Collections

Margaret LaFoy Rossiter (1914-1991) was an internationally recognized author. A founder of the Women's Studies Program and a professor of Modern European History at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, she was an alumna of Bryn Mawr College and Douglass College of Rutgers University. She was the author of several articles and the book, Women in the Resistance. The bulk of the collection documents the research that went into writing Women in the Resistance. It contains approximately seven linear feet of interview transcripts and audio recordings, government documents, correspondence, articles, excerpts, photographs, ephemera, questionnaires, personal accounts and drafts of chapters as well as some research for, and reprints and drafts of, other works.

The Margaret L. Rossiter Women in the Resistance Papers were deposited with the Special Collections by her estate in 1998. The collection primarily offers insight into the strategies, challenges and day to day workings of French resistance groups, also referred to as the maquis, who were engaged in underground efforts to liberate France from German occupation during World War II and the personal experiences of the people involved. Artifacts document the lives of pilots and resisters (many of whom were women and sometimes referred to as helpers), military plans and the international world of politics during this time, particularly in France. The collection contains the research that was the basis of Rossiter's book and also offers a look at the resistance research she did not include because it may have been beyond the book's scope. The collection also offers a look into Rossiter's research and political interests outside the French resistance.

Consisting of seven linear feet of material, the Margaret L. Rossiter Women in the Resistance Papers are divided into ten series: Escape and Evasion; Name Files; Military Action and Intelligence; The Resistance; General History (France- World War II); Ephemera; Drafts; Publication and Distribution; Other Research; and Audiovisual Materials . Researchers should note that most series relate to the subject matter and research involved in Women in the Resistance , whereas the series "Other Research" pertains to research and subject matter Rossiter pursued in addition to work towards the book.

The Escape and Evasion series consists of one and a half linear feet. It contains materials pertaining to the experience of American and British Air Force pilots who became evaders and escapers (those who managed to get out of German-occupied territory or were captured and managed to get out of concentration camps) during World War II. The terms escaper and evader often seem to be used interchangeably throughout the book and collection to refer to the soldiers the resisters aided via escape lines. Escape lines, also known as escape organizations or escape networks, were manned land-routes out of German-occupied territory. The escape lines were organized by resistance groups to aid Allied soldiers. This series primarily contains information about experiences of members of the American Air Force Escape and Evasion Society (AFEES) and information on the workings of specific escape lines. Included are the research questionnaires Rossiter distributed to many AFEES members who served in World War II, and the many detailed, personal accounts she received back from them. Rossiter had substantial correspondence over the years with many of these men. The series also contains National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) documents and other materials pertaining to AFEES members and their experiences. The Escape Lines subseries contains primarily government documents along with some of Rossiter's notes, articles, excerpts and correspondence which provide general information about escape lines as well as information about specific lines. The list of specifically-named lines is not exhaustive. Information on escape by sea and pertaining particularly to members of the British Royal Air Force is also included.

The Name Files series consists of two linear feet of material organized by name. If listed in the index of Women in the Resistance, which usually employs the name a person used at the time of the French resistance, that name was used here. If the person has since changed his or her name, either first or last, that name is indicated in parentheses. This series contains information mostly about the women resisters on whom the book focuses as well as some materials about other individuals who were involved in, or particularly knowledgeable about, the resistance. It contains a collection of interview transcripts, for some of which the audio recordings can be found in the Audiovisual Materials and Descriptive Information series (Box 7). It also contains government documents, newspaper and magazine articles, excerpts of books and photographs as well as correspondence with and about the subject of the file.

The Military Action and Intelligence series consists of approximately one linear foot. It contains information on American, British and Free French government-proscribed military plans, action and information-seeking during World War II. The Bombings, Planes and Losses subseries consists of government documents, pamphlets, Rossiter's calculations, book excerpts and correspondence pertaining to the number of Allied planes dispatched and lost as well as military personnel casualties. The Sabotage subseries consists primarily of book excerpts and some articles and official documents describing activities of "irregular" military organizations, such as the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action (BCRA). These organizations were formed in order to prepare secret armies, instigate revolt, gather intelligence and disrupt and destroy Nazi initiatives and equipment via less traditionally employed military means. The SOE was a British organization that was separate from intelligence organizations MI 6 and MI 9 and worked specifically with the resistance in France. The BCRA was a Free French intelligence agency based out of London. The Military Intelligence Service (MIS-X) was a United States Intelligence organization formed to assist evaders and prisoners of war. The MIS-X subseries primarily contains government documents pertaining to strategies and actions of the organization during World War II. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) subseries trace the history of those organizations and their functioning during World War II. The OSS was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. Over half of the OSS subseries consists of National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) documents, and the other half consists of articles, book excerpts, pamphlets, government documents and other research material, all pertaining to OSS actions during World War II and the transition of the OSS into the CIA. The CIA being the current manifestation of the OSS, the CIA subseries is divided between government documents provided by the CIA pertaining to OSS actions during World War II, articles about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Rossiter's FOIA requests for information from the CIA. The Military Archives Division is part of NARA and this subseries documents Rossiter's correspondence and phone conversations with John Taylor, an archivist there. Taylor assisted Rossiter with locating documents for Women in the Resistance and also put her in contact with government people who were involved in the French resistance. The Women in the Military subseries provides readings, pamphlets and government documents relating to the roles of women in the British and United States military during World War II.

The Resistance series consists of about half a linear foot. It contains NARA documents, articles, maps, book excerpts and information about books related to the contribution of resistance groups to Allied Forces military initiatives and the women involved. It also contains specific information on the Comité d'Oeuvres Sociales de la Résistance (COSOR) which was created by the Algiers government to provide social services to resistance groups, as well as information on military decorations awarded to members of the resistance and timelines of events.

The General History (France- World War II) series consists of three folders containing government documents, Rossiter's notes, ephemera and book excerpts relating to the religious and governmental environment in France during World War II. The materials relate particularly to Protestantism, Catholicism and deportation and internment.

The Ephemera series consists of twelve folders. It contains artifacts such as brochures, newsletters and articles that pertain to organizations, events and memorials commemorating the French resistance.

The Drafts series is a little over half a linear foot and is made up of drafts of sections of Women in the Resistance and research materials, including articles and book excerpts, related to those sections. The chapter order and contents do not necessarily reflect those of the final version of the book. Because the majority of the collection consists of research materials Rossiter used in writing the book, the research materials in this series do not appear to be the only sources Rossiter used for the drafts with which they are included, but reflect the original order of the materials as they were donated.

The Publication and Distribution series consists of fifteen folders containing writing guidelines, correspondence and articles and excerpts about how to get published as well as correspondence with editors and potential publishers. The materials include some photographs, and related permissions, that were included in the book, reviews of Women in the Resistance and correspondence and documents relating specifically to Rossiter's relationship and negotiations with University of Michigan Press, Yale University Press and finally Praeger Publishers.

The Other Research series consists of roughly half a linear foot. It contains reprints and drafts of Rossiter's works other than Women in the Resistance and research materials on what appear to be additional academic, political and personal topics. Rossiter researched the history of women in Europe and the United States and the History of Women subseries contains related pamphlets, articles, book excerpts and essays as well as a selected bibliography, Rossiter's notes and newsletters from feminist organizations. She also followed the Klaus Barbie trial and the Klaus Barbie subseries contains relevant articles. Her political interests appear to have included U.S. government involvement in Iran, Libya and Nicaragua in the 1980s. The Political subseries contains articles about the government's involvement as well as Rossiter's letters protesting the government's actions in these regions to government officials and members of the media. Rossiter may have done some research towards her personal travel as this series also contains a few articles and pamphlets on travel in France, Michigan, New Zealand and Tahiti contained in the Travel subseries.

The Audiovisual Materials series consists of one linear foot of audio tapes and a folder of note cards. Some tapes are not labeled or are only partially labeled and the contents are yet to be determined. The labeled tapes contain interviews, lectures, conferences and talks primarily about the French resistance but contain some information relevant to Rossiter's other research on women's studies and Libya as described above. The interviews are with evaders, resistance members, professors and other people particularly knowledgeable about the French resistance. These interviews were performed by Rossiter or her assistants or recorded from television. The note cards give descriptions of the audio cassettes' contents but the numbering on the cards does not match the numbering on the cassette labels. The content of the cassettes as indicated on the cards does reflect the content as indicated on the cassette labels but in a different order.

Political group formed in Wayne, Michigan in 1920, with roots in the old Socialist Party of America. This "Michigan faction" was expelled from Communist Party shortly after its founding in 1919, in part for its "consistent adherence to majority action and repudiation of the Communist Party's minority action concept." The party moved its headquarters to Chicago in 1925 where it maintained an office until disbanding in 1968. Consists mainly of correspondence of National Secretary Al Wysocki.

The records of the Proletarian Party survive in an unusual condition, requiring an organizational scheme with some unusual features to accommodate them. Most of the records were torn up by hand when the party disbanded in 1968, usually into quarters or halves. Perhaps 75% of the records have since then been largely or wholly reconstituted by being pasted onto sheets or strips of paper or occasionally clipped or stapled together; the remainder exist only as fragments. These fragments have been variously treated depending on the series to which, if whole, they would belong. Fragments of general correspondence, if dated, are placed in separate folders of fragmentary correspondence at the end of each year's correspondence files; undated fragments are divided by medium and shape, handwritten fragments in one folder, typescript (mostly carbon copy) fragments into several, depending on whether they represent the top left, bottom left, or bottom right corners, the entire left side, or some miscellaneous portion of the original page. This should make it possible to reassemble individual letters when necessary, assuming that all the component parts still exist. Fragments of mundane official correspondence and other material is not distinguished from non-fragmentary examples of the same, fragments that have lost their date being treated as undated.

Note also that many of the records consist of carbon copies, often made on the verso of other documents of interest (flyers, bulletins, the Constitution of the Proletarian Party, etc.). With one or two exceptions, it is the later use as a carbon that is reflected in the item's organizational placement. Researchers seeking the documents accidentally preserved in this way may need to examine the whole collection personally.

The value of the collection resides chiefly in the correspondence. Taken in bulk, it provides an almost intimate acquaintance with the people and ideas that animated the Proletarian Party during its last ten to fifteen years of existence, as well as recollections of its past. The jargon and mechanisms of the party are well illustrated, as is, poignantly, the inability of either to cope with the refusal of history to cooperate with the party's program, or to accept the weariness its members. The decline of the party is well captured in passages like this (John Davis to Al Wysocki, May Day, 1963): "We are dying on the vine as it were, there isn't many more than a dozen of us left. You can't call this a political party. The bulk of our funds go to the paying of rent for the Headquarters and the Kerr store room. I ma not at all clear about what can be done." Or this, from one of the last two members of the Detroit Local (Phil Drouin to Al Wysoki, 6 May 1964): "I have been trying to get a meeting of the remaining members in local Detroit and the only one that shows up is myself and Bennie so we keep postponing it and contact the other members and they always have excuses so...it looks like local Detroit is finish." To which Wysoki can only reply vainly (9 May 1964): "The local Detroit members are asleep on their revolutionary duties."

For comments on the Sarah Lovell for Mayor (of Detroit) campaign, see general correspondence, April 1957. For Wysocki's exchanges with curious student Arthur Maglin, see general correspondence, May, 1960; with student Douglas Hainline, see May and July 1962. For comments on the correct interpretation of the assassination of J.F.Kennedy, see general correspondence of 29 November and 9 December 1963.

Ann Arbor, Michigan artist, invited to curate show on pornography and prostitution in conjunction with University of Michigan Law School on the subject. Speakers, including Catherine MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin,, generally opposed pornography and prostitution while artists argued for freedom of expression legalization and legalization of prostitution. Removal of a videotape from the exhibit resulted in controversy and legal action. Includes materials from the exhibit, correspondence, conference files, photos and videotapes.

The records in the Carol Jacobsen Collection are compromised of materials documenting the "Porn'im'age'ry" exhibit, the controversy and negotiations surrounding the exhibit, and materials concerning the issues of prostitution, pornography, sex work, and censorship. The records are organized into six series: Correspondence Files, Press Clippings and Published Material Files, Original Conference Files, Photographs, Protest and Reinstallation Material, and Videotapes.

The Oakley Johnson Papers, 1926-1934, 1966-1969, include correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings and other documents relating to the Negro-Caucasian Club and the City College of New York Case which addresses Oakley Johnson's dismissal from the College.

The Oakley Johnson papers date from 1926 to 1934 and from 1966 to 1969, with nothing for the years 1935 to 1965. The collection totals 17 folders or eight inches of material and is arranged in three groupings: University of Michigan Negro-Caucasian Club; City College of New York Case; and Other Papers.

The papers contain Johnson's correspondence in the 1960's with members of the Negro-Caucasian Club, concerning in part a reunion of Club members in 1969. The papers also reflect the controversy surrounding Johnson's dismissal from City College of New York in 1932.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Edward C. Weber (1922-2006) was long-time curator of the University of Michigan Special Collection's Joseph A. Labadie Collection of radical history. Under his stewardship, the Labadie Collection grew into one of the premier and most forward-thinking holdings of materials relating to radical and protest groups from the United States and around the world. The Edward C. Weber Papers are made up of the subject's correspondence and biographical materials, written from 1949 to 2006. The bulk of the collection, the correspondence is mostly comprised of Weber's letters soliciting materials on behalf of the Labadie Collection or fielding reference questions from researchers, as well as personal correspondence from the his family and friends. The collection's materials are comprised of letters (typed and handwritten), printed out emails, postcards, greeting cards, news clippings, photographs, printed biographical materials, framed commendations, and other miscellaneous paper materials.

The Edward C. Weber Papers consists of Weber's correspondence with organizations, publishers, researchers, associates, family, and friends, along with biographical materials created for his retirement and memorial services. The collection provides a snapshot of the Joseph A. Labadie Collection and his work there for a 40 year period (1960-2000), as well as a portrait of his personal relationships with friends and family from 1949 to 2005.

The Biographical Materials series contains materials from Weber's retirement celebration and memorial service. The first folder contains past articles and correspondence on paper stock, reprinted for Weber's memorial service in 2006. The second set of items relate to Weber's retirement in 2000. This includes a flyer for his retirement celebration, articles about his retirement, and copied certificates of commendation. In addition, two framed items of commendation are housed in an oversized box.

The Correspondence series makes up the majority of the collection and is comprised of 27 linear feet of paper material housed in 54 manuscript boxes, foldered alphabetically by correspondent or corresponding organization. Individual letters, cards, photographs and other types of written communication are arranged chronologically within each subject's folder(s). The majority of folders are dedicated to outreach by Weber to various radical groups and individuals soliciting material donations to contribute to the Labadie Collection. His written responses to reference inquiries for items within the Labadie Collection make up another significant segment of the series. Most of these materials are typewritten letters officially sent on behalf of the Labadie Collection and University of Michigan Special Collections. Some later letters were written by Labadie Collection assistants during Weber's time there and with his knowledge. Since Weber never used email, his letters sent on behalf of the Labadie Collection were typed on a manual or electric typewriter. There are occasional handwritten notations on some of these letters and a few emails printed out so he could read them. Other folders in the series contain personal correspondence from friends, family, and other associates. These items are made up mostly of handwritten notes, postcards, greeting cards, newspaper clippings, printouts of emails, occasional photographs, and other miscellaneous items. Many of the folders were removed from the general Labadie correspondence files in 2008 and a listing was made of them at that time. The rest of the series is made up of personal correspondence Weber stored in his home.

Within the series are several notable, lengthy correspondence partners including Theodore Adams (1950-2004, 21 folders), James Q. Belden (1952-2000, 11 folders), George Nick (1949-1991, 12 folders), Curtis and Clarice Rodgers (1961-2005, 18 folders), and Henry Van Dyke (1950-2004, 12 folders). The series also includes correspondence from notable individuals such as civil rights activist Malcolm X, graphic novelist Harvey Pekar, former Secretary of State Eliot Abrams, the White Panther Party, among many others.

Abbreviations:

LC=Labadie Collection ECW=Edward C. Weber