The University of Michigan’s journey in business education began in the late 1800s, transforming from a basic trade study to a prestigious field. Pioneers like U-M President James Angell and Professor Henry Carter Adams played pivotal roles in integrating scientific principles into business practices, significantly impacting both the university and the global community.
Under President Angell’s leadership from 1871-1909, the university saw substantial growth in student and faculty numbers and introduced several new schools, including the School of Business Administration. Adams, heading the newly-created economics department, focused on elevating business education beyond mere trade skills, leading to the launch of the first business classes in 1900.
World War I brought further expansion, and by the 1920s, under President Marion Leroy Burton and Dean Edmund Ezra Day, the School of Business Administration was formally established. Day emphasized creating business scientists rather than mere technicians, foreseeing the need for a comprehensive business school infrastructure.
The school opened in 1924 in Tappan Hall with a modest enrollment but with Day’s vision of a broad-reaching impact. His predictions about the school’s growth and influence proved accurate, setting the stage for it to become one of the leading business schools in the country.
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