Michigamua
Encyclopedia
The Order of Angell is a senior honor society
at the University of Michigan
. Known for a brief period as the Hot Air Club and subsequently known throughout the remainder of the twentieth century as Michigamua, the organization officially renamed itself the Order of Angell in 2007 in an effort to move beyond its controversial past. The organization was created in 1902 by a group of seniors in coordination with University president James Burrill Angell
.
Some factions on campus identify the Order of Angell as a secret society
, but many dispute that characterization. For most of the organization's history, its membership was publicly identified in the campus newspaper and yearbook; in the 1970s, however, when the group started performing its rituals in private, it effectively became a secret society
for some years. Since then, the group's degree of secrecy has fluctuated year-to-year, with some classes appearing in the yearbook and others remaining unknown. Since the 2006 reforms, the Order of Angell has made a policy of keeping the roster public each year.
The group purports to be a service organization, whose goal is to "fight like hell for Michigan," although members have declined to specify exactly how they serve the University, citing a tradition of "humble service."
The group played an instrumental role in building the Michigan Union
. It is also known to have had a hand in forming several prominent campus charity and service organizations, such as K-grams and Dance Marathon. In 1932 it was granted a permanent lease for space in the tower of the Michigan Union
, although the group left the tower in 2000. The tower remains empty today because it does not meet Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.
Other similar societies currently in existence at the University of Michigan include a co-ed group called Phoenix, and the engineering-only group known as the Vulcans.
or remnants of the United States' colonial legacy, while others argued that it was a way of showing respect for the University of Michigan's Native American roots. In response to outcry from the Native community, the organization stopped using Native American rituals publicly in 1972, and stopped all pseudo-Native American practices in 1989. That year, the organization signed an agreement with representatives from the Native American Student Association agreeing to abandon all Native American
cultural references in their rituals and initiations.
In 2000, a group of students called the Students of Color Coalition (SCC) occupied the tower and the organization's offices. During the SCC's 37-day occupation they discovered the interior of the tower painted to depict a Wigwam and historical items of Native American origin in a storage attic. While these items were bought legally throughout the society's history by its members, the items were deemed inappropriate by the SCC. Members of the organization asserted that these archival items had been unused and stored away for years in storage. Some believe that the Native American archival items were staged on the table of the room, while others believe the items were in possession of the group. Neither account has been confirmed. The members of the organization agreed to vacate the tower of the Michigan Union, and the Native American items were distributed to various Native tribes.
In April 2006, the group released a list of its most recent members and stopped using the name "Michigamua." In the following year, it chose the name Order of Angell, after founding University president James Burrill Angell, as its new name, despite supposed reservations expressed by some members of the Angell family.
Along with announcing its new name, Order of Angell announced in February 2007 that it would register as an official University student group and that it would institute a policy of releasing the names of all new members in the future. The group also released a list of its active honorary members. (This had been a sticking point for some on campus, who had criticized the group for releasing a list of its current members while keeping its honorary members secret.) As of February 2007, Order of Angell's active honorary members are Michael Brooks, executive director of Michigan Hillel; Jim Toy
, a long-time LGBT and social-justice activist; and Rich Rogel, co-chair of the University of Michigan's Michigan Difference fund raising campaign.
Honor society
In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America...
at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. Known for a brief period as the Hot Air Club and subsequently known throughout the remainder of the twentieth century as Michigamua, the organization officially renamed itself the Order of Angell in 2007 in an effort to move beyond its controversial past. The organization was created in 1902 by a group of seniors in coordination with University president James Burrill Angell
James Burrill Angell
James Burrill Angell was an American educator, academic administrator, and diplomat. He is best known for being the longest-serving president of the University of Michigan . Under his leadership Michigan gained prominence as an elite public university...
.
Some factions on campus identify the Order of Angell as a secret society
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
, but many dispute that characterization. For most of the organization's history, its membership was publicly identified in the campus newspaper and yearbook; in the 1970s, however, when the group started performing its rituals in private, it effectively became a secret society
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
for some years. Since then, the group's degree of secrecy has fluctuated year-to-year, with some classes appearing in the yearbook and others remaining unknown. Since the 2006 reforms, the Order of Angell has made a policy of keeping the roster public each year.
The group purports to be a service organization, whose goal is to "fight like hell for Michigan," although members have declined to specify exactly how they serve the University, citing a tradition of "humble service."
The group played an instrumental role in building the Michigan Union
Michigan Union
The Michigan Union is a student union at the University of Michigan. It is located at the intersection of South State Street and South University Avenue in Ann Arbor, Michigan....
. It is also known to have had a hand in forming several prominent campus charity and service organizations, such as K-grams and Dance Marathon. In 1932 it was granted a permanent lease for space in the tower of the Michigan Union
Michigan Union
The Michigan Union is a student union at the University of Michigan. It is located at the intersection of South State Street and South University Avenue in Ann Arbor, Michigan....
, although the group left the tower in 2000. The tower remains empty today because it does not meet Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.
Other similar societies currently in existence at the University of Michigan include a co-ed group called Phoenix, and the engineering-only group known as the Vulcans.
"Michigamua" and Native American Issues
In its former identity "Michigamua," derived from a fictional Anishnaabe tribe, the organization had been criticized for its past practices of wearing imitations of Native American regalia in public rituals during yearly initiations of new members. There was public controversy over their mocking use of items such as "peace pipes," drums, and totems, which are sacred to many Native American religions. Many called such displays cultural appropriationCultural appropriation
Cultural appropriation is the adoption of some specific elements of one culture by a different cultural group. It describes acculturation or assimilation, but can imply a negative view towards acculturation from a minority culture by a dominant culture. It can include the introduction of forms of...
or remnants of the United States' colonial legacy, while others argued that it was a way of showing respect for the University of Michigan's Native American roots. In response to outcry from the Native community, the organization stopped using Native American rituals publicly in 1972, and stopped all pseudo-Native American practices in 1989. That year, the organization signed an agreement with representatives from the Native American Student Association agreeing to abandon all Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
cultural references in their rituals and initiations.
In 2000, a group of students called the Students of Color Coalition (SCC) occupied the tower and the organization's offices. During the SCC's 37-day occupation they discovered the interior of the tower painted to depict a Wigwam and historical items of Native American origin in a storage attic. While these items were bought legally throughout the society's history by its members, the items were deemed inappropriate by the SCC. Members of the organization asserted that these archival items had been unused and stored away for years in storage. Some believe that the Native American archival items were staged on the table of the room, while others believe the items were in possession of the group. Neither account has been confirmed. The members of the organization agreed to vacate the tower of the Michigan Union, and the Native American items were distributed to various Native tribes.
Recent reforms
After the organization agreed to stop using Native American practices in 1989, some members began to slowly steer the group toward progressive reforms. By the late 1990s, each class included at least a few progressive members. Today, most of the Order's members are either athletes or progressive campus leaders.In April 2006, the group released a list of its most recent members and stopped using the name "Michigamua." In the following year, it chose the name Order of Angell, after founding University president James Burrill Angell, as its new name, despite supposed reservations expressed by some members of the Angell family.
Along with announcing its new name, Order of Angell announced in February 2007 that it would register as an official University student group and that it would institute a policy of releasing the names of all new members in the future. The group also released a list of its active honorary members. (This had been a sticking point for some on campus, who had criticized the group for releasing a list of its current members while keeping its honorary members secret.) As of February 2007, Order of Angell's active honorary members are Michael Brooks, executive director of Michigan Hillel; Jim Toy
Jim Toy
Jim Toy is a long-time LGBT activist, considered a pioneer among LGBT activists in Michigan.Jim Toy identified as being gay during his speech at an anti-Vietnam-War rally in Kennedy Square, Detroit, in April 1970...
, a long-time LGBT and social-justice activist; and Rich Rogel, co-chair of the University of Michigan's Michigan Difference fund raising campaign.
Political figures
- Gerald FordGerald FordGerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, U.S. president - Frank MurphyFrank MurphyWilliam Francis Murphy was a politician and jurist from Michigan. He served as First Assistant U.S. District Attorney, Eastern Michigan District , Recorder's Court Judge, Detroit . Mayor of Detroit , the last Governor-General of the Philippines , U.S...
, U.S. Supreme Court justice and U.S. attorney general - Mike BishopMike Bishop (Michigan politician)Michael D. Bishop is a Republican Party politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He is a former member and majority leader of the Michigan Senate....
, Michigan Senate majority leader - Clifford TaylorClifford TaylorClifford "Cliff" Taylor was Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court from 2005 through 2009.Taylor was appointed to the court in 1997 by then-Governor John Engler, ran for election to the balance of the appointed term in 1998 and was reelected in 2000. He was chosen by his fellow justices to be...
, Michigan Supreme Court chief justice - Roger WilkinsRoger WilkinsRoger Wilkins is an African American civil rights leader, professor of history, and journalist.-Biography:Wilkins was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up in Michigan...
, civil rights leader and Washington Post editorialist
Athletics
- Bo SchembechlerBo SchembechlerGlenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and at the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1989, compiling a career record of 234–65–8...
, University of Michigan football coach - Fritz CrislerFritz CrislerHerbert Orin "Fritz" Crisler was an American football coach who is best known as "the father of two-platoon football," an innovation in which separate units of players were used for offense and defense. Crisler developed two-platoon football while serving as head coach at the University of...
, University of Michigan football coach - Lloyd CarrLloyd CarrLloyd H. Carr is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Wolverines compiled a record of 122–40 and won or shared five Big Ten Conference titles...
, University of Michigan football coach - Fielding H. Yost, University of Michigan football coach
- Red Berenson, University of Michigan hockey coach
- Don CanhamDon CanhamDonald Canham was a track and field athlete and coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the athletic director at the University of Michigan from 1968 to 1988. There, he became nationally renowned for his ability to market and sell products bearing the name or logo of the school...
, University of Michigan athletic director - Tom HarmonTom HarmonThomas Dudley Harmon was a star player in American college football, a sports broadcaster, and patriarch of a family of American actors...
, Heisman Trophy winner - Jim AbbottJim AbbottJames Anthony Abbott is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, who played despite having been born without a right hand. He played for the California Angels, the New York Yankees, the Chicago White Sox, and the Milwaukee Brewers, from 1989 to 1999.He graduated from Flint Central High School and...
, MLB pitcher - Marty TurcoMarty TurcoMarty Turco is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He has played professionally with the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks. Because of his puckhandling prowess, Canadian hockey personality Don Cherry named Turco: "the smartest goalie in the...
, NHL Goalie - Jake LongJake LongJake Edward Long is an American football offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Dolphins first overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan...
, NFL Offensive Tackle, the #1 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft2008 NFL DraftThe 2008 NFL Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 26 and April 27, 2008. For the 29th consecutive year, ESPN televised the draft; the NFL Network also broadcast the event, its third year doing so... - Mike HartMike Hart (football player)Leon Michael "Mike" Hart is a former American football running back and current offensive quality control coach for Eastern Michigan University. Hart played college football as a running back at the University of Michigan from 2004 to 2007 and holds the Michigan Wolverines career rushing record...
, University of Michigan running back
University of Michigan administrators
- James Burrill AngellJames Burrill AngellJames Burrill Angell was an American educator, academic administrator, and diplomat. He is best known for being the longest-serving president of the University of Michigan . Under his leadership Michigan gained prominence as an elite public university...
, president - Harry Burns HutchinsHarry Burns HutchinsHarry Burns Hutchins was the fourth president of the University of Michigan .He was initially named interim president for one year to succeed James Burrill Angell, but his term was later extended after several other candidates, including Woodrow Wilson, were offered the presidency and declined...
, president - Alexander RuthvenAlexander RuthvenAlexander Ruthven was a Scottish nobleman. He is most notable for his participation in the Gowrie conspiracy of 1600.-Early life:...
, president - Harlan HatcherHarlan HatcherHarlan Henthorne Hatcher served as the eighth President of the University of Michigan from 1951 to 1967.-Biography:...
, president - Robben Fleming, president
- Joseph Bursley, dean of students
- David A. Brandon, athletic director
Recent prominent alumni
- John NavarreJohn NavarreJohn Robert Navarre is a former American football quarterback who was a three-year starter for the Michigan Wolverines from 2001 to 2003, leading the Wolverines to the 2003 Big Ten Conference championship in his final year of eligibility...
, NFL quarterback - Brian GrieseBrian GrieseBrian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
, NFL quarterback - Peter VanderkaayPeter VanderkaayPeter Vanderkaay is an American middle-distance freestyle swimmer. He is a three-time Olympic medalist.-Personal life:...
, U.S. Olympic gold-medalist swimmer - Marty TurcoMarty TurcoMarty Turco is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He has played professionally with the Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks. Because of his puckhandling prowess, Canadian hockey personality Don Cherry named Turco: "the smartest goalie in the...
, NHL goaltender