A mobile exhibit exploring American funeral customs and traditions is an added attraction to Wayne State University's (WSU) popular Mortuary Science annual Open House, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 23.

Housed in a state-of-the-art, double expandable trailer, Reflections: The American Funeral showcases a collection of funeral objects, photographs and historical documents from the Museum of Funeral Customs, Springfield, IL.

"It has attracted literally thousands of attendees when exhibited in select cities across the United States," said Peter D. Frade, chair of the Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences for the WSU Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (EACPHS).

"And, we are excited to have it here as part of our annual Mortuary Science Open House thanks to the efforts of alum Bob Vandenbergh,"  Frade added.  Vandenbergh is a funeral director at Kaul Funeral Homes (Macomb County) and a member of the EACPHS Board of Visitors.

From the cross-country funeral procession for Abraham Lincoln to the national outpouring of grief for Elvis Presley, America has a rich history of mourning the dead.   Reflections: The American Funeral explores these traditions, beginning with Native American burial mounds and ending with the diverse rituals practiced across the country today.

In addition to the exhibit, prospective students, their families and interested public are invited to tour the teaching environment of the WSU Mortuary Science building on Woodward at Ferry and learn about the professional programs in the WSU Department of Fundamental and Applied Sciences -- Mortuary Science, Anatomic Pathologists' Assistant, Forensic Investigation, and Clinical Laboratory Science. 

Free parking will be available in WSU Lot #33 on Woodward Ave., between Palmer and Ferry streets.

"The Mortuary Science Open House is of high interest on the WSU campus and in the Detroit metropolitan area. More than 700 people passed through our hallways in a three-hour period last year," Frade said.  "With the added attraction of the funeral customs exhibit, we expect a crowd reaching 1,000."

Begun in 1939, the WSU Mortuary Science program was one of the nation's first programs of its kind.  Today it is still the only accredited, undergraduate degree program leading to state licensure in Michigan as is the Bachelor of Science degree in Anatomic Pathologists' Assistant program.

"Seventy-five percent of funeral home owners in southeastern Michigan have graduated from the WSU program.   Additionally, graduates from the Anatomic Pathologists' Assistant program provide more than 95 percent of the service in supportof pathology in southeast Michigan," said Frade.

The Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, one of the founding colleges of Wayne State University, is committed to advancing the health and well-being of society through the preparation of highly skilled health care practitioners, and through research to improve health care practices and treatment from urban to global levels.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 12 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.