Project Upward Bound collection

Project Upward Bound is one of the federal TRIO programs OU implemented to support disadvantaged students and expand its minority student population in the 1960s. Project Upward Bound was started at OU in 1966 under the guidance of Reginald Wilson. The project, a federal program which provides academic support to low-income and first-generation college bound students, had been suggested by Doris Storer, from the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency in Pontiac, and by Charles E. Morton, one of OU's first Black faculty members. Storer knew the Johnson administration was seeking proposals for Upward Bound and helped OU submit its own proposal. Manuel Pierson was hired as chief counselor for Upward Bound, while Wilson was directing the academic aspects of the program.

Upward Bound first targeted pre-college students from Ferndale, Oak Park, and Pontiac where the largest populations of Black and Latino families lived. Originally, Hazel Park was also included but was dropped after a few years. OU's Upward Bound then expanded its recruitment to Detroit schools. During six summer weeks, the program provided academic skills insruction, cultural and recretational programing, counseling. and community living on campus to selected students. In 1968, as the project grew, Pierson became Associate Director of Upward Bound and in 1971 he was appointed Dean of Student Services. During the first four years, the program had about 60 students and then grew to about 100 students in the 1970s.