[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 108 (Wednesday, July 18, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    THE DESIGNATION OF MEADOW BROOK HALL AT OAKLAND UNIVERSITY AS A 
                       NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GARY C. PETERS

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 18, 2012

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to 
join with Oakland University in celebrating the designation of Meadow 
Brook Hall as a National Historic Landmark.
  Meadowbrook Hall, built on what was the Dodge family's Meadow Brook 
Farms in 1929 in then Avon Township, now Rochester Hills, Michigan, is 
a symbol of the American automotive industry's transformative effect on 
Michigan. When the 88,000-square foot, 110-room residence was 
envisioned by Matilda Dodge Wilson, the widow of Dodge Brothers Motor 
Car Company cofounder John F. Dodge, it was a country residence for her 
and her family. Today, Meadow Brook Hall is the site of Oakland 
University, a fully fledged institution of higher learning which 
supports a student body of 19,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
  In Meadow Brook Hall's construction, Mrs. Wilson held true to many of 
the principles that guided the greats of America's automotive industry. 
Believing in the spirit of American innovation and contrary to the 
prevailing practices of the time, Mrs. Wilson had the Tutor-revival 
styled estate constructed almost entirely from American materials 
crafted by American designers. And in keeping with the spirit of 
community involvement that has been ever prevalent in the American 
automotive industry, Mrs. Wilson often used the grounds of Meadow Brook 
Hall to host charitable events and civic engagements.
  In 1955, it became a focus of the community in Oakland County that as 
Michigan's second most populous county, area residents should join 
together to cultivate a local institution of higher learning. Answering 
the call of their community, Mrs. Wilson and her second husband, Mr. 
Alfred Wilson, bequeathed the entire 1500-acre Meadowbrook estate to 
the State of Michigan. And after supporting the endeavor with an 
additional two million dollars, Michigan State University (MSU) opened 
its MSU-Oakland Campus in 1959. MSU-Oakland would become known as 
Oakland University in 1963.
  Steeped in the history of Michigan's industrial ingenuity, Meadow 
Brook Hall has come to embody the American automotive industry's spirit 
of transformation. Just as the auto industry once raised millions of 
Americans into the middle class, Meadow Brook Hall and Oakland 
University continue that proud tradition; providing our youth the tools 
they need to become the successful leaders of tomorrow. And throughout 
its years, the spirit of philanthropy and service upon which Meadow 
Brook was gifted to the State, continues to be a fundamental tenant to 
Oakland University as it supports many community endeavors and engages 
local stakeholders in shaping the future of the Southeast Michigan 
region.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to have supported Oakland University in 
its endeavor to have Meadow Brook Hall designated a National Historic 
Landmark. As a symbol not only of Michigan's history, but also its 
future, the designation of Meadow Brook Hall as a National Historic 
Landmark is truly becoming of its significant impact on the communities 
of Southeast Michigan.

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