The U of M Presidents Club started in 1963 , and by the end of its first year it had welcomed 36 members who had given or pledged $ 10,000 each . Fifty years later , the Presidents Club has grown into a thriving community of some 12,100 individuals , corporations , and foundations that have helped transform the University . As just a taste of what Presidents Club members have meant to the University , and to mark the group ’ s 50th anniversary , here are 50 remarkable things made possible , in part , by the U ’ s generous group of donors .