Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Alpha Phi Omega is a national service fraternity. This collection of publications from the Gamma Pi chapter at the University of Michigan includes a guide to the university created by the fraternity, chapter newsletters, many issues of the chapter's biannual publication Pi Filling, and several programs from the fraternity's banquets.

The Alpha Phi Omega publications collection has been divided into four series: Handbook, Newsletters, Pi Filling, and Programs.

University of Michigan sorority, records include a history, minutes of meetings, records of Sorosis House, scrapbooks, printed matter, and photographs.

The records of the Collegiate Sorosis document one of the oldest secret societies for women at the University of Michigan. The record group has been divided into five series: Minutes, Alphabetical, Finances, Photographs, and Scrapbooks.

Student papers, 1930-1987 prepared for classes in history at the University of Michigan (primarily Michigan history class taught by Lewis G. VanderVelde, but also including research papers for classes taught by Sidney Fine and others); topics concern Michigan social and political history; Michigan biography and bibliography; and local community history.

The student papers are organized alphabetically by author in two series, which are similar in date range and topics covered. Topics of papers concern Michigan social and political history; Michigan biography and bibliography; local community history and University of Michigan history. A topical index to the papers is available in the first box of the collection.

The records of the University of Michigan Panhellenic Association contain meeting minutes, annual officers' reports, newspaper clippings, presidents reports, scrapbooks, photographs, printed materials, posters and broadsides. The records document the administration and history of the Panhel at the University of Michigan.

The records of the Panhellenic Association (Panhel) measure 7.5 linear feet and include one outsize scrapbook and an outsize folder. The records date from 1945 to 1991 and consist of meeting minutes, annual officers' reports, newspaper clippings, photographs, printed materials, and posters. Despite the range of years covered by the collection as a whole, no one time period is completely documented. For additional information on the history of Panhel, the researcher should consult the folders under the heading "Sororities" in the University of Michigan Library Clipping File and the folder "Panhellenic" in the Vertical File at the Bentley Historical Library.

The records of Panhel are divided into six series: Topical Files, President's Reports, Scrapbooks, Photographs, Printed Materials, and Posters and Broadsides.

Correspondence, memoranda, reports, minutes, and other materials relating to administration of the office; include files relating to operation and naming of University dormitories, especially detailing the establishment of housing policy and the resolution of housing controversies; information on small group housing and off-campus housing with individual files on fraternities and sororities; also files concerning the occupational status and treatment of Japanese-Americans working for the University during World War II, and concerning the housing and training of military personnel on campus during the war.

The records of the Housing Division provide documentation on development and administration of the university's dormitory system, off-campus housing and student life. The records include correspondence, memoranda, reports, minutes, and other materials relating to administration of the office; include files relating to operation and naming of University dormitories, especially detailing the establishment of housing policy and the resolution of housing controversies; information on small group housing and off-campus housing with individual files on fraternities and sororities; also files concerning the occupational status and treatment of Japanese-Americans working for the University during World War II, and concerning the housing and training of military personnel on campus during the war.

Photographs collected from various sources, depicting buildings, faculty, students, and other topics relating to the University of Michigan.

The University of Michigan Photographs Vertical File represents a miscellaneous assemblage of U of M-related photographs from many different sources, mainly prior to 1950. The vertical file is especially strong on the earliest photographic images of the campus, university buildings, and class activities. While the vertical file contains many images of individuals, researchers should first consult the library's on-line catalog for images of faculty, administrators, and other University personalities. Most photographs originally accumulated by a University department or other unit are kept with that unit's records.

The arrangement of the photographic images was intended to parallel the classification used with University of Michigan published materials and with manuscript materials. Both of these used a classification system using letters of the alphabet (A through N only) for groupings of published or manuscript material. This system was carried over for use with the library's photographic images though there are certain categories for which images are unlikely to be found (Category A, for example, which pertains to legislation affecting the University or Category I which is reserved for university publications of a scientific or literary nature). The classification is further broken down under each letter by a number code which refers to a more specific subdivision. The heaviest concentration of images will be found under C (for U-M schools and colleges, departments, and other units), D (for university buildings and views), and F (for class pictures, photos of student organizations, and images detailing aspects of student life and customs).

Each heading in this finding aid includes the letter classification plus a numbered subdivision. In addition, the individual envelopes are numbered sequentially. Headings for which there are oversized images (usually larger than 8x10) will be indicated by reference to medium or large size photographs. When requesting material, researchers must specify the heading and the classification and folder number.

This finding aid describes only a small portion of the Bentley Library's U-M visual images. The on-line catalog will direct the researcher to additional images.