“Fill the Ranks”: The Civil War and the University of Michigan explores how campus and community debated the issues that tore the country apart, how students and alums joined the fight, and how the University’s public mission began to conflict with its elite aspirations. Based on collections at the Bentley Historical Library.

Developed by the Judy and Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory and featuring the work of its student docents, “Fill the Ranks” includes historic artifacts, digital animations, and interactive elements spanning two floors.

On display September 25, 2026-July 2, 2027 at the Judy and Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory, 1398 Ann Street, Ann Arbor, 48109.

View the exhibit during the Observatory’s open hours: Thursdays 12-5 pm, Fridays 12-11 pm, Saturdays 12-5 pm.

“Fill the Ranks”: The Civil War and the University of Michigan is supported in part by the Inclusive History Project. To learn more, please visit inclusivehistory.umich.edu. Additional support provided by the University of Michigan’s U.S. at 250 initiative.

Image: University of Michigan students organized companies and practiced military drills almost immediately after the first shots were fired in the Civil War. From left to right, the captains of the three companies included Charles Kendall Adams, Isaac H. Elliot, and Albert Nye. (Bentley Image Bank, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)