The collection reflects Cumming’s many interests and activities as Director of the Clarke, historian, author, researcher, bibliophile, printer, and collector. The collection document Mount Pleasant, Isabella County, Auburn, and Oakland County (Michigan) history, as well as his special interests, including Abel Bingham, the Gold Rush, and (Strangite) Mormons. There are drafts of his books and articles, speeches, and biographical materials. Photographic materials are also included. Most of the material in the collection is undated. Materials have been processed by Acc# to facilitate research by the donor. Boxes 1-6, Oversized folder, Acc#5261, 52991, 71-41; Boxes 7-8, Acc# 53561; Boxes 9-10, Acc#67488 and 67600; Box 11, unaccessioned materials from January 2007; Boxes 12-16, Acc#72398.
Processing Note: Duplicates were removed from the collection. A list of items merged into other, existing collections, where they were more apt to be used by researchers, is in the donor’s file.
Published items were separately cataloged and housed in the Clarke.
Additional materials generated in his capacity as Director of the Clarke are found in the Clarke Historical Library Organizational Records.
A collection of slides from Cumming is separately cataloged.
Biography:
John Cumming was born in Massachusetts on September 24, 1915. He earned degrees from Eastern Michigan University and attended Wayne State University and Michigan State University. Cumming served as Director of the Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University from 1961 until 1982.
He was an early member and president of the Michigan Archival Association and various Isabella and Mount Pleasant area historical committees.
The author of numerous books and articles, his private press won an Award of Merit in 1982 from the Historical Society of Michigan. Copies of his published materials are also available at the Clarke.
Cumming lived with his wife, Audrey, in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. He died on November 10, 2010.
