Angell Hall

Angell Hall. Photo Courtesy: umich.edu

A Tale of Controversy and History at the University of Michigan

by Dean Goldstein

After serving as the University of Michigan’s symbol for academic excellence for 99 years, the Central Student Government has passed a resolution to change the name of Angell Hall (Li). The building's classic doric columns and ornate facade no longer correspond with just education, but with the problematic ideals of former UM president James Angell.

The construction of Angell Hall was commissioned as a result of overcrowded classrooms (“Angell”). Following the building’s construction in 1924, Angell Hall was meant to serve as “the centerpiece on campus upon its completion,” according to a 2009 Michigan Daily article on the construction of the building.

The iconic Angell Hall consists of eight grand doric columns that serve to transform the academic center into a dignified Greek temple. The facade is also flooded with Greek mythological figures including pegasus, centaurs, and owls that personify poetry, art, and science (“Angell”). Through his intricate design work, the building's architect, Albert Kahn, allowed for the creation of a neoclassical marvel to serve as the nucleus of the University of Michigan’s campus.

Sculpture of James Angell inside Angell Hall, April 12, 2023, by Dean Goldstein.

The building is named after former university president James Burill Angell, who oversaw UM from 1871 to 1909. Amidst his tenure, Angell established the first system of admission requirements for medical school in 1874 and later served as the United States minister to China in 1880 (Tikkanen).

Angell was a strong proponent of establishing Michigan’s reputation as a democratic establishment; he even coined the infamous phrase “an uncommon education for the common man” in order to describe the University’s egalitarian practices (Tobin). Angell is widely considered to be the most influential of all the University’s presidents, according to a 2013 Michigan Today article. He was an immense advocate for public education and claimed that it forced students to present a return to public society as well (Tobin). However, darker parts of his past have begun to overshadow some of Angell’s past feats.

Troubling findings from the past of James Angell have suddenly complicated the building's namesake at the University. In 2021, the Central Student Government passed a resolution for the name change of Angell Hall (Li). This resolution came as a response to James Angell’s involvement in drafting the 1880 Angell Treaty which served as a precursor for the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act that restricted Chinese immigration to the United States (Li). It has also been brought to light that Angells’s “Order of Angell,” an exclusive society for University of Michigan seniors, had historically appropriated Native American culture (Weinstein, Collins).The order was referred to as "Michigamua," which is a “racist depiction of supposed Native American speech” (Kasper).

The meaning of the name Angell has a direct connection to the origin of the word. Behindthename.com says that the name Angell is of Greek origin, from the word angel, meaning “messenger of god." Thus, the building's Greek style that includes massive columns and mythological figures is quite fitting. Nameberry.com says the name James is derived from the Hebrew name Jacob, which means “supplanter.”

As of November of 2021, a resolution for the name change of Angell Hall has been submitted, but no further public action is known to have taken place, according to the university's website on the status of the Angell name review. Whether the infamous building will actually undergo a name change still remains to be seen. Nonetheless, the name change is just a small step in the right direction towards the termination of racism on the university's campus.

Works Cited

“The Greek U-M Campus.” The Greek UM Campus, https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/greekcampus/centralcampus/angell-hall/.

Campbell, Mike. “Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Angel.” Behind the Name,

https://www.behindthename.com/name/angel.

“James - Baby Name Meaning, Origin, and Popularity.” Nameberry,

https://nameberry.com/babyname/james/boy.

Goldstein, Dean. Photograph of President Angell's sculpture hanging in Angell Hall Lounge. 12

Apr. 2023. Author's personal collection

Kasper, Casey. “The Michiganmau Dispute: Michigamua Has Troubled Past.” The Michigan

Daily, 21 Apr. 2021,https://www.michigandaily.com/uncategorized/michiganmau-dispute-michigamua-has-troubled-past/.

Li, Irena. “Umich CSG Passes Resolution to Rename Angell Hall, Angell Scholar Award.” The

Michigan Daily, 1 Dec. 2021,

https://www.michigandaily.com/student-government/csg-passes-resolution-to-rename-angell-hall-angell-scholar-award/.

Stevens, Lindy. “BYWH: The Construction of Angell Hall.” The Michigan Daily, 20 Apr. 2021, https://www.michigandaily.com/uncategorized/bywh-construction-angell-hall/.

Tikkanen, Amy. “James Rowland Angell.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 28 Feb. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Rowland-Angell.

Tobin, James. “Who Was James Angell?” Michigan Today, 29 July 2013,

https://michigantoday.umich.edu/2013/07/29/a8666/.

Weinstein, Barbara Collins & Liat. “Order of Angell Votes to Permanently Disband.” The

Michigan Daily, 20 Apr. 2021,

https://www.michigandaily.com/news/order-angell-votes-permanently-disband/.

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