A Campus and a War: Michigan State University and Vietnam Exhibit: The Michiganders

During the 1950s, Michigan State University developed a unique relationship with the Republic of Vietnam, better known as South Vietnam, in the early years of the new nation's existence. In the mid-1950s, South Vietnam was attempting to transition away from the political and economic institutions that French colonialism had built and left behind. The new president of South Vietnam, Ngo Dinh Diem, saw American-style administrative and technical modernization projects as the key to political stability and economic prosperity. Because of his personal ties to Wesley Fishel, assistant professor of political science at Michigan State College (now MSU), Diem requested Michigan State College-led technical assistance as a central part of an aid package offered by the United States government, eager to support this new non-Communist country in the global Cold War arena. John Hannah, president of the college, was an advocate of expanding his institution's presence in the world as well as a staunch anti-communist, and he strongly supported these programs. What became known as the Michigan State University Group (MSUG) in South Vietnam was led by MSU faculty and focused on a range of activities. The South Vietnamese government faced a crisis of refugees streaming down from North Vietnam, and MSUG faculty advised South Vietnamese officials on questions of resettlement and economic integration. MSUG programs in public administration oversaw the foundation and organization of the National Institute of Administration, where new civil servants and bureaucrats studied; public administration programs also brought South Vietnamese to East Lansing to take courses and pursue internships. Finally, MSUG criminal justice faculty were heavily involved in the reorganization and modernization of South Vietnam's police and security forces by training personnel in techniques of criminal investigation, communications, public order, record keeping and equipment use. By the early 1960s, the deteriorating political and economic situation had led to internal dissent among MSUG officials, as well as growing tensions between MSUG leadership and Diem. In 1962, the University's contract in South Vietnam was not renewed, and the programs came to an end.