Michigan State University: The Rise of a Research University and the New Millennium, 1970-2005 by Douglas Noverr (review)

124 The Michigan Historical Review indicates in her introduction, this was a collaborative work of the Dominican Sisters, “a work of many hands” (p. ix). Readers should appreciate the volume as a whole, especially those with a mind to understanding the impact of Vatican II and renewal upon the community and the spiritual and ministerial lives of women religious. Mary Beth Fraser Connolly Purdue University Northwest Douglas Noverr, Michigan State University: The Rise of a Research University and the New Millennium, 1970-2005. East Lansing: Michigan State University Press, 2015. Pp. 303. Bibliography. Illustrations. Index. Cloth: $39.95. Douglas Noverr’s Michigan State University: The Rise of a Research University and the New Millennium, 1970-2005 is a continuation of the work that began with Keith Widder’s Michigan Agricultural College: The Evolution of a Land-Grant philosophy, 1855-1925 (2005) and was followed by David Thomas’s Michigan State College: John Hannah and the Creation of a World University, 1926-69 (2008). Although Noverr mentions in the conclusion that, “no argument for specialness or uniqueness has been made” in this book, readers will find that Noverr, an emeritus professor in MSU’s Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures, sees a great deal that is special about Michigan State, especially as it developed in the run up to the turn of the century (p. 271). The book, which is extensively researched using University administrative records and the recollections of notable personalities as chronicled by MSU’s Sesquicentennial Oral History Project, shows how thorough university archives research can be turned into an easy to read and engaging narrative history. Supplementing the text are hundreds of historical photos pulled from the MSU Archives and Historical Collections that give readers a visualization of the many names and places mentioned in the book. It is broadly organized into five chapters that roughly correspond to the tenure of university presidents; this allows the book to flow across varied and far-ranging themes within each chapter– from administrative matters and the establishment of academic programs to student culture and athletic successes. The first chapter provides historical context by explaining, among other matters, the vision of President John A. Hannah (1941-69). The second and third chapters tell how MSU not only survived but thrived Book Reviews 125 during the 1969-84 period, an era of increasing student and faculty activism and decreasing state budget allocations. The fourth chapter centers on the relative financial stability of the university from 1985-93 when foundations were laid to move the university into the twenty-first century. Michigan State’s accomplishments at the turn of the century— its preparation for financial crisis, support for nationally-ranked academic and research programs, and success in athletics—are covered in the fifth chapter. The final chapter reflects on the sesquicentennial of the university, held in 2005, and what the future might hold. The book has four strong themes. First is the assessment, and reassessment, of MSU’s role in the world in light of its commitment to the Land-Grant philosophy. Second is the institution’s perseverance, despite such wide-ranging challenges as budget crises, reorganization, student unrest, and personnel scandals. Third is the changing nature of higher education with its increased reliance on donors, tuition, and research grants for university funding as well as a declining interest among students in liberal education. The final theme highlights how the successes of MSU after 1970 are linked to the foundation laid during the tenure of John A. Hannah, specifically the insistence that the institution develop and hone particular areas of strength to distinguish it in the world. While taking a laudatory tone, Noverr does not shy away from pointing out the difficulties that arose during this thirty-five-year period. The book’s strong focus on personnel, the administration, and the organization of the university may be explained by the extensive use of Board of Trustees minutes and Sesquicentennial Oral History Project transcripts as sources. Despite a want for additional sources such as the State News student newspaper or other primary source documents from the MSU Archives and Historical Collections, this beautifully-produced book, with its well-developed bibliography and index, is a...