The Architecture Program / Timeline
1876
Courses in architecture are offered at the University of Michigan by William Le Baron Jenney.1906
Architecture is recognized as a formal course of study when a program is established in the Department of Engineering with Emil Lorch as chair.1913
The University of Michigan grants the program departmental status and full control of its curriculum.1923
Eliel Saarinen begins teaching architecture courses at UM.1931
The College of Architecture is established as a separate entity with 370 students and 27 faculty members.1939
The college’s name is changed to the College of Architecture and Design.
The program in architecture is expanded to a five–year curriculum.
Landscape architecture is added to the college’s curriculum.1946
A graduate program in urban planning, which awarded a master of city planning degree, is introduced, one of the first in the country.1948
The Architecture Research Laboratory is created, taking a pioneering step in integrating design, construction, technology, planning and research. This is renamed in 1974 to the Architecture + Planning Research Laboratory.1954
The Arts and Architecture departments are separated due to growth in interest in both areas. The college continues to house both departments.1967
The five–year architecture program is modified to a two+two+two year program.1968
The department of urban planning is created within the College of Architecture and Design.
A university-wide Ph.D. program in urban and regional planning is established in the office of the vice president for academic affairs with faculty from 12 schools and colleges.1969
Michigan is the first American school to offer a doctorate of architecture degree.1974
The College of Architecture and Design is reorganized to create the College of Architecture and Urban Planning and the College of Art & Design.
The new Art + Architecture Building, housing the College of Architecture and Urban Planning together with the School of Art & Design, opens for classes on UM’s North Campus.1982
The Ph.D. program in urban, technological, and environmental planning (UTEP) is created. The program is moved from Rackham Graduate School to the College of Architecture and Urban Planning in 1989.1992
The two individual programs in urban planning and UTEP are merged to form the urban + regional planning program (URP), now under a single chair with a coordinator of doctoral studies.1999
A. Alfred Taubman donates $30 million to the College of Architecture and Urban Planning, one of the largest gifts in the history of the University of Michigan and the largest ever to a school of architecture. The College is renamed to A. Alfred Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.
Since the mid-20th century, the College has been headed by Deans Philip N. Youtz (1957–1964), Reginald F. Malcolmson (1964–1974), Robert C. Metcalf (1974–1986), Robert M. Beckley (1987–1997), James C. Snyder (interim 1997–1998), Douglas S. Kelbaugh (1998–2008), and Monica Ponce de Leon was appointed in 2008.
