Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

The Department of History is an academic department within the University of Michigan established in 1845. The department was originally part of the School of Political Science but separated in 1910 and became a separate department within the College of Literature, Science, and Arts. The collection ranges from 1884 to 2011 with the bulk of the material from the 1970s and the 1980s. The records contain information on administrative matters and operations within the department, including correspondence, memos, meeting minutes, committee information, faculty information, and student affairs.

The University of Michigan Department of History records contain a large range of documentation regarding the operation, administration, statistics, faculty, and proceedings of the department. The bulk of the collection originally arrived at the Bentley in 1988 and a large addition was made in 2012. The collection spans from 1884 to 2017, however, the bulk of the content dates between 1970 and 1990. The collection is divided into fifteen series: Awards, College of LSA, Committees, Correspondence, Department, Faculty, Finances, General, Graduate Program, International Relations, Lecture Series, Partner Institutions, Programs, Publications, Student Affairs, and University of Michigan.

Records include administrative files, committee minutes, reminiscences of faculty members Wilfred Kaplan and Raymond Wilder, material relating to various undergraduate mathematics clubs, and photographs of faculty.

The records of the Department of Mathematics document the history and administration of mathematics education at the University of Michigan. The records consist of three series: Administrative, Minutes, and Photographs, including budget material, correspondence, lists of faculty members, reminiscences of several faculty members and files relating to student organizations.

Teaching and research unit of the College of Engineering of the University of Michigan. Contains publications produced by or for the department, including annual reports, bibliographies, brochures and pamphlets, bulletins describing graduate programs, directories, histories, manuals, and newsletters.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering Publications are divided into three series: Unit Publications, Sub-Unit Publications, and Student Publications. The bulk of the publications document the teaching and research functions of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics.

The University of Michigan Department of Mechanical Engineering dates from 1868, and it existed under various designations resulting from shifts and mergers in engineering, including at one time industrial engineering and applied mechanics. Records include minutes of faculty meetings, 1922-1941, and 1984-2007; advisory committee minutes, 1997-2007; and material on the 125th anniversary in 1993. Extensive visual materials document departmental activities and research including color and black and white photographs, contact sheets, slides, and negatives. The departmental website, as of June 2001, also forms a part of this record group.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering record group is comprised of manuscript and visual materials transferred between 1995 and 2001. The materials are arranged in eight series Minutes, E-Mail to Faculty, Office Files, Contact Sheets, Photographs, Panoramic Prints and Slides, Negatives, and Website. The manuscript material covers the periods 1922 to 1941 and 1993 to 2007 while the visual materials are mainly from the time period 1985-2000. The earlier accessions include a series of faculty minutes covering the period from 1922 to 1941 and 1993 to 1999. The earlier accessions also include a small group of electronic mail correspondence (printout) that was sent from the central departmental office to the departmental faculty from 1993 to 1996. Subsequent accessions include a small selection of office files alphabetically arranged and additional faculty minutes.

Visual materials, documenting departmental activities ca. 1985-2000, form the bulk of the record group. The departmental website, as of June 2001, also forms a part of this record group. The visual materials in the record group include color and black and white photographs, contact sheets, slides, and negatives. The visual materials are either arranged by a numerical sequence or alphabetically by topic or last name. Materials in the numerical sequence filing system include 4 x 6 prints, contact sheets, and negatives. While the materials in the numerical sequence are categorized by format, the materials in this sequence were designed to form one system. That is the 4 x 6 prints, contact sheets, and negatives reference each other.

Files of Professors John W. Bean, Robert Gesell, Warren P. Lombard, and Henry Sewall, 1925-1979; miscellaneous departmental papers relating to the Hyperbaric Chamber Committee, the Institute for Human Adjustment, the Lombard Library, research funds, and teaching assignments; and publications of physiological laboratory; and collection of physiology textbooks, manuals, and monographs, mainly written by University of Michigan faculty; also photographs and films.

The records of the Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology consist of 3 linear feet, 1 outsize box, and 1 outsize film, and cover the years 1884 to 1979. The records consist largely of the files of Professors John W. Bean, Robert Gesell, Warren P. Lombard, and Henry Sewall, 1925-1979. They include miscellaneous departmental papers relating to the Hyperbaric Chamber Committee, the Institute for Human Adjustment, the Lombard Library, research funds, and teaching assignments; and publications of physiological laboratory; and collection of physiology textbooks, manuals, and monographs, mainly written by University of Michigan faculty. The record group also includes photographs and films. The records are divided into three series: Topical Files, Faculty, and Audio and Visual Materials.

Department of Biology (established 1986) of the University of Michigan, and of its predecessor unit, the Division of Biological Sciences, and the departments (Botany and Zoology) that comprised the division. In 2001, the unit name was changed to Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. Records include minutes, correspondence, course materials, and various subject files.

The Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, 1879-1992, measure 5 linear feet and include minutes, correspondence, course materials, and various subject files. The records are organized into ten series: Departmental and Divisional Records, Printed Material, Divisional Administration, Staff, Academics, Students, Logistics, Biological Units, Outside Relations, and Promotions.

Records include registers; annual reports; administrative files; departmental minutes; admissions books containing details on admission, births, treatment, and disposition of patients; and photographs.

The records of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology document the evolution and development of this department, although the documentation is far from complete. The records primarily cover two periods: 1935-1958, and 1980-1995. The records are organized into nine series: Annual Reports; Minutes; Admissions Books/Birth Records; Registers and Miscellaneous Records; Administrative Files; Medical School Review Committee; Printed Material and Photographs.

Departmental records includes correspondence with students and faculty, course syllabi and exams, minutes of meetings, publications and photographs.

The records of the Philosophy Department of the University of Michigan measure 2.5 linear feet and 3 oversize folders, and date from 1907 to 1987 with many of the records dating from 1947 to 1961, coinciding with William Frankena's tenure as department chair. The record group has been arranged alphabetically by topic or type of material. Photographs of Department of Philosophy graduate students and faculty dating from 1907 to 1932 are available both within the collection and in an oversized folder.

The Correspondence files include information regarding personnel searches, scheduling, and various departmental business. Also included are letters between William Frankena and various acting department chairs who were serving during his sabbatical years. The Course Materials files consist of a sampling of exams and syllabi for several of the department's courses during the years 1947 to 1961 and 1984. Although this material is by no means inclusive of the department's offerings or representative of how the courses were taught over the years, it does provide some insight as to the department's expectations of the students.

The Student Placement files demonstrate the lengths to which the department as a whole went to secure positions for their graduating doctoral students. Correspondence regarding the special circumstances of several students are foldered separately and further show the support one could expect as a graduate of this department. An additional point of interest is the file of Michael Davis which illustrates the department's attitude towards censorship and the governing bodies of higher educational institutions.

The remaining files contain department minutes, personnel information, financial information, statistics, records related to the University of Michigan Tanner Philosophy Library and various other bits of information that could help the researcher construct a picture of the department as it evolved during the 1950's to early 1980s time period.

The Photographs series consists of group prints (some outsize) of philosophy students and faculty.

University of Michigan department responsible for administering and teaching required curriculum in physical education for women and overseeing recreational sports for women. Records include annual reports, minutes of staff meetings, scrapbooks, topical files, history of physical education for women at the University, and other materials relating to the Women's Athletic Association; also photographs

Photos of women involved in athletics and other physical activities, including dance, Lantern Night, and Freshman Week; also photos of Barbour Gymnasium, Women's Athletic Building, the Health Service, and the Michigan League.

The Department of Physics Publications are divided into three series: Unit Publications, Sub-Unit Publications, and Topical Publications. The Unit Publications series contains printed material published specifically by the Department of Physics. These publications are defined as being widely distributed and may be published at regular intervals. They are arranged by genre of the publication. The Sub-Unit Publications series contains publications from subordinate offices, departments, programs and organizations within the Department of Physics. These publications are arranged alphabetically by the creating sub-unit.