Collections

Back to top

Search Constraints

Start Over You searched for: Level Collection Remove constraint Level: Collection Subjects World War, 1939-1945. Remove constraint Subjects: World War, 1939-1945.
Number of results to display per page
View results as:

Search Results

Collection

Charles Stuart Kennedy papers, circa 1900-1966 (majority within 1937-1961)

13 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Detroit, Michigan physician and member of the University of Michigan Board of Regents, 1946-1961. Reports, correspondence, and agendas of meetings of the Board of Regents, the Workers Education Service, the American College of Surgeons and World War II; and photographs.

Charles Stuart Kennedy papers consist of reports, correspondence, and agendas of meetings of the Board of Regents, the Workers Education Service, the American College of Surgeons and World War II; and photographs. The collection is comprised of three series: Board of Regents, Personal Materials, and Taiwan Material.

Collection

Reed Wallace Teed photographs, circa 1890, 1942-1946

1 linear foot (20 folders and 1 v.) — 1 oversize volume

Physician of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Teed family portrait album, ca. 1890; color slides of U.S. military base, airplanes, people, and activities in the Mariana Islands during World War II, especially on the Island of Tinian; and scrapbook documenting Teed's military service.

The Reed collection consists mainly of colored slides taken during his service in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. The slides are of different sites, though many of them are of Tinian, especially military facilities, battle damage, recreational interludes, and groups of individual. There is also a scrapbook from the period of his wartime service.

Collection

Arthur Brown family papers, circa 1873-1945

1 linear foot

Ann Arbor, Michigan, family. Correspondence, other papers and photographs of Arthur Brown, Ann Arbor attorney and mayor, and officer and director of the Washtenaw Abstract Company; also papers of his wife, Cora Pulcipher Brown, largely concerning work with Americanism Committee of the Daughters of the American Revolution during World War II.

The Brown family collection is unfortunately a fragment of materials with very few of the papers created by either Arthur or Cora Brown surviving. What remains relate almost exclusively to the legal career of Arthur Brown, in particular to his service to various persons as a collector of bad debts, and to Cora Brown's work with the Americanism Committee of the Daughters of the American Revolution during World War II.

Collection

Russell C. Shaul photograph album, ca. 1927-1950

approximately 136 images in 1 album

The Russell C. Shaul photograph album contains images and ephemera related to the life and career of photographer Russell Clifford Shaul, who owned a studio in Chicago in the 1930s and 1940s.

The Russell C. Shaul photograph album contains images and ephemera related to the life and career of photographer Russell Clifford Shaul, who owned a studio in Chicago in the 1930s and 1940s.

The album (36.5 x 28 cm) has string-bound brown covers with the words "Scrap Book" and a depiction of a boy and girl wearing wooden clogs embossed on the front; the covers and pages are in poor condition. The structure of the album is roughly chronological, with material from the 1920s appearing towards the beginning and material from the 1940s appearing towards the end. However, candid snapshots and studio portraits made in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the early 1930s are scattered throughout and mixed in with photos from other periods. At least one page includes dated photos from the early 1930s and late 1940s that appear side by side. Certain names and people reappear often, but exactly how they relate to one another is not entirely clear. Many photographs document people drinking as well as posing in a humorous manner.

Photographer Russell Clifford Shaul appears to have been the compiler of this album. Shaul’s name appears on numerous images as the credited photographer, including portraits taken in Milwaukee in the early 1930s and a Chicago cityscape view from the mid-1940s. Several photos are also inscribed with messages to “Russell,” while snapshots arranged on a page captioned “The Shauls” show him and his third wife Sarah visiting various U. S. tourist destinations between 1944 and 1949. At some point during the 1930s it appears that Shaul relocated from Milwaukee to Chicago and set up a new photography business. Several pages in the album suggest that Shaul and his colleagues practiced door-to-door operations.

Two pages document a man’s World War II service. He is pictured driving a Jeep and wearing a uniform bearing an “Official U.S. War Photographer” patch, training on a shooting range, interacting with people on the streets “In India,” and taking photographs with both still and motion picture cameras. This man appears throughout the album (identified elsewhere as “Carl”), including in the earliest Milwaukee shots in 1927. He may have been Shaul’s friend and/or business partner.

Items placed toward the end of the album include some scrapbook materials including letterheads advertising a company called Chicago Thrill Tours and Chicago-based radio host called “The Nitehawk,” as well as business cards identifying a fellow photographer in Chicago named Charles Lonk and a trailer park in Eau Gallie, Florida.

In addition to the album there is also an envelope containing several loose photographs and ephemeral items including portraits of various people and groups; pictures of people drinking at bars; photographs of the man elsewhere identified as Carl drinking at a Milwaukee bar in 1927 as well as posing in a bathtub while another man bathes him; an image of a photo supply storefront with a cutout of an unidentified man pasted over the front door (possibly shop owner I. Dobkin); photography-related clippings; aerial images of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, taken in 1938; and a portrait by Acme Newspictures of a man in the radio studio of “The Nitehawk - WBBM” captioned “J. W. Clark.” Also present is an enveloped typed letter signed by “The Nitehawk” written to Shaul in 1948 asking him to be on the lookout for early copies of Reader’s Digest.

Collection

Department of Journalism (University of Michigan) research papers, 1967-1978

2 linear feet

Research papers, 1967-1979, of students in journalism at the University of Michigan; contain essays relating to the history of Michigan newspapers and journalists, and the development of radio and television broadcasting; include papers concerning newspapers in Adrian, Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Grand Rapids, and the journalistic efforts of Father Charles Coughlin, Henry Ford, and Gerald L. K. Smith.

The Department of Journalism research papers collection measures 2 linear feet and consists solely of student research papers written between 1967 and 1979. The papers contain essays written regarding the history of various newspapers -- many in Michigan cities such as Adrian, Ann Arbor, Detroit and Grand Rapids; journalists and the journalistic efforts of individuals such as Father Charles Coughlin, Henry Ford, and Gerald L.K. Smith; and the development of radio and television broadcasting.

The surviving administrative records of the Department of Journalism were retained by its successor unit, the Department of Communication, and can be found in that department's records.

Collection

Robert W. Fletcher papers, 1950-2004

0.4 linear feet — 3 digital video files

Online

Papers include correspondence, diary, clippings, and photographs relating to his experience as a prisoner; correspondence relating to his Purple Heart award and the Prisoner of War medal. Also included a memoir by Sidney Esensten about his experience as an American P.O.W. during the Korean War.

Visual materials include photos relating to his experience as a prisoner; videotape entitled "P.O.W.--Americans in Enemy Hands" (1986), which includes interview with Fletcher; videotape of 1990 presentation by Fletcher and three Tuskegee Airmen, African American World War II aviators, describing their military experiences, and an undated videotape "Priority: P.O.W."

Collection

Ralph B. Baldwin papers, 1949-2001

8 linear feet

Grand Rapids, Michigan manufacturing company executive, astronomer. Technical correspondence, 1949-1992, relating to astronomical studies, particularly concerning the moon; correspondence, 1980-1981, used in preparation of his book, "The deadly fuze: a secret weapon of World War II;" speeches on astronomical subjects and pertaining to his interest in product liability reform; and unpublished autobiography.

The Baldwin collection consists of general correspondence and technical correspondence relating to astronomical topics and to the publication of his book The Deadly Fuze. There are also speeches, biographical and autobiographical material, and various materials relating to the proximity fuze. The collection largely consists of photocopies of original materials.

Collection

Owen J. Cleary Papers, 1944-1959

10 linear feet — 2 oversize volumes — 1 oversize folder

Owen J. Cleary was an attorney, president of Cleary College in Ypsilanti (1940-1960), Michigan secretary of state (1953-1954), and chairman of the Republican State Central Committee (1949-1953). The collection includes correspondence, scrapbooks and clippings, organizational files, and Republican Party files.

The collection documents the later period of Cleary's life, mainly from 1945 to 1959. The series include Correspondence; Scrapbooks and clippings; Organizational interests; and Political files.

The great bulk of the collection consists of correspondence dated from 1945 to 1959 and documenting his work as Republican State chairman (1949-1953), his tenure as Michigan secretary of state (1953-1954), and his various other civic, political, and business involvements. There is included with this finding aid a selective index to Cleary's correspondents.

Collection

Edgar Denton letters, 1944-1945

4 items

This collection is made up of letters that Private First Class Edgar Denton of La Grande, Oregon, wrote to his friends Frank and Murdle Smith while serving with the United States Army during World War II. Denton discussed his enthusiasm for rifle and machine gun training and concern for his wife and children.

This collection is made up of 4 letters that Private First Class Edgar Denton wrote to his friends Frank and Murdle Smith of Summerville, Oregon, while serving with the United States Army during World War II. He wrote his first two letters from Camp Hood, Texas, and Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, while training for combat and awaiting deployment to Europe. He discussed his enthusiasm for rifle and machine gun training, commented on his correspondence with his wife Peggy, and requested news of mutual acquaintances in Oregon. Writing from Europe in late 1944 and early 1945, Denton expressed his belief that the war would soon end and referred to his hospitalization in England after suffering wounds in the hip and back.

Collection

Graflex Sees the War, 1944

19 photographs

Graflex Sees the War contains a series of 19 mounted gelatin silver prints taken by Allied military photographers in the European and Pacific theaters during World War II.

Graflex Sees the War contains a series of 19 mounted gelatin silver prints taken by Allied military photographers in the European and Pacific theaters during World War II. This collection consists of 19 gelatin silver prints from the fourth edition of the series in their original shipping container (43 x 53.5 cm). The mailing label on the reinforced cardboard container is addressed to the manager of the Rio Theater in Hammond, Indiana. The majority of the photographs depict scenes from the Pacific theater, yet there are images from France as well. All photographs appear to have been taken in 1944. Credit for most photographs is limited to the service branch that provided them, but three items credit individual photographers by name: Cpl. Angus Robertson, Sgt. Ferman H. Dixon, and Sgt. R. B. Opper. Every credit line also includes the phrase "Graflex-made."

Titles, photo credits, and descriptions of images in order of appearance are as follows: "Two Down, Beachhead to Go, Saipan" (U.S. Coast Guard) -- soldiers under fire advancing along a beach; "Shells Away--Guam" (U.S. Navy) -- battleship firing toward shore; "Plane to Pack Train--Burma" (U.S. Army Signal Corps) -- soldiers walking with mule train, transport planes on runway in background; "U.S.-equipped Free French Troops" (U.S. Army Signal Corps) -- soldiers firing from rocky ridge; "Mam'selle 'Welcomes' Nazi Prisoner" (U.S. Navy) -- woman kicking man in city street as crowd looks on; "Hide and Seek with Death, Saipan" (U.S. Marine Corps by Cpl. Angus Robertson) -- soldiers crouching behind tank; "Biak Bound" (U.S. Coast Guard) -- deck of transport ship with convoy in background; "Victory Symbols--Past and Present" (U.S. Army Signal Corps) -- French village square showing World War I monument and advancing American tank; "105mm Howitzers In Action, Guam" (U.S. Marine Corps) -- soldiers and artillery in tropical landscape; "Channel Transfer of Invasion Wounded" (U.S. Coast Guard) -- wounded soldiers (likely injured during the invasion of Saipan) on stretchers on boat deck; "Flame, Camera, Action--Guam" (U.S. Marine Corps) -- soldiers patrolling in battle-scarred jungle; "Alligators Attacking Peleliu" (U.S. Navy) -- fleet of amphibious landing craft; "House to House Fighting--St. Malo" (U.S. Army Signal Corps) -- American soldiers under fire in French village street; "Earmarked for Guam" (U.S. Navy) - ship deck lined with large artillery shells; "Beachhead Altar, Saipan (U.S. Marine Corps by Sgt. Ferman H. Dixon) -- priest in front of makeshift altar on hood of wrecked tank; "Pause for Prayer" (U.S. Army Signal Corps) -- soldiers with rifles sitting in cathedral; civilians praying at altar; "War is H---" (U.S. Coast Guard) -- four sailors showing haircuts that spell out "H-E-L-L"; "Thar She Blows, Saipan" (U.S. Marine Corps by Sgt. R. B. Opper) -- artillery shell exploding close behind two soldiers on battlefield.

Collection

V-Mail Process collection, 1944

16 items

The V-Mail Process collection is made up of 8 photographs and accompanying typed explanations, created in April 1944, which demonstrate the process of creating V-mail for the United States Marine Corps 2nd Division. The photographs are individually numbered and the typed explanations occasionally include commentary on the careers of pictured marines.

The V-Mail Process collection is made up of 8 photographs and accompanying typed explanations, created in April 1944, which demonstrate the process of creating V-mail for the United States Marine Corps 2nd Division.

Eight 8"x10" black-and-white photographs illustrate steps in the V-mail creation process, from initial composition to delivery. Eight 1-page, typed documents explain each step and occasionally identify the members of the Marine Corps 2nd Division depicted in the images, variously noting names, ranks, hometowns, and service histories. The explanatory text also provides numerical figures associated with the Marine Corps mail service, including an estimate of total pieces handled daily (image 2D-37), the number of letters on each roll of film and number photographed per hour (image 2D-39), the rate at which an operator prints and cuts images (image 2D-40), and the number of V-mail letters that could fit in one mailbag (image 2D-43). Sergeant J. L. Burns took the first photograph, and Sergeant Andy Knight took the remaining 7; each image is also attributed to Warrant Officer J.F. Leopold, Photo Officer, 2nd Marine Division.

Collection

Stefan S. Fajans papers, 1943-2012

4.5 linear feet

Stefan S. Fajans was a Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School from 1949-1988 and active Professor Emeritus of Internal Medicine until 2014. The collection includes personal correspondence during his time in the U.S. Army Medical Corps in World War II, as well as materials related to his professional activities and interests, including patient records, correspondence, lectures, manuscripts and other topical files related to his research on diabetes, especially Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY).

The Stefan S. Fajans papers are comprised of personal correspondence with his family while in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World War II as well as a wide range of materials documenting his professional life. The latter are a rich source for his research on Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) and its associated genetic markers. The Stefan S. Fajans papers are divided into two series: Personal Correspondence and Professional Files.

Collection

John W. Aldridge papers, 1943-2007 (majority within 1950-2000)

14.4 linear feet

University of Michigan professor of English (1964-1991), director of the Hopwood Program (1975-1988), USIA Special Ambassador to Germany (1972-1973), and esteemed literary critic. Papers (1943-2004) include extensive personal and professional correspondence, published and unpublished manuscripts and writings, notes and lecture materials for courses taught, USIA program materials and correspondence, topical files, photographs, and audio-visual recordings.

The John W. Aldridge Papers document the professional and personal life of one of the twentieth century's most distinguished literary critics, and a longtime University of Michigan professor of English. The records in this collection measure 14.4 linear feet, and date from 1943 to 2006, with the majority of the records from the period 1950 to 2000. They are primarily comprised of correspondence, lectures and addresses, teaching materials, writings and publications, research notes, clippings, program and topical files, and are arranged into nine series: Biographical Materials, Correspondence, Hopwood Awards Program, Lectures and Addresses, Scrapbooks, Teaching, USIA/Special Ambassador, Writings, and Audio-Visual Materials.

Collection

Donald R. Caird correspondence, 1943-1985 (majority within 1943-1945)

1 linear foot

This collection is comprised largely of the World War II letters of United States Army Air Forces Lieutenant Donald R. Caird (of Southeast Michigan) to Margaret I. MacDonell (of Phoenix, Arizona). Lieut. Caird's correspondence spans his Army Air Forces flight and instrument training at bases in Texas, Arizona, and California, 1943-1944; and his services as a pilot instructor at Merced, California, and Lincoln, Nebraska, from 1944 to 1945. His letters include information about work and everyday life on base, but primarily focus on his courtship with Margaret MacDonell, their marriage on December 7, 1943, the birth of their first son, and other aspects of their relationship, household, and newly forming family.

This collection is comprised largely of the World War II letters of United States Army Air Forces Lieutenant Donald R. Caird (of Southeast Michigan) to Margaret MacDonell (of Phoenix, Arizona). Lieut. Caird's correspondence spans his Army Air Forces flight and instrument training at bases in Texas, Arizona, and California, 1943-1944; and his services as a pilot instructor at Merced, California, and Lincoln, Nebraska, from 1944 to 1945.

Correspondence Series: In his letters, Donald Caird commented on his training, on the flying students, his own instructional methods, his administrators ("the brass"), weather conditions that had an effect on flying, his quarters, clothing and laundry, frustration with changing instructional requirements, vehicles and transportation, the GI Bill (March 22, [1945]), playing golf, bowling, and watching basketball and football games.

The most prevalent content in the Caird's correspondence pertains to his courtship with Margaret I. MacDonell, their marriage, the birth of their first son, and other aspects of their relationship, household, and newly forming family. He wrote about attending mass and confessional; planning before their December 1943 wedding; anticipating the birth of "shack rat"/"Roscoe" (i.e. Donald Caird) in November 1944; discussing Margaret's pregnancy, health, and medical treatments; working with real estate agents to find a house for Margaret and Roscoe near his Air Forces bases; wondering and reflecting on Roscoe's growth; trying to help manage finances; and planning for furloughs. He frequently discussed the next times he would be able to connect with Margaret. A small number of other correspondents contributed to the collection, including, for example, a couple of letters from Donald R. Caird's mother Ella Caird, enclosed in his letters of January 1944, and a letter from Dr. D. H. Moulton of Chico, California, on Margaret Caird's physical condition and pregnancy (June 13, [1944]).

A selection of Lieut. Caird's letters bear illustrated, printed letterheads, including those of the Hotel Tioga, Merced, California, "The Gateway to Yosemite"; "GARDNER FIELD", California (June 13, [1944]); and "New HOTEL OAKS", Chico, California (summer 1944).

Documents Series: The six partially printed documents contain records of Donald R. Caird's training at Thunderbird Field II, near Phoenix, Arizona, with aircraft types (all Stearman Aircraft Company PT-17s), flight times, and instructor names, December 8, 1942-January 19, 1943.

Printed Items Series: The printed items include five invitations/announcements/memorials, three newspaper clippings, and one printed pamphlet. The announcements include an invitation to the ordination of Rev. Alfred P. Caird (1915-1980) at Saint Basil's Church, Toronto, Ontario, September 29, 1941, along with a smaller announcement card for Rev. Caird's "First Solemn Mass" at Detroit, Michigan, October 5, 1941. The announcements/memorials include three variant printings memorializing Ella C. Caird following her death on July 5, 1962 (William Sullivan & Son Funeral Home, Royal Oak, Michigan). The three undated (World War II era) newspaper clippings regard the marriage of Dorothy Rohrbacher to Ted Levandowski, the birth of Donald Caird on November 21, [1944], and a pictorial announcement about the newly organized Ria Club Alumnae (including Margaret McDonell in a group portrait). The collection's single pamphlet is: Steve Caird, et al.The Greatest Generation: Caird Stories Volume 2 . Artifact Uprising, [21st Century].

Collection

Dorwin Cartwright Papers, 1943-1979

1 linear foot — 1 oversize folder

Founder and director of the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an organization that later merged with the Survey Research Center of the University of Michigan to form the Institute for Social Research. Correspondence, reports, memoranda, articles, lectures, and an unfinished manuscript pertaining to research on war bond sales for the U. S. Bureau of Agricultural Economics, 1943-1946; also papers on subsequent research on social behavior and psychology conducted at the University of Michigan.

The Dorwin Cartwright Papers reflect Cartwright's career as researcher of war bond sales for the Bureau of Agricultural Economics during World War II and his later activities as professor and staff member of the Institute of Social Research. The papers contain some correspondence reflecting his transfer from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to the University of Michigan, but include primarily reprints of Cartwright's articles and reports while on the staff at the University. The papers also contain some of Cartwright's lectures and an unpublished manuscript in which he summarized his research on war bond sales. Accompanying the war bond materials are several promotional advertising posters from World War II.

Collection

John B. Swainson Papers, 1943-1975 (majority within 1960-1962)

71.5 linear feet (in 73 boxes) — 1 oversize folder — 1 oversize volume — 7.77 GB (online)

Online
Democratic governor of Michigan, 1961-1963; gubernatorial office files, campaign files, papers from his career as state senator and lieutenant governor.

The John B. Swainson collection consists of four subgroups of files: pre-gubernatorial (covering the period of 1943 to 1960), gubernatorial (covering his one-term, two-year tenure as the state's chief executive), post-gubernatorial (covering the years since he left the governor's office, 1963 to 1975), and visual materials.

The great bulk of the collection is the gubernatorial subgroup documenting the last months of Swainson's term as lieutenant governor under Governor G. Mennen Williams, the 1960 campaign for governor, his gubernatorial administration, and his unsuccessful campaign for re-election. The importance of the collection, as with all gubernatorial records, is its documentation of public policy issues of the early 1960s and the relationship of the governor to the legislature, to the heads of the state's various boards and commissions, to the federal government, and to the citizens of Michigan.

Collection

Emily F. and Evangeline Brady collection, 1943-1950 (majority within 1943-1945, 1949-1950)

0.25 linear feet

This collection is primarily made up of the incoming and outgoing correspondence of Emily F. and Evangeline Brady. From 1943-1945, Emily F. Brady received letters from members of the United States military and from acquaintances in Cuba and South America, and from 1949-1950 she wrote letters to her siblings about her life in Chile and Brazil.

This collection is comprised of 121 items, mostly the incoming and outgoing correspondence of Emily F. and Evangeline Brady. From 1943-1945, they received letters from soldiers in the United States military and from acquaintances in Cuba and South America, and from 1949-1950, Emily wrote letters to her siblings about her life in Chile and Brazil. The only item that is not a letter is a photograph of four teenagers at a swimming pool.

The first group of letters consists primarily of incoming letters to Emily and Evangeline Brady. The first few items pertain to Emily Brady's unsuccessful efforts to secure teaching positions in Cuba, Chile, and at the Universidad Femenina de México. The Brady sisters later received letters from servicemen in the United States servicemen during World War II, including their brother George of the USS Birmingham; John Landry of the Army Air Forces' 110th Bombing Squadron; J. G. Francis Wilber ("Walt") of the Birmingham and Camp Elliot, California; and Michael Kimla of the 336th Army Medical Dispensary. Emily also received letters from Berta Montero in Havana, Cuba; Lopez Arias of Buenos Aires, Argentina; and C. E. Gonzalez ("Enrique") of Popayán, Colombia. The soldiers commented on many aspects of their service, such as Kimla's time in Puerto Rico, Landry's visits to London and other English cities, and Wilber's duties at a personnel center at Camp Elliot. Wilber also shared news of a visit to Mexico. One of Montero's letters encloses a Spanish-language printed program for a harp recital.

Emily Brady wrote to Evangeline, George, and others between December 23, 1949, and September 19, 1950, while she lived in Chile and Brazil. She described everyday life in Santiago, Chile, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and mentioned her travels to other towns, such as Huiscapi, Chile, and Porto Alegre, Brazil. In the summer of 1950, she often commented on recent World Cup matches. Her letter of May 17, 1950, has a very rough sketch of the layout of Rio de Janeiro.

Collection

Jerome Silberman letters, 1943-1945, undated

1.3 linear feet (in 2 boxes)

World War II-period letters of Jerome Silberman to his wife Ruth Silberman, written from locations in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Belgium, France, and Philippines; also U.S. Army-issued language books, foreign banknotes, issues of English and Spanish language newspapers published in the Philippines, map of Europe; and a photograph most likely depicting Jerome Silberman.

Collection

Deardorff family papers, 1943-1944

0.5 linear feet

The Deardorff family papers consist of 109 letters, 6 V-mail envelopes, 2 Christmas cards, and 1 newsletter. Dale Deardorff wrote most of the letters from his military posts to his parents and sister, Jane, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and to his brother Bob in Virginia. Donald Price wrote 4 letters from Texas and Italy. The collection provides details of the daily lives of soldiers as they trained for and fought in World War II.

The Deardorff family papers consist of 109 letters, 6 V-mail envelopes, 2 Christmas cards, and 1 newsletter. Dale Deardorff wrote most of the letters from his military posts to his parents and sister, Jane, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and to his brother Bob in Virginia. Donald Price wrote 4 letters from Texas and Italy: 1 to Jane and 3 to his Aunt Anna Deardorff, who was also living in Gettysburg. A man with the last name of Geiman wrote 1 postcard to Erle and Ipha Deardorff.

When Dale was in basic training at Camp Croft in South Carolina, he wrote letters to his parents nearly every day. This pattern continued when he was stationed at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland and at an undisclosed location in New England. Once Dale was shipped to England, his correspondence home became more sporadic. His letters primarily provide information about his daily training activities, the weather, family affairs, and the soldiers' recreational activities. He often mentioned spending time at USO centers. Dale described the physical features of the locales where he was stationed in great detail.

Many of Dale's letters contain enclosures. On August 3, 1943, he recounted his first experience on an obstacle course and included a sketch of the course. Dale also attached a photograph of himself with a friend, taken while his friend's family was visiting, to his letter of August 14, 1943. Two newspaper articles regarding obstacle courses, including the one at Camp Croft, are enclosed with Dale's letter to his father on September 12, 1943. On September 15, 1943, Dale wrote a short message to his mother, referring to the USO calendar of events on which he was writing. A small calendar, in which he kept the addresses of his friends from basic training, accompanied Dale's letter of November 26, 1943. The front cover displayed an image of a pin-up girl. Many of his letters are on postcards and illustrated stationery from Camp Croft, the USO, the 31st Infantry Training Battalion, and the U.S. Army.

Don wrote 4 letters from his military post in Laredo, Texas, and from Italy, where he was stationed during the war. The short message from Laredo is on an illustrated postcard and was addressed to Jane. In it, he briefly described the city and the people. His later messages were directed to his Aunt Anna. They provide details about the daily life of a soldier in the Army Air Corps. In his last letter, Don mentioned meeting a few British soldiers and shared details about the time he spent with them.

The final postcard, from "Mr. Geiman," is an invitation for Mr. and Mrs. Deardorff to attend a service flag dedication at a church.

The collection contains 6 empty V-mail envelopes addressed from Dale to his parents and postmarked from England. In addition, the collection includes 2 Christmas cards, both from Dale. One is for Jane and the other is for his parents. Also part of the collection is a newsletter from Dale's battalion at Camp Croft, dated July 10, 1943. It consists of articles related to various events and to people in the battalion. On the last page, Dale wrote a short note to Jane, explaining that she might enjoy reading the stories.

Collection

Otto Fisher collection, 1942, undated

1 folder

The Otto Fisher collection includes photographs of Michigan Wing # 63 Civil Air Patrol personnel and aircraft during World War II.

Collection

Richard Charles Boys papers, 1942-1964

1 linear foot

Professor of English at the University of Michigan. Correspondence concerning his work at the University of Michigan; letters from former students describing their World War II experiences; and papers concerning his organizational and University activities.

The collection is arranged into two series: Correspondence and Topical and University Activities. The correspondence includes a file of letters from former students describing their World War II experiences. There is also a subseries of professional correspondence from 1947 to 1964. This subseries is arranged alphabetically and includes letters from such personages as Langston Hughes, Victor G. Reuther, Elmer Rice, and William W. Whitehouse. The Topical and University Activities subseries relates to Boys varied interests, such as the Art Cinema League, the Faculty Club, and the American Association of University Professors.

Collection

Vera and Gene Foreman Photograph Albums, 1942-1951

approximately 917 photographs in 4 volumes

The Vera and Gene Foreman photograph albums consist of four volumes containing approximately 917 photographs and miscellaneous ephemera that document the experiences of Vera Irene Masuch and her husband-to-be Charles Eugene “Gene” Foreman in post-World War II Europe both before and after they first met as well as earlier trips taken by Vera and friends to various places in the United States.

Volume 1 (1942-1943)

This album (25.5 x 33 cm) has brown faux-leather covers and contains approximately 159 photographs as well as some postcards. Images include numerous snapshots of young men and women (including Vera) on a ranch in Green Mountain Falls, Colorado; coverage of visits to Pike's Peak, Denver as well as an unidentified tropical location; and photographs showing young men in military uniforms.

Volume 2 (1949)

This album (32 x 38 cm) has decorative dark blue faux-leather covers and white plastic ring binding and contains 50 photographs as well as some ephemera. Only five pages near the front of the album and two pages towards the back contain any photographs, most of which show American GIs (including Gene) in training camp settings primarily near the town of Friedburg, Germany, and engaging in social activities. Some but not all images have captions. Also present towards the back of the album are several loose images including real photo postcards showing travel scenes to European locations such as Paris, Naples, Rome, and Venice as well as a group portrait of a football team, a program dated December 2 1950 for a USAREUR football game between the 2nd RCT "Dragoons" and 16th Infantry Regiment "Rangers," and a souvenir from the Casa Blanca cocktail bar in Newark, New Jersey bearing Gene Foreman's signature.

Volume 3 (1949-1950)

This album (32 x 38 cm) has decorative black faux-leather covers and white plastic ring binding and contains approximately 580 photographs as well as some ephemera. Images include photographs (including football games) from the U.S. military base near Augsburg from 1949 to 1950; recreational visits to Augsburg, Berchtesgaden (including the Eagle's Nest), Garmisch, Bonn, Heidelberg, and Frankfurt am Main in Germany, Salzburg and Vienna in Austria, and locations in the Netherlands, France, and Italy; wounded American soldiers encountered during a visit to a hospital in Munich; and 24 views of the former concentration camp in Dachau. Other images of note include photographs of a wedding between Vera's friends Mary and John and sporadic images unrelated to post-war Europe that were taken during past vacations including trips to Colorado, Utah, and El Paso, Texas.

Volume 4 (1950-1951)

This album (34.5 x 28 cm) has red leather covers and red satin lining and contains approximately 125 photographs as well as some ephemera. The first page bears the inscription "Merry Christmas! Gene, 1951, Augsburg, Germany" as well as a photograph of Vera and Gene seated together at a table. Images include numerous snapshots of friends and soldiers engaged in social activities taken on the Augsburg military base as well as photographs (including real photo postcards) taken in other European locations such as Venice, Pisa, Florence, Cannes, Amiens, and Paris. Numerous individuals are identified through captions. Also present is a tissue with lipstick kisses and a tuft of blonde hair, while several photographs and ephemeral items are stored loose towards the back of the album.

The individual captioned as "me" in a number of photographs in Volume 3 appears to be Vera. She also appears regularly in the pictures of Volume 1 (also identified as "me" in captions) as well as Volume 4, but does not appear at all in Volume 2. Gene appears for the first time outside of Volume 2 in the final few pages of Volume 3, where he is initially introduced in a portrait with the caption "Gene Forman - Eibsee Hotel, June 1950"; this portrait is followed by a full page of photos of Gene. Given that Volume 2 seems to portray Gene's time in Friedburg and most of Volume 3 seems to represent Vera's personal experiences in Augsburg and traveling elsewhere in Europe, it appears that they may have been unacquainted prior to June 1950. By October 1950 the two appear to be acting as a couple, as documented in a travel bureau itinerary present at the end of Volume 3 that details a four-day program in Naples for "Miss Masuch and Mr. Forman." The couple also appears together in Volume 4, though in this instance the "me" captions refer to Gene and not Vera, suggesting that he was the primary creator of that album.

Collection

Lee and Grace De Graff collection, 1942-1946

11 items

This collection contains 10 letters that Lee and Grace De Graff and their son, Lee De Graff, Jr., received from men serving in the United States Armed Forces during and just after the Second World War.

This collection contains 10 letters that Lee and Grace De Graff and their son, Lee De Graff, Jr., received from members of the United States Armed Forces during and just after the Second World War. The first items are a letter in which Private Frederick T. Davis commented on machine gun training at the Air Forces Technical School at Lowry Field, Colorado (January 2, 1942), and a letter from Staff Sergeant Buddy Montana, a relative of the De Graff family, about his busy schedule and his correspondence habits (January 27, 1944).

The De Graffs' nephew, sailor Hugh Brown ("Hughie"), wrote 5 letters while stationed on P.C. 494 and serving in the Philippines from June 1944-April 1946. He requested information about family members in New York and provided his impressions of the Philippines; in one letter to Lee De Graff, Jr., Brown described local women (June 9, 1945). In another letter, he commented on the recent success of the New York Yankees, whom he followed while recovering from tonsillitis in a Brooklyn hospital, enclosing 5 humorous (unrelated) cartoons (April 6, 1946). By the end of the war, Brown was stationed in Subic Bay, Luzon, and intended to return home and marry a woman named Peggy (undated).

Lee and Grace De Graff also received a letter and a Christmas card from Private William W. Kosboth of the 304th Medical Battalion, as well as a V-mail letter from William H. Whipple, who included a Christmas card from the 14th Air Force ([1945]). The final item is a typed speech by M. A. De Graff urging donations for the Second Red Cross War Fund (undated).

Collection

Willow Run Area Recreation Project records, 1942-1945

0.5 linear feet

Agency established to develop recreational and community organizations in the Willow Run, Michigan, area as a means of improving home-front morale during World War II. Subject files relating to Project activities; and photographs.

This record group documents the development of the Willow Run Area Recreation Project with emphasis on several programs supported by the staff. Approximately half of the folders contain material that relate directly to the Project goals, staff, and finances. In addition, there are two files, the Detroit-Area Recreation Committee and the Civilian Defense Agency, that contain material relevant to the efforts of the Willow Run Project. Of particular note within the General Information file and Survey file are several summary reports. Each contains excellent overviews of the Project goals and accomplishments. There are also a number of statistical sheets concerning the population of the Ypsilanti community.

Within the remaining folders are documents from specific programs coordinated by the Willow Run Project staff. Several folders contain newsletters and support material for consumer cooperatives. Other folders outline recreational activities and social services such as daycare centers for children of working parents. There is also a small file of publicity photos.

Collection

Myron E. Moore papers, 1942-1945

1.25 linear feet

The Myron E. Moore papers pertain to Moore's experiences in the United States, Iran, and India while serving in the United States Army's 7th Postal Regiment during World War II.

The Myron E. Moore papers pertain to Moore's experiences in the United States, Iran, and India while serving in the United States Army's 7th Postal Regiment during World War II. He began writing letters home to his mother, Sadie R. Moore, while in training with the 524th Postal Unit at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in the late summer of 1942. He underwent intense preparation for chemical warfare and other general combat duties and confirmed rumors of conflicts between northern and southern soldiers, though he reported that attitudes on his own base were generally amicable (September 2, 1942). In October 1942, Moore joined the 7th Postal Regiment at Camp Blanding, Florida, where he informed his parents of his unit's preparations to travel overseas.

In early 1943, Moore's unit deployed to Iran, where he assisted in routing military mail. Throughout his service, he discussed the relaxed attitude within his unit and shared details about his leisure activities and the army's mail operations. Though he looked forward to his return to the United States, Moore took comfort in opening frequent packages from home and listening to the music of Glenn Miller. By January 1945, the unit had been transferred to India, and Moore spent much of 1945 at Camp Lee, Virginia, and Camp Edwards, Massachusetts. He was discharged in November or December 1945. In addition to Moore's letters home, the collection has a printed patriotic message from Franklin D. Roosevelt to army troops preparing to head overseas.

Collection

Edwin Freeman papers, 1942-1945

35 items

This collection consists of letters written from Edwin Freeman to Prescott Barrows while serving in the United States Army in World War II. The letters are written from an army base in Greenville, Mississippi and from an army post in India.

This collection includes 26 letters written from Edwin Freeman to Prescott Barrows in 1942 from an army base in Greenville, Mississippi and an additional 9 letters written to Prescott Barrows from a posting in India in 1945. Many of the letters are written on illustrated army stationery.

The Greenville letters largely portray Freeman's dissatisfaction with army life. He describes the drills, several meals, constant homesickness, and the fact that he is ill-suited to military life. He talks of going on leave to Greenville, and includes racist remarks about the "colored girls" there, in addition to disparaging remarks about southerners in general. A pervasive theme throughout the letters is Freeman's love of classical music which forms a bond between the two men. He talks of composers and favorite classical pieces, and frequently details his efforts to hear classical music while on the base, even describing a fistfight he initiated when another man tried to turn off the radio during a classical program.

The India letters reiterate these themes, with the addition of local weather, more racist comments about the "black Indians," and a colorful description of a Hindu religious festival. Of particular interest is a letter dated 10 May 1945, in which Freeman writes of receiving news both of Germany's defeat and of Roosevelt's death, which causes widespread dismay. He has strong and racist feelings about the Japanese. In a letter of 28 July 1945, he mentions seeing film footage of a liberated Japanese concentration camp and his and the other men's rage at the state of the men and this evidence of "inhuman cruelty." On another occasion, he sees former Japanese POWs passing through on their way back to the States. Because of their condition, he feels the Japanese fully deserve the atomic bomb and other horrors besides.

Collection

Beatrice and William Ebeling letters, 1942, 1944-1946

32 items

The Beatrice and William Ebeling letters concern the couple's life in China in the early to mid-1940s. They wrote to William's parents in Kalamazoo, Michigan, about their work for the China Inland Mission, the growth of their children, and current events.

The Beatrice and William Ebeling letters (32 items) concern the couple's life in China in the early to mid-1940s. Both Beatrice and William composed manuscript and typewritten letters to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Carl Ebeling of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Their first 2 letters pertain to the birth of their son, John Carl Ebeling, and their life in Wuyang Xi'an, Henan, in December 1942; the remaining items relate to their experiences after fleeing to "Pinshien" [Binxian?], Shaanxi, in the summer of 1944 and while living in Hancheng, Shaanxi, from around October 1944 to March 1946. They commented on their missionary work, finances, the progress and end of the Pacific war, the growth of their children, and their travels within China. William's letter of June 8, 1944, recounts a bombing raid. A birth announcement for John Carl Ebeling, with a colored drawing of a baby's head, is enclosed in the Ebelings' letter of December 7, 1942. The collection includes a short, undated note to Ebeling's grandfather.

Collection

Kan Nakamura journal translations, 1942-1943

80 pages

The Kan Nakamura journal translations include one manuscript and one typed translations of a journal kept by a young Japanese officer during the Second World War while serving with one of the regiments stationed on Guadalcanal. The two translations contain over 120 minor, factual, and meaningful variations.

Kan Nakamura's journal exposes the mind of a young Japanese officer during the Second World War, serving with one of the highly disciplined, but outmanned regiments stationed on Guadalcanal. A young officer, apparently fresh out of a military academy, Nakamura is a sympathetic figure, motivated but sensitive, a man who yearns for home, fears combat, but who guts out the worst conditions of hunger, disease, death, and threat from the air.

Although the journal entries are brief and often perfunctory, and although he took part in little actual combat on Guadalcanal, Nakamura's journal is a valuable record of the first major land battle in the Pacific involving American forces as seen from the Japanese perspective. It is particularly useful for revealing the emotional and mental preparation of a typical Japanese junior officer and provides revealing glimpses of day-to-day service during the worst period of the Battle of Guadalcanal, as well as the hardships experienced by the entrenched forces.

The typescript translation (23 pages) from the original Japanese was purportedly made in April, 1943, shortly after the American victory at Guadalcanal. It was presumably translated by American intelligence agents interested in information on Japanese troop movements, strength, or strategy, but it contains no information about Nakamura's fate.

The manuscript translation (57 pages) title page states "Diary of / Kan Makamura [sic.] / Probational Officer / of / Sano Gronze Shoji / Butai Takizawa Butai / Matsungo Tai / September 19, 1942 / to / January 8, 1943". At the back of the manuscript volume is a 1-page word list in English and "Morovo" [Marovo] followed by the name M. K. Raina, Seventh Day Adventist Mission, Batuna, Marovo Lagoon, British Solomon Islands.

The two translations contain over 120 minor (i.e. I am very happy vs. I feel very happy), factual (i.e. This makes 16 persons from my platoon vs. This makes 6 persons we lost from my platoon), and meaningful variations (I took a look vs. I took a bath), plus frequent alternate spellings of places and names. In addition, the typescript notes days of the week and the manuscript does not; the manuscript notes weather conditions after each date and the typescript does not until September 24, 1942.

Collection

Dale R. Leslie collection, 1941-2018 (majority within 2008-2013)

0.8 linear feet (in 2 boxes) — 15.5 GB (online)

Online
Ann Arbor, Michigan resident and businessman with strong interest in local history. Collection includes video featuring interviews with residents and other historical footage of landmarks and events in Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and the hamlet of Dixboro as well as collected papers and records related to Ann Arbor High School and Dixboro United Methodist Church.

Most of the collection consists of digitized film footage and digital video relating to Ann Arbor and Michigan history. A small portion of the collection also includes biographical and genealogical material.

Collection

Creighton R. Coleman Papers, 1941-1977

2.3 linear feet

Assistant chief of the decartelization branch, economics division in the Office of Military Government for Germany (US), 1946-1948; later Republican state senator from Marshall, Calhoun County, Michigan, 1949-1956. Reports, correspondence, memoranda, and photographs concerning his work in Germany; also miscellaneous files detailing his activities in the state legislature.

The collection is arranged into the following series: Office of the Military Government for Germany (US) Economics Division, Decartelization Branch; State Senator's Files; Topical Files; and Photographs.

Collection

Robert Amhurst Milliman papers, 1941-1950

0.2 linear feet

Letters to his family describing his experiences at various military bases in Texas, New York, North Carolina, and Georgia, and one letter from France; letters and documents relating to his death in Germany and burial in the Netherlands; letters from Nelly Bloem of Heerlen, Netherlands, who adopted Milliman's grave; also photographs.

Also included a photo of Milliman in uniform; photographs of Milliman's grave and of the Bloem family of Heerlen, Netherlands.

Collection

Anthony J. Dziuszko papers, 1941-1945

133 items (0.25 linear feet)

The Anthony J. Dziuszko papers contain items pertaining to Mr. Dziuszko's World War II military career. The collection includes 45 letters to Dziuszko's future wife, Laura Szewick, 74 photographs, and 14 miscellaneous documents and other items from various islands in the South Pacific.

The Anthony J. Dziuszko papers consist of 133 items dated April 29, 1941, to May 19, 1945. Included in the collection are 45 letters, nine documents and receipts, 74 photographs and five miscellaneous items. The 45 letters provide vivid descriptions of military life, and of the natives and surroundings on the various islands where Mr. Dziuszko served (these descriptions were occasionally edited by the military censors). He detailed both the difficult physical challenges of jungle fighting and the recreational activities of his regiment.

Collection

Michigan Fellowship of Reconciliation Records, 1940-1960

2 linear feet — 2.09 GB

Online
Religious pacifist organization; correspondence, minutes of meetings, files of the editor of the Michigan F.O.R. News, topical files, and sound recording.

This record group came from two different sources. The papers for the period 1940 to 1951 were discovered in the basement of the Guild House at the University of Michigan. The papers for the years 1951 to 1957 are the files of past editors of the newsletter which were turned over to Rebecca Shelley when she became editor in 1958. The files on her period as editor are located in her personal papers also located at the Michigan Historical Collections. There is much additional information on the Michigan Fellowship of Reconciliation in the Shelley papers both before and after she served as editor. The library also has an almost complete file of the newsletters of the Michigan Fellowship of Reconciliation between 1940 and 1968 which has been separately cataloged and is not described in this finding aid.

The record group has been divided into the following series: Correspondence; Organizational Papers; Other Organizations; Record of meetings; and Other materials.

Collection

Kenneth Thorpe Rowe Papers, 1940-1953

2 linear feet

Professor of drama at University of Michigan, chairman of the Committee on War Activities of the American Educational Theatre Association, and secretary of the Theatre for Victory Council during World War II. Files concerning his war activities, including correspondence, scripts, course materials and printed matter; and photographs.

The Kenneth Rowe Collection, though covering the period 1940-1953, largely concerns the years of World War II and the activities of Rove as chairman of the Committee on War Activities for the American Educational Theatre Association (AETA); as secretary of the Theatre for Victory Council; as consultant to the National Theatre Conference (NTC), official agency for all dramatic activities of the Combined Armed Forces; and as drama consultant to the U.S. Department of Treasury, the Office of Civil Defense, and the Office of Education. Rowe's work in all of these efforts concerned the use of drama as a propaganda tool to raise morale and to define America's goals.

The Rowe collection consists of two linear feet of correspondence, reports, newsletters, play scripts, and printed material. The collection begins with general correspondence followed by files which have been arranged by the name of theatre organizations in which Rove was involved.

Collection

Norman D. Schwartz scrapbook, 1940-1944 (majority within 1941-1943)

1 oversize volume — 0.3 linear feet (in 1 box)

A student at the University of Michigan, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (Class of 1943). Includes a World War II era scrapbook containing event programs, photographs, publications, various dance, identification, membership, report, and registration cards, reserve officer training ephemera, and other materials reflecting on U-M student life and activities. The collection also contains several loose World War II era U-M student publications, and college football programs.

Schwartz' unbound World War II era leather scrapbook has a silver embossed image of a WWII aircraft on the front cover. It contains University of Michigan dance, identification, registration, and report cards, as well as organizational membership cards to the Michigan Union and the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation. The scrapbook also contains commencement exercise and event programs including one from the University Musical Society advertising a solo performance by Marian Anderson; invitation(s) to join the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity (ZBT) and to attend their functions, as well as tickets, schedules, and programs pertaining to U-M football games. Of particular note are ZBT ephemera including a grey wool cap (possibly from Cap Night festivities) and a ZBT house key. Also to note are items pertaining to Schwartz's time spent in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), such as his 1942 training certificate, and ROTC insignia. In addition to these items is an August 1, 1943 WWII Food Rations Chart with point values for meat, fish, dairy, and fat; a page of humorous air raid instructions; and news clippings and newspapers, mostly focusing on WWII related events.

The scrapbook also contains issues of publications including The Michigan Daily, The East Wind, the Garg, The Baby Gargoyle, The Phi-Losopher , The Foo-Losopher of 1941, Phi Junior, and a ZBT newsletter that served as a substitute publication for The Phi-Losopher during the war. Other publications to note include Controversy: A Quarterly of Ethical, Philosophical, and Religious Opinion, and a Michiganetiquette handbook on how to conduct oneself socially on campus.

Included within the scrapbook are photographs of student organization groups such as the Student Religious Association (SRA) (each photograph includes an image of an African American member), Zeta Beta Tau fraternity brothers, various formal dances, and Angell Hall. The collection also contains several loose World War II era Michigan Daily newspapers;Garg magazines; and two football programs: Michigan vs. Ohio State andMichigan vs. Northwestern.

Collection

Cornelius L. T. Gabler papers, 1939-1988

1 linear foot

Detroit, Michigan, architect; 1934 graduate of the University of Michigan. Biographical material and descriptions of his architectural work, including photographs; also photographs taken during World War II and report of U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey on Wake Island, Marshall Islands, and Rabaul, New Britain.

A large part of this collection is made up of black and white slides taken during World War II in the South Pacific and color slides taken in 1945 and 1946 during the Strategic Bombing Survey of Wake Island, the Marshall Islands, and Rabaul, New Britain. The collection does not include any information as to whether Gabler was the actual photographer. The slides are identified by a topical code system, which is deciphered as much as possible in this finding aid. Some of the slides are mounted in cardboard mounts and are stored in folders, the rest in glass and metal mounts and stored in a metal box. The finding aid indicates the locations for each topical code.

The book The Allied Campaigns Against Wake Island, the Marshall Islands and Rabaul, New Britain: A Photographic Record, included with the collection, parallels the topics of the slides taken during the Strategic Bombing Survey, but does not duplicate any of the pictures in the slide files.

Collection

Homer Ferguson Papers, 1939-1976

26 linear feet — 1 oversize folder — 35 phonograph records — 769 MB (online)

Online
Republican U.S. Senator from Michigan, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines; files relating to his various career responsibilities, photographs, sound recordings.

The Homer Ferguson collection has been divided into eleven series based primarily upon the important phases of his public life: Personal; Circuit Judgeship; Senate Career; Interregnum: November 1954 - April 1955; Hoover Commission; Philippine Ambassadorship; United States Court of Military Appeals; Inter-Parliamentary Union; Photographs, Sound Recordings, and Myrtle Ferguson Papers.

Collection

Wilfrid de St. Aubin Papers, 1938-1980

7 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Executive with the American Red Cross. Correspondence, diaries, reports, memoranda, and other materials relating to relief and refugee work during World War II in Italy, France, and Germany (Buchenwald), his work in re-establishing Red Cross societies in Austria, Hungary, and the Middle East after the war, and his survey of humanitarian problems resulting from the Palestinian conflict, 1948.

The Wilfrid de St. Aubin collection consists of seven feet of correspondence, reports, memoranda, and other official papers covering his Red Cross work during World War II and the immediate postwar period. Of special interest is a letter and report written by St. Aubin containing his impression and observations of the Buchenwald concentration camp. St. Aubin was one of the first to come to the camp after its liberation. There are also diaries which provide added background and detail of St. Aubin's varied career.

Collection

Calvin Goodrich Papers, 1938-1946

0.6 linear feet

Newspaperman and curator of mollusks at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology; correspondence from friend W. N. Weech writing from England during World War II; unpublished writings; and photographs.

The collection has been arranged into the following series W. N. Weech; Unpublished writings; and Photographs. The Weech series consists of letters from W. N. Weech describing conditions in England during World War II. The Unpublished writings includes the manuscript of his unpublished book, "Immigrant Michigan," with sections on transportation, newspapers ,pioneer life, and immigration. There are also manuscript of articles and notes on various topics. The photographs are of nineteenth century homes, farms, and businesses in various Michigan communities. There is also a photograph of a bust of Goodrich sculpted by Carlton Angell.

Collection

Tann family papers, 1937-1981, 2018 (majority within 1937-1947)

0.3 linear feet — 3.9 MB (online)

Online
Michigan Jewish family with relatives in the former Czechoslovakia and Hungary who hoped to travel to the United States to escape Nazi persecution during World War II. The collection includes biographical information and correspondence between family members written in Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian, as well as digital copies of the English translations of the letters. Many of the letters discuss the political situation in Europe following the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia and their attempts to obtain visas to travel to the United States.

The Tann Family papers (0.3 linear feet and 3.9 MB) contain correspondence between Eugene Tann and the family of his uncle William "Bill" Tann of Detroit with their relatives living in the former Czechoslovakia and Hungary. The majority of the letters are dated from 1937-1947 and detail the experiences of European family members during World War II and the efforts of Eugene and William Tann to help them travel to the United States. The letters are written in Czech, Slovak and Hungarian and are accompanied by digital English translations created by Clara Garbon-Radnoti (Hungarian), and Zuzana Hodkova (Czech and Slovak).

The collection also includes biographical information about Eugene Tann and his immediate family.

The Tann Family papers have been divided into two series, the Biographical Information series contains a biographical statement about Eugene Tann written by his children, Lewis Tann and Dorothy Tann Collens and the Correspondence series that features both the original letters and the translations.

Collection

Justin W. Leonard Papers, 1937-1975

13 linear feet

Conservationist, professor of natural resources at the University of Michigan. Professional files, including correspondence, speeches, and newspaper clippings; letters to his wife, 1943-1946, while in military service stationed in the Solomon Islands during World War II; and photographs.

The Leonard collection consists of thirteen linear feet of materials, most of which is correspondence, both personal and professional. There are also biographical and genealogical information, clippings, speeches, research notes, photographs, printed materials, and miscellaneous writings. The collection has been arranged into the following series: World War II service; Professional Correspondence; Topical Information; Topical files; Organizational/People file; and Photographs.

Collection

Louis William Doll papers, 1937-1951

8 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Bay City, Michigan, librarian, historian, and teacher; archivist of the Historical Division of the Far East Command in Japan after World War II. Diaries describing life and activities in Japan; letters from friends and family during and after the Second World War; doctoral thesis and miscellanea; and photographs.

The collection consists primarily of diaries and correspondence from the period when Doll served in Japan.

Collection

Edward H. Lockwood papers, 1937-1944

23 items

The Edward H. Lockwood papers contain letters documenting Lockwood's service with the Y.M.C.A. in Guangdong Province, China during the years of the Sino-Japanese conflict and Second World War.

The Edward H. Lockwood papers contains 23 letters, 19 of which were addressed to his friend Joe Kidd, a teacher and headmaster at Saint Luke's prep school in Wilton, Conn., and two each to his family and T.T. Poon, a Chinese official of the Y.M.C.A. Though few in number, these letters provide outstanding documentation of one man's service with the Y.M.C.A. during the years of the Sino-Japanese conflict and Second World War, and of the hardships inflicted on the Chinese civilian populations during the war.

Lockwood was highly educated and his letters are both impassioned and informative, though not always very long. His descriptions of Shaoguan during the war are particularly interesting, providing not only an American's impressions of the Chinese, but fine descriptions of the destruction, the refugees, and of Chinese efforts to keep their higher education system intact, even in exile. His occasionally blasé, occasionally anxious response to life beneath the bombs is intriguing and, at times, almost amusing.

The pre-1940 correspondence is particularly marked by a sense of frustration over American dithering in the face of Japanese aggression. Having twice lost all of his possessions when forced to flee before the Japanese, and having been witness to the devastation of war, Lockwood's feelings are easily understandable, though his particular mix of political perspectives is peculiar, to say the least. While excoriating the implicit racism of American foreign policy in Asia, for example, Lockwood offered only mild opposition to European fascism. While he was repelled by British imperialism, his feelings seem to have been largely attributable to an antipathy for their "antiquated," elitist social system, more than for its effects on the colonized nations.

Lockwood's personal life is not particularly well documented in this correspondence, however some information on his relationship with his eldest son, Richard (Dick), can be deduced. Several of Lockwood's letters to Joe Kidd include mention of his opinions on Dick's life choices, or give his opinions on Dick's growth into manhood, his career directions (or lack thereof), and his pacifism. That Lockwood was often separated from his wife and children is evident: while there seems to have been genuine affection in the family, work with the Y.M.C.A. seems to have been Lockwood's first priority. Finally, Lockwood's first letter to T.T. Poon contains his reflections on his quarter century of service with the Y.M.C.A. in China and just as interesting, his ideas on how he had been changed by China.

Collection

Ann Arbor Junior Chamber of Commerce records, 1936-1985

14.3 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Ann Arbor chapter of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, a young adult community service organization; minutes, project files, budgets, newsletters, photographs, and related material.

The record group consists of seven series: Administrative Files, Projects, Auxiliary, Topical Files, Publications, State and Local Jaycees, and Other Materials.

Collection

Charles W. Lane papers, 1935-1997 (majority within 1958-1969)

4.5 linear feet (in 6 boxes) — 7 oversize folders

Architect based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Project files relate to work with George Brigham and his system of constructing prefabricated homes, 1944-1947; files relating to design and construction of Huron High School in Ann Arbor; other projects concern design of mobile home parks and other Michigan school buildings.

The collection is arranged into five series, Brigham Building System, Lane Projects, Huron High School, Personal and World War II Military Service. The series include the many projects that Charles Wesley Lane worked on during his architectural career and some materials from his military service as well. The collection is composed of photographs, slides, microfilm, microfiche and prints. The researcher will be interested in the variety of architectural projects in which Lane was involved, which include schools, mobile homes, churches, and other types of structures. A small number of photographs of Nagasaki after the atomic bomb may also be of interest.

Collection

Stanley M. Swinton papers, 1935-1985

5 linear feet

Journalist, foreign correspondent; correspondence, material accumulated as a journalist, articles, clippings, and other writings; and photographs.

The Stanley Swinton papers include correspondence; dispatch files; notebooks relating to the death of Mussolini, the Malayan insurgency in the late 1940s, and the Indonesian revolutions; notes of interviews with Seni Premot of Thailand, Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia, Ho Chi-Minh of Vietnam, Konrad Adenauer of West Germany, Joao Goulart of Brazil, Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, and Kim Jong Pil of South Korea. The bulk of Swinton's writings will be found in the collection, either in draft or in clippings of his articles. The series in the collection are Correspondence; Newspaper career; Writings, speeches, etc.; Personal and miscellaneous; Photographs; and Printed Material.

Collection

Allen H. Meyers Papers, 1935-1971

3 linear feet

Aviator and airplane designer, founder of Meyers Aircraft Company, Tecumseh, Michigan. Personal materials, business papers, biographical material, photographs and miscellanea; include letter from Howard Hughes, Sept. 10, 1947.

The Meyers papers include both business and personal material. Materials relating to Meyers' contributions in aviation are likely to be of interest to researchers. Included is correspondence from the 1930s through the 1951s with the Civil Aeronautics Administration concerning development of the OTW, 145, and 200. There is also extensive material relating to design, testing, and production of Meyers aircraft. The papers also may be of use to researchers interested in the fate of the small manufacturer. Those papers of a personal nature reflect Meyers' interest in fishing and in aviation as a hobby as well as business. In addition, the papers throw light upon social and political attitudes of the period. Of interest here is material concerning legal action against Mrs. Meyers, a former member of the Young Communist League, who was deported during the 1950s.

Collection

Eugene Gressman papers, 1935-1967

1 linear foot

Law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Frank Murphy, and Washington, D.C. attorney. Diary, 1943-1944, relating to the Supreme Court, and miscellaneous notes, correspondence and newspaper clippings; also papers of Justice Murphy collected by Gressman, including notes of cabinet meetings, and of conferences and telephone calls; and correspondence, 1937-1949, between Frank Murphy and Felix Frankfurter.

The collection consists of two kinds of materials: papers of Frank Murphy that Gressman accumulated as clerk to the Supreme Court Justice; and Gressman's own papers. The greater part of the collection are the papers of Frank Murphy, dating from 1935 to 1948, with the bulk of the files falling in the period of 1939 to 1941, when Murphy was US Attorney General and the first year of his tenure on the Supreme Court bench. Always conscious of history, Murphy made valuable notes on the cabinet meetings he attended and his meetings and conversations with various public figures. These individuals include Hugo Black, Louis Brandeis, William J. Donovan, Carter Glass, Charles E. Hughes, Cordell Hull, Joseph P. Kennedy, John L. Lewis, Sir Robert Menzies, Manuel Quezon, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Francis B. Sayre, Harlan F. Stone and Sumner Welles. Also of importance are the several files of letters exchanged between Frank Murphy and Justice Felix Frankfurter.

Gressman's own papers are much smaller, but these also relate to his association with Frank Murphy, including notes that he made preparatory to writing a proposed biography of Murphy. Gressman's diary on his time spent as Murphy clerk of the Supreme Court is dated July 1943 to April 1944.

Collection

Edmond DeVine papers, 1933-1955

0.3 linear feet

Edmond Francis DeVine was a lawyer and an Ann Arbor, Michigan native who served as Prosecuting Attorney for Washtenaw County in the 1950s and was a World War II veteran. The collection consists of diaries, scrapbooks, photographs, and other materials related to DeVine's high school, military, and legal careers.

The Edmond DeVine papers consists of diaries, scrapbooks, photographs, and other materials related to DeVine's high school, military, and legal careers.

Collection

Department of History (University of Michigan) student papers, 1930-1987

7 linear feet (263 papers)

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.