The records of the Honors Program loosely document the development of the program and its activities from its inception in 1957 until 1984. The lone Topical series is arranged alphabetically with several folders for Administrative personnel, Awards and scholarships, College Honors Seminar and the Cutcheon Fund. Much of the collection consists of correspondence between the various directors and other campus departments as well as contacts from other organizations.
Information found in the Annual reports folder clearly documents the program's first three years. After that time period, published brochures and brochure copy found in the Brochure folder offer fairly complete information about the program while the Newspaper clippings folder gives an overview of the program's activities and an idea of how the program was viewed by the public. Correspondence housed in the Administrative personnel folders and the Intraoffice correspondence and Miscellaneous folders also offer insight.
The remainder of the record group contains lists of Honors Council members, some routine office transactions, procedure guidelines, and opportunities within the Honors Program that shed some light on the program's direction. For an idea of student interest in the early 1980s, see the folder titled Fund requests in the Cutcheon Fund folders. Project proposals are attached to each fund request. Also of special interest is correspondence related to Offset a short-lived literary magazine which was developed and produced by honors students.
For additional information regarding the Honors Program see the College of Literature, Science and the Arts record group, which also contains Honors Program records. The records of Robert C. Angell are also held by the Bentley Historical Library.
In 1957, the College of Literature, Science and the Arts (LS&A) established the Honors Program to provide freshman and sophomores with the opportunity to pursue more scholarly options. Honors courses had already been available for juniors and seniors through the various departments, however, the university felt that new exceptional students were being neglected and therefore attending other institutions that did offer four-year honors programs. The main objective of the Honors Program was to attract superior students to the University of Michigan.
With Robert C. Angell at the helm, an Honors Council comprised of representatives from LS&A departments participating in the Honors Program was formed to develop the curriculum guidelines. The program was designed to ensure a liberal arts education, yet allow students the flexibility to create a program of study based upon their personal interests. In addition to more challenging courses, honors program students were offered special counseling by members of the Honors Council, lodging and camaraderie with others who emphasized academics, extra credit for summer reading, and the opportunity to write a thesis. Top high school seniors were then issued invitations to join the program based on their high school grades, test scores, and a personal interview. Eighty-seven student chose to participate that first year.
Otto Graf followed Angell as director of the program in 1961. Six hundred students were then participating in the program, creating a small college atmosphere within the expanse of the larger institution. Although, the program was an official success, controversy arose in the early 1960s concerning the special privileges afforded the honors students and the accusations that the course work was not much more difficult than in regular classes.
By the time Jack Meiland took over in 1978, more administrative personnel and staff had been added and issues of concern now turned to the validity of using the same grade standards for honors students as for students taking less demanding courses and using technology to handle the administrative information generated by the program. Meiland continued as director until 1983 when he was succeeded by David Shappirio. In 1991 Ruth Scodel became director of the program.
Directors of the LS&A Honors Program
| Date |
Event |
| 1957-1961 | Robert C. Angell |
| 1961-1978 | Otto G. Graf |
| 1978-1983 | Jack W. Meiland |
| 1983-1991 | David G. Shappirio |
| 1991-1997 | Ruth S. Scodel |
| 1997-1998 | Micahael M. Martin |
| 1998-2003 | Rob Van der Voo |
| 2003-2005 | Stephen L. Darwell |
| 2005-2006 | David L. Porter |
| 2006- | Stephen L. Darwell |
