969 | University Center (new student center) completed |
| 1970 | Speech and Languages Building, Chemistry Building, and Science Library completed College of Pharmacy launches Ph.D. program |
| 1971 | General Lectures Building completed Campus installs blue light phone system, a direct line to Wayne State University Police Department George E. Gullen, Jr., named president of Wayne State University |
| 1972 | Gordon H. Scott Hall of Basic Medical Sciences completed Center for Chicano-Boricua Studies in Monteith College established General Library renamed G. Flint Purdy Library (ultimately becomes Purdy/Kresge Library) |
| 1973 | College of Lifelong Learning founded School of Social Work begins offering bachelor’s degrees |
| 1974 | Helen L. DeRoy Apartments completed Wayne State joins Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference University dedicates Reuther Mall and Ludington Plaza College of Pharmacy and Division of Allied Health Programs merge into the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions |
| 1975 | Walter P. Reuther Library completed College of Nursing launches Ph.D. program Preservation Wayne (later renamed Preservation Detroit) formed Board of Governors votes to end Monteith College and complete phase out by 1981 Speech and Languages Building renamed Alex Manoogian Hall |
| 1976 | Warren Avenue widened Medical Research Building renamed Helen Vera Prentis Lande Medical Research Building |
1978 - 1987
| 1978 | University purchases Thompson Home for Old Ladies Thomas Bonner named president of Wayne State University |
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| 1979 | Second Avenue Mall renamed Gullen Mall |
| 1981 | Wayne State acquires Merrill Palmer Institute for Child Development, which later merges with Skillman Center for Children and Families to form the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child & Family Development |
| 1982 | David Adamany, Wayne State’s longest-serving president, begins his tenure |
| 1984 | Health Sciences Building renamed Shapero Hall Barnes and Noble begins operating the Wayne State Bookstore Detroit Area Gay/Lesbian Council holds inaugural Pride Festival at Wayne State |
| 1985 | College of Urban, Labor and Metropolitan Affairs and College of Fine and Performing Arts founded Mortuary Science begins offering bachelor’s degree Shapero Hall renamed Natural Science Building and Science Library renamed Science and Engineering Library |
| 1987 | University dedicates Frederick Linsell House as the Office of the Dean for the College of Fine and Performing Arts |
1988 - 1997
| 1988 | Programs in Speech and Rhetorical Processes, Journalism and Radio-TV-Film transferred from the College of Liberal Arts to the College of Fine and Performing Arts |
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| 1989 | Department of Africana Studies established University purchases St. Andrew’s Memorial Episcopal Church College of Fine and Performing Arts renamed College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts |
| 1990 | Wayne State University and the University of Windsor sign exchange agreement Faculty/Administration Building completed University restores William Rands House to serve as the School of Business Annex |
| 1991 | David Mackenzie Hall demolished by implosion Biological Sciences Building completed |
| 1992 | College of Science founded |
| 1994 | Wayne State University classified as a Research I university by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Old Main begins major renovation Wayne State University Press moves to Leonard N. Simons Building |
| 1995 | Academic/Administrative Building and University Tower Apartments completed |
| 1996 | Manufacturing Engineering Building completed Planetarium addition completed in Old Main |
| 1997 | David Adamany Undergraduate Library and Elaine L. Jacob Gallery addition of Old Main completed Irvin D. Reid named president of Wayne State |
1998 - 2007
| 1999 | Warriors replace Tartars as school mascot |
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| 2000 | Mort Harris Recreation and Fitness Center and addition to Law School completed |
| 2001 | College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions renamed Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences |
| 2002 | North Residence Hall, Welcome Center, Wayne State University Bookstore, and Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences completed University purchases Maccabees Building University launches online system for course registration |
| 2003 | South Residence Hall completed |
| 2004 | First phase of TechTown completed Helen Newberry Joy Residence Hall demolished |
| 2005 | Towers Residential Suites completed College of Science merges with College of Liberal Arts, becoming the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences North Hall renamed Yousif B. Ghafari Hall Chatsworth Annex demolished |
2008 - 2017
| 2008 | Irvin D. Reid Honors College founded Jay Noren named president of Wayne State |
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| 2009 | School of Library and Information Science founded |
| 2011 | Allan Gilmour named president of Wayne State Warrior Football makes its debut in an NCAA Division II national championship game The Damon J. Keith Center for Civil Rights opens to study and support the civil rights of underrepresented communities in urban areas |
| 2013 | M. Roy Wilson named president of Wayne State |
| 2014 | Advanced Technology Education Center (ATEC) debuts in Warren, Michigan |
| 2015 | Integrative Biosciences Center, a $90-million facility dedicated to eliminating health disparities in Detroit, debuts |
| 2016 | The Mike Ilitch School of Business breaks ground on new headquarters in the District Detroit |
| 2017 | Wayne State breaks ground on Anthony Wayne Drive Apartments, which will add 841 beds to campus School of Library and Information Science renamed School of Information Sciences |
| 2018 | Wayne State University commemorates 150th anniversary |