America’s oldest collegiate athletic conference, the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) was founded. Schools included Albion, Olivet, Michigan Agricultural College (MSU), and Hillsdale College. Michigan schools in the league today are Adrian, Albion, Alma, Calvin, Hope, Kalamazoo, and Olivet.
Source : Historical Society of Michigan.
On March 24, 1901, John Philip Sousa, known as “the March King,” and his band played to a capacity crowd at the Lyceum Theater in Detroit.
Source : Detroit Historical Society Facebook Page
Sousa and Soloists Delighted Large Audience, Detroit Free Press March 25, 1901, p. 8.
Note : The Main Library now provides the MSU community online access to the historical Detroit Free Press from 1858 through 1922.
More about John Philip Sousa and the United States Marine Band
Professor R. J. Baldwin, of the Michigan Agricultural College, states that the cost of living can be greatly reduced by city dwellers if they would cultivate a small garden. Fresh garden produce is a great cost in food purchases and that could be alleviated by growing produce in a small garden with a few valuable instructions and ideas. A trellis or a fence can be used for climbing vegetables too.
News From 100 Years Ago, History Center for Traverse City, Traverse City Record-Eagle, March 24, 2014.
On March 24, 1936, the Detroit Red Wings played an NHL Stanley Cup play-off game against the Montreal Maroons that combined 60 minutes of regulation play and 116 minutes, 30 seconds of overtime. Detroit won 1-0 and went on to win the series and their first Stanley Cup. The game did not end until 2:30 a.m. the following morning, March 25.
Source : Michigan is Amazing and Detroit Every Day.
List of Stanley Cup Champions provided by Wikipedia.
In March 1965, the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War was at its peak with more than 200,000 troops on the ground in Southeast Asia, and Operation Rolling Thunder in full effect, all of which he opposed.
Tension between government and concerned citizens about the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War began to bubble over, and a group of U-M professors, Thomas Mayer included, decided that protesting in traditional ways — apart from their titles as educators and their affiliations with esteemed universities — was not sending a big enough message to lawmakers and policymakers.
After several meetings, it was decided that the professors would stage a teach-in — an event named after the popular sit-in protests — as a way to effectively get their point across. It eventually spawned a movement and gave birth to a new way of protesting across the spectrum of higher education.
The teach-in was held from 8 p.m. on March 24 until 8 a.m. on March 25, complete with informational sessions, group discussions, seminars and even folk singing.
What began as a group of fewer than 10 educators, soon swelled to a group of more than 220 professors who led discussions and speak-outs against the war. And what was expected to be a modest turnout for the 12-hour event, wound up being more than any of the organizers could have anticipated.
In total, there were about 3,000 participants. Haber said that some of the speeches and discussions — which were hosted at campus venues such as the Angell Auditorium, the Diag and the library steps — were broadcast to students and faculty at more than 100 college and university campuses across the country.
From the steps of a U-M library, the movement quickly spread. Two days after the teach-in in Ann Arbor, there was another teach-in at Columbia University. Two weeks later, there was one at the University of California, Los Angeles. Subsequent teach-ins were held at Wisconsin, Berkeley, Michigan State, and dozens of other campuses.
Moving forward, teach-ins would become a regular way of protesting at U-M and they happened on a regular basis, sometimes even monthly.
Note: In the 1960s, coeds at the University of Michigan had curfews. After the faculty decided to change their protest from a teaching moratorium to a teach-in, the University responded more positively by allowing all women to stay up all night for the event. Photo courtesy of Alan Glenn, University of Michigan
For the full article, see Jeremy Allen, “U-M professors’ first teach-in 50 years ago launched a national movement”, MLive, March 22, 2015.
For more information, see “The First U of M Teach-In (March 1965)”, Resistance and Revolution : The Anti-Vietnam War Movement at the University of Michigan, 1965-1972 part of the Michigan in the World series features exhibitions of research conducted by undergraduate students about the history of the University of Michigan and its relationships beyond its borders. The project was made possible through funding from the University of Michigan History Department and the Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies, with additional support from Lisa and Timothy J. Sloan.
Alan Glenn, “Teach Your Children Well: 50th Anniversary of U-M Teach-In”, UM Alumnus Magazine, Spring 2015.
Allen Glenn, “Teach-in +50”, Michigan Today, March 17, 2015.
Bill Bonds, WXYZ,reporting on the Night’s events, courtesy of the Bentley Historical Library.
Note: The video above : UM School of Visual Arts Video of 50th Anniversary Commemoration of the First Vietnam Teach-In War
Mott Community College solidified itself as the best National Junior College Athletic Association Division II men’s basketball program in the country Saturday night. The No. 1-ranked Bears defeated Community College of Rhode Island, 70-60, to win their fourth national championship.
No other NJCAA Division II men’s basketball program has won four.
For the full article, see Ross Maghielse, “Mott Bears make history, win fourth NJCAA national basketball championship”, MLive, March 24, 2012.
The whistleblowing doctor that informed the world of elevated lead levels in children’s blood in Flint amid the water crisis has been nominated for a prestigious recognition.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, director of the Pediatric Residency Program at Hurley Medical Center and assistant professor of Pediatrics and Human Development at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, has been nominated for Time Maganize’s 100 most influential people list.
“The pediatrician’s research confirmed that children in Flint, Mich. had unsafe levels of lead in their blood from contaminated water,” reads the nomination for Hanna-Attisha on Time’s website.
Hanna-Attisha was recently honored with the 2016 PEN/Toni and James C. Goodale Freedom of Expression Courage Award and Humanitarian of the Year by the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce.
The Time 100 list has included names such as late Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs, Pope Francis, activist Malala Yousafzai, actor George Clooney, talk show host Oprah Winfrey, and President Barack Obama.
Source: Robert Acosta, “Flint doctor among nominees for Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people“, MLive, March 24, 2016.
First generation Iraqi immigrant and Detroit-raised pediatrician Mona Hanna-Attisha is the whistleblower who exposed the dangerous levels of lead in Flint, Michigan’s drinking water after testing blood lead levels in its children. Mona announced her research findings to the national press and then took further action, including founding the Flint Child Health and Development Fund, which has raised millions of dollars to date. She is director of the pediatrics residency at the Hurley Medical Center and an assistant professor at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, where she leads Hurley Children’s Hospital Public Health Initiative, an innovative program that provides the public health tools to advocate for Flint’s children’s healthy development. In 2016, TIME Magazine named Mona one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
LEARN MORE
The Future for Flint’s Children
Hanna-Attisha M. The New York Times. 2016.
The pediatrician who exposed lead in Flint, Mich., water will march for science
Guarino B. The Washington Post. 2017.
Corroding the American Dream
Hanna-Attisha M. New York Times. 2017.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha is a hero for our time
Lessenberry J. Michigan Radio. 2016.
‘Our mouths were ajar’: Doctor’s fight to expose Flint’s water crisis
Gupta S, Tinker B, Hume T. CNN. 2016.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha goes from doctor to global hero
Riley R. Detroit Free Press. 2016.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha TedMed Talk, 2016.
What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City / Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha
La-Z-Boy Headquarters Located in Monroe, Michigan
La-Z-Boy originated in a love of carpentry shared by two cousins, Edward Knabusch and Edwin Shoemaker, both of Monroe, Michigan. In the early 1920s, Knabusch was a carpenter at the Weis Manufacturing Company and spent his evenings repairing furniture as well as building novelty and custom furniture in a workshop set up in the family garage. Despite the fact that Shoemaker was being groomed by his father to take over the family farm, he was far more interested in carpentry and spent his free time in his cousin’s new workshop.
In 1925, Knabusch’s hobby became a full-time business when he left Weis Manufacturing to start his own business. His first project was to invent a new bandsaw guide. Because of his engineering aptitude, Shoemaker was hired by Knabusch and together they completed the project. Afterward, business increased significantly, spurring Knabusch to purchase new equipment. By March 1927 the business had expanded far beyond any expectations shared by the two cousins, and they decided to form a partnership under the name Kna-Shoe Manufacturing Company. Meanwhile, business continued to expand and the partners soon outgrew Knabusch’s family garage. By the end of 1927, with the financial support of friends and family, a new factory was completed north of Monroe. Built in the middle of a cornfield that fronted a cow path, the site led many to say the two men were foolish to establish their factory so far from the city. However, their gamble paid off as rumors of a state highway became reality soon after; the old cow path became M-24 (Telegraph Road), a major north-south Michigan artery.
As a rule, the partners preferred to develop new designs rather than copying the products of other companies. One such design was the Gossiper, which was a telephone stand with a built-in seat. Although the Gossiper was an immediate success, a large manufacturer soon copied the design and sold it more cheaply than Knabusch and Shoemaker. Other products would follow, but none were as successful as the simple wood-slat porch chair that reclined to follow the body’s contour, whether sitting up or leaning back. Believing they had a winner, the two men sought to market the new chair. However, when Arthur Richardson, a buyer for the Lion Store, suggested that they upholster the new chair for year-round use indoors, they changed their plans. Lacking any upholstery knowledge, the partners called upon George Welker to assist in upholstery decisions.
To protect their new invention the men incorporated in 1929 as the Floral City Furniture Company, abandoning the Kna-Shoe name because people mistook the company for a shoe manufacturer. Through friends and family, the men raised $10,000 to secure the necessary patents and began production. The men attended their first furniture show in May 1929 and returned with more orders than they could fill.
As their innovative recliner became increasingly popular, the need for a name became apparent. The partners held a public contest to name the recliner, thus finding a name and generating further interest in their product simultaneously. In November 1930, the winning name, La-Z-Boy, was trademarked, and the patent for the new mechanism was issued in January 1931. Soon thereafter, the partners licensed the right to manufacture the chair to existing companies. Floral City manufactured the metal recliner mechanism and retained the rights to manufacture and sell the chair in Monroe County. At the same time, Floral City Furniture returned to repairing furniture and manufacturing novelty/custom furniture.
An Emphasis on Retail Sales
Flourishing during the depths of the Great Depression, the men redoubled their efforts in retail sales. In 1933 the first floor of their factory was converted into a showroom. To celebrate the opening of the showroom, a circus tent was set up in front of the store to display furniture. Soon, the “Furniture Shows” were drawing people from Detroit and Toledo. With Edward Knabusch’s keen marketing sense, the company’s flamboyant shows helped to assuage the anxiety of a people caught in the grips of a horrible Depression. While other companies frantically worked for quick sales, Floral City provided entertainment in addition to their high-quality products. Knabusch and Shoemaker were able to sell their wares in ever-increasing numbers, while thousands of other businesses faltered and failed. Business was so successful that in 1935 the partners opened a new showroom.
During WWII, La-Z-Boy rented out garage space to produce seats for tanks, torpedo boats, turret guns, and armored cars.
The first recliner with a built-in footrest debuted in the 1950s, and the recliner-rocker took the industry by storm in the 1960s.
The 1990s saw recliners go gadget-crazy with options such as massage units, coolers and telephone jacks. It was a decade that also saw La-Z-Boy greatly expand its upholstered furniture assortment and its case goods business.
Started in Monroe, the La-Z-Boy Company is still headquartered there. It has come a long way.
Today, La-Z-Boy has 6300 employees nationwide, spanning its headquarters in Michigan, 5 manufacturing plants, six U.S. distribution centers, and 142 corporate-owned La.Z-Boy Furniture Galleries stores. Two hundred more store locations are dealer-owned.
Nearly all our furniture is built in the U.S.A. from domestic and imported materials. However, to bring the comfort of La-Z-Boy to homes around the world, we also serve markets around the globe. We currently sell La-Z-Boy product in Asia, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Key Dates:
1928: Cousins Edward Knabusch and Edwin Shoemaker, (“the two Eds”) create the first folding wood-slat porch recliner.
1929: The porch recliner is upholstered, allowing for indoor, year-round use; the La-Z-Boy name is chosen.
1931: The patent for La-Z-Boy is issued, and the partners license the right to manufacture the chair to existing companies.
1941: La-Z-Boy incorporates; and stops chair production to create plane parts for World War II.
1947: Production of recliners resumes; and matching ottomans are introduced.
1952: The first La-Z-Boy recliner with built-in footrest is introduced.
1960: La-Z-Boy begins making rocker recliners; and opens its first factory outside Michigan in Mississippi.
1970: The company offers recliners with electric controls.
1972: The company goes public; 600 people buy shares in over-the-counter trading.
1975: The company introduces recliners that move away from walls.
1986: The company introduces power recliners and power-assisted lifts.
1987: La-Z-Boy begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
1989: The company opens its first La-Z-Boy Furniture Gallery.
1993: The company’s new line of recliners offers massage and heat; another line targets customers with smaller body types.
1999: The company offers recliners with built-in beverage coolers, phones, caller ID, and motorized-massage options.
2000: La-Z-Boy and Microsoft team up to offer the Explorer E-cliner, a recliner with built-in WebTV Internet access and tools.
2001: The company introduces chairs for children.
Sources:
Jon Chavez, “Monroe-Based Furniture Maker La-Z-Boy hosts party to honor 90th anniversary“, Toledo Blade, March 25, 2017.
90 Years of Living Comfortably
“La-Z-Boy Turns 90”, Detroit News, March 31, 2017.
John D. Dingell, “In Honor of the 75th Anniversary of La-Z-Boy”, Congressional Record, July 29, 2002.
Larry Thomas, “La-Z-Boy celebrating 75th anniversary“, Furniture Today, August 5, 2002
La-Z-Boy Incorporated Company History, International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. 50. St. James Press, 2003.
Ferris State made sure its first national title was unforgettable.
The Bulldogs won the NCAA Division II national championship against Northern State, 71-69, in a thriller Saturday as Markese Mayfield converted a free throw with 10-seconds left and then held their breath as Darin Peterka’s 3-point attempt from the top of the key clanged off left side of the rim at the buzzer.
The Bulldogs stormed the court at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D. to mark the university’s first DII crown in any sport.
With the win, the Bulldogs tied a Division II record for wins at 38-1.
Source : Peter J. Wallner, “Ferris State basketball team wins NCAA Division II title in a thriller“, MLive, March 24, 2018.
Detroit students, teachers, and supporters march along the Detroit River in Detroit on Saturday, March 24, 2018 to protest gun violence.
March for Our Lives was a student-led demonstration in support of tighter gun control that took place on March 24, 2018, in Washington, D.C., with over 800 sibling events throughout the United States and around the world. Student organizers planned the march in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Everytown for Gun Safety. The event followed the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, which was described by many media outlets as a possible tipping point for gun control legislation.
Protesters urged for universal background checks on all gun sales, raising the federal age of gun ownership and possession to the age of 21, closing of the gun show loophole, a restoration of the 1994 Federal Assault Weapons Ban, and a ban on the sale of high-capacity magazines in the United States.
Turnout was estimated to be 1,200,000 to 2,000,000 people in the United States, making it one of the largest protests in American history.
March for Our Lives in Michigan
Sunny skies and protest signs filled the air in downtown Detroit as thousands of protesters took to the streets in a march to end gun violence as part of the metro Detroit March for Our Lives demonstration.
Lead by local students, the protest brought out people from all walks of life to express their desire for changes in gun control laws in an effort to decrease gun violence in the wake of last month’s shooting at Marjory Douglas Stoneman High School in Parkland, Fla.
As protesters marched through Hart Plaza and downtown Detroit, they waived signs with anti-gun violence themes. Their chants of “Hey, Hey NRA, how many kids have you killed today?” and “Enough is enough!” filled the streets.
After the march concluded, protesters gathered around a stage in front of the RenCen where Detroit area students, local politicians, and community organizers took to the podium and spoke.
Pamela Beltran is a student at Detroit’s Cass Technical High School. She helped to organize her high school’s National Walkout Day protest on March 14 as well as the metro Detroit March for Our Lives march. Beltran was also one of the march’s many speakers. Her speech offered a critique of the “thoughts and prayers” approach that many politicians take in the wake of school shootings.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow was also in attendance, sitting side stage and nodding in agreement as others spoke about how gun violence had impacted their lives.
“The biggest tragedy is that we as adults have not done enough to stop [gun violence],” Stabenow said. “Student voices are going to make change possible.” Stabenow also commented on her wishes to ban the sale of military assault weapons and to arm teachers with books and resources rather than firearms
Additional protests were held in Lansing, Michigan and around the country. Cydney Jenkins, a 14-year-old from Farmington Hills, organized the state Capitol march.
Gretchen Whitmer, a Democratic candidate governor and former state senator from East Lansing, said gun violence should not be a partisan issue and said the rally was not a moment but part of a movement.
State Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr., D-Meridian Township, criticized the lack of action to address gun violence.
“Every time we’ve seen gun violence in this country, their only answer is more guns,” he said, referring to Republican lawmakers.
Chants broke out often throughout the speeches. “Vote them out” and “enough is enough” were among the most common.
Anthony Spak, “Detroit March for Our Lives demonstration attracts thousands to downtown protest“, Detroit Metro Times, March 24, 2018.
Matt Mencarini, “Michigan’s March for Our Lives draws thousands to Capitol“, Lansing State Journal, March 24, 2018.
For other coverage from around the country, see the March for our Lives wikipedia entry.