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?