The papers consists mostly of demographics and articles about the Michigan Klan, including chapters for Cal’s intended book; newspaper articles copied from microfilm and lists of the articles from Michigan and Klan newspapers; and membership information cards. The cards are disorganized and may contain census or local election information, marital status, type of employment, children, and address information. There is a nice variety of black and white and colored photographs and slides of Michigan Klan parades, meetings, a funeral, and the Chicora KKK quilt with members names embroidered on it. Also included are a sheeted figurine and Klan publications, including songbooks and copied articles about the Klan in Indiana and the U.S.
Most of the collection has been photocopied onto acid-free paper.
The collection is unique and valuable for the research of white supremacists in Michigan. It is particularly valuable for the study of average Michiganders, including men and women who joined the Klan up to 1924. There is substantial documentation of the activities of local Klans.
The problems leading to the failures of the 1924 attempt to elect a Detroit mayor and ban private schools are well documented, as are the financial problems and the high profile murders committed by Klan officials.
More Lewis D. Capen material may be found in the Ku Klux Klan (Mecosta County, Mich.) collection and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Millbrook Level Lodge No. 219 (Millbrook, Mich.) organizational records.
Biography:
Calvin W. Enders was born April 20, 1926, the son of Leonard and Louise (Reinhart) Enders, in Adrian, Michigan. On November 17, 1946 he married Betty Hilts at the First Methodist Church in Adrian. They moved to Mount Pleasant, Michigan, in 1966.
During World War II, Cal served on a Destroyer Escort. In 1949 he received his B.A. from Adrian College. Cal then spent several years teaching in public schools. By 1952 he earned a M.A. in history from the University of Michigan. Cal received his Ph.D. from Michigan State in 1970.
Cal joined the Central Michigan University History Department in 1965. He taught there until his retirement in 1993. Cal taught military history and surveys in American and Michigan history. His “The Roaring Twenties” course was famous. Frequently, Cal would receive a standing ovation at the end of a semester. Also, he was the co-founder and sponsor of the Phi Alpha Theta CMU chapter with Professor Dennis Thavenet.
Cal joined the Central Michigan University History Department in 1965. He taught there until his retirement in 1993. Cal taught military history and surveys in American and Michigan history. His “The Roaring Twenties” course was famous. Frequently, Cal would receive a standing ovation at the end of a semester. Also, he was the co-founder and sponsor of the Phi Alpha Theta CMU chapter with Professor Dennis Thavenet.Towards the end of his life Cal began to research the Ku Klux Klan in Michigan. He published an article on the Mecosta Klan entitled, “White Sheets in Mecosta: The Anatomy of a Michigan Klan.” Cal was writing a book on the Klan in Michigan when he died on August 21, 1997. He was survived by his wife of 50 years, Betty, and four children, Laura Mikus, Robert, James, and Maurice Enders, five grandchildren, and three sisters. (This information is from the collection.)
