Stories from UM-Dearborn
The “Stories” section of the Dearborn Campus Memory Collective brings campus history to life through first-person accounts. The goal of these materials is to capture the voices, memories, and lived experiences of those who have shaped this community.
Students on the UM-Dearborn campus, 1971 University of Michigan News and Information Services, Bentley Historical Library | University of Michigan Library Digital Collections | © 1971 Regents of the University of Michigan | This work is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
In this part of the DCM Collective, you’ll find oral histories and written memoirs that offer personal perspectives on moments both big and small. These include stories that might not appear in official records but are essential to understanding the full story of campus life. These narratives highlight how individuals saw their time here on campus, unpacking not just what happened, but how it felt, what it meant to them, and why it matters today.
Stories like the ones showcased here, are powerful tools for connection and understanding. They allow us to see past events through human eyes, gain new perspectives and nuance to historical events and campus culture. By sharing these voices, we aim to create a living archive that continues to grow and evolve. We invite you to explore today and encourage you to return again and again to see what has been added.
We are always looking to showcase new stories and welcome contributions from our campus community. If you have a story to share, either through an oral history or written piece, we encourage you to reach out through our “Get Involved” page and help us expand our understanding of UM-Dearborn history.
Oral Histories
The projects under the IHP-Dearborn umbrella span a wide range of topics and themes. As such, the oral histories collected here span a variety of topics surrounding UM-Dearborn campus history, community, and beyond. We invite you to explore this growing collection by clicking the button below.
Memoirs
Firsthand accounts of past events and lived experiences offer unique views into history and communities in ways in which many other primary sources do not. We believe that everyone should be able to add their voice to the historical record, even if they do not wish to do so on a recorded oral hsitory. This was the driving force behind the “Memoirs” section of the Dearborn Campus Memory Collective. With “Memoirs,” narrators can provide their views without any discomfort that may come with recording. This collection is still progress, so we invite you to return later to see what new perspectives have been added. We are also looking for more stories to showcase in this section, so if you are interested in sharing your story through a written medium, please reach out through the “Get Involved” page.