Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

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Collection

University Planner's Office (University of Michigan) records, 1940-2014

48 linear feet — 1 oversize volume — 58.5 GB (online)

Online
The University Planner's Office oversees the master planning, site planning, and site design for the university. The records consist of correspondence, memoranda, meeting minutes, reports, architectural drawings, and photographs spanning the years 1840 to 2014.

The records of the University Planner's Office consist of 48 linear feet, 72.3 GB of digital files, and one oversize volume. Records contain correspondence, memoranda, meeting minutes, reports, architectural drawings, and photographs spanning the years 1840 to 2014. The records document the role of the University Planner's Office in campus planning on the University of Michigan campuses and in conjunction with the City of Ann Arbor.

Collection

Women in Science and Engineering Program (University of Michigan) records, 1974-2023, undated

11.3 linear feet — 62.5 GB (online) — 1 archived website

Online
Established in 1980 as part of the Center for Continuing Education of Women (now CEW+), the Women in Science and Engineering Program (WISE) has sought to increase the number of women who major in and seek advanced degrees in mathematics, science and technical fields. WISE has offered internships, resource guides, programming, and the Warner-Lambert lecture series towards this goal. In addition to supporting women at the collegiate level, WISE offers a variety of K-12 programs for students of any gender identity, although they are primarily aimed at women and girls. Records include correspondence and reports; physical and digital materials related to programming efforts, including the Warner-Lambert lecture series and Girls in Science and Engineering summer camp; funding proposals; research papers and talks by WISE staff members; and clippings and documents related to the establishment of WISE. Planning files for the Girls and Science and Technology (GASAT) IV Conference 1987, digital transcripts and recordings from an oral history project that sought to preserve the history of University of Michigan alumnae in the sciences and engineering, and material related to Smartgirl.com as well as the Women in Engineering Office are also included.

The WISE records (11.3 linear feet and digital files (online)) reflect the changing approaches that WISE took to encourage and support women in the sciences and engineering, as well as the changing organizational structure of the program. Specific formats include correspondence, digital photographs and videos, grant applications and program proposals, oral histories, research studies and talks, publications, reports, web archives, and background material on women and sciences at the University of Michigan. Prominently represented in the collection are WISE's various programming efforts, the Women's History in Michigan Science and Engineering Oral History Project, and the Women in Engineering Office (WIE).

Collection

Women's Glee Club (University of Michigan) records, 1903-2017 (majority within 1979-2006)

2 linear feet — 1 oversize box — 13.7 GB (online)

Online
Singing group established in 1902 as the University of Michigan Girls' Club before changing the name to Women's Glee Club in the 1940s. The group performed on campus and throughout Michigan as well as touring nationally and internationally. The group disbanded in 1953 and was reactivated in 1976. This records include concert programs and posters, fundraising information, correspondence, photographs, audio/visual recordings of performances, newspaper clippings and scrapbooks. Also included are administrative papers including budget information, schedules, rosters and rules.

The Women's Glee Club collection dates from 1903 to 2017 and is comprised of multiple accessions. Because these accessions came with little discernible structure, and because their contents overlapped, they were combined into one collection made up of printed and manuscript materials, as well as posters, scrapbooks, sound and video recordings in a few different formats. The collection has been divided into four series: Audio/Visual Materials, Topical File, Scrapbooks and Concert Posters. The first two series of the collection have been arranged alphabetically by topic, and chronologically within the files. The Scrapbooks series is contained in Box 2, and each scrapbook has retained its original organization.

Collection

Heidi Van Arnem papers, 1977-2003 (majority within 1994-2001)

3 linear feet — 1 oversize volume — 7.3 GB (online)

Online
Entrepreneur and disability rights activist from Birmingham, Michigan. The collection document's Van Arnem's life and career through news clippings, columns that Heidi Van Arnem wrote for the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News, business materials, files relating to her advocacy and fundraising efforts, and visual materials.

The collection is arranged into four series, Personal and Entrepreneurial, Fundraising and Advocacy, News Clippings, and Visual Materials.

Collection

Tom Van Zoeren oral history collection, 1860s-2011 (majority within 2000-2010)

1.5 linear feet — 70.1 GB (online)

Online
Tom Van Zoeren was a park ranger at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. His collection contains oral history interviews relating to the history of the Sleeping Bear Dunes region and other Michigan localities.

The Van Zoeren collection contains oral history interviews conducted between 1979 and 2010, and includes copies of scanned photos and supporting documents. The interviews are available variously on audio cassette tapes and online. Transcripts or summaries are found in the collection for many of the interviews. The Van Zoeren collection is organized in two sections by format.

The first section contains analog files and audio cassette tapes. This section is arranged in series by family interview: Basch/Lanham/Van Zoeren oral history interviews, 1993-2000; George Burfiend oral history interviews, photo collection, and farm tour, 2005-2008; DeKorne family oral history and photographs, 2006; Doan family oral history interview, 2006; Dottie (Ashmore) Lanham oral history and photograph collection, 2003-2008; Alfred and Loraine (Olsen) Mason oral history interview and photo collection, 2001-2004; Leonard Thoreson oral history interview and photos, 2005-2006; and Frederick and Margretha Werner Farm oral history interview and photo collection, 2006-2007. These series contain information related to the families and interviews in the form of text, scanned and printed images, and audio and video recordings.

Information about selected interviews:
  1. Basch, Laura (Oleson), of the Port Oneida, Michigan, area (audio cassettes and online)
  2. Burfiend, George, relating to Burfiend farm and Port Oneida (online)
  3. DeKorne, Jack relating to the family of Boudewyn and Kate DeKorne of Grand Rapids and Glen Lake, Michigan (online)
  4. Fargo, Judy Carole and Ruth Ann Doan Jones, relating to the Frank and Alma Doan family of Croswell, Michigan ( online, filed under Doan family)
  5. Lanham, Dottie, relating to her life and to Burdickville and surrounding area (online)
  6. Lanham, John, of Burdickville, Michigan (audio cassettes and online)
  7. Mason, Alfred and Lorraine [referred to as 'Loraine' in some collection materials] (Olsen), relating to their families, the family farms and the Port Oneida community (online)
  8. Miller, Charles, relating to the Frederick and Margretha Werner farm in Port Oneida (online, filed under Werner)
  9. Stuber, Mary Lou, relating to the Frederick and Margretha Werner farm in Port Oneida (online, filed under Werner)
  10. Thoresen, Leonard, relating to his family, the family farm and the Port Oneida community (online)
  11. Thoreson, Leonard, relating to the Frederick and Margretha Werner farm in Port Oneida (online, filed under Werner)
  12. Van Noord, Trudy, relating to the family of Boudewyn and Kate DeKorne of Grand Rapids and Glen Lake, Michigan (online, filed under DeKorne family)
  13. Van Zoeren, Jay, of Vriesland, Michigan, 1948 graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School (audio cassettes and online)

Additional files relating to these and other persons are available online.

The second section consists of one series of digitized material, oral histories, photos, and other historic materials from the Sleeping Bear Dunes region. The digital files were created or assembled by Van Zoeren and were received on an external hard drive. This series is further divided into subseries by type of material: Information on Farms, Families, etc.; Oral History Audio Files; Historic Images; Video Recordings; Genealogies; Census and Cemetery Records; Historic Maps; and Other Resources. Some of the content may be digitized versions of items in the analog portion of the collection.

Collection

George Vargas papers, 1933-2016 (with gaps), undated

7.6 linear feet (in 8 boxes) — 3.85 GB (online) — 3 oversize folders — 2 tubes — 1 oversize poster — 1 oversize box

Online
University of Michigan graduate (BFA '74, MA '76, and Ph.D. '88) and artist, art historian, and educator with an emphasis in Latino art. Materials include artwork as well as research, teaching, and professional topical files.

The George Vargas papers present a look at the interests, work, and activities of artist and historian George Vargas. The material is dated from approximately 1933-2016 and includes topical files, artwork, and correspondence.

The strength of the collection is found in the numerous lectures written by Vargas, which reveal the depth of his research, the original artwork, and the broader view of multi-cultural and, particularly, Latino art activities in Michigan. Also of note are his extensive files of artists that were of interest to him as well as his own papers and publications.

The researcher should note that many items in the collection overlap various series. As a result, researchers should—in addition to reviewing multiple series—be sure to look for the "see also" notes that help identify some of these overlaps.

Collection

Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 9 (Detroit, Mich.) records, 1973-2011 (majority within 1980-1997)

7 linear feet — 8.4 GB (online)

Online
This collection includes material regarding the activities of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc., Chapter 9 (Detroit, Mich.). Some members of this group have also been involved in the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) State of Michigan Council, as well as the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund and Vietnam Monument Commission so materials from these groups have also been included in this collection.

This collection has five series: Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. Chapter 9 (Detroit), Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc., Michigan Veterans Trust Fund, Vietnam Monument Commission, and Audio and visual material. Records in this collection include administrative documents, Vietnam Veterans of American national convention materials, and VVA chapter newsletters and publications.

Collection

Joseph Vining papers, 1953-2012

59 linear feet — 3.71 GB (online)

Online
Professor at the University of Michigan Law School from 1969 to 2009, fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and prominent legal scholar on a variety of topics including animal law, administrative law, and legal philosophy. Personal papers, correspondence, speeches, writings, and topical files.

The Joseph Vining papers contain 59 linear feet and 3.71 GB of personal and family papers, correspondence, writings, and topical files materials illustrating Vining's personal life, legal career, and scholarly work. The collection is divided into four series.

The Personal and Family Papers series features Vining's personal diaries and poetry written by Vining.

The Correspondence series contains correspondence organized by topic, year, and correspondent that focuses on Vining's legal career, scholarship, and leadership at the University of Michigan Law School.

The Speeches and Writings series includes recordings, transcripts, notes, and correspondence from speeches and presentations delivered by Vining. The series also contains correspondence, records, and notes from Vining's published and unpublished scholarly writings.

The Topical Files series contains materials about Vining's early legal career in Washington, D.C., his membership in various professional associations, and his scholarly work.

Collection

Clara Hadley Wait papers, 1893-2001 (majority within 1893-1919)

19 volumes (in 2 boxes) — 89.8 MB

Online
Member of the Michigan Daughters of the American Revolution; scrapbooks, journals, photograph albums, and genealogical material.

The Clara Hadley Wait collection includes scrapbooks, notebooks on art, travel journals, DAR materials, photograph albums, and genealogical material. The scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings, correspondence, copies of her articles, and other materials relating primarily to her civic activities, including description of her activities with the D.A.R. during World War I. The genealogical material consists of information gathered by Clara Wait about her ancestors. The collection includes a European travel diary, 1893, of her husband, William H. Wait.

Collection

Hanes Walton papers, 1983-2012 (majority within 1992-2011)

977.45 MB (online) — 13.4 linear feet

Online
Papers documenting the professional life and advocacy of Hanes Walton, an eminent professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Michigan. Collection includes correspondence, book reviews, dissertations produced under his guidance, materials demonstrating Walton's participation in university minority advocacy committees and publications, course syllabi and exams, oral histories and statistics gathered in the course of Walton's research, and files pertaining to his role as a supporter of historically black colleges and universities in the United States. Select files in this collection are in digital formats.

Materials in the Hanes Walton papers will be of particular interest to those seeking to understand one of the nation's preeminent African American political scientists as academician, teacher, and advocate; the collection's contents also illuminate broader questions of minority education, political participation by African Americans, and the process of scholarly publication in the United States. Although Walton enjoyed a career of more than forty years at four collegiate institutions, the coverage provided by his collection begins in the late 1980s and addresses his time at Savannah State College and the University of Michigan. Materials include drafts of works and reviews, research material, and correspondence. Also, video recordings of tributes to Walton by his University of Michigan colleagues, as well as of the 2015 memorial lecture in his name.

Collection

Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project Records, 1993-2008

16.5 linear feet — 5.9 MB (online)

Online
Organization founded in 1995 to encourage increased visibility and acceptance and appreciation of the lesbian/gay/bisexual and transgender community in Washtenaw County through education and political action. Materials received by the Bentley Historical Library in 2001 contain records primarily from the 1990s while materials received in 2013 are made up of records mostly from the 2000s. This organization's records contain meeting minutes, staff communications through email, and other documents relevant to the operation of the organization as well as how they carried out events and projects that aided the organization's purpose.

The Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project records came to the library in two accessions, in September 2001 and July 2013. The 2001 accession material (3.5 linear feet, Boxes 1-4) includes the earliest records in the WRAP record group and date from the period when the Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County chapter of the Michigan Campaign for Human Dignity was active in its opposition to the 1994 anti-gay ballot proposal. The bulk of the records in this accession, however, date from the period of 1995 to 2000 following the reorganization of MCHD-Washtenaw into the Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project. They reflect well the day-to-day workings of the organization, its publicity efforts and the various events it sponsored.

The 2001 accession material (3.5 linear feet) is divided into four series: Michigan Campaign for Human Dignity - Washtenaw County chapter, 1993-1995; Administrative; Education and Outreach; and Political Action. Much of the communication done within the organization was handled through e-mail. This included correspondence and minutes of board meetings. As a result, casual and tangential matters often became part of the official record. To conserve space while preserving the integrity of a train of thought or "conversation," the processing archivists decided to retain the final copy of a message as it usually also contained a long string of previous forwards and replies. Much of the material in the record group, particularly meeting minutes and correspondence, was recorded by Jim Toy, an active member of WRAP's board of directors and onetime secretary.

The 2013 accession material (16 linear feet, Boxes 5-17) contains mostly documents from the early 2000s. Material in the 2013 accession is divided into four series: Administrative, Events, Finance, and Projects. A large portion of the WRAP records in this accession are staff communications through email, particularly in the Administrative, and Events and Projects, series.

Collection

Arnold Weinstein papers, 1956-2013

12.3 linear feet (in 13 boxes including oversize) — 1 oversize volume — 18.3 GB (online)

Online
Papers of Arnold Weinstein, American poet, playwright, librettist, and translator. Material in both paper and digital formats includes manuscript drafts and final versions of libretti, music scores with Weinstein's lyrics, manuscript and published literary works; research and background material related to individual works and projects, as well as programs, publicity material and reviews of shows. Also commercially produced and non-commercial audio and video recordings.

The Papers of Arnold Weinstein collection documents the work of the American librettist, playwright and poet between the late 1950s through the 2000s.

Collection

Harry B. Welliver sound recording collection, 1948-1949 and 1965

1.3 linear feet (in 3 boxes) — 6.42 GB (online)

Online
The collection is comprised of sound recordings made by Harry B. Welliver of Michigan Upper Peninsula folk songs and stories, mainly relating to the state's lumbering history. Data sheets detailing each recording session are also present within the collection.

The Harry B. Welliver sound recording collection includes sound tape reels and sound discs and has been organized by these formats. The recordings capture folk songs and stories from the Michigan Upper Peninsula recorded by Welliver and Alan Lomax between 1948 and 1949. They provide insight into the culture and prominent lumbering industry of northern Michigan. Supplemental materials include data sheets about the recording sessions as well as one cassette tape. Many, but not all, data sheets correspond to recordings within the collection. A selection of the audio materials has been digitized and can be accessed within the Bentley Historical Library reading room by following the links in this finding aid.

Collection

Hilary Whittaker papers, 1959-1960, 1967-1971

0.3 linear feet — 274 MB (online)

Online
The Hilary Whittaker papers contains correspondence from her time as Peace Corps volunteer and administrator in India and her time with the Red Cross in Morocco and France.

The Hilary Whittaker papers includes the correspondence Whittaker had with her family during her time in both Morocco and France with the Peace Corps as well as her time in India with the Peace Corps. The sound recording consists of her description of an earthquake in Morocco in 1960.

Collection

Horace L. Wilgus Papers, 1878-1935

4.5 linear feet — 1 oversize folder — 14.3 MB (online)

Online
Professor of law at University of Michigan, and specialist in corporation law. Correspondence, speeches, newspaper clippings, notes, and manuscripts of books and articles, relating to his professional career, Ann Arbor, Michigan organizations and issues, particularly progressive political movements and prohibition, including the Michigan Anti-Saloon League, the anti-trust movement, and the 1912 Progressive Party; also photographs.

The Horace L. Wilgus papers include correspondence, speeches, clippings, notes, manuscripts of books and articles dealing with his professional career, the many Ann Arbor organizations and issues in which he was interested: particularly progressive political movements and prohibition, including the Michigan Anti-Saloon League, the anti-trust movement, and the 1912 Progressive Party. The collection also includes University of Michigan Law School course materials, family genealogical information, and a small series of photographs, many of them of his home on Washtenaw Ave. in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Collection

Smith-Parker-Hicks-Winegar Family Papers, 1821-2012 (majority within 1880-1952)

4.3 linear feet (in 7 boxes) — 1.3 GB (online)

Online
The Smith-Parker-Hicks-Winegar Family Papers document the history of several branches of the family who settled in Southern Michigan in the mid-1830s. The collection's seven series contain genealogical records, biographical materials, financial and business records, family correspondence, travel papers, military papers, as well as collected news clippings and scrapbooks about the Detroit Tigers.

The Smith-Parker-Hicks-Winegar Family Papers comprises the papers of various family members collected and maintained by Dr. George and Mrs. Lois Winegar. The collection is divided into seven series: Genealogical Papers and Miscellaneous Family Records, the Robert R. Smith papers, the Blanche Smith Parker papers, the Lois V. Parker Hicks papers, the W. J. Bryan Hicks papers, the George and Lois Winegar papers, and the Detroit Tigers Scrapbooks and Collected Material. The collection is organized around individual family members except for the first series, which contains genealogical and personal papers of multiple people from various family branches.

Collection

Sherwin T. Wine papers, 1930s-2011

36.5 linear feet (in 42 boxes) — 1 oversize folder — 4.4 GB (online)

Online
Sherwin T. Wine was the iconoclastic founder of Humanistic Judaism and an openly gay rabbi who established the Birmingham Temple and formed the Society for Humanistic Judaism, the Center for New Thinking (a community forum for discussion of current events and issues), and various groups devoted to free thought and humanism. Papers include biographical content, correspondence, writings, educational and worship materials, sound recordings, visual materials, and various organizational records.

The Sherwin T. Wine papers illustrate the intellectual traits and organizational acumen of a man who devoted his life to the establishment of a new branch of Judaism and the advancement of humanistic values and rationalism. The collection will be of value to those individuals who seek a deeper understanding of Wine as a person as well as the founder of Humanistic Judaism. Writings, correspondence, and clippings detail the process by which Wine broke free from the traditions of Reform Judaism to found a new denomination. Materials from the Birmingham Temple and other Secular Humanist Judaism organizations trace the development and expansion of the movement. Content related to the many other groups with which Wine was involved reveal an individual able to organize and inspire others to act at local, national, and international levels.

Collection

Wisconsin Land & Lumber Company records, 1871-1920

42 linear feet — 65 oversize volumes — 71 microfilms — 1.8 GB (online)

Online
Corporate records of C.J.L. Meyer of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and Hermansville, Michigan, manufacturer of doors, lumber for sashes, hardwood flooring, and related products; records of the William Mueller Company of Escanaba and LaBranche, Michigan, a firm taken over by Wisconsin Land and Lumber in 1909. Financial journals, ledgers, inventories, payroll ledgers; letterbooks of C.J.L. Meyer, Edwin P. Radford, company superintendent, and of other company officials; office correspondence files; and photographs.

This record group which came from the Wisconsin Land and Lumber Company in Hermansville, Michigan is in fact an accumulation of records from three distinct business enterprises. First, there are records of C.J.L. Meyer business enterprises in Chicago and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Next are records maintained in Hermansville with the establishment of the Wisconsin Land and Lumber Company in the 1870s. A third, smaller portion of the records are from the William Mueller Company, which WLL purchased in 1909.

When originally received in 1948, the records consisted of nearly 500 volumes of business journals and ledgers, time books, and letterpress books. During 1979-1981, the library began a program of microfilming to reduce the size of the record group. With the permission of the company, records that had been microfilmed were discarded. Also discarded were records duplicative in content of the records on microfilm. Other records were retained in the original without filming. The record group then consisted of 53 reels of microfilm representing approximately 112 volumes of business records, 65 oversized volumes, and 42 linear feet of boxed records (volumes, letterpress books, and correspondence files). In 2006, the library received additional microfilm (18 rolls) and digital materials containing scanned images of the photographs in the possession of the IXL Museum, which is the repository for the records of the company not received with the first accession. These records, which were retained, include personal correspondence of C.J.L. Meyer, some records of Meyer prior to the establishment of WLL, and records then considered current or of continuing value to the operation of the company.

The record group has been arranged as much as possible into series, but the researcher should note that identification of individuals volumes or files was not as certain as one would like. Thus, for example, there are various ledgers and journals, some with overlapping dates, but it was not always clear where these records were created or what function or division within the firm they documented. The fact that the company retained some of the earlier records accounts in part for what appear to be broken series. Further complicating the structure of the following finding aid is the interspersing of microfilmed materials and oversize volumes. Similar kinds of records (such as time books), for example, are thus found both in original and on microfilm.

As much as possible, like kinds of records have been kept to together (letterpress books, etc.). These are followed by records known to be created by a specific organization or maintained in a specific locale (e.g. Fond du Lac). The series in the record group are: Letterpress books (mainly business correspondence); Letterpress books (mainly business correspondence); Inventories, order books, etc.; C. J. L. Meyer Business Records; Wisconsin Land and Lumber Company; William Mueller Company; Photographs; and IXL Museum additions.

In 2007, the IXL Museum of Hermansville, Michigan, successor to the company and custodian of additional records of the Wisconsin Land and Lumber Company, entered into agreement with the Bentley Library to exchange microfilm of selected portions of the records housed in the other's repository. In addition, the two repositories agreed that the Bentley Library would place on indefinite loan to the IXL Museum the originals of WLL photographs in its possession, and that the IXL Museum would donated to the Bentley Library digital copies of all of the many hundreds of photographs in its collection.

Collection

Eric R. Wolf papers, 1939-2011

14 linear feet — 1 oversize folder — 1 digital audio file

Online
Anthropologist; professor of anthropology at the University of Michigan and the City University of New York. The collection is organized into eight series: Biographical; Correspondence; Fieldwork; Courses; Lectures; Publications; Graduate school and other notes; and Political activities.

The Eric Wolf papers include notes and analysis related to his anthropological fieldwork, personal and professional correspondence, as well as course and lecture materials, documenting the many aspects of Wolf's professional life as an anthropologist, instructor, and mentor. The collection is organized into ten series: Biographical, Correspondence, Fieldwork, Early/Unpublished Writing, Courses, Lectures, Publications, Notes, Political Activities, and Other Materials.