W. Sinclair, Owner died in 1916 and his daughter Lillian and her husband took over the hotel day to day operations. Lillian eventually sold the hotel for 1 million dollars to a gentleman named Ed Ballard. Mr. Ballard ran the hotel until the stock market crash in 1929 and tried to keep it open until 1932: but did not sell the property until 1934.
The hotel was then purchased by the Jesuits for only one dollar and the hotel became a seminary college until 1964 when enrollment took a decline and forced the college to close. During the time of the Jesuits, the hotel became a modest/simple college and most of the elegance and beauty of the hotel was gone.
A Michigan couple then purchased the hotel from the Jesuits to run a small private college –“Northwood Institute” until 1983. Although they say the property was maintained during this time, I was there in 1977 and I will tell you tomorrow what I saw at that time at a scheduled school event. Until tomorrow-
Source: frenchlick.com
