150th Anniversary Timeline
A compilation of significant and memorable moments from the 150-year histories of Detroit College, University of Detroit, Mercy College of Nursing, Mercy College of Detroit and the University of Detroit Mercy.
**Sources**
This timeline has been curated by the Marketing and Communications team at the University of Detroit Mercy.
Special thanks to Jeanne Morgan and Ricky Lindsay for curating and editing the entries.
We also extend our sincere thanks to the many sources and contributors who made this timeline possible.
[University of Detroit Mercy Libraries: Special Collections](https://libraries.udmercy.edu/archives/special-collections/index.php?collectionSet=history&): U of D Yearbooks, Varsity News, Mercy College Newspapers
Mara Powell, University Archivist.
[Detroit Titans Athletics](https://detroittitans.com)
“History of Higher Education in Michigan” by Andrew C. McLaughlin
Chapter: “History of Detroit College” by Prof. B. J. Ortina
“The University of Detroit 1877-1977 A Centennial History” by Herman J. Muller, SJ
“Risk and Hope: An Early History of Mercy College of Detroit 1941-1966" by Mary Justine Sabourin, RSM
["Souvenir hand-book, Detroit and memoranda"](https://www.loc.gov/item/99003307/), July, 1899
["Guide and souvenir of Detroit" ...1891](https://www.loc.gov/item/01016233/)
["History of higher education in Michigan"](https://www.loc.gov/item/06016477/)
[The Restaurant Ware Collectors Network](https://rwcn-idwiki-2.restaurantwarecollectors.com/content/peter-pan-restaurant-2/)
The Detroit News
Detroit Historical Society
Library of Congress
Ann Arbor District Library
U of M Archives
Olympic Records, [Westtoledoguy](https://www.youtube.com/@Westtoledoguy) and [King Rose Archives](https://www.youtube.com/@KingRoseArchives) YouTube Channels
EBay
[University of Detroit Mercy Historical Photos Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/214377848925207)
Please note: if an exact date is unknown, an approximation was made. For example, Sept. 1 or Sept 6. are frequently used for “Fall Semester” of a certain year.
1877-04-05 00:00:00
Jesuits to Found College
Bishop Caspar Henry Borgess transferred his cathedral church and residence at Jefferson and Antoine to the Jesuits, who in turn agreed to found and maintain a college in Detroit. The cornerstone of the church had been laid on June 29, 1844.
1877-06-16 00:00:00
Trowbridge Property
The Old Trowbridge property House 362 Jefferson Avenue. on the south side of the street opposite the Jesuits’ residence had been secured at the “very reasonable cost of $21,500.
1877-09-03 00:00:00
Detroit College Opens
Under the direction of the Fathers of the Society of Jesus, this educational institution opened on the first Monday of September 1877.
1877-09-07 06:00:00
First Red Mass
Friday Sept. 7 marked the beginning of a beautiful, hundred-year old tradition. It was the day when, for the first time, faculty and students met together to call down the blessing of the Holy Spirit on the coming year’s work
1877-09-14 00:00:00
The cathedral renamed Ss. Peter and Paul Jesuit Church
By 1877, the population in Detroit had grown to 115,000. Bishop Caspar Henry Borgess succeeded Bishop Lefevere in 1870 and worked to establish a school of higher education in Detroit. He invited the Society of Jesus to return to the area to establish a Catholic institution (currently the University of Detroit Mercy)
1878-12-29 09:00:00
First Play Staged
The first play, “Elmo, the Druid Martyr,” staged at the old Detroit Opera House, with George Parker in the leading role.
1881-04-27 02:00:00
Detroit College Incorporated
Detroit College incorporated under the laws of Michigan.
1883-06-29 00:00:00
Inaugural Commencement
The inaugural commencement exercises were held at the Detroit Opera House. That evening, the College honored its first graduates: James W. Kearns, James E. Lacroix, Thomas C. McKeogh, Benjamin A. Nolan, William H. Reaney, John A. Russell and Conrad Sporer.
1884-11-28 00:00:00
The Toll Residence
The Detroit College was growing. From 84 students in 1877, enrollment rose to 186 in 1882, 228 in 1884, and 243 when President Frieden assumed office in 1885. The old quarters on the south side of Jefferson Avenue were bulging with students; something had to be done.
1885-06-24 00:00:00
First Master’s Conferred
The College conferred its first master’s degree on John A. Russell, A.B., a member of the first graduating Class of 1883 and a journalist with the Evening News. The precise work required for the degree is unclear; the College diary notes only that he applied for the A.M