The Gridiron Comeback: A History of Football at Lawrence Technological University

Lawrence Technological University (Lawrence Tech, LTU), a private university in Southfield, Michigan, has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1932. While primarily known for its engineering and technological programs, LTU also boasts a compelling, albeit intermittent, history in intercollegiate athletics, particularly football. This article explores the story of football at Lawrence Tech, from its early beginnings to its recent resurgence.

The Early Years and a Hiatus

Lawrence Tech was established in 1932 in Highland Park, Michigan, by Russell E. Lawrence, originally named the Lawrence Institute of Technology (LIT). During the Great Depression, Lawrence believed that engineering and technology would drive economic recovery. Henry and Edsel Ford leased their former Henry Ford Trade School building to the new university, which quickly enrolled hundreds of students.

The institution's enrollment declined during World War II, but surged immediately afterward as veterans enjoyed the education benefits of the G.I. Bill. LIT moved to a campus in then rural Southfield in 1955. It is fitting that the first building constructed on the Southfield campus was the Engineering building.

Despite its early growth, Lawrence Tech's intercollegiate football program faced a hiatus of more than 70 years, dating back to just after World War II.

The Resurgence of Blue Devil Football

In January 2017, Lawrence Tech announced that it would resume intercollegiate football competition. This decision marked a significant step in the university's efforts to enhance student life and provide a more comprehensive campus experience.

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The university admitted two recruiting classes of about 90 student-athletes for a team that competed as an independent squad in the fall of 2018 and began playing a full varsity schedule in the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the fall of 2019.

Inaugural Season and Fan Support

LTU's first head coach was Jeff Duvendeck. The Blue Devils finished 5-3 in their abbreviated first season and attracted nearly 4,000 fans to their first game on Sept. 1, 2018.

Facility Upgrades

Thanks to a $1 million gift from an anonymous donor, Lawrence Tech constructed an AstroTurf surface athletic field at the Point during the summer of 2016. This new field, located at the intersection of Northwestern Highway and 10 Mile Road, became the home for LTU's men's and women's soccer and lacrosse teams in August 2016.

In the summer of 2018, further upgrades were made in preparation for the inaugural 2018 season of LTU's football team, including lighting for night games, a new scoreboard with a video replay display, temporary seating for 2,000 fans, and a press box. The first football game, held Sept. 1, 2018, drew an overflow crowd of more than 3,800 fans.

Lawrence Tech Athletics Today

The Lawrence Tech athletic teams are called the Blue Devils. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) for most of its sports since the 2012-13 academic year. The university's second men's ice hockey team is a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) at the Division III level as a member of the Michigan Collegiate Hockey Conference (MCHC); and its football team competes in the Mideast League of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA).

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Other Athletic Developments

Lawrence Tech has continued to expand its athletic programs. In 2021, the university announced it was adding four athletic programs, bringing 200 more student-athletes to campus.

Lawrence Tech: A Legacy of Theory and Practice

Lawrence Tech was chartered in 1932 by the Lawrence brothers, Russell E. and E. George. The college was located in Highland Park on Woodward Avenue until 1955, when the first building opened on this campus. Lawrence Tech, founded as an undergraduate college of engineering, later added programs in architecture, management, arts and science, and various technological fields. The college pioneered in scheduling evening programs for working students and in 1935 developed the four-quarter academic calendar. "Theory and Practice" has been the motto of the college since its founding. Application of classroom theories to real situations involving the community or Michigan industries has been its goal.

Academic Expansion and Accreditation

In 1950, associate degree programs were added to LTU's baccalaureate programs, and in 1952, what is today the College of Business and Information Technology was established. LTU started offering multiple master's degree programs from the early 1990s. Master's degree programs in business were created in 1989, engineering in 1990, Architecture in 1993 and arts and sciences in 1997. The College of Business and Information Technology is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Founded in 1916, AACSB is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools. Only 6 percent of the world's 16,000 institutions of higher learning offering business degrees have earned its accreditation. Lawrence Tech added a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program in partnership with Ascension Michigan in 2017. In 2021, the program earned full accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education through June 2026. LTU also added a two-year Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program in 2021, and that program has received provisional accreditation. Finally, LTU launched a Master of Science in Cardiovascular Perfusion program in fall 2022. The nursing and physician assistant programs reside in the College of Health Sciences, which LTU established in 2023. The perfusion program remains in the College of Engineering under a contractual agreement with an industry partner, but is affiliated with the new college.

Rankings and Recognition

News & World Report. News & World Report, L.P. News’ Best Value Colleges, Best Colleges for Veterans, and Top Performers for Social Mobility lists among its peer group of Midwestern universities.

Student Life and Extracurricular Activities

On campus extracurricular activities include leadership opportunities and more than 40 student clubs and organizations. Student Government represents all organizations on campus. The university is also home to chapters of fraternities, including Alpha Sigma Phi, Theta Tau, Sigma Pi, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Phi Kappa Upsilon, and Phi Beta Sigma.

Leadership and Vision

It was a firm belief in the future that motivated Russell E. Lawrence to found a university in 1932 - in the midst of the economic chaos of the Great Depression. While less farsighted individuals made predictions of gloom, Russell Lawrence and his brother, E. George Lawrence (who led Lawrence Tech from 1934 to 1964), turned a dream of preparing students for leadership in the new technical era into reality.

For over 90 years, Lawrence Tech has continued to prosper and accelerate its growth, hone its educational philosophy of theory and practice, build important community and professional alliances, and forge partnerships with the firms, organizations, and industries that hire Lawrence Tech alumni.

Wayne H. Buell, who served as president from 1964 to 1977 and as chair of the board and chief executive officer until 1981, worked to build a firm foundation for the University’s early emergence as a technological leader. He first advanced the notion that Lawrence Tech was a independent college serving a public purpose.

Lawrence Tech’s first residence hall, the Buell Management Building, the Don Ridler Field House, a major addition to the engineering facilities, the return of graduate programs, and the massive growth of computer facilities marked the tenure of Richard E. Marburger, who served as president from 1977 to 1993 and as chair of the Board of Trustees and chief executive officer, 1981-93.

Charles M. Chambers became president in 1993 and served until he was named chancellor in 2006. During his presidency, he oversaw significant enhancement of the University’s international reputation as a distinguished center of technological education and research. A Strategic Plan and Campus Master Plan were adopted to guide the University. Other achievements include the construction of the University Technology and Learning Center, University, the Edward Donley Residence Hall (formerly North Housing), the A. Alfred Taubman Student Services Center, and the Center for Innovative Materials Research; a redeveloped campus quadrangle; establishment of a Faculty Senate; creation of Michigan’s first completely wireless laptop campus; and expanded bookstore, dining, and student activity facilities.

Lewis N. Walker was named interim president in February 2006, became president in July 2006, and chancellor in July 2012. He had previously served as provost, the University’s chief academic officer, and executive vice president. Under Walker, Lawrence Tech aggressively expanded programs in emerging economic sectors such as robotics, defense, and sustainability, including “fast track” certificate programs to help professionals retool themselves for new careers. He was committed to developing the leadership skills of Lawrence Tech’s students and worked with faculty to add a leadership component to the curricula of all undergraduate programs. He forged partnerships with universities worldwide that brought international students to campus and provided further opportunities for Lawrence Tech students to study abroad. He also oversaw the reinvigoration of student life and return of varsity sports to campus.

Virinder K. Moudgil, Lawrence Tech’s seventh president, assumed office in July 2012. He has had a long career as a professor and university administrator and was an active researcher in the molecular mechanisms of steroid hormone action and the hormonal regulation of breast cancer. At LTU Moudgil has presided over the construction and completion of the A. Alfred Taubman Engineering, Architecture, and Life Sciences Complex, the Lloyd E. Reuss Residence Hall, and East Residence Hall. LTU’s Detroit Center for Design and Technology opened in 2014 and houses many of the University’s urban programs. The University’s Enterprise Center was added to the main campus in 2016. Moudgil also launched the Global Village program to help all LTU students learn more about other cultures and the interconnectedness of the world economy.

Notable Alumni

Lawrence Tech has produced many successful alumni in various fields. Here are a few notable individuals:

Steven A. Ballmer (born 1956): While still simultaneously enrolled in high school, participated in Lawrence Tech's Summer Science Institute, then spent a year at the university, excelling in six of Lawrence Tech's top mathematics classes.
John Z. DeLorean (1925-2005), B.S.
Harvey Ferrero (born 1934), B.S.
A. Lewis Veraldi (1930-1990), B.S.
Sue Allor, MBA, is an American politician from Michigan.
Harold Varner (1935-2013), B.S.

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