“The University of the Poor”: The University of Michigan’s Transition From Admitting Impoverished Students to Studying Poverty,1870–1910

Abstract

During the late 19th century, universities subtly shifted their efforts from admitting poor students to conducting research on poverty. This transition occurred within a complex historical, sociological, and economic milieu of three national forces: universities’ quest for prestige; the relationship of expertise and professionalism to the middle-class ethos of universities; and Liberal Protestantism. Earlier than previously imagined, “class” became a determinant of access. The University of Michigan is a poignant illustration because of its long tradition of inclusion, from the early admission of women and African American students through its recent defense of affirmative action. Yet, while some doors creaked open for new groups of students, the number of poor undergraduates on campus waned—and remains woefully low.