After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of Soviet-era communism, Davidson partnered with the University of Michigan to found the William Davidson Institute at a time of incredible global economic transformation.
In his 1992 dedication speech launching WDI at what is today the Ross School of Business, 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 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.
