Mary Sue Coleman Hall

Mary Sue Coleman Hall. Photo courtesy The Michigan Daily

Mary Sue Coleman: Driving Diversity and Discovery

By Clare Ramsdell

More than half of undergraduate students at the University of Michigan are women, while only 0.1% of academic buildings on campus are named after women. Mary Sue Coleman Hall is the only academic building out of 85 named after a woman (Stocking). Coleman, who is also the only woman to hold the position of President of the University of Michigan, contributed to the establishment of this facility in 1999, which was first known as the Life Sciences Building. The naming committee unanimously agreed to rename the building after Coleman in 2021.

Mary Sue Coleman is “a biochemist who built a distinguished career through her research before her sharp rise through the ranks of higher education administration” (“President Emerita Mary Sue Coleman”). She held the positions of Professor of Biological Chemistry at the University of Michigan Medical School and Professor of Chemistry at the College of Literature, Sciences, and the Arts. She served as President of the University of Iowa in 1995 until she was appointed the first female President of the University of Michigan.

When she began her term as U-M President in 2003, the university was facing two affirmative action lawsuits that landed before the Supreme Court. Coleman, who “believe[s] deeply in the value and positive consequence of affirmative action in our society” (Gruber), successfully dealt with the lawsuits and policies for the university.

Mary Sue Coleman. Photo courtesy The Michigan Daily

After a successful start, she continued to support the advancement of the university, spearheading “The Michigan Difference” campaign, which set a record for the most money ever raised by a public university (more than three billion dollars). She oversaw U-M’s partnership with Google, which digitized Michigan’s seven million-volume library, and also “launched enduring institutional partnerships with universities in China, Ghana, Israel, South Africa, Brazil, and India” (“President Emerita Mary Sue Coleman”).

"Mary Sue Coleman (front right) attends an event at the Life Sciences Institute in 2008, celebrating the naming of the LSI directorship in her honor." Photo courtesy UM LSI

Coleman was known for her passion for research and dedication to expanding U-M’s research initiatives. She orchestrated the purchase of the North Campus Research Complex from Pfizer and served as founding president of the University Research Corridor. It was no surprise Time Magazine ranked Coleman one of the top ten best American university presidents in 2009 (“President Emerita Mary Sue Coleman”).

Coleman's passion for research is reflected in the Life Sciences Institute, which serves as a focal point for collaborative bioscience research at U-M. The institute houses faculty labs and four research cores that “partner with scientists across U-M’s broad research enterprise to advance basic biology and academic drug discovery research” (“President Emerita Mary Sue Coleman”). According to The University Record, the LSI has been prominent in providing education and meaningful lab experience to scientists, fostering discovery. The institute's directorship is an endowed position with Coleman's name on it in commemoration of the significant contribution she made to the growth of the LSI.

Coleman retired in 2014 from her position as president, and everyone was truly sad to see her go (Gringlas). She came back to the university to serve as interim president from January to October 2022 following President Mark Schlissel’s removal "for conduct inconsistent with the dignity and reputation of the university" ("Past Presidents").

According to an article in VeryWellFamily.com, Coleman’s first name Mary means “beloved,” which perfectly describes how faculty members and students felt about her. SurnameDB.com, says her last name comes from the Gaelic last name Columban words colm, meaning dove, and ban, meaning white. The last name can also be occupational and mean someone who works with or burns coal.

Coleman fought for diversity and inclusivity at Michigan; that fight is represented by her name being the first woman's name on an academic building. The renaming of this building gave hope to students who desire a more diverse campus. However, the fight is far from over, as many students and faculty continue to push toward a campus with buildings that more accurately represent the university (Stocking).

Works Cited

Gringlas, Sam. “Mary Sue Coleman: Embracing the Unknown.” The Michigan Daily, 20 Apr. 2021, www.michigandaily.com/uncategorized/mary-sue-profile.

Gruber, Daniel A. “Inspired Leadership in Challenging Times: An Interview With Mary Sue Coleman.” Journal of Management Inquiry, vol. 14, no. 4, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, pp. 338–42, doi:10.1177/1056492605280568.

"Last name: Coleman." SurnameDB. https://www.surnamedb.com/Surname/Coleman

"Past Presidents." The University of Michigan Office of the President. https://president.umich.edu/about/past-presidents/.

“President Emerita Mary Sue Coleman Recognized in Building Naming.” | The University Record. www.record.umich.edu/articles/mary-sue-coleman-recognized-in-building-naming.

Stocking, Shannon. “U-M Community Reflects on Only One Academic Building on Campus Named After a Woman.” The Michigan Daily, 20 Mar. 2022, www.michigandaily.com/news/u-m-community-reflects-on-only-one-academic-building-on-campus-named-after-a-woman.

Wiser, Wendy. “Mary Name Meaning.” Verywell Family, 19 Sept. 2022, www.verywellfamily.com/mary-name-meaning-origin-popularity-5182468.

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