The papers in the Alfred B. Connable collection, covering the years 1925-1992, document Connable's political and business careers, and also include biographical information. Included in the collection are newspaper clippings, correspondence, a diary, and photographs. The collection is organized into six series: Biographical Information, Board of Regents, Business Career, Political Career, Miscellaneous, and Photographs.
Alfred B. Connable, Jr. served as a regent of the University of Michigan for sixteen years beginning in 1941. Connable, who was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan on February 20, 1904, graduated from the University of Michigan in 1925. After completing a master's degree in business administration from Harvard University in 1929, he embarked on a career that included both business and political achievements.
Connable was chairman of the board of the Monroe Calculating Machine Company, which was founded by his father and several other University of Michigan alumni. Connable also worked with the Detroit Trust Company, and taught investments and economics at the Detroit Institute of Technology. In 1943, he began Connable Associates, a financial services office. In the political arena, Connable was Wendell L. Willkie's Michigan campaign manager, and was involved in Republican party activities for many years.
While a regent of the university, Connable's activities included membership and presidency of the Association of Governing Boards of State Universities and Allied Institutions. He was also involved in the labor education program called the Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations. The Institute, under joint sponsorship of the University of Michigan and Wayne State University, was committed to serving the educational and research needs of both labor and management through the combined resources of the universities.
