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GM Corp. Donates Historic 'Tent City' Site to Kettering University

24 December 1999

GM Corp. Donates Historic 'Tent City' Site to Kettering University

    FLINT, Mich.--Dec. 23, 1999--Kettering University in Flint, Mich., whose professional cooperative education program has prepared thousands of executives for the auto industry, now owns another little piece of the industry's past.
    General Motors Corp. has donated 15 acres of land, valued at $300,000, to the university that was formerly known as General Motors Institute and is now the namesake for GM's most innovative inventor, Charles F. Kettering. The parcel is on Kettering's south boundary and extends the land boundary of Kettering University to the banks of the Flint River.
    The site is near Flint's historic "tent city" that temporarily housed auto workers until permanent housing was established north of the manufacturing district just after the turn of the century. "Tent city" was an outgrowth of Flint becoming the fastest growing city in America in the early part of the century. Between 1900 and 1920, Flint's population grew from 13,000 to 91,000. Despite good factory wages, an estimated 1,000 workers and their families camped along the Flint River in tents, shacks, piano crates and chicken coops because the construction and supply industries were unable to deal with the incredible population boom.
    "This generous gift from General Motors Corporation not only enables Kettering University to gain complete access to the entire parcel of land that represents the central campus complex, but it provides a marvelous venue adjacent to the river and to our new recreation center for significant expansion of student athletic fields and other recreational opportunity for our community," said David Doherty, Kettering's vice president for international and governmental activities.
    The recent history of the land parcel dates to 1923, when construction was completed on GM's Plant-2A, a Fisher Body Plant. Buick and Chevrolet auto bodies were made on the site until 1942. Plant 2A then was used as a sheet metal component stamping plant. The building was environmentally cleaned and demolished in 1996. In 1999, the area was covered with fill and top soils, and grass was planted.
    The 15-acre green space will be used as a park and recreation area for Kettering's students.