MPSI Centennial Exhibit
Merrill-Palmer in Detroit: A Century of Community Making
Founded in 1920 as the Merrill-Palmer Motherhood and Home Training School, the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute has played a vital part in the history of Detroit and the nation. From the beginning, its innovative approach to education and science has served the interests of children and their families. The vision of its founding benefactor and namesake, Lizzie Merrill Palmer, has guided the school for a century, a vision nurtured and re-imagined by many prominent Detroiters, dedicated scientists and teachers. From its earliest days, Merrill-Palmer has been closely associated with Detroit. The King of Siam told American visitors in 1928 that he knew of Detroit because that was the home of the Merrill-Palmer School. Merrill-Palmer's relationship to Detroit helps explain how the school developed as an institution deeply engaged with its many communities. The city grew and changed through two world wars, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights movement, the Great Society and de-industrialization. So too did the people of Merrill-Palmer change their attitudes toward community. This exhibit explores Merrill-Palmer's history primarily from the perspective of the women who shaped, led and supported it. Each believed Merrill-Palmer was a community maker. What kind of community did they intend . . . and for whom?
Links below are part of the MSPI Centenial Exhibit on display in the lower level of the Wayne State's Knapp Building. If you are interested in touring the complete exhibit contact Catherine Blasio at dv7135@wayne.edu
TIMELINE
1916
Lizzie Merrill Palmer bequeaths $3 million to establish a school for young women. With insightful leadership, executor Tracy McGregor organizes the school, purchases the Freer House as its home and enrolls students by 1920.
1920
Edna Noble White becomes the first director of the Merrill-Palmer School for Motherhood and Homemaking. Direct engagement with children and families is a foundational principle.
1920
Merrill-Palmer researches malnutrition in young children due to World War I food shortages.
1922
Merrill-Palmer opens the country’s second nursery school and demonstrates the importance of studying and working directly with young children. The opening of the nursury school is celebrated.
1923
Merrill-Palmer joins Children’s Hospital to research nutrition in pregnancy and early infancy.
1924
Merrill-Palmer School establishes one of the country’s first community child guidance clinics.
1927
The Infant Service began as an extension of the pregnancy service. Mothers could bring their babies to Merrill-Palmer to check on their feeding and physical development. Interest in babies led to later involvement in the Cornelian Corner. This Detroit professional group promoted healthy parent-child development. Their "Rooming-In" project in four Detroit hospitals kept mothers and babies together immediately after birth. This common practice today was novel at the time.
1929
Merrill-Palmer creates rating scales for personality development and attitudes in young children. Versions of these scales are still in use today.
1931
Merrill-Palmer publishes the results of an eight-year research project on “The Measurement of Intelligence of the Preschool Child.”
1947
In 1947 Detroiters presented their idea at the conference of the American Medical Association.
1943
Merrill-Palmer School publishes the landmark book, “Child Development: Physical and Psychological Growth through Adolescence.”
1943
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) started emergency nursery schools in the 1930s to help working parents through the Great Depression and to create jobs for teachers, cooks and nurses. As World War II loomed, women filled jobs when men went to war. Their children would need care and the WPA programs became a model for how the government could help working women during the war. By late 1943 these nursery schools and daycare facilities hit capacity and many often had waiting lists. Merrill-Palmer worked with the Detroit Board of Education to train staff and develop standards for these "war nurseries" in Michigan. Despite assurances that federal funding would continue after the war, support ended in 1946. Two decades later, the war nurseries provided a model for federal Head Start programs.
1944
Merrill-Palmer began a conferences to share information about infant and maternal health. The Infant Conferences, held annually between 1957 and 1975, helped launch infant studies as a specialty subfield and the Institute's Infant Mental Health program in the 1980s.
1947
Edna Knoble White retires and Ester McGinnis served as director for three years.
1950
Pauline Wilson Knapp take leadership of Merrill-Palmer.
1952
The "School" becomes and Institute and name changes to Merrill-Palmer Institute
1952
Merrill-Palmer also explored ways of reaching deeper into the community through new media. In 1952, the Institute joined 18 other organizations to form what became Detroit's public television station, WTVS Channel 56. For many years, Merrill-Palmer aired a half-hour program on child development and parenting.
1954
The Merrill-Palmer Quarterly is established and quickle becomes a top scientific journal for child development research and is still published by Wayne State University Peess.
1964
Merrill-Palmer is key in developing the philosophy and national standards for Head Start.
1965
Funded by a large gift from Rose P. Skillman, the Skillman Building opened its doors for use by community members to educate and support families. The building was intended to bring people of different backgrounds together and foster community through events, programs, classes, clubs, and recreation.
1965
President Lyndon Johnson introduced Head Start as part of his Great Society program. Head Start's national director at the time said, "Project Head Start offers resources with which communities may develop programs for preschool children designed to prepare them to meet the challenge of school and to learn to succeed rather than to fail." Keith Osborn, chairman of Community Services at Merrill-Palmer, served on the national advisory committee and began the Detroit branch of the program. The Head Start program still exists today and has served over 36 million children.
1981
Merrill-Palmer Institute becomes part of Wayne State University.
1982
1988
Merrill-Palmer launched the Infant Mental Health program (in conjunction with schools and colleges at Wayne State University) and granted more than 120 graduate certificates
1989-1999
Merrill-Palmer partners with Chrysler’s UAW to create the country’s first resource and referral center to help employees find quality childcare.
1991
Merrill-Palmer hosts “100 Languages of Children” on the innovative Reggio Emilia approach to play-based early childhood education.
2003
WSU's President Irvin D. Reid creates Children's Bridge with Merrill-Palmer Institute
2005
The Skillman Center for Children is integrated into Merrill-Palmer to create the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, emphasizing both organizations’ commitment to community outreach.
2008
Dr. Peter LIchtenberg appointed director of Merrill Palmer Skillman Insitute.
2008
Peter Lichtenberg is named as director of both MPSI and the Institute of Gerontology, creating a Lifespan Alliance developmental science campus at Wayne State University
2011
The Early Childhood Center at MPSI is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), reserved for only the most highly qualified preschools that meet or exceed more than 400 separate criteria in staffing, curriculum, physical environment, and parent, child and school relationships.
2011
The National Institutes of Health awards $1.7 million to MPSI faculty member Steven Ondersma to test a new approach to reducing substance abuse in pregnant women through the use of low-cost computer-based interventions.
2013
The annual Giant Step Teen Conference (hosted by MPSI) observes its 30th anniversary of uniting teens from diverse Detroit neighborhoods so they can understand and respect each other. Nearly 6,000 teens have participated since 1983. “We enter as strangers and exit as
2014
MPSI’s community program reaches 8,000 people in metro Detroit with trainings on child and family issues for parents, educators and children