Michigamua
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Michigamua is a secret society at the University of Michigan. The organization was created in 1902 by a group of seniors in coordination with University president James B. Angell. In 1932 Michigamua was granted a permanent lease for space in the tower of the Michigan Union. In 1989 the organization signed an agreement with representatives from the Native American Student Association agreeing to abandon all Native American cultural references in their rituals and initiations. In 2000, a group of students calling themselves the Student of Color Coalition (SCC) broke into the tower and occupied the organization's offices and found the group had in possession historical items of Native American origin. While these items were bought legally throughout the societies history by its members, the items were deemed inappropriate by the SCC. Michigamua denies that any archival items were used during the time of the occupation of the Tower. Some sources believe that the Native American archival items were staged on the table of the room, while others believe the items were in possession of Michigamua. Niether account has been confirmed. The members of Michigamua agreed to vacate the tower of the Michigan Union and stop using Native American items. In April, 2006 the group agreed to release a list of its most recent members and stop using the Michigamua name. It has not yet chosen a new one.
Members of Michigamua have included United States President Gerald Ford, university presidents Henry Hutchins, Alexander Ruthven, Harlan Hatcher, and Robben Fleming; football coaches Bo Schembechler, Fritz Crisler, and Fielding Yost. Other similar societies currently in existence at the University of Michigan include a co-ed group called Phoenix, and the engineering-only group known as the Vulcans.
Though it is sometimes reported that playwright Arthur Miller was a member of Michigamua, an extensive search of Michigamua historical records, as well as the Michigamua listings of members in the University yearbooks from Miller's time at Michigan, held at the University of Michigan's Bentley Historical Library, show that Miller was never a member of the organization.
