Collections : [Central Michigan University Clarke Historical Library]

The collection documents the career of Michigan Representative Elford A. Cederberg, 1952-1978. It consists of political materials; including constituent correspondence, press-related, legislative-related and campaign materials; and grants, projects Obituaries of both Peg and Al Cederberg, 2006, were added in 2006. The collection contains paper materials as well as photographic, audio, and video materials.

Processing Notes: The archivist surveyed the Papers and created processing directions for the students. All boxes with private, personal information that Cederberg’s staff had listed as restricted materials were withdrawn. Academy nominations, resumes and job applications, and cases of prisoners, social security, passport or immigration, military, veterans, and taxes were among these materials. All publications, including bills and acts, except those containing a signed inscription to him, or about Watergate or the Committee on Appropriations were withdrawn. Other materials that were withdrawn from the collection include: all illegible and duplicate materials, general reading or FYI materials, miscellaneous requests for information, blank forms and stationery, materials related to unfunded grants and projects, invitations (except for a sample), thank you notes, and sympathy or congratulation cards.

For preservation purposes, newspaper clippings about Cederberg were photocopied onto acid-free paper and the originals were withdrawn.

The overall strength of the collection is that Cederberg’s work and interests document local Michigan concerns during his career as a Michigan Representative, 1952-1977. His District was mostly agricultural so those concerns are best represented. The Correspondence and Legislation series are of most value to researchers, followed by the Grants and Projects series that document small town and county issues in which he was involved and the thoughts and desires of his constituents.

The Cederberg Papers do not contain any materials relating to Cederberg’s years as Mayor of Bay City or any personal materials relating to his family or friends. Obituaries of Peg and Al Cederberg, 2006, were added at the beginning of Box 1 i 2006.

Audio-Visual Materials Series, 1952-1978 (7 boxes and 1 large folder, approx. 7 cubic feet) This series consists mostly of photographs, various types of video and cassette tapes, mostly of Cederberg giving presentations, or plaques and awards given to Cederberg. Of interest are photographs of Cederberg with mostly Republican politicians and an undated certificate from the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe on birch bark to their good friend Cederberg for his various efforts on their behalf.

Books Series, 1958-1974 (4 boxes, 4 cubic feet) Composed of mostly Committee on Appropriations and Hearings budgetary volumes, there are also two books, one signed by J. Edgar Hoover, 1962, and one by Gerald R. Ford, 1965. The series serves as background information. There are no personal notes written in any of the Budgetary volumes, which are government publications.

Correspondence Series, 1953-1978 (13 boxes, 13 cubic feet) Correspondence includes approximately 2 cubic feet of Alphabetical Correspondence, organized chronologically and alphabetically by surname, 1953-1978, and Subject Correspondence, 1953-1978, arranged chronologically and roughly alphabetically by subject (topic). In this series there is information on taxes, veterans, social security, Vietnam, gun control (before and after President Kennedy’s assassination), Michigan college, and Michigan postmaster positions. Part of this series (box 26) includes information about travels Cederberg made to Vietnam and Michigan, among other places, 1955-1970. In this sub-series there are some photographs and photograph albums which document 1963 and 1968 visits. Also, there is a photograph album of the commissioning of the U.S.S. Saginaw, undated. The Subject part of the Correspondence Series is of greater use to the researcher and covers a plethora of topics of interest to Michiganders from 1953 to 1978.

Election Materials Series, 1968-1976 (1 box, four folders) There are four folders with Elections Materials, 1968-1976. This series includes photographs and paraphernalia from Cederberg’s election campaigns.

Grants Series, 1968-1976 (1 box, .75 cubic foot) Housed with the Elections Materials Series, the Grants Series, 1970-1978, includes state and federal grants awarded to cities, villages, counties, and townships in Cederberg=s congressional district. There are two folders of grants for Michigan Indians, 1975-1978. The Grants series is of interest to patrons researching local Michigan events and concerns. Each folder usually includes a copy of the grant and supporting documentation, if it existed. Most of the grants involve housing, sewer systems, or airports. Similar topics are documented in the Project Series.

Legislation Series, 1953-1978 (22 boxes, 21.5 cubic feet) This series consists of folders, chronologically and alphabetically organized, mostly consisting of correspondence from constituents to Cederberg. Legislative issues such as abortion, labor, taxes, social security, Vietnam, labor, and environmental concerns are well documented over the years. The first two boxes of the series cover agricultural issues. Budget issues that came before the Committee on Appropriations are also well documented.

News Releases Series, 1963-1978, and undated (1 box, .5 cubic feet) Found in Box 49 of the Legislation Series, the News Release Series includes an incomplete run of Cederberg’s newsletters, two radio announcements, some photographs, and four speeches he made. The series offers a superficial view of what Cederberg thought and actions that he took.

Projects Series, 1952-1978 (6 boxes, 6 cubic feet) This series includes project forms, reports, supporting documentation, and correspondence for federal and state projects awarded to cities, townships, and counties in Cederberg’s congressional district, as well as state-wide projects. Local projects usually include water, highway, sewer systems, housing, airports, flood or water control, urban renewal, conservation concerns, such as fish hatcheries, schools, hospitals or medical care facilities, parks, docks, and military training facilities. Of special interest are multiple folders for Saginaw and Wurtsmith Air Force Base projects. General state topics include Michigan cherries, Indians, and highways. There are a number of folders related to different Michigan regional or area development commissions. Similar topics are documented in the Grants Series.

The collection documents the development of local health care, including hospitals and ambulatory services, for central and northern Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula, in 1960s-1970s. Publications/data end in 1988/1989, projection plans in 2000.

This collection, 23 cubic ft. (in 22 boxes and 1 oversized folder), 1955-1989 and undated, was donated by East Central Michigan Health Systems Agency (ECMHSA) in the 1970s. Due to the size of the collection and the length of time that it was unprocessed, the materials are organized in one series by region and then chronologically within each box. For a more detailed listing see the Box and Folder Listing. Overall the collection is in good physical condition.

The collection documents the development of local health care, including hospitals and ambulatory services, for central and northern Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula, in 1960s-1970s. While the actual publications and data end at approximately 1988/1989, projection plans go until 2000.

The collection includes a plethora of Michigan health-related topics including: public health care; public safety; hospitals; vital statistics; the mentally or physically handicapped; the elderly; renal disease; obstetrics and infant births; hospital beds; emergency or acute care; ambulance services; venereal disease; immunizations; nurses; nurses aides; physicians; PBB; surgery; health care statistics of/for minority and different age groups; waste management; smoking; rehabilitation services; and public educational programs.

The information is in annual reports, procedural manuals, implementation plans, statistics, graphs, guidelines, grant applications, and plans for counties, cities, hospitals, and regional health care agencies. While most of the information relates to central or northern Michigan, the entire state and Detroit hospitals are also represented.

The collection includes material created or collected by Halbert about the Michigan PBB disaster and how it affected him and his family.

The collection includes material created or collected by Halbert about the Michigan PBB disaster and how it affected him and his family. Materials he created include: his co-written article with Jackson, an invitation letter from American Veterinary Medical Association and his speaking notes, his Outline for Bitter Harvest, his personal health records, speeches, speaking notes, and his testimony before the Michigan House of Representations (1974) and US House of Representatives (1978). Materials he collected includes newspaper, magazine, and journal articles in which he is cited, thanked, and/or discussed, remarks by Governor William G. Milliken about Toxic Chemicals in Michigan, June 24, 1978 and PBB history/legislative report from Milliken administration, undated [1978], and Remarks by Lt. Governor James H. Brickley about PBB in Michigan, October 4, 1978, and reference materials about PBB. A 1986 VHS videotape of Bitter Harvest was separately cataloged. The collection is organized alphabetically and in good physical condition, with some acidification.

Researchers may also be interested in other PBB research manuscript collections and secondary sources about PBB in the Clarke Historical Library, including the memoir, Bitter Harvest (1978).

Processing Note: During processing social security numbers were blacked out on copies of health records and those pages were photocopied. Extremely acidic materials were photocopied and the originals, as well as duplicates of other materials (1 folder total), were withdrawn and returned to the donor, as per the donor agreement.

The collection, 1974-2018 (Scattered) and undated, documents the impact of PBB on the Neyer family and their cattle and dairy farm, their ongoing efforts to educate themselves and the public about the dangers of PBB, in the media, and politically, and to fight for financial reimbursement in Circuit Court, and to understand and document the impact of PBB on their health.

The collection, 1974-2018 (Scattered) and undated, documents the impact of PBB on the Neyer family and their cattle and dairy farm, their ongoing efforts to educate themselves and the public about the dangers of PBB, in the media, and politically, and to fight for financial reimbursement in Circuit Court, and to understand and document the impact of PBB on their health. Parts of the collection were generated or collected by brothers David and George “Tim” Neyer. The collection has several broad series. The first and largest of these, over half of the collection, is collected documentation of the disaster and its impact. Research journal articles, newspaper and magazine clippings from local, state, and national publications, reports, fliers, and newsletters compose about half of the collection. Also in this series are correspondence, fliers, bills, and related information Neyer and his family collected from researchers, physicians, politicians, Michigan State University, Farm Bureau Services, the PBB Health Studies, a variety of beef and agricultural organizations. There are nine folders of materials from the Michigan departments of Agriculture and Public Health, later Community Health. Also included are communications, newsletters, and other information from organizations which sought to educate and inform farmers and the public about PBB and/or advocate for the farmers, notably the PBB Action Committee of Reed City (2 folders). A second series is the documentation of the direct impact of PBB on the Neyer family and farm as recorded the Neyer brothers’ ongoing efforts to tell the story from their perspective in the media, including newspapers and on television, in family cow photographs, family correspondence to Neyer and to politicians by Madden relatives, health test records, and the Neyers’ claim in Circuit Court, and related materials and correspondence with lawyers Abood, Abood and Abood, P.C. MI. Lastly, Tim’s efforts as a member of the PBB Citizens Advisory Board for Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health and its MI PBB Registry are documented in five folders. The collection is organized by size, alphabetically and chronologically.

Health test results are in Box 1 in 3 folders: Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health, MI PBB Registry, Correspondence, Test Results of George Neyer and Informational Materials, 2004-2018 (Scattered), undated; MI. Dept. of Public Health, Long-term PBB Study, Correspondence, Proposal, Forms, Test Results of George and Kacey Neyer, 1975-1988 (Scattered); MI. Dept. of Public Health, Long-term PBB Study, Correspondence, Test Results of George Neyer, 2000-2012 (Scattered). In 2023 Archivist Marian Matyn obtained permission from George and Kacey Neyer to retain and make available for public research the family’s medical test results. Copies of the permission form are in the relevant folders in Box 1.

Processing Note: A total of .5 cubic feet of materials, mostly acidic or poor-quality newspaper clippings and articles, such as thermal copies, were returned to the donor as per the donor form. Photocopies of these items were retained in the collection. Also returned to the donor were a few items that were peripheral to the collection, such as copies of general family photographs. All photographs remaining in the collection were sleeved for preservation and access purposes.

The collection, 1997-2016 (scattered), and undated, consists of materials printed in 2019 from 3 DVDs, documenting information about the Pine River Superfund Citizen Task Force (CAG), and material related to the PBB contamination of cattle feed by Velsicol Chemical in the 1970s in Michigan, with a focus on contamination of St. Louis. The 2020 Addition Acc#76923 includes Boxes 13-20 and one Oversized Folder, 2003-2004, 2006, 2011-2016. Most of the contents includes investigative and final reports on the ecological, water supply, and human health risks in St. Louis related to the Velsicol Superfund Site, cleanup proposals and remedial action investigation report and contracts for the same site, including one specifically for the golf course, previously the Velsicol Burn Pit. Allergy Note: Please note Boxes 13-20 and the Oversized Folder have a musty or mildew smell to them.

Allergy Note: Please note Boxes 13-20 and the Oversized Folder have a musty or mildew smell to them.

The collection, 1997-2011 (scattered), and undated, consists of materials printed in 2019 from 3 DVDs, documenting information about the Pine River Superfund Citizen Task Force (CAG), and material related to the PBB contamination of cattle feed by Velsicol Chemical in the 1970s in Michigan, with a focus on contamination of St. Louis. CAG materials compose the majority of the collection (5.75 cubic feet in 12 boxes). The CAG documents were either generated on a computer or scanned and retained in a computer. They include newspaper clippings, meeting agendas, memos, meeting minutes, emails, journal articles, event posters, handwritten notes, financial records, and member rosters. The PBB and Velsicol documents include newspaper articles about the contamination. Copies of a few earlier references from the 1960s are included. Also included are copies of two DVDs that contain videotaped interviews of two CAG members, Jane Keon and Melissa Strait by Comcast Newsmakers, 2008. These interviews were also accessible, as of 2019, on the CAG Facebook page. The topic is the receipt of the Carter Partnership Award by the CAG and Alma College. Melissa Strait was a member and chair of the chemistry department at Alma College. Copyright of the DVDs is unknown, likely held by Comcast Newsmakers. The collection is organized according to original order.

This is the only collection documenting the CAG and its efforts to attain federal government recognition of the contamination in the St. Louis area and fund its remediation. Until the CAGs efforts began to make national news, there was minimal effort to document the tragedy outside of those directly impacted by it. Michigan’s PBB tragedy was largely forgotten. The CAGs efforts re-energized awareness of the tragedy. As a result, Alma College, Central Michigan University, University of Michigan, and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, faculty, staff and students began to document, collect and preserve primary source materials for future researchers, including ongoing health issues of effected people of the tragedy. Without the CAGs efforts, St. Louis would remain an undocumented major national toxic site.

The 2020 Addition Acc#76923 includes Boxes 13-20 and one Oversized Folder, 2003-2004, 2006, 2011-2016. Most of the contents includes investigative and final reports on the ecological, water supply, and human health risks in St. Louis related to the Velsicol Superfund Site, cleanup proposals and remedial action investigation report and contracts for the same site, including one specifically for the golf course, previously the Velsicol Burn Pit. Authors of the reports include CDM Smith; CH2M Hill; Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr and Huber, Inc.; Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; Weston Solutions of Michigan, Inc. (sometimes their name on reports is typed as Weston Solutions Inc. of Michigan). Also included is the draft chapters and list of chapters of Keon’s book Tombstone Town: Left for dead, marked with a tombstone, a toxic town fights back, 2015, which includes more detailed information than what was included in the book. The addition is organized in alphabetical order by creator name, then by title. Most of the materials were in large binders originally and were foldered retaining the order of the binder contents.

Processing Note: Two DVDs were copied that contain videotaped interviews of two CAG members, and the originals were returned to donor as per the donor’s request. One W2 found in the collection, which contained a personal social security number, was removed from the collection.