"One of the greatest frustrations of this role," said Fred Mayer when he was the University Planner, "is that when you do a good job, no one thinks anyone planned it."

The campus, as guided by its Master Plan, is the background fabric of the university. Not one single style of architecture, but many, unified in a landscape. Mayer's pride and satisfaction came as much from the open spaces as the buildings. The open spaces are what beautify the campus. They also provide release and variety, opportunities for cultural exchange and interaction, even privacy and occasional solitude.

Among Mayer's many gifts as planner was his ability to plan and shape with sensitivity and understanding, giving staff, students, parents and visitors the feeling that the campus came about naturally.

One evening, stand in front of the Rackham Building and look down the mall to the Graduate Library. "When the sun goes down and one can see the lights between those buildings, one can see what an elegant space that is," said Mayer.

Mayer's education in Architecture and Planning began in New York at Pratt Institute, and continued at Rutgers University. He received his Masters in Regional Planning from Cornell University in 1963. Three years later, Mayer came to the U-M as assistant planner. Less than three years after that, he was appointed university planner. He retired in 2002.

"For as long as I can remember," Mayer said, "I've been fascinated by the shaping of physical environment. You have to stick with it to see things come about. Patience and persistence, and imagination, sustain you. Being able to create something of beauty, lasting beauty, is intriguing. That's where the satisfaction lies."