5 0 , ▁it ▁reached ▁ 2 1 , 0 0 0 , ▁of ▁which ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁third ▁( or ▁ 7 , 7 0 0 ) ▁were ▁veter ans ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁G . I . ▁Bill . ▁As ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁Space ▁Race ▁took ▁hold , ▁U - M ▁received ▁numerous ▁government ▁gr ants ▁for ▁strateg ic ▁research ▁and ▁helped ▁to ▁develop ▁pe ac etime ▁uses ▁for ▁nuclear ▁energy . ▁Much ▁of ▁that ▁work , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁research ▁into ▁alternative ▁energy ▁sources , ▁is ▁purs ued ▁via ▁the ▁Memorial ▁Phoenix ▁Project . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁President ial ▁campaign , ▁U . S . ▁Senator ▁John ▁F . ▁Kennedy ▁j ok ingly ▁referred ▁to ▁himself ▁as ▁" a ▁gradu ate ▁of ▁the ▁Michigan ▁of ▁the ▁East , ▁Harvard ▁University " ▁in ▁his ▁speech ▁propos ing ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁Peace ▁Corps ▁speaking ▁to ▁a ▁crowd ▁from ▁the ▁front ▁steps ▁of ▁the ▁Michigan ▁Union . ▁ ▁Ly nd on ▁B . ▁Johnson ▁gave ▁his ▁speech ▁out lin ing ▁his ▁Great ▁Society ▁program ▁as ▁the ▁lead ▁speaker ▁during ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Michigan ' s ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁spring ▁comm enc ement ▁ceremony . ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁the ▁university ▁campus ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁numerous ▁protest s ▁against ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War ▁and ▁university ▁administration . ▁On ▁March ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁U - M ▁fac ulty ▁members ▁and ▁