Collections : [University of Michigan Special Collections Research Center]

University of Michigan professor of Germanic Language, Literature, and Culture, scholar and translator of East and Central European literature, poet. Correspondence with authors, scholars, poets, and editors; manuscript and printed versions of poetry printed by George's Kylix Press; notes, drafts, typescripts, and proofs of articles, reviews, and the major editorial works "Contemporary East European poetry," and "Husbanding the golden grain: studies in honor of Henry W. Nordmeyer."

Correspondence with authors, scholars, poets, and editors; manuscript and printed versions of poetry printed by George's Kylix Press; notes, drafts, typescripts, and proofs of articles, reviews, and the major editorial works "Contemporary East European poetry,"(Ardis Press, 1983; Oxford University Press, 1993), and "Husbanding the golden grain: studies in honor of Henry W. Nordmeyer," (University of Michigan, 1973). Also includes large series on Friedrich Holderlin and Miklos Radnoti, reflecting George's primary subjects of research and translation.

Private Steiner, a communist and conscientious objector, was sentenced to death for refusing military orders in WWI. Sentence was commuted to 15 years hard-labor by President Harding. Consists of 66 Steiner letters written from prison to his sisters and mother.

The collection consists of 66 letters from Private Francis Steiner, a German-American, mainly to his two sisters, Anna and Aloisia. The letters were written between May 1918 and November 1920, from various prisons (Camp Funston, Fort Dix, Fort Riley, Fort Leavenworth, Fort Douglas). Although his scheduled date of release was February, 1923, the last letter, dated November 7, 1920, makes no mention of an impending release. There are two letters written to his mother. Letters from prison during that time were required to be in English. His parents apparently did not read or write in English, so his letters home were no doubt translated for them.

Much of the subject matter in the letters describes prison life, the political views of Private Steiner (he was a communist and also a strong supporter of the IWW), the treatment he and his fellow C.O.s (Conscientious Objectors) received at the command of various officers in charge, the food they were served, etc. One amusing letter (January 30, 1920) described the visit to Fort Douglas from General Pershing. The letters also contain "brotherly advice," such as how to shoot a good photograph, (Steiner was the "house" photographer in prison and was apparently given access to dark room facilities as well) and words of encouragement regarding their jobs and social activities.

There is one letter, dated February 21, 1919, written to "Miss A. Steiner" from F.P. Keppel, Third Assistant Secretary, War Department, Washington. This letter was in response to an inquiry from either Anna or Aloisia about her brother's status in prison. Also included is a photocopy of a newspaper clipping which tells that Steiner's death sentence was commuted to 15 years by President Harding.

Steiner made several references in his letters to enclosed photographs, which were not included with the collection. No information is available about these photos.

Hunchakian Party activist, member of the Central Executive, orator and field worker in Persia, Tsarist Russia, London, various American cities (Boston, Worcester, New York, Waukegan, East St. Louis, Detroit, etc.) and Brantford, Canada. The collection includes family documents and official papers and photographs, correspondence with family, party founders, members of the Central Executive, chapters and members in Persia, Russia, Europe, the US; party circulars, reports and communiqués registry of fighters and groups, minutes and agendas, poems, notes, print material, poster.

The first part of the Hamparzoum Arzoumanian Collection consists of family documents and official papers, birth, marriage, naturalization and death certificates, in memoriam notices, visas/passports, photographs, correspondence between Hamparzoum Arzoumanian, his wife Sona Arzoumanian and family members and other personal correspondence of Hamparzoum and Sona Arzoumanian with friends, students. These provide a sequence of events and dramatic circumstances in Hamparzoum Arzoumanian's personal life that begin in historic Armenia in 1866, through Persia, Russia, and Europe, and end in America in 1909.

The emphasis in the collection is in the Hunchakian Party Activities and Materials in the latter part of the collection. These emphasize the scope and content of Arzoumanian's involvement in the Hunchakian Party, his commitment to its socialist ideology and determination to help the cause of the liberation of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire. Correspondence with party members, party circulars, reports and communiqués refer to the organization of party chapters from the Caucasus to the US; the rift in the party between those dedicated to Socialism as part of the party ideology and those who insisted on eliminating the socialist ideology of the founders as irrelevant, even harmful, to the struggle of Ottoman Armenians; tensions between the party Center in London and the Regional Executive Committee in the US; party publications and content of official party organs in Geneva, Switzerland and Boston, Massachusetts; fund raising for party operations, and the organization of volunteer detachments of fighters. This section also provides information about the life of Armenian immigrants in the US, their efforts to organize communities and their commitment to help liberate Armenians in Turkey.

A series of envelopes in the collection reflect the wide geographical area to which Arzoumanian was connected, including: Tabriz (Persia), Bucharest (Romania), London, Paris, New York, Boston, Rustchuk and Varna (Bulgaria), Montreal (England), Tbilisi (Republic of Georgia), Khazakh, Odessa and Novorossirsk (Tsarist Russia), Alexandria (Egypt), Malta and Berlin.

The collection consists of 474 items, spanning the years between 1896 and 1910; items vary from one page to 11 pages. All but the few newspaper clippings, printed matter and fragments are in manuscript form, in a variety of Armenian dialects.

The collection consist of copies of the author's two published books; about a third of his estimated fifty essays; several pamphlets; a limited series of mostly email correspondence dating from the turn of the millennium; and a small set of papers documenting workplace policies and politics. Of special interest are the thorough correspondence with George Salzman; the hard-to-find Autonomous Marxism: An Annotated Course Syllabus and Bibliography, by Harry Cleaver; and the set of documents pertaining to the Lucy Parsons Center.

The collection consist of copies of the author's two published books; about a third of his estimated fifty essays; several pamphlets; a limited series of mostly email correspondence dating from the turn of the millennium; and a small set of papers documenting workplace policies and politics. Of special interest are the thorough correspondence with George Salzman; the hard-to-find Autonomous Marxism: An Annotated Course Syllabus and Bibliography , by Harry Cleaver; and the set of documents pertaining to the Lucy Parsons Center.

The subject matter is diverse: topics include the destruction of capitalism, radical democracy, play, anarchism, health, the politics of protest, HIV and AIDS, commercial films, sectarianism, revolution, indigenism, majority rule, and schooling.

Many of the materials represented in this collection have been published on Mr. Herod's website http://jamesherod.info. Additional essays appear there, along with notes on a variety of topics.

It is hoped that one day additional materials from the website will be included in this collection. Noticeably missing from both locations are photographs, older correspondence, and any supporting ephemera or newspaper documentation.

Many items in the collection have been edited or annotated by Mr. Herod. Some have been written under pen name Jared James.

The James Herod Papers are arranged in four series: CORRESPONDENCE; ESSAYS; PUBLICATIONS AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES; and WORKPLACE ACTIVISM.

CORRESPONDENCE. The Correspondence series consists of personal correspondence as well as general correspondence in the form of open letters or participation in online forums. It consists mostly of e-mail written between 1998 and 2001. Personal correspondence consists almost entirely of email exchanged with George Salzman. General Correspondence includes open letters and participation in online forums.

ESSAYS. The collection includes 17 of about fifty essays spanning the author's adult life from 1968 to the present.

PUBLICATIONS AND BIBLIOGRAPHIES include the privately published Papers from the Struggle (1987) and Getting Free (1998 and 2007). It also includes the author's pamphlets and book reviews from What's Left in Boston . The collection includes a copy of Harry Cleaver's Autonomous Marxism: An Annotated Course Syllabus and Bibliography.

WORKPLACE ACTIVISM documents the author's time spent with the Boston Typographical Union, Dorchester Community News, and, most notably, with the Lucy Parsons Center (formerly the Red Book Store).

Other publications were donated with the collection but have been cataloged in other parts of the Labadie Collection. These include:

The New York City Star (first two issues)

What's Left in Boston (set of twenty-five issues)

Jill Boskey's The Split at The Liberated Guardian

Pamphlets and other materials from The Committee of Returned Volunteers

This collection contains the correspondence between David Belin and numerous influential Jewish philanthropists, writers, rabbis, and officials of Reform Jewish organizations on the topic of Jewish Outreach. It also contains writings, speeches, articles, newspaper clippings, and published materials about Jewish outreach topics. Well-represented subjects include conversion to Judaism, outreach to intermarried couples, rabbinic officiation of marriages between Jews and non-Jews, Jewish population studies, anti-Semitism in late 20th century United States, and Zionism in the Reform Judaic movement.

The David Belin Jewish Outreach Papers measure 19.1 linear feet and date from 1970-1999. This collection consists primarily of papers related to Belin's leadership in promoting Reform Jewish outreach. The collection is arranged in six series: Correspondence; Organizations; Manuscripts, Typescripts, and Notes; Topical Files; Publications; and Audiocassettes. The Correspondence series consists of letters Belin exchanged with major figures within Reform Judaism. This series includes a rich exchange of ideas, opinions, plans, writings, and reports. The Organizations series reflects Belin's accomplishments while an officer and member of the boards and committees of several Jewish organizations. The Manuscripts, Typescripts and Notes series reveals Belin as an accomplished writer and speaker and also includes many writings and speeches by others. The Topical Files series includes newsletters, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and other publications that Belin filed according to subject. Topical files that pertain to specific organizational activities are filed in the Organizations series. The Publications series consists of journals, magazines, and monographs about Judaism in general; materials published by individual organizations are included in their respective Organizations series. The Audiocassettes series includes 17 audiocassettes. Some are recordings of Belin, while others are recordings of convention speakers, board meetings, interviews, and commercially produced educational tapes.

The arrangement within each series follows the filing system used by Belin wherever possible. Belin filed most of his correspondence by the organization it concerned. Thus the Correspondence series consists of correspondence in general while the Organizations series includes the correspondence about organizational matters--although there is considerable overlap. Each organization also has topical files and publications that Belin filed according to the related organization. The exception to this rule is that all manuscript/typescript speeches and writings by Belin and others has been separated into a separate Manuscripts, Typescripts, and Notes series. This has permitted the writings and speeches to be arranged alphabetically by author. Correspondence that accompanied a typescript has been kept with it.

J. Herbert Newport was a designer of automobile bodies from the 1930s through the 1970s, employed designing custom bodies for Duesenberg automobiles as well as bodies and parts for companies such as DuPont, General Motors, Studebaker, and Nash. The collection documents his design work through drawings and photographs and the Duesenberg phenomenon, which continues to the present day with car collecting and restoration, through correspondence, photographs, advertisements, and ephemera, drawings, and various research materials.

The Newport collection has been divided into eleven series: J. Herbert Newport, Correspondence, The Duesenberg, Duesenberg Models, Ephemera and Print, Photographs, Albums, Drawings, Painting, Audio Materials and Realia.

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.

Novelist, University of Michigan graduate; includes correspondence, typescripts, notes, screenplays, interviews, and print material, such as reviews, interviews, and announcements, mostly relating to her works Ordinary People and title Second Heaven.

The Judith Guest collection consists of correspondence, typescripts, notes, screenplays, interviews, and print material, such as reviews, interviews, and announcements. The papers are divided into five series: Correspondence; Promotional material, reviews, interviews; Serials; Speeches; and Works, which contains the Ordinary People and Second Heaven subseries. Guest's initial correspondence with Viking regarding the manuscript for Ordinary People, which may be found in the Correspondence series, is particularly evocative of the excitement surrounding its publication.

The Promotional material, review, interviews; Serials; and Speeches series consist of ephemera relating to Guest's career as a writer including numerous clippings of biographical profiles and book reviews. These series also document some of the author's professional and promotional activities, such as publication tour interviews and speeches.

The emphasis of the collection is on Guest's creative process in writing Ordinary People and Second Heaven, which comprises the Works series. Many drafts of both novels are included, with editorial and authorial marginalia and corrections. The metamorphosis of the bestselling Ordinary People into a screenplay is well documented in Guest's attempt, followed by screenwriter Alvin Sargent's final shooting script.

Mrachnyi, a Russian immigrant anarchist, who at various times went by the surnames Clevans, Klavansky, and Mratchny, was editor of Freie Arbeiter Stimme in the 1930s. The papers consist of correspondence relating to personal matters and editorial work, three radiograms reporting on the Spanish Civil War, some miscellaneous documents, and six circulars and one manifesto of the Association Internationale des Travailleurs. Contains letters from many leading anarchists including Emma Goldman. The papers are in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and Yiddish, with the Russian and Yiddish items accompanied by translations.

The collection consists primarily of personal and editorial correspondence, and also includes documents and circulars from the Association Internationale de Travailleurs (International Workingmen's Association). The correspondence mainly concerns the international anarchist movement and the anarchist, anti-Fascist role in the Spanish Civil War. Mrachnyi was known to most of the correspondents under the pseudonyms Mraschnyi or Mratchny, but he also used his original name, Klavansky, in Europe and Clevens in the United States. His wife used the name Johanna Clevens, reverting to her maiden name, Boetz, after their divorce.

The papers are in English, French, German, Russian,Spanish, and Yiddish. Translations of most of the Russian items were provided by Charles Gilbert. Articles received for publication in Fraye Arbeter Shtime (Freie Arbeiter Stimme) have been removed to the FAS collection.

Documents and correspondence detailing Martha Vicinus' involvement in the New University Conference (NUC).

The Martha J. Vicinus papers date from 1968 to 1976 (primarily 1969 to 1972) and measure 1.25 linear feet (4 Hollinger boxes). The papers detail only Vicinus' involvement in the New University Conference, its programs, publications and meetings. Arranged alphabetically into one series, the collection includes incoming and outgoing correspondence, position papers, reports, minutes of the organization, pamphlets and related newspaper clippings.

Some of the file folders concern the organizational workings of NUC. These include National Office, National Committee, and Executive Committee. Others consist of reports and papers on subjects of interest to NUC, notably Child Care, the Peoples' Peace Treaty (Vietnam), and the reform of course grading. Of note are the folders for the Modern Language Association relating to the efforts of Vicinus and other NUC members to organize radical caucuses and thereby affect the decision-making process in this and other professional organizations.