After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Soviet-era communism, Davidson partnered with U-M to found the Institute at a time of incredible global economic transformation.
In his 1992 dedication speech launching WDI, Davidson challenged conventional wisdom and issued a call for inclusive impact:
“We are not just educators, administrators or businessmen; we are co-workers for the cause of economic and social freedom.”
If William Davidson’s business philosophy could be boiled down to a single phrase, it likely would have been four simple words: It can be done. This optimistic, tough-minded sentiment reflected Davidson’s belief that there was nothing that couldn’t be accomplished.
Our 25th Anniversary celebrated WDI’s founding, history and impact. This e-book salutes our unique founding, partners and 25-year collaborative engagements with University of Michigan students and faculty.
On April 23, 1992, William Davidson and other dignitaries attended a press conference to formally announce the William Davidson Institute. Davidson’s gift to create the Institute was the largest donation to a U.S. business school at that time.
