Collections : [Central Michigan University Clarke Historical Library]

The collection consists of commencement programs and related materials.

Collection includes commencement address, 1990; general information, 1963-1974; script, 1976; and programs, 1893-2022 (1900 and 1923 programs are missing). The collection was part of the CMU. Vertical Files. Bound volumes of programs from the 1990s on came from the Alumni office. Additional commencement addresses and information may be found in the CMU. Office of the President papers. The collection is ongoing.

This incomplete collection is composed of historical materials donated by the CMU Department of Mathematics in 2024 and department materials previously housed in the CMU Vertical Files collection.

This incomplete collection is composed of historical materials donated by the CMU Department of Mathematics in 2024 and department materials previously housed in the CMU Vertical Files collection. The collection includes departmental and assessment committee meeting minutes, correspondence, including some with CMU President Charles L. Anspach, brochures, fliers, posters, publications, including New Letters with a note from CMU President Eugene C. Warriner, clippings, and photographic materials documenting staff, students, Richtmeyer Mathematics Award winners and runners up, mathematics conferences, and staff and students events held at CMU. The collection is organized alphabetically and chronologically and is in good physical condition.

Researchers may be interested in the papers of CMU Mathematics professors Cleon C. Richtmeyer, Richard J. Fleming, which are also housed in the Clarke Historical Library. Richtmeyer (died 1975) began as a CMU mathematics professor in 1924 and became Acting Head of the department in 1933. In 1960 he created a departmental History, a series of News Letters [sic], which includes a note from CMU President Eugene C. Warriner, which are housed in this collection. In 1947 he became Director of Instruction, a position he held until 1956 when he became Dean of Faculty. In 1959 Richtmeyer became the inaugural dean of the School of Arts and Sciences in 1959, serving until he retired during the 1968/1967 academic year. Fleming was hired as professor and department Chair in 1982, serving until he retired in August 1997. A mathematics lecture series was started and named in his honor. James K. Bidwell (1934-) was hired as a professor of mathematics at CMU in 1966. By 1973 he was full professor. Bidwell researched Mathematics in Michigan Colleges and wrote a history of the department, 1892-1992, which is separately cataloged. He retired from CMU in 1997.

Processing Note: 1.25 cubic feet of the collection was withdrawn during processing, mostly duplicates and inaccessible storage media, such as floppy and hard discs, cassettes, and zip drives. Acidic correspondence was photocopied and the copies were retained in the collection. A few CMU college-level fliers were added to the CMU Vertical Files and two issues of two serials were cataloged.

This collection includes aerial photographs, building photographs, related documents, and a newspaper article documenting CMU’s buildings and campus. Materials relate to CMU’s planning, land acquisition, development, and building construction.

This collection includes aerial photographs, building photographs, related documents, and a newspaper article documenting CMU’s buildings and campus. Materials relate to CMU’s planning, land acquisition, development, and building construction. Photographs in this collection include the construction process of Anspach Hall, the 1966 addition to Grawn Hall, the groundbreaking for Wightman Hall, the exterior of the first and second heating plants, the Power House, the exterior and interior of the Physical Plant, students inside Finch Fieldhouse, a house on the site of what is currently the North Art Studio, and aerial views of various sizes of campus. Additionally, there is a letter from CMU to Roger Allen and Associates, Grand Rapids, CMU’s long-time architectural firm, summarizing a meeting, two campus zoning maps, and presentation drawings by the firm of campus buildings including the University Center and South Quadrangle. There is also a newspaper article (copy) about how CMU was preparing for the 1960s by planning and building new infrastructure.

The collection includes materials related to Dow/Veit’s Woods and Wendrow Estates. There are four site maps of the Dow/Veit’s Woods area and three Surveyor’s Certificates (copies) for Wendrow Estates.

A significant portion of the collection is a series of aerial survey photographs (in the boxes) from between 1970 and 2002. These were taken by Abrams Aerial Survey Corporation, Air-Land Surveys, Inc., and Advanced Mapping Technologies. Each folder corresponds to a single flight line. Notable landmarks or roads were noted on the back of the first photograph in each folder by the student processor to assist researchers. The series is incomplete. The following photographed sections are missing; DEL 2, DDT 4, 16, 17, 46, FYS 21, JMK 1, 4, 11, 12, 18, KMU 4, 12, 18.

Oversized aerial photographs by Abrams Aerial Survey Corporation are in the oversized folders. There is one from 1942 and a series of eight from 1984.

Access to the digitized architectural CMU buildings and grounds records will occur in the future.

Researchers may be interested in other Roger Allen, CMU buildings, and campus aerial collections in the Clarke Historical Library.

Processing Notes:

During processing a handful of newspapers and duplicates were withdrawn. Acidic materials were photocopied, and the originals were retained in the collection. One brochure was added to the CMU Vertical Files.

The collection includes meeting minutes, records of the treasurers and presidents, meeting programs, photographs of members and their children, and miscellaneous materials..

The collection provides an incomplete record of the organization through meeting minutes, records of the treasurers and presidents, meeting programs, photographs of members and their children, and miscellaneous materials.

A major strength is the complete run of the Recording Secretary’s Books, 1932-1990, the Treasurer’s Record and Report Books, 1934-1977, and the Scrapbooks, 1953, 1999 (4 volumes) and Photograph Albums, 1897, 1953 (3 volumes). These volumes document the history, members, and interests of the organization.

Of special interest is the Baby Spoons Record Book, September 1962-October 1964, which documents the organization’s ongoing tradition of giving a spoon to each member who was also the mother of a new infant. The babies and mothers are described in interesting detail in the book.

The 50th Anniversary of the organization is documented in Notes and a Program, 1978. (The 75th Anniversary materials are found in the Faculty Women Collection.)

Information Services first appeared in the 1946 Central Michigan University Directory under the heading of News Bureau. It was renamed Information Services in the 1955-1956 Directory, later to become Media Relations, and is presently known as Public Relations (1999). The duties of Information Services were to determine what is newsworthy, whether it is about new programs, campus development, faculty and staff, or unique ideas and personalities. The collection includes materials arranged under eight series including Administrative Correspondence, Sports, Sports Information, Newsletters, CMU Directories (Miscellaneous), News Releases, Slides, and Miscellaneous. The Administrative Correspondence is divided into two groups: 1949-1958 for correspondence with the office of CMU President Anspach, and 1959-1962, for correspondence with the office of CMU President Foust. The Press Releases are arranged by subject heading. Yellow sheets generally represent Public Service Announcements. Sports publications are arranged in alphabetical and then chronological.

The collection is organized into eight series: Administrative Correspondence, Sports, Sports Information, Newsletters, CMU Directories (Miscellaneous), News Releases, Slides, and Miscellaneous. The Administrative Correspondence is divided into two groups: 1949-1958 for correspondence with the office of CMU President Anspach, and 1959-1962, for correspondence with the office of CMU President Foust. The Press Releases are arranged by subject heading. Yellow sheets generally represent Public Service Announcements. Sports publications are arranged in chronological order by sport.

This collection has had large sections of publications removed from it.

Publications series: Directories, Class Schedules, and most of the Bulletins are now cataloged separately from this collection.

This collection documents alumni events that the Central Michigan University. Office of Alumni Relations successfully planned, organized and led, budget materials, and meetings of related committees and boards.

The first and largest series is Events (planned for alumni), 1928-2006, undated [bulk 1980-2006] 6 cubic feet (6 boxes). Types of Events are described above. Materials in the series may include photographs, programs, invitations, notes, letters, arrangement information, documentation of attendees, CDs, videos, and other materials. Other series include: Board of CMU Alumni Association Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, and related materials, 1967-2006 (approximately .5 cubic foot); Budget Books for Alumni Events, outings, endowments, scholarships, development, annual reports, honor roll of donors, and goals and objectives, 1975-2010 (approximately .5 cubic foot); Development Board Meeting Minutes, and related materials, 2000-2004 (4 folders), and a Slide presentation “CMU Reflections of the Past, Present and Future”, CMU Library Instructional Resources (some slides stamped as property of the Clarke Historical Library), (20 slides), undated (1 small slide box).

Processing Note: The collection was stored for a long time in an off-campus storage facility. In June 2014, the collection was split between the Clarke Historical Library Archives (informational materials, approximately 80 cubic feet) and the CMU Museum (objects) as much as possible.

A large percentage of the collection in the Clarke was withdrawn during processing. 74.5 cubic feet consisting mostly of massive duplication, blank forms, generic correspondence, miscellaneous financial records such as receipts and pay orders that were all well over seven years old, and miscellaneous notes. Approximately four cubic feet of duplicate books or other copyrighted works created by alumni were returned to the office as per their request. Twenty books and about .5 cubic foot of various types of alumni directories, which were not duplicates, were added to the Clarke collection and individually cataloged. One cubic feet of Chippewa yearbooks was retained by the Clarke to replace its Chippewas when they become worn out from use. One cubic feet of three-dimensional objects such as hats, tote bags, pins, and miniature Warriner Hall buildings, was transferred to the CMU Museum to join the rest of the objects there.

Additionally, initially housed with the collection was the Les O. Carlin Collection, 1940, 2014 (scattered), and undated (2 cubic ft. (in 2 boxes, 2 Ov. V., 1 framed object), which was separately processed and cataloged in the Clarke. Some of the materials in this collection initially went to the Museum and were later transferred to the Archives. For more information on this collection see its catalog record and finding aid.

Related Collections: Besides the collections mentioned above, other related collections in the Clarke include CMU. Development Office videotapes and two CMU. Public Relations and Marketing Posters collections.

The papers include committee minutes, reports, statistics, surveys, photographs, renovation and future plans, policies, manuals, etc.

Organizational records, 1928, 1999, undated include: various library committee Meeting Minutes, agendas, and attachments, 1974-1984; Building Blueprints, etc., 1955-1981;’ Publications, B8udgets, Five-Year Plans, Reports, 1973-1987; Central Michigan Interlibrary Region (CMIR) Grants and Meeting Minutes, 1971-1975; Council of State College Undergraduate Library Directors Meeting Minutes, 1980-1983; Dept. of Instructional Resources (DIR) Meeting Minutes, Reports, Five-Year Plans, 1984-1983; and unpublished OCLS (Off-Campus Library Services) Conference materials, 1988-1999. Most of these materials came from Dean of Libraries Tom Moore’s office files while he was dean, but others were created and collected during the time John Weatherford was Director of Park, 1970-1988, with a few folders predating this. The collection is ongoing. It is organized by series, alphabetically by topic, and chronologically.

For additional information about the Park, see other, related collections documenting the history of the Park Library housed in the Clarke Historical Library.

Processing Note: Previously this collection was CMU.Park Library vertical files. Reference Point Newsletters are separately cataloged and housed as periodicals.

Miscellaneous School of Music material including programs.

The collection consists of miscellaneous materials from various sources documenting the history of Central Michigan University (CMU)’s Department of and, later, School of Music. Materials in the collection include: correspondence, events, workshop materials, organizational history information, and publications including posters, bulletins, newsletters, un/bound music programs, 1904-2003 (Boxes 1-2); a bound program for 1975 is missing. The first two boxes of the collection were part of the Clarke Historical Library's Central Michigan University (CMU) Vertical File and, as such, the collection is incomplete. A 2017 addition consists entirely of CMU School of Music bound programs, 1979/80-2016/17 (Boxes 3-15). There are no bound programs extant in the collection nor in the School of Music (as of 2017) for the following years: 1992/93, 1994/95, 2003/04, 2004/05, and 2011/12. Materials are in alphabetical and chronological order.

Researchers may also be interested in other, related School of Music collections which are also housed in the Clarke Historical Library.

Various meeting minutes of the Central Michigan University Student Senate, 1924-1977, and undated, and related materials.

The collection consists mainly of the meeting minutes of the Student Council, 1924-1947, and the Student Senate, 1948-1974. There are also meeting minutes of the Student Assembly, 1974-1975, the Student Council and Senate constitutions, 1924-1959, and related materials.

Meeting minutes usually include agendas, minutes, correspondence, reports, and other attachments.

The collection includes subject files, social calendars, committee reports, annual reports, minutes, and other materials.

The organizational records of this committee include subject files, social calendars, committee reports, annual reports, minutes, and other materials