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Collection

A. Robert Kleiner Papers, 1949-1982 (majority within 1961-1982)

15.5 linear feet (in 16 boxes)

Grand Rapids, Michigan, attorney and political activist. Subject files relating to his interest in state legislative apportionment, Democratic Party affairs, and Citizen Action, a Grand Rapids, Michigan, non-partisan good government organization; also photographs.

The Kleiner papers consist of approximately 15.5 feet of materials covering the years of 1949 to 1982. Most of the files are dated in the period of 1961 to 1982, however, and relate to Kleiner's interest in legislative apportionment and Democratic Party affairs. The collection came in two principal accessions, thus some file series are physically separated among different boxes.

The collection has been arranged into five series: Apportionment; Democratic Party; Photographs; Scrapbooks; and Sound Recordings.

Folder

1960s

The Apportionment series is the largest and most important part of the Kleiner papers. These files have been arranged by decades (1960s, etc.) to distinguish between the apportionment debates and controversies that arise after each decennial census. Apportionment files (except for the 1960s) are further broken down into Michigan Commission on Legislative Apportionment and Democratic Party Apportionment Committee. Kleiner served on both of these bodies.

Legislative Apportionment Commission materials consist of plans and maps, political analyses of plans, litigation files, minutes, correspondence, notes, and papers relating to public hearings and negotiations between Republican and Democratic Commissioners. The files of the Democratic Apportionment Committee consist of similar materials, but these papers were generated for and by the Democratic commissioners and state party leadership. In all cases, notes found here are Mr. Kleiner's handwritten notes on meetings, conferences, and telephone calls.

For papers relating to apportionment in the 1960s the researcher should consult the Wilber M. Brucker collection, also available at the Bentley Library, which contain plans, minutes, and litigation proceedings. The Kleiner papers supplement, but do not duplicate, what is in the Brucker collection.

The apportionment papers of the 1980s have major differences from the 1960s and 1970s. Although there are fewer newspaper clippings, the minutes of Commission meetings are more extensive, consisting of both summary minutes and verbatim minutes with exhibits. Computers were used in the 1980s, and analyses of the plans are in the form of computer print outs. These printouts contain extensive political and demographic data for the proposed districts.