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The Human Rights Party Papers consist of correspondence, writings, administrative materials, teaching materials, notes, reports, and photos regarding the life and works of Benita and Gabe Kaimowitz and Edward and Victoria Vandenberg, all of whom were active members of the Human Rights Party in Ann Arbor in the 1970s.

The correspondence series largely consists of correspondence to and occasionally from Ed and Victoria concerning their personal and professional lives. Items groupings correspond to the creators' original order.

The campaign materials series comprises legal documents, ad copy, expenses, ephemera, and photos related to Benita Kaimowitz's 1973 bid for Ann Arbor mayor and Ed Vandenberg's 1986 candidacy for probate judge.

The teaching materials series includes lesson plans, assignments, student work, student evaluations, reading lists, and correspondence relating to Victoria and Ed Vandenberg's and Benita Kaimowitz's work as teachers. Both Benita and Ed taught courses at Community High School, a public alternative school founded in 1972 in response to the popularity of the Youth Liberation movement in Ann Arbor.

The Ed Vandenberg legal work series contains materials related to Ed's career as an attorney and ombudsman.

In the Office of Ethics and Religion series are administrative materials, correspondence, notes, ephemera, and proposals created by or submitted to the eponymous office. Ed Vandenberg served for a time as president of the Office of Ethics and Religion, and participated in many of the office's forums, conferences, and iniatives. Many of the materials in this series pertain to the University Values Program and the debates it facilitated concerning research into recombinant DNA technology.

The conferences series primarily consists of documents related to the 1977 "Narcissism in Modern Society" conference held at the University of Michigan and hosted in part by the Office of Religion and Ethics. It also includes statements and notes about attendees from the 1965 International Conference on Alternative Perspectives on Vietnam, which was co-sponsored by the predecessor to the Office of Ethics and Religion. Lastly, the series contains of a handful of documents related to various teach-ins in the 60s and 70s.

The topical files series is composed of groupings of files, largely collected by Ed Vandenberg, related to political and philosophical topics that did not fit neatly elsewhere in the collection. Files contain a variety of items, including essays, articles, newsletters, and ephemera.

The last item in the collection is a spiral-bound notebook used as a communication log for the Kaimowitzes' communal home.

Isaac E. Ronch was a Yiddish writer, teacher, and journalist active in Jewish immigrant circles in Chicago and New York from the 1920s through the 1980s. Ronch was also a good friend of artist Marc Chagall. This collection includes correspondence, writings, and books documenting Ronch and Chagall's friendship, as well as publications, manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, ephemera, and clippings relating to Ronch's own life and works.

The Marc Chagall Materials Series is made up of records documenting Chagall and Ronch's friendship. The donor, Ronch's son, included a handful of books about the history of Jewish arts and identity in Russia to contextualize Chagall's work with Itzik Feffer, which led to his first meeting with Ronch.

The Landsmanshaften Book Series includes a signed copy of the book Di Yiddishe Landsmanshaften foon New York (The Jewish Landsmanshaften of New York), as well as papers relating to the creation of the Landsmanshaften book.

The Writings Series consists of Ronch's creative and journalistic writings. Books include books of prose and poetry, primarily written in Yiddish. Ronch's two serialized novels are preserved as compilations of newspaper clippings placed in composition books.

The Collected Publications Series is made up of three publications (or photocopies of publications) found in Ronch's papers: a 1902 issue of the periodical Di Yiddishe Familie, which includes an article by Sholem Asch, the 1982 Bulletin of the Reuben Brainin Children's Clinic in Tel Aviv, and photocopied pages of a Holocaust Memorial/Yizkor Book for Konin that includes likely relatives of Ronch under the surname Ronchkovski.

The Correspondence Series consists of a single postcard from Sol Liptzin, a scholar of Yiddish and German literature.

The Photographs Series includes photos of Ronch with his students at the Chicago shul where he taught, photos of Ronch giving lectures at Camp Kinderland and Camp Lakeland, and photos of Ronch with as-yet unidentified colleagues sometime in the 1930s.

The Clippings and Ephemera Series comprises newspaper clippings and ephemera relating to Ronch's activities or colleagues, as well as a obituaries for Ronch.

James Turner was the deputy attorney general for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice from 1969-1994. This collection includes materials from his career with the Division, such as the work he did on the Viola Liuzzo murder case and the Rodney King Trial, as well as personal materials related to his own research and book drafts. Dates range from 1954-2014 and are arranged into sections based on the Civil Rights Division's Organization.

The James Turner Papers details Turner's career with the Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division. A small portion of the collection also includes materials from Turner's education and his personal research, such as the work he did for his two published books. Because most of this collection details the Civil Rights Division, it has been arranged to mirror the sections of the Civil Rights Division, with an additional section for materials that span across the Division. The majority of the collection are paper documents, with a small collection of cassette tapes, VHS, and photographs. This is not a complete history of the Civil Rights Division, but are the records of a former employee and so is focused on the work that Turner participated in for the Division. Significant topics include: the Viola Liuzzo Murder, the Rodney King trial, Gary T. Rowe, Kent State, and COINTELPRO.

The Jean Fagan Yellin/Harriet Jacobs Research Collection (1855-2017, majority between 1968-2010) spans approximately 10 linear feet with 7 series covering the work done by Jean Fagan Yellin on Harriet Jacobs and related materials on slavery, abolitionism, and feminism. The collection includes correspondence, drafts, reports, notes and annotations, clippings, photographs, and various research files collected, created, and utilized for Yellin's research, writings and publications, and speaking engagements to public and scholarly audiences. Notable materials include extensive evidence of Yellin's engagement with public and scholarly audiences on topics related to Harriet Jacobs, research files and other materials related to Harriet Jacobs and individuals originating from the 1800s and descendants, and files including correspondence proving the authenticity of "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" as an autobiographical work by Harriet Jacobs.

The Jean Fagan Yellin/Harriet Jacobs Research Collection is approximately 10 linear feet and contains materials between 1855-2017 and primarily between 1968-2010. The collection focuses on the work of Jean Fagan Yellin with most attention to Yellin's research and engagement regarding Harriet Jacobs through correspondence, research files, drafts, reports, clippings, photographs, clippings, and other collected materials.

Other notable topics include her works on antislavery, abolitionism, and feminism during the nineteenth century through additional writings, drafts, and research that would connect with Yellin's work on Harriet Jacobs. Notable strengths of the collection include files related to extensive outreach efforts to public and scholarly audiences about Harriet Jacobs, research files with notes and other documentation including those created during Harriet Jacobs' lifetime, correspondence with the North Carolina archivist George Stevenson in researching "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl", and a 1993 interview with Dr. William Knox Jr., a family member of Harriet Jacobs.

Audiovisual materials in the collection have not been digitized.

Jean Fagan Yellin also used extensive abbreviations to describe various professional associations, organizations, projects, and titles within individual files and folder names such as the following:

AAUW: American Association of University Women AHA: American Historical Association ALA: American Literature Association ASA: American Studies Association CAAR: Collegium for African American Research CLA: College Language Association EIAAT: European Imprints of African American Texts HJFP: "Harriet Jacobs Family Papers" ILSG: "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" MELUS: Society for the Study of Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States MLA: Modern Language Association NCFA: National Collection of Fine Arts, now Smithsonian American Art Museum NEH: National Endowment for the Humanities NEMLA: Northeast Modern Language Association NHI: National Humanities Institute NYC: New York City Humanities Program OHA: Organization of American Historians SHA: Southern Historical Association

J. Louis Engdahl (1884-1932), editor and journalist, was an advocate for labor, socialist, and communist causes. The collection includes letters Engdahl wrote to his wife and daughter, trial transcripts, photographs; Engdahl's original writings; and published works in various formats. Also included are memorabilia, clippings, pamphlets, and other printed material, and artwork.

The J. Louis Engdahl Papers (6.5 linear feet) are divided into seven series: Correspondence, Writings, Chicago Socialist Trial, Scottsboro Trial, Photographs and Artwork, Personal and Memorabilia, and Printed Material.

Highlights of the collection include the letters Engdahl wrote to his wife and daughter, in which loving epithets and stories of day-to-day life mingle with accounts of his work and that of other prominent labor, socialist, and communist figures. The collection contains several pieces of Engdahl's original writings, along with numerous published works in various formats. Causes for which Engdahl fought, both on his own behalf and that of others, are documented through letters, clippings, trial transcripts, and images. Over sixty photographs, as well as various pieces of personal memorabilia, depict both family life and professional associations. Also of note is a portrait of Engdahl by the artist Mitchell Siporin.

A note on names: Throughout the collection, certain individuals are referred to by various alternate names and nicknames. Engdahl himself went by "J. Louis" or more informally, "Louis," rather than his given name of "John." Sophia Levitin Rodriguez is addressed variously as "Sophia," "Sophie," "Sonia," and even by her middle name, "Vera." As mentioned in the biographical portion of this finding aid, Pauline and Louis Engdahl's daughter is also named Pauline. To avoid confusion, within this finding aid, Engdahl's wife is referred to as "Pauline Levitin Engdahl" and their daughter as "Pauline Engdahl." Pauline Engdahl had the family nickname of "Chootch," with variants "Chootchie," "Chuche," etc.

During the 1930s, and possibly longer, John E. Pokorny was employed by Ford Motor Company as an assistant to Harry Bennett in personnel and security matters. Whether as part of his job or on his own time, Pokorny collected information on supposed subversive organizations in the Detroit, Michigan, area and, for Ford, investigated Communist infiltration oflabor unions. John Pokorny collected most of the materials in this collection to document supposed subversive activities in the Detroit area and in the United States in general. This collection largely reflects Pokorny's collecting practices and not his personal papers; hence, the collection is arranged similar to a subject file. The folders are arranged alphabetically by subject or name with most of the material dating from the 1930s. Most of the original folder titles have been maintained from Pokorny's original arrangement. News clippings comprise a majority of the contents of the collection and most of these are photocopies of the originals. The collection also contains printed materials (leaflets, brochures, flyers), some manuscript material, and a few photographs.

John Pokorny collected most of the materials in this collection to document supposed subversive activities in the Detroit area and in the United States in general. This collection largely reflects Pokorny's collecting practices and not his personal papers; hence, the collection is arranged similar to a subject file. The folders are arranged alphabetically by subject or name with most of the material dating from the 1930s. Most of the original folder titles have been maintained from Pokorny's original arrangement. News clippings comprise a majority of the contents of the collection and most of these are photocopies of the originals. The collection also contains printed materials (leaflets, brochures, flyers), some manuscript material, and a few photographs. In a few instances, cross-references have been made within the collection, e.g. between the National Labor Relations Board and Edward Burke. Any reference was indicated on a piece of8.5"xl4" paper in the front of the folder. There are possibly even more cross-references than are formally indicated; however, the subject matter and organizations represented in the collection overlap to a degree and it would be very difficult to make note of every instance. Therefore, one who is interested in a specific topic is advised to look through other folders that may be somewhat related. A case in point is the American Coalition. Although the group has a specific folder heading under Aliens (meaning immigrants), more papers originating from the group can be found in folders such as Govermnent - Legislation, Politics (I). There are some materials that deem a specific mention or more explanation. The folder on Civil Liberties contains flyers/leaflets, letters, meeting minutes from various groups, such as the Professional League for Civil Rights, Civil Rights League, National Federation for Constitutional Liberties, and the National Emergency Conference for Democratic Rights. Much of this relates to Detroit-based activities. The third folder on Communism contains 2 lists of suspected Communists in the Detroit area in 1932. Each is about 40 pages long. This folder also has correspondence from 1931 to 1933 to and from the hnmigration and Naturalization Service on the activities of "aliens" and suspected Communists. In his position in the Personnel Dept. for the Ford Motor Company, Pokorny received a number of letters from men seeking employment, often after having served in the military. These materials are located in the first and third folders for the Ford Motor Company. The folder Government - Court Bill contains information on the 1937 idea to increase the number of U.S. Supreme Court justices from nine to fifteen. The folder entitled "Military" relates mainly to the Michigan Military Area of the U.S. Army and the reserves. The Michigan United Auto Workers folder contains 6 photographs of individuals, although only two of them are identified. An additional variety of photographs can be found in Box 2. These depict: fires in Detroit (8); Niagara Falls; a photo of two unidentified men; the crashed plane of Major Resonatti, Italian Ace; John Philip Sousa's burial, March 10, 1932; a 1932 fire at the National Soldiers Home (Dayton, OH); and several copies of the installation of officers of the National Sojourners picturing Pokorny and other members. A newsprint copy of this last photograph can be found in the folder Pokorny Personal. This folder also contains correspondence from organizations with which he was involved, greeting cards, his Army commission certificates, and programs from events.

The Subject Vertical Files consist of approximately 7,500 folders containing ephemeral materials such as flyers, handbills, leaflets, and clippings on a variety of topics centered on radical history and social protest. Each folder is named with a topical descriptor, most of which take the form of a subject heading like one of the following: Anarchism -- Conferences -- Michigan Civil liberties -- Blacks -- Mississippi Colonialism and Imperialism -- Africa Labor -- International Organizations -- IWW -- Strikes -- Textile Peace Corps -- Committee of Returned Volunteers (CRV) -- Vietnam Spain -- Civil War -- International Brigades Youth and Student Protest -- Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) -- Michigan

The Laurance Labadie Papers document the work and life of Laurance Labadie, anarchist writer and theorist and son of the noted labor leader and anarchist Joseph A. Labadie. The collection contains correspondence, other writings, and printed material related to Laurance's economic theory and work with the School of Living, as well as a series containing papers related to the work of Laurance's father Joseph A. Labadie.

The Laurance Labadie Papers measure 9.5 linear feet and date from 1882 to 1973. The collection documents, through correspondence and writings, Labadie's ideas on anarchism and the social problems of the time, as well as the views of many of his anarchist contemporaries, mainly from 1932 to 1972. Unfortunately, there is little material from the years before this, and little, if anything, on Labadie's family. The correspondence is especially rich for the 1930s and 1940s, when Labadie was corresponding with anarchists who had been active in the late 19th and early 20th century, and who had known Labadie's father. The papers from the 1950s and 1960s document his involvement with the School of Living, a decentralist, back-to-the-land organization that he supported. The Joseph A. Labadie papers held by Laurance are chiefly notebooks and booklets of poetry with broad subject range, and scrapbooks of news clippings about Joseph Labadie, anarchy and labor movements in the 19th century, and Walhalla, the farm of Labadie's friend Carl Schmidt.

The Louie Crew Papers document the life and writings of Louie Crew Clay (1936-2019): a gay activist, Episcopalian minister, professor, and poet. He founded Integrity, an Episcopal forum for gay rights, and best known as an advocate for the acceptance of gay people within the Episcopal Church and the academic community. Papers consist of correspondence, publications and writings, professional materials such as teaching and committee work, Episcopal church and Integrity records, and personal materials.

Louie Crew Papers has been divided into 6 series:

Series 1: Correspondence, 1947-2006: divided into outgoing and incoming correspondence, arranged by correspondent or by date. Incoming correspondence from 1962 to 1985 is arranged by correspondent and then date, while correspondence from 1986 to 2005 is arranged by date. Incoming correspondence aquired in later accretions is arranged by date.

Series 2: Publications and Writings, 1958-2015: includes articles, prose, poems and poetry volumes, sermons, manuscripts, essays, dissertations, and materials written and/or edited by Crew. Materials are arranged by publication type and then by date.

Series 3: Professional Materials, 1959-2015: documents related to Crew's career as an English professor, gay activism outside of the church, and his involvement in various organizations and conferences. The series is divided into 3 subseries: (1) Teaching Materials, (2) Organizations, Conferences, and Research, and (3) News Clippings and Secondary Materials. All are arranged by date.

Materials include Crew's involvement with the Gay Academic Union, National Council of Teachers of English Gay Caucus, National Gay Task Force, Gay People's Union, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and Black and White Men Together, as well as Crew's development of open-source software programs for writing. Materials of particular significance include Crew's "Gay Bibliography,"which is a collection of pamphlets, brochures, articles, and other research on a variety of gay organizations and subjects.

Series 4: Episcopal Church and Integrity Records, 1974-2006: documents related to Crew's involvement in the Episcopal Church, including his service on the Executive Council, House of Bishops, Council for the Diocese of Newark, and General Conventions. Also included are materials related to Episcopal conferences, talks, and mission trips. Integrity Records documents Crew's founding of Integrity, a non-profit Episcopal Forum for gay rights, and includes board reports and correspondence, bylaws, and the Integrity newsletter. Also included are news articles, reports, newsletters, correspondence, and other materials sent to Crew from presidents and board members.

Series 5: Personal Materials, 1936-2014: contains diaries and appointment books, baby and wedding scrapbooks, artwork, awards and honorary degrees, family genealogy materials, and legal documents. Also included are graphs showing statistics Crew collected on himself related to manuscript publications and rejections, correspondence sent, time spent asleep, computer activity, and other personal data.

Significant materials include Crew's lawsuits regarding housing discrimination, a sexual discrimination suit against American University, and a same sex domestic partner health benefits case against Rutgers University.

Series 6: Photographs and Audiovisual Materials, 1937-2011. Photographs contain headshots and candid photos of Louie Crew and his husband, Ernest Clay. Also included are Crew's theater photos and candid shots of friends and family. Audiovisual Materials contain audiocassettes, floppy disks, VHS, and CDs of interviews, poetry readings, sermons and talks, published poems, and pdfs of Crew's websites and YouTube videos.

Photographs, correspondence, ephemera, and trophies relating to the Thompson family of Detroit. While most of the material relates to the elder Thompsons (Mamie L. and W.A.) and their work with the NAACP, there is also a scrapbook highlighting the accomplishments of their son, Arthur L. Thompson, the first black medical officer in the Navy. Highlights include both formal portraits and informal family snapshots, correspondence related to the NAACP (including a signed letter from Walter White), and trophies the elder Thompsons received in recognition of their service. Most material dates from the 1920s-40s, with smaller amounts of material up to the 1960s.

The collection is approximately 2.25 linear feet. The bulk of the collection is photographs, both in albums and loose, totaling more than 400 photos. Some are posed, formal shots and others are informal snapshots or Polaroids taken between the 1920s and the late 1960s. A small number of photos (presumably of the Thomspsons' ancestors) predate the 1920s. The photos mostly depict the home lives and recreation of the Thompsons and friends. Awards recognize the Thompsons' contributions to the NAACP and fundraising efforts. Correspondence and newspaper clippings are limited to one sparse folder apiece, and again mainly concern the activities of the Detroit branch of the NAACP. Also included is the guest book for an "Interracial Fellowship party" hosted by the Thompsons in December of 1950 and a scrapbook documenting their son's military career.