Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Peter Sparling is Professor of Dance at the University of Michigan School of Music. Well known as both performer and choreographer, he has danced with Martha Graham and Jose Limon. Papers consist of materials relating to Sparling's dance training, performance, and teaching including background materials; choreography notes and sketches; correspondence; clippings and publicity from dance companies with whom he was associated; programs and reviews; photographs, video and film of performances; and posters.

The Peter Sparling Papers include materials relating to Sparling's dance training, performance, and teaching. The papers are divided into eight series: Background Materials, Choreography, Correspondence, Dance Companies, Programs, Reviews, Photographs, Performance, Audition, and Rehearsal Videos, and Posters.

Paul Cutler Showers was a journalist and freelance writer. His writing and editing days began through involvement with The Gargoyle and The Michigan Daily while attending the University of Michigan. Showers's papers document his lengthy journalism career through his writings, recollections, and correspondence regarding the Detroit Free Press, the U.S. Army's Yank Magazine, and the Sunday New York Times. Family history played an important role in his life and can be seen through his collection of family photographs, recollections, and stories. In his later years, Showers became a prominent children's author known internationally for his work with the "Read and Find Out" series of science books for beginning readers.

The Paul Cutler Showers Papers document the life of a writer and editor, a University of Michigan alumni, an avid genealogist, a World War II veteran, and a prominent children's author.

The arrangement of the papers maintains their original order of four series including Correspondence, Family History, Personal and Professional Papers, and Visual Materials. These are in alphabetical order except for the Personal and Professional Papers series, which follows its original chronological organization according to Paul Showers's career. The papers contain very little information about his work as a children's non-fiction author. This portion of his papers are within the Kerlan Collection, which is part of the Children's Literature Research Collections at the University of Minnesota.

Ann Arbor, Michigan, businessman and attorney, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party State Central Committee, U. S. Congressman-at-large, 1963-1964, gubernatorial candidate in 1964, member of the U. S. Federal Election Commission, 1975-1978. Chronological, congressional and topical files relating to political and personal activities; include political files detailing state election campaigns 1948-1964, particularly the campaigns of G. Mennen Williams and John B. Swainson; also photographs and transcript of oral interview, 1979.

Neil Staebler first began donating his files to the Michigan Historical Collections of the University of Michigan in 1961 following his eleven year tenure as chairman of the Democratic Party State Central Committee. Periodically thereafter and continuing into the 1970s, Staebler continued to add to his collection with Congressional papers (1963-1964), campaign files when he ran for governor in 1964, topical records created from his years of service with the Democratic National Committee (see attached vita), and records from his term as commissioner on the Federal Election Commission (1975-1978).

This collection comprised of twelve series documents Staebler's career and the course of Democratic politics since World War II. Since Staebler was principally an organizer of campaigns, a behind-the-scenes manager who preferred to handle the details of an election rather than to step into the candidate's spotlight himself, the collection concerns all phases of a successful campaign not just the posturings of the party's candidates. There is, for example, much information relating to the day-to-day operations of the party, i.e. fund-raising activities, the annual Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner, the formulation of the party's platform and related resolutions at the Spring and Fall conventions, and the activities of party-related special interest organizations.

Grant project of the Center for Chinese Studies of the University of Michigan to locate and collect materials of visitors to the Peoples Republic of China since the reopening of diplomatic contact in 1971. Printed and manuscript diaries and journals, recollections, reports, correspondence, and audio-tapes; oral interviews with members of the United States Table Tennis Association team; and administrative files.

This record group consists of the following series: Americans in China, 1971-1980; Oral interviews, transcripts, and other sound recordings; Administrative and Background files; and Visual materials.

The bulk of the record group is the Americans in China series, which is arranged alphabetically by the name of the individual or group visiting China. As part of the grant, the project head created a detailed subject guide to the contents of the files. This 313 page guide, entitled Americans in China 1971-1980; a guide to the University of Michigan National Archive on Sino-American Relations is available at the Bentley Historical Library and at several other college and university libraries. The following is a list of the subject arrangement of the guide.

1. Acupuncture
2. Agriculture
3. Archaeology
4. Architecture
5. Art
6. Childcare
7. Chinese Communist Party
8. Chinese Visitors to the United States
9. Cities
10. Communes
11. Cultural Revolution
12. Customs
13. Economics
14. Education
15. Environment
16. Family Life
17. Festivals
18. Foreign Policy
19. Health Care
20. History
21. Industry
22. Interviews and Meetings
23. Legal System
24. Libraries and Archives
25. Lifestyle
26. Linguistics
27. Literature
28. Mass Media
29. Medical Science
30. Military
31. Minorities
32. Museums
33. Performing Arts
34. Political and Social Organization
35. Politics
36. Population Planning
37. Provinces and Autonomous Regions
38. Publications
39. Religion
40. Science and Technology
41. Sports
42. Trade
43. Transportation
44. United States-China Relations
45. Universities and Institutes
46. Women

Construction engineer and Michigan Democratic politician; served terms as Oakland County Drain Commissioner, Michigan State Highway Commissioner, and as Governor, 1941-1942; include correspondence, scrapbooks, appointment books, and assorted miscellanea.

The series in the Van Wagoner collection are Correspondence (1933-1945); Newspaper clippings/Scrapbooks (1930-1933 and 1940-1949); Miscellaneous/Political; and Visual Materials. The collection is largely an accumulation of personal materials from his career as a public service. There is very little of these papers that might be classified as administrative or office files from his years as highway commissioner or his term as governor.

Interdisciplinary unit established in 1955 to conduct a program of basic research in mental health and the behavioral sciences. Administrative files, committee records, and correspondence of directors James Miller, Gardner Quarton, and Bernard Agranoff, and photographs and films.

The record group is divided into 6 series: History/Background, Administrative Files, Committees, Directors Files, Personnel Files, and Visual Materials.

Federation of state conservation and environmental organizations. Administrative files, including minutes of board of directors and executive committee; press releases and other published materials; files of district organizations and of various organization committees; and photographs.

The records of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs have been divided into the following series: Administration, Committees, Correspondence, District Organizations, Public Relations, Speech File, Topical Files, Publications, Visual Materials, People File, and Scrapbooks.

The pre-1990 accessions from the Michigan Library Association (MLA) are available in three broad groups of material which overlap one another in terms of office of origin, dates, and subjects. This arrangement reflects the way the material was received from the MLA.

The papers received with the 1990 accession cover the years 1937-1952 and 1961-1989 with the bulk of the material from 1980-1989.

The papers received in 1993 cover the years 1977-1991 and mostly contain records of the Intellectual Freedom Committee. Accession also includes bylaws, minutes of the Management and Administration Forum, policies and procedures, and minutes of the Executive board, 1981-1983.

Organization formed to coordinate support for abortion reform in Michigan in the 1972 statewide election. The record group includes position papers, surveys, mailings, press releases, correspondence, visual materials, and clippings relating to the campaign.

The papers of MARC have been organized both chronologically and by type of material. Papers from the drive for legislation (1969-1971) are followed by materials from the petition drive (1971-1972) and the referendum campaign (1972). Campaign materials include the publicity and press releases of MARC, organizing materials, publicity distributed by the group opposed to Proposition B, the Michigan Right to Life Committee, and correspondence.

Director of cultural activities of the Extension Service of the University of Michigan. Material relating to the National Youth Administration and the effect of the depression on Michigan youth; files collected relating to Michigan cultural organizations, art festivals and exhibitions; notebooks containing biographical information on Michigan artists; and photographs.

The Michael Church collection has been arranged into the following series: Biographical/personal; Cultural Organizations and Programs; Michigan Artists; Programs of Art Exhibitions; Audio-Visual Material; Clippings; and Other activities and interests. Of special interests are the files of collected information about local Michigan art organizations and the binders containing biographical information about Michigan artists.