Michigan Union - Birthplace of the Peace Corps

A stop on University of Michigan Campus Walk, a free self-guided tour.

Stand on the front steps of the Michigan Union, the student hub that opened in 1919 after wartime delays; the unfinished building even served as barracks for student soldiers in World War I. Designed by brothers Irving and Allen Pond, it was for decades a men's club, and women had to use the north entrance with a male escort until 1956.

These steps hosted one of the most famous late-night speeches in American politics. Around 2 a.m. on October 14, 1960, presidential candidate John F. Kennedy arrived after a long day of campaigning and found thousands of students waiting in the autumn chill, with estimates running from about 5,000 to 10,000. Speaking off the cuff, he asked how many of them would be willing to spend years working abroad in the service of their country. The response helped launch the Peace Corps, which he created by executive order a few months later. A plaque on the steps marks the spot.

Getting here: Walk south from the Cube and around to the Union's front steps on State Street.

Did you know?: The two statues by the front steps face opposite ways: the athlete looks south toward the athletic fields, while the scholar looks north toward the academic campus.

Photo op: Stand by the Kennedy plaque and photograph the steps, or cross State Street to fit the whole Union facade in one shot.

More on Wikipedia: Michigan Union · Peace Corps · John F. Kennedy

Michigan Union - Birthplace of the Peace Corps

Stops on this tour