Sing to the Colors

In Sing to the Colors, award-winning author James Tobin considers ideas of place, tradition, legacy, and pride while investigating two centuries of history at his alma mater, the University of Michigan. The books 24 essays capture a series of momentssome well-known and celebrated, others inconspicuous or even troublingthat have contributed to the ongoing evolution of the University. Readers travel back to bitter battles fought over the vision for the University in its early years and learn how the Diag and other campus landmarks came to be. Other chapters consider milestones on the Universitys continuing journey toward greater inclusivity such as the 1970 Black Action Movement strike and the enrollment of Michigans first female students in the 1870s. Still others illuminate the complex relationship between the University and the city of Ann Arbor, revisiting former mainstays like the Pretzel Bell and Drakes Sandwich Shop. Alongside these stories, Tobin grapples with his own understanding of and connection to Michigans history, whichwhatever its imperfections and errorshas shaped the lives of thousands of alumni around the world. This is a book for readers who not only cherish the University of Michigan but who also want to better understand the long work of the many generations who envisioned and built and sustained the place.