Search

Zoologist, college professor, president of University of Michigan, 1929-1951. Professional files relating to his career with the University Museum and as a professor of zoology, and presidential files containing correspondence, reports, speeches, and other University materials, including budget and legislative files, material relating to changes in University administration, his relationship with faculty, students and alumni, and photographs.

The Alexander Ruthven papers consists of two series of records. The first is the papers of Ruthven as president of the University of Michigan, 1929 to 1951. The second, and smaller, series is the files maintained by Ruthven as a zoologist with the University Museum and as professor of zoology. This latter series dates largely from 1908 to 1929 but also includes collected earlier files from the 1870s.

Erastus Otis Haven was the second president of the University of Michigan. Haven later became the President of Northwestern University, then served as the Chancellor of Syracuse University. The collection consists of photographs of Haven and his family, as well as scrapbooks and correspondence.

The E. O. Haven papers contains a letter, 1838, to his parents written from Wesleyan University; three letters from Haven about University of Michigan; a letter asking Haven to lecture in Saginaw, Michigan; letter book, 1864-1865, chiefly of official correspondence as president of University of Michigan, copies of articles appearing in the Michigan Argus for 1869, condemning and defending President Haven for speaking in a Unitarian church in Detroit, Michigan; and scrapbooks.

Portraits and other photographs are included as well, of Haven as well as his son, Otis Erastus, and his wife, Mary.

Ninth president of the University of Michigan, 1967-1978, later president of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, chairman of the National Institute for Dispute Resolution, and member of the boards of the MacArthur and Johnson Foundations. Personal files, including general and family correspondence, papers detailing service with the U. S. Army military police in Europe during World War II, records concerning activities as labor arbitrator, topical files relating to work at universities of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan; files relating to activities with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting concerning in part the Annenberg/CPB project; and photographs relating to his life and career.

The Robben Fleming collection documents a career marked by diversity in the areas of his public service. The cornerstone of his life is no doubt his years as ninth president of The University of Michigan. While this role is certainly documented in these papers, there is considerable other materials relating to his service in World War II, his work as a labor arbitrator and law professor, his work with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and his advocacy in other arenas of the importance of higher education. As Fleming worked in various educational and corporate settings, the records of that service properly belonged to those agencies. This collection, by and large, consists of personal materials retained by Fleming or copies of records given to Fleming as his own. Thus, for example, while this collection includes speeches, invitations, and personal correspondence, maintained while he was President of The University of Michigan, the records of the Office of the President for Fleming's tenure have been received and cataloged separately. Even so, the content of these materials is highly valuable on any number of topics, but specifically higher education broadly defined.

The series in the collection are Correspondence; World War II service; School materials; Labor Arbitration files; Career Activities to 1967; University of Michigan President, 1967-1978; Corporation for Public Broadcasting; Other Organizational Activities; Topical Files, 1978-2000; Knight v. State of Alabama; Publications, speeches, and reports; Personal and Autobiographical Materials; Travel Records; Clippings and Scrapbooks; Photographs; and Other visual and audio materials.