Famous people's places / Detroit – Livernois-McNichols
University of Detroit Mercy
Michigan's largest Catholic university, tracing to Detroit College in 1877 and Mercy College in 1941, whose alumni include novelist Elmore Leonard and Senator Gary Peters.
01 / The story of this place
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Jesuit priests founded Detroit College in 1877 at the invitation of Detroit's Catholic bishop, and the school grew into the University of Detroit in 1911 on Livernois Avenue at what is now McNichols Road. The Religious Sisters of Mercy founded a separate women's institution, Mercy College of Detroit, in 1941, and the two Catholic schools merged in 1990 to form the University of Detroit Mercy, joining the Jesuit intellectual tradition with the Sisters of Mercy's focus on healthcare and service. Novelist Elmore Leonard earned his English and philosophy degree at the University of Detroit from 1946 to 1950 on the G.I. Bill, and playwright-actor David Patrick Kelly earned a theater degree here in the early 1970s, writing student musicals staged around Detroit. After the merger, comedian Keegan-Michael Key completed a theater degree in 1993, actor Ted Raimi finished his studies here in the 1980s, and future U.S. Senator Gary Peters and racing executive Otmar Szafnauer both earned graduate business degrees on campus. Now Michigan's oldest and largest Catholic university, it remains centered on its McNichols Campus.
- Founded as Detroit College by Jesuits in 1877
- Became University of Detroit in 1911; Mercy College founded in 1941
- Merged into University of Detroit Mercy in 1990
- Novelist Elmore Leonard and comedian Keegan-Michael Key are alumni
- Senator Gary Peters earned his MBA here in 1984
Famous Detroiters
Famous people tied to this place 27
Lexicon entries for the people who lived, worked, performed or liked to spend time here.
- Joyce Carol Oates born 1938 · novelist, short-story writer, poet, professor
Worked here
She taught English here for six years; the Jesuit university merged with Mercy College in 1990 to form the University of Detroit Mercy.
- Elmore Leonard 1925–2013 · novelist, screenwriter
Studied here
He earned his degree in English and philosophy here after the war, on the G.I. Bill.
- Keegan-Michael Key born 1971 · actor, comedian, writer, producer
Studied here
Jesuit and Mercy university where Key earned his BFA in theater in 1993.
- Janet Jagan 1920–2009 · politician, President of Guyana
Studied here
The Jesuit university where she took courses as a young woman, before nursing school.
- Ted Raimi born 1965 · actor, director, writer
Studied here
Jesuit university where Raimi finished his studies after Michigan and NYU; it merged with Mercy College of Detroit in 1990.
- David Patrick Kelly born 1951 · actor, musician, lyricist
Studied here
He earned a BFA cum laude here and wrote four student musicals that were produced in Detroit.
- Gary Peters born 1958 · politician, former naval officer
Studied here
Jesuit and Mercy university where he earned his MBA in 1984.
- Dave DeBusschere 1940–2003 · basketball player and coach, baseball player
Studied here
Where he starred in both basketball and baseball; the university created the Dave DeBusschere Scholarship in his honor in 2003.
- Anita Barone born 1964 · actress
Studied here
Barone earned her BFA here in 1986.
- Gunnar Birkerts 1925–2017 · architect
Worked here
Administration building he designed for the University of Detroit's McNichols campus.
- Spencer Haywood born 1949 · basketball player
Studied here
Where he led the nation in rebounding in his only college season; inducted into its athletics hall of fame in 1993.
- Otmar Szafnauer born 1964 · engineer, Formula One team principal
Studied here
He completed a master's in business and finance at this Jesuit and Mercy university.
- Michael Dunn 1934–1973 · actor, singer
Studied here
Jesuit university, then the University of Detroit, where he took summer classes in 1957.
- Willie Green born 1981 · basketball player and coach
Studied here
Where he played college basketball before entering the 2003 NBA draft.
- Thaddeus McCotter born 1965 · politician, radio host
Studied here
He earned his B.A. (1987) and J.D. at what was then the University of Detroit.
- Ray McCallum Jr. born 1991 · basketball player
Studied here
Where he played for his father's Titans team and was named Horizon League Player of the Year.
- Robert Kearns 1927–2005 · engineer and inventor of the intermittent windshield wiper
Studied here
He earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering here (then the University of Detroit).
- Abraham Nemeth 1918–2013 · mathematician, inventor of Nemeth Braille
Worked here
Jesuit university on McNichols Road where Nemeth taught mathematics for three decades.
- Dudley Randall 1914–2000 · poet, publisher, librarian
Memorial
He was reference librarian and poet-in-residence here in 1969–1976; in 2001 the library was named a National Literary Landmark and its print-culture center was named for him.
- Dutch Clark 1906–1978 · American football quarterback and coach
Worked here
The Lions won the 1935 NFL title at the university's stadium; Clark later coached the school's football team and ran its athletic department.
- Frank J. Kelley 1924–2021 · lawyer, Michigan attorney general
Studied here
He earned his undergraduate and law degrees at what was then the University of Detroit.
- Roman Gribbs 1925–2016 · lawyer, sheriff, mayor of Detroit, appeals judge
Studied here
He earned economics (1952) and law (1954) degrees here and taught at the university until 1957.
- Jerome Horwitz 1919–2012 · chemist, cancer researcher
Studied here
He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in chemistry here.
- Bill Bonds 1932–2014 · television news anchor, reporter
Studied here
He earned a degree in political science and English here in 1959.
- Andy Farkas 1916–2001 · American football fullback
Studied here
Where he starred for the Titans football team and later founded the Gus Dorais Foundation.
- Isaiah McKinnon born 1943 · police officer, police chief, deputy mayor, professor
Worked here
He taught here as a professor; his master's came from Mercy College of Detroit, one of its predecessors.
- Bill Rauhauser 1918–2017 · photographer, educator
Studied here
Where he earned his degree in architectural engineering in 1943.
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Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-09-25
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
03 / Events
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