Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

The records of the Women's League of the University of Michigan contain the League's constitution and articles of incorporation, reports, correspondence, minutes of the League and of women students' governing bodies, scrapbooks, presidents reports, and photographs; letters from Ella Wheeler Wilcox and William Dean Howells; also papers of Edith M. Wheeler and Sarah Mills Gayley Browne.

The records of the Women's League date from 1890 to 1965 and measure 33 linear feet. The records are divided into eight series: Women's League (records of the organization), Michigan League (records of the building), Administrative, Students, Union-League Merger, Photographs, and Scrapbooks and Architectural records. The records span the life of the organization and are especially strong for the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, however many of the subseries include records for only a year or two. The bulk of the records are President's Reports, which consist of two to five large bound volumes for each academic year. The subseries in the last five series are arranged alphabetically by type of material, and many are continuations of subseries from the first two series which were from an earlier accession.

The Martha Cook Building (MCB) opened in the fall of 1915 as the second all-women's dormitory on the University of Michigan campus. It was a gift of Mr. William Wilson Cook, a lawyer-philanthropist from New York City who was born and raised in Hillsdale, Michigan. The Martha Cook Building records are dated from circa 1913-2016 and include blueprints; chronological files; clippings; correspondence; financial records; minutes, particularly of both the MCB's Board of Governors and House Board; publications; reports; scrapbooks; subject files; and visual materials, such as negatives, photographs, and photograph albums.

The Martha Cook Building records (circa 1913-2016) document the activities of those involved with the Martha Cook Building and include blueprints; chronological files; clippings; correspondence; financial records; minutes; reports; scrapbooks; subject files; and visual materials, such as negatives, photographs, and photograph albums.

Significant people and groups featured in this collection include William. W. Cook; various House Directors, such as Sarah Rowe, G.J. Diekema, Olive Chernow, Josette Allen, and Rosalie Moore; the building's Board of Governors and House Board; and Martha Cook Building students and alumnae. Other notable topics include the construction, furnishing and remodeling of the Martha Cook Building; various scholarships; and activities, such as various anniversary events and the Messiah Dinner.

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.