University of Michigan School of Information

Timeline of UMSI history

  1. Origins

    1926

    Founded as the U-M Department of Library Science, with three full-time faculty and university librarian William Warner Bishop as chair

    William Warner Bishop sits at a table with a colleague looking over a book near a wall of barrister bookcases.

  2. 1927

    The first class of 31 students earns degrees in library science

    Eight students pose outside in commencement attire.

  3. 1928

    The department becomes the third in the nation accredited by the American Library Association

    A black and white photo of a large room with desks, typewriters and bookshelves. There are a few people at the desks.
  4. Evolution

    1948

    The department begins offering a PhD in library science alongside its master’s degree, ending its undergraduate degree

    A black and white photo of the class of 1948, wearing skirts and crisp button-downs or suits, with more than 30 people

  5. 1953

    The first course is offered on the use of computing technology for handling information 

    A room holding a wall-to-wall computer in 1953, with a couple technicians standing in front of it

  6. 1955

    Martha Boaz becomes the first woman to earn a U-M doctorate in library science

    Martha Boaz posing with a large group of students in 1952 on the steps of Angell Hall.

  7. 1969

    The Department of Library Science becomes the School of Library Science, with Russell E. Bidlack as its first dean

    Russell E. Bidlack looks at a microfiche machine with students.

  8. 1985

    Robert M. Warner, former archivist of the United States, becomes dean

    Robert Warner posing in a building in Washington DC.

  9. 1986

    Renamed the School of Information and Library Studies, reflecting a field increasingly shaped by information technology

    A wall sign reads School of Information and Library Studies with maize and blue balloons nearby.

  10. 1992

    Computer scientist Daniel E. Atkins becomes dean and brings together an interdisciplinary group of faculty across STEM and the social sciences

    A film photography of Daniel Atkins on a staircase, with other people walking past.

  11. 1994

    The school is awarded a $4.3 million W.K. Kellogg Foundation grant to lead the way in educating information professionals for the 21st century

    Members of the Kellogg Foundation sit at a long table.

  12. 1995

    Students and faculty launch the Internet Public Library from a course project, billed as the world’s first online public library

    A screenshot of a website landing page from 1996 in Web 1.0 style of the Internet Public Library.
  13. Reinvention

    1996

    The School of Information takes on its current name, with a new mission to prepare socially engaged information professionals for the digital age

    Daniel Atkins and Olivia Frost hold a bright yellow banner that reads "School of Information" and "We're new!"

  14. 1996

    The Master of Science in Information program launches, with new pathways including human-computer interaction 

    Students in a computer lab working in front of large CRT monitors.

  15. 1999

    UMSI creates Alternative Spring Break, connecting students with weeklong service projects across the country

    A student sitting on a bench near the Washington Monument in D.C.

  16. 2000

    John L. King, the first dean recruited from outside U-M, takes the helm

    John King sitting at a desk with computers from the late 1990s.

  17. 2007

    Computer scientist Martha E. Pollack becomes the first woman to serve as a permanent UMSI dean, following the interim deanship of professor C. Olivia Frost (2006-07)

    A headshot of Martha Pollack.

  18. 2010

    UMSI moves into North Quad, and economist and information scholar Jeffrey K. MacKie-Mason becomes dean

    A birds-eye view of North Quad on a summer night.

  19. 2012

    The Master of Health Informatics program is created, extending UMSI’s reach into the growing field of health information technology

    Three students outside an academic building.
  20. Expansion

    2014

    The Bachelor of Science in Information program launches as UMSI's first undergraduate degree since 1948

    Dozens of students talking in a classroom.

  21. 2016

    Longtime UMSI professor and administrator Thomas A. Finholt becomes dean, ushering in a period of rapid growth

    Thomas Finholt posing under archways at North Quad.

  22. 2019

    UMSI launches its first fully online degree program, the Master of Applied Data Science

    A group of graduates in gowns, tossing their caps in front of a pink flowering tree

  23. 2024

    Social computing expert Andrea Forte becomes dean, following the interim deanship of professor Elizabeth Yakel (2022-24)

    A headshot of Andrea Forte

  24. 2025

    The Leinweber Computer Science and Information Building opens, bringing UMSI and the Computer Science and Engineering division together under one roof

    A far view of the Leinweber Building with scattered students walking the sidewalk in front of them, and two of them greeting each other by bumping fists

  25. 2025

    UMSI expands its focus on human-centered artificial intelligence, with a new undergraduate minor and university-wide symposium

    People gather in an ampitheater in the Rackham building for lectures.