Gerald R. Ford visit marks 90th anniversary, new era at public policy school

November 9, 2004
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DATE: 11 a.m. Nov. 12, 2004

EVENT: The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy will celebrate its 90th anniversary with a visit from former President Ford and a ceremonial groundbreaking of the Joan and Sanford Weill Hall as the school’s new home.

Ford, a 1935 University of Michigan graduate, will kick off the construction phase for the new Weill Hall building, which will be located on the northeast corner of State and Hill streets. The Ford School will be in Weill Hall, which will serve as a southern gateway to the U-M’s Central Campus and will mark a new era in the history of the Ford School’s growing academic program.

Among those expected to attend are Betty Ford and sons Jack, Mike and Steve and daughter Susan. Citigroup Inc. Chairman Sanford Weill, who contributed $5 million toward the building named in his honor, will speak at the ceremony, as will U-M President Mary Sue Coleman, Provost Paul N. Courant, and U-M Regents Rebecca McGowan and Andrea Fischer Newman, and Ford School Dean Rebecca Blank.

The new 80,000 square-foot facility will feature classrooms, a library, research centers, a computer laboratory, faculty offices and public spaces for conferences and lectures. The internationally recognized firm of Robert A.M. Stern Architects has been selected to design the building. Construction should be completed by August 2006.

The school began in 1914 as the Institute of Public Administration—one of the first programs of its kind in the nation. It is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a series of events following the groundbreaking. In 1999, the school was named the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy by the Board of Regents

PLACE: U-M Indoor Track Building, 1000 S. State St. (behind Revelli Hall): http://www.umich.edu/~info/inside.html?http://www.umich.edu/~info/south.html

SPONSOR: Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy


WEB LINKS: For more information about events, see http://www.fordschool.umich.edu/alumni/alumniweekend/eventsprogram.html

For additional information about the new site, including links to renderings, visit http://www.plantext.bf.umich.edu/plantext/projects/Ford/index.html


EDITORS: President Gerald R. Ford won’t be available for any press conferences or interviews during this visit. The media is invited to attend the 11 a.m. event only.