ERIM Sneaks In The Back Door

ERIM Sneaks in the Back Door

The Environmental Research Institute of Michigan (ERIM), a war research outfit currently located at Willow Run, suffered a temporary setback last November in its efforts to fund its move to Ann Arbor. At that time, the County Commission under strong pressure from a coalition posing the move, withdrew its offer of low cost financing for ERIM's purchase of the Bendix Aerospace facility on Green Road (near the U-M North Campus).

However, at the time, ERIM's director, William Brown, vowed to seek money elsewhere and last week it was announced that the war research firm would be getting a multi-million dollar loan from the State Employees Pension Fund to buy the Bendix property.

ERIM was known as the Willow Run Laboratories of the University of Michigan until 1972, when it broke its formal ties to the U-M under pressure from anti-war forces on campus. However, ERIM has continued to maintain unofficial but strong ties with the University and has in recent month been strengthening its ties with Eastern Michigan University.

Among the development to ERIM's credit are the lasar guidance systems for the "smart bombs" used with deadly accuracy by the U.S. Air Force in the latter stages of direct American participation in the Vietnam war.