The Society of Les Voyageurs is a student organization at the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
. It is one of the oldest university
outing clubs in the United States. Founded in 1907, the Society of Les Voyageurs is the second oldest
student organization
A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution.
In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementary ...
on the University of Michigan campus. On Sunday evenings during the academic year, the Society hosts communal dinners known as "Sunday Feeds" along with educational programs and entertainment related to the outdoors.
History
The Society of Les Voyageurs was founded in 1907 by University of Michigan students Elmer "Lindy" Lehndorff, Lawrence "Larry" Lark, and Chester MacChesney. They named the Society after the pioneering
French-Canadian
French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fr ...
voyageurs
The voyageurs (; ) were 18th and 19th century French Canadians who engaged in the transporting of furs via canoe during the peak of the North American fur trade. The emblematic meaning of the term applies to places (New France, including the ' ...
of the
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...
fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the mos ...
, whom they admired as early adventurers and outdoorsmen. Society membership was initially open only to male students at the University. The Society's Constitution was amended in 1972 to allow for the admission of women, and the Society has been co-ed since that time. The Society has published an annual
yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a type of a book published annually. One use is to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school. The term also refers to a book of statistics or facts published annually. A yearbook often ...
since 1910 as well as several volumes of Society history.
After nearly two decades of renting space on the University of Michigan campus, the Society drew up plans in 1924 to construct a cabin on several acres of property along the Huron River in Ann Arbor. "Pine Lodge", as it was originally named, was built almost entirely by Society members in the spring and summer of 1925, and has continually served since then as the home for the Society as well as a residence for student members. During the summer of 2012, the renamed Habe Mills Pine Lodge underwent an extensive renovation, including the installation of "Kay's Kitchen." The new kitchen is named for Kay Lane, a University student in the late 1960s and early 1970s upon whom Society members bestowed the title "Queen of the Cabin," and who ultimately paved the way for the admission of women as full members of the Society. After graduating from the University of Michigan, Kay remained active in the Society and was a well known friend and mentor to several generations of members.
2012 Cabin Renovation
Beginning in the summer of 2012, the cabin underwent a major renovation costing over $100,000. Plans for the renovation had been tossed around for years, and the final plans were made official in early January of that year. Most of the work was contracted out to by the River Carpentry, but many of the actives and alumni were around and gave a helping hand. The renovation consisted of expanding the dining room, adding an upstairs bathroom, re-doing the kitchen, adding in a hallway between the dining room and kitchen and expanding the upstairs lodge. The work was completed in August 2012, and was ready to welcome back students for the 2012 Fall semester. Potlucks continue as normal, but now there is more space to accommodate even more lovely guests.
Members
*
Laurence McKinley Gould
Laurence McKinley Gould (August 22, 1896 – June 21, 1995) was an American geologist, educator, and polar explorer. He made expeditions to both the Arctic and Antarctic, and was chief scientist on Richard Evelyn Byrd's first Antarctic expeditio ...
: noted American geologist, educator, polar explorer, and president of
Carleton College
Carleton College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. Founded in 1866, it had 2,105 undergraduate students and 269 faculty members in fall 2016. The 200-acre main campus is between Northfield and the 800-acre Cowling ...
*
Harold C. "Bud" Jordahl: noted environmental leader and
Earth Day
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EarthDay.org (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 b ...
pioneer
*
Milan C. Miskovsky:
CIA
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...
lawyer who negotiated the release of
downed U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers
Francis Gary Powers (August 17, 1929 – August 1, 1977) was an American pilot whose Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Lockheed U-2 spy plane was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission in Soviet Union airspace, causing the 1960 U-2 i ...
and the failed
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion (, sometimes called ''Invasión de Playa Girón'' or ''Batalla de Playa Girón'' after the Playa Girón) was a failed military landing operation on the southwestern coast of Cuba in 1961 by Cuban exiles, covertly fina ...
prisoners in 1962
*
Grant W. Sharpe: pioneer of environmental interpretation and author of ''Interpreting the Environment''
*
John F. Turner: former director of the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats. The mission of the agency is "working with othe ...
, president of
The Conservation Fund
The Conservation Fund is a U.S. nonprofit organization with a dual charter to pursue environmental preservation and economic development. From 2008–2018, it has placed more than 500,000 acres under conservation management through a program wh ...
, and
*
Red Berenson
Gordon Arthur "Red, The Red Baron" Berenson (born December 8, 1939) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and head coach of the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team from 1984 to 2017. Berenson was inducted into Canada's Sports ...
: former professional ice hockey player and coach of the University of Michigan
men's ice hockey team
*
Chad P. Dawson: Managing editor of the International Journal of Wilderness and co-author of the "Wilderness Management" 4th edition (2009, Golden, Co., Fulcrum Publishing)
*
Steven E. Smitka: Olympic-level canoeist, philanthropist, and notable award winner. Managing editor of "Catch a Boat," a monthly self-help monograph (2021. Fitzroy + Co Publishing)
References
Sources
"Society of Les Voyageurs cabin on the Michigan Today website*
*
External links
*
Society of Les Voyageurs official website'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Society Of Les Voyageurs
Environmental organizations based in Michigan
Forestry education
Student organizations established in 1907
University outdoors clubs
1907 establishments in Michigan