About this Interview

Bernard “Bernie” Klein (b. 1929, d. 2020) was a political science professor at the University of Michigan-Dearborn from 1971 to 1993.

He served as the interim chancellor of the campus on three separate occasions: from 1979 to 1980, between September and December of 1992, and finally from July 1999 to June 2000 (the latter interim chancellorship took place after Klein had officially retired). Before Klein joined the UM-Dearborn faculty, he worked as a financial officer in former Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh’s office.

Klein was interviewed by Elton Higgs on September 26, 2003. This wide-ranging interview offers valuable insights into the challenges of UM-Dearborn’s early days, including questions of legitimacy, procuring funding, campus reorganization, economic woes, and faculty discontent. It demonstrates Klein’s dedication to the Dearborn campus and lobbying efforts on the campus’s behalf. The interview is also replete with Klein’s characteristic sharp humor and witty remarks. For example, when a state legislator asked Klein how he would compare UM-Dearborn to other universities, he stated, “It’s not for nothing that we’re frequently referred to as the Harvard on the Rouge.”.

View Part 1    View Part 2