- Wayne State University Digital Collections

Wayne State University; Buildings; Old Main; Recent

Circa 1960s. Exterior image of Old Main’s front entrance with two women walking away from building. Malcomson and Higginbotham, 1896. Originally Central High School, Old Main is Wayne State’s place of origin and now a university icon. The stately Romanesque Revival composition is softened by the buff-colored brick. Under the leadership of David Mackenzie, a junior college was begun in the building in 1917. In 1926, high school classes left the building and the growing college took over all the…

Wayne State University; Buildings; Old Main; Recent

Circa 1960s. Exterior image of Old Main. View from Cass and Hancock looking north. Young woman sits on front lawn. Malcomson and Higginbotham, 1896. Originally Central High School, Old Main is Wayne State’s place of origin and now a university icon. The stately Romanesque Revival composition is softened by the buff-colored brick. Under the leadership of David Mackenzie, a junior college was begun in the building in 1917. In 1926, high school classes left the building and the growing college too…

Wayne State University; Buildings; Helen DeRoy Memorial

Circa 1960. Wayne State University in the 60s had more than 30,000 students seeking degrees and provided educational services for more than 57,000 people. The heart of the mid-city campus is the Memorial Mall, which includes the Helen L. DeRoy Hall and Anna Prentis Bldg. A moat surrounds DeRoy Hall, adding to the beauty of the buildings and the landscaping. Minoru Yamasaki and Associates Architects. 1965. The pleasant temple auditorium, dressed in a suggestive Gothic pattern, is surrounded by a …