Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

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Collection

Glenn Ruggles papers, 1880s-2011

2 linear feet

Glenn Ruggles is an oral historian based in Walled Lake, Michigan. His collection consists of audiocassettes, photographs, and supporting material from his oral history projects.

The collection is divided into series corresponding to particular oral history projects, followed by a Personal series and a Collected materials series.

Voices on the water : an oral and pictorial history of Antrim County's chain of lakes was published in 1998, with a second edition published in 2005. The series contains recordings of oral history interviews conducted in the preparation of the book along with photographs: original and copy prints of vintage views, some modern views, and snapshots of interviewees.

The library has release forms only for the interviews with Jo Anne Beemon, Warren Daane, Lena Stalker, and Byrnece White.

Collection

Tim Retzloff oral history interviews, 1993-2012

91.3 GB

Online
The Tim Retzloff oral history interviews (1993-2012) consist of over eighty oral histories conducted by Tim Retzloff with members of Detroit's LGBTQ community.

The collection includes oral history interviews with members of Detroit's LGBTQ community conducted by Tim Retzloff between 1993 and 2012. Topics of discussion include experiences of coming out and gay life, Detroit's gay bar scene and other community spaces, and involvement in a variety of organizations including the Detroit Gay Liberation Front, the Gay Liberator, Detroit Gay Activists, the Green Carnation Community Center, ONE, and the Association of Suburban People.

Collection

Laurie Palazzolo Horn Man research materials collection, 1913-2004 (majority within 1940s-1980s)

10 linear feet (in 13 boxes) — 1 oversize folder — 5 GB (online) — 62 digital audio files

Online
Research materials used by Laurie Palazzolo in writing of her book Horn Man: the Polish-American Musician in Twentieth-Century Detroit (Detroit, Mich.: American-Polish Music Society, 2003). The collection sheds light on the history of 20th century Polish-American musical landscape of greater Detroit.

The collection documents the history and repertoire of Polish folk music bands in the greater Detroit area as well as professional careers of musicians. The records date primarily from the 1940's until 1980s. Materials dated 1990s-2000s are primarily transcripts of interviews taken by Gomulka Palazzolo. Records include correspondence, business contracts, performance schedules and programs, sheet music, scanned copies of photographs, copies of Keynote magazine, biographical information and interviews of musicians, performance advertisements, and recordings. The records are arranged into five series as follows: Research files, Detroit Federation of Musicians, Sheet music, Sound recordings, and Visual materials.

Collection

Jean Ledwith King Oral History Collection, circa 1927-2011 (majority within 2011)

62.7 GB (online)

Online
Ann Arbor, Michigan attorney who spent her career fighting sex discrimination in education, sports, and politics. The collection contains oral history interviews, tribute statements, and photographs collected on the occasion of renaming the Women's Center of Southeastern Michigan after Jean Ledwith King and for the creation of a documentary, "The Power of One: Celebrating Jean Ledwith King," by John Owens.

The Jean Ledwith King Oral History Collection is composed of visual materials collected by John Owens to celebrate King's life and work in 2011, when the Women's Center of Southeast Michigan was renamed in King's honor.

Collection

Norman G. Owen collection, 1979-1980

1 linear foot

Transcripts and cassette tapes of oral interviews conducted by students in class on the Vietnam War.

The collection consists of transcripts and cassette tapes made by students in the class on the Vietnam War taught by University of Michigan professor Norman Owen. The interviewees were members of the military, Vietnamese refugees, draft resisters, and anti-war activists. There is also a smaller series of files relating to Vietnam War veterans affairs.

Three of the interviewees requested that they remain anonymous in any publication made from their words. These interviews require that the researcher sign a statement of confidentiality.

Collection

Original Dulcimer Players Club records, 1963-2012

0.5 linear feet — 1 box (contains audiotapes)

Organization dedicated to furthering "the art of playing the Hammered Dulcimer" founded in 1963 by Elgia C. Hickok in Michigan. Records include correspondence, minutes, newsletters, programs, event flyers, and oral histories, sound recordings of interviews and meetings, and photographs.

The Original Dulcimer Players Club records document the group's organization and activities from its founding in 1963. The records are arranged into six series: Administrative materials, Publications and events, Articles and newspaper clippings, Miscellaneous, Visual materials, and Audio materials.

Collection

Michael O’Brien sound recordings, 1987-1990

60 audiocassettes

The Michael O'Brien collection of taped interviews consists of 60 cassette tapes conducted over the period of 1987 to 1990. Most of the interviews were conducted over the phone.

Collection

Netzorg Family papers, late 1880s-2012 (majority within 1938-1998)

30 linear feet (in 35 boxes, 1 oversize box, and 1 audio cassette box)

Papers of Morton Isadore and Katherine Smit Netzorg; their son Morton Jacob Netzorg and his wife Petra Fuld Netzorg; Petra Netzorg's mother Charlotte Fuld, and Petra's younger sister Bracha Fuld. The collection chronicles the history of the Philippine Islands in the 20th century, specifically during the Second World War; life of German Jewry on the eve of World War II; Zionist Insurgency in the British Mandate Palestine; developments in the scholarly field of South East Asian Studies and international publishing and book trade industries related to the region. The collection is a rich source of bibliographic material related to the Pacific Islands, primarily the Philippines, as well as the entire South East Asian region.

Family and business correspondence, including internment camp communications of Morton I. and Katherine; journals and diaries; published works and manuscripts of Morton J.; material related to Bracha Fuld's death; photographs; the Cellar Book Shop card catalog; also World War II-period artifacts, and Bracha's military ribbon.

Photographs and slides depicting Fuld and Netzorg families and their friends, Netzorgs' house in Detroit, Detroit street scenes, and the Cellar Book Shop. Of special interest are the World War II period photographs in the Morton I. and Katherine S. Netzorg part of the series depicting the conditions in liberated Philippines in 1945, military action and military life, and Jewish life in the U.S. military. Also of interest are the Fuld family photographs depicting Jewish life in Germany from the late 1800s to late 1930s. Slides with images taken during 1970s trips to the Philippines featuring Banaue, Cebu, Jolo, and Zamboanga, locations in the Southeast Asia, and Europe.

Recorded reminiscences of Morton J. Netzorg and Petra Fuld Netzorg.

Collection

National Archive on Sino-American Relations records, 1971-1984

28 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

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
Collection

George Murphy papers, 1911-1961

15 linear feet — 1 volume — 1 oversize folder

Judge of the Recorder's Court in Detroit and Frank Murphy's brother; contain correspondence, legal briefs, newspaper clippings, and other materials concerning Detroit politics, 1935-1961, the grand jury investigation of Detroit street railways, 1936, arbitration of labor disputes, 1936-1941, investigation of the Charles Street housing project, 1939-1940, as well as materials illuminating the careers and personal affairs of both George and Frank Murphy, especially in relation to Detroit and the Philippine Islands.

The George Murphy papers, which encompass the years 1911 to 1961, are most comprehensive for the decade following 1932. During this period - the most politically active in Murphy's career - the correspondence is especially useful in illustrating George Murphy's role in his brother's emergence as a politician, especially his role as dispenser of patronage in the depression years. The papers, of course, illuminate the social function performed by the Recorder's Court and contain voluminous correspondence with state and federal judges, attorneys, prisoners, prison officials, probation officers, etc. Judge Murphy also maintained close contact with affairs in his home town, Harbor Beach. Included in the collection are significant materials on affairs in the Philippines during his brother's governorship there, particularly correspondence during the years 1933 to 1936 with his sister, Marguerite, Eleanor Bumgardner, and with leading Filipinos concerning conditions there.

Collection

Cynthia L. Muñoz papers, circa 1941-2011, scattered

1 items (58 pages) — 1.47 GB (online) — 7 digital audiovisual files

Online
Cynthia L. Muñoz is a Detroit native and U-M Dearborn graduate who identifies as half Mexican/Spanish and half Polish/Hungarian. Materials in this collection include Muñoz's unpublished memoir, Vietnam War period correspondence from her uncle Ed Ryba, and family interviews, and photographs.

The Cynthia L. Muñoz papers are comprised of materials related to the Muñoz and Ryba families. The collection includes correspondence from Muñoz's uncle "Ed" Ryba over the course of his time in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War, an unpublished memoir written by Muñoz as part of the Immigrant Memoir Project, and family interviews and photographs.

Collection

Michigan Political History Society oral history collection, 1995-2013

122 GB (online)

Online

The collection consists of digital materials for 28 oral history interviews with state political figures, most of them active in the period of 1950 to 2000. The interviews are conducted by individuals knowledgeable about state political history. The content of the interviews are both about the individual's career and about the issues and personalities of the time. These interviews are with political and labor leaders, past members of the state legislature, a Detroit mayor, and a member of the state constitutional convention of 1961-1962.

Collection

Michigan Leaders in Community Health Nursing Oral History Project records, 1986-1997

1.3 linear feet

Oral history project focused on elder public health and community health nurses. Project leader Stephanie Myers Schim completed a dissertation based on the interviews. Administrative files on the project, background material on interviews, audio cassette tapes, transcripts of some interviews, and articles on the project including the dissertation "Leadership Expression of Elder Community Health Nurse Leaders in Michigan."

The Michigan Leaders in Community Health Nursing oral history project material consists of three series: Documentation and Research, Publication and Dissertation, and Audio Materials. The records date from 1986 to 1997.

Collection

Frank Murphy Oral History Project, 1963-1968

1 linear foot (in 2 boxes) — 5 digital audio files

Online
Transcripts of oral interviews conducted by University of Michigan history professor Sidney Fine in cooperation with the Michigan Historical Collections with individuals on the subject of the life and times of Michigan governor and U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Frank Murphy; and sound recordings of the interviews.

The transcripts of the interviews are arranged alphabetically by interviewee. The collection also includes the tapes of some of the interviews.

Collection

G. Mennen Williams and Nancy Quirk Williams oral history project, 1980-1982

3 linear feet — 52 digital audio files

Online
Oral history project of the Michigan Historical Collection to document politics and government during the gubernatorial administration of G. Mennen Williams; transcripts of interviews, sound cassettes, and administrative records of the project.

This is a collection of oral history tapes and interviews relating to the history of the gubernatorial administration of G. Mennen Williams. Interviews have been arranged alphabetically and include Paul Adams, Michael Berry, Geraldine N. Bledsoe, Ernest R. Boehm, Raymond Clevenger, John D. Dingell, Tom Downs, Alfred B. Fitt, Hicks and Martha Griffiths, Adelaide Hart, Jane B. Hart, Erma Henderson, Stella Lecznar, Wade H. McCree, Louis Mezzano, Victor G. Reuther, Horace Sheffield, Otis Smith, Paul W. Weber, Nancy (Quirk) Williams, Joseph L. Wisniewski, and Leonard Woodcock. Project files also include questionnaires (but not interviews) from other individuals associated with G. Mennen Williams.

Collection

Michigan Alliance of Cooperatives videocassettes, 1986-1989, undated

7 linear feet

The Michigan Alliance of Cooperatives videotapes include recordings of programs, oral history interviews, and panel discussions on topics of concern to cooperatives. Most of the tapes are professional broadcast U-matic videocassettes and master broadcast U-matic videocassettes with a few VHS cassettes. Cooperative leaders represented on the tapes include Fred Thornthwaite, Cecil Robert Crews, Luther Buchele, Jack McClanahan, and Joseph L. Hansknecht among others.

Collection

Russell M. Magnaghi collection, 1890s-2009 (majority within 1977-2009)

3 linear feet — 1 oversize folder — 1.8 MB (online) — 7 digital audio files

Online
Russell M. Magnaghi is professor of history at Northern Michigan University. The collection consists of oral history recordings and transcripts and photographs, developed as part of Magnaghi's work in documenting history and ethnicity of the Upper Peninsula and Michigan in general.

The collection consists of three series developed as part of Magnaghi's work in documenting history and ethnicity of the Upper Peninsula and Michigan in general. The series are Italian-American Immigrant Oral History Series; Ethnic Heritage of Presque Isle County, Mich.; and Photographs.

Collection

Hazel Marie Losh papers, 1870s-1978

2 linear feet

Professor of astronomy at the University of Michigan, friend and booster of U-M athletics and athletes; correspondence, speeches, class materials, and photographs.

The collection is comprised of three series: Correspondence, course materials, and other papers; Photographs; and Sound Recording. The photographs are of Losh family members, photos relating to University of Michigan athletics and other interests. There are also photos of Hazel Losh teaching in the classroom. The Sound Recording is of Professor Thomas Slavens interviewing Professor Losh about her life and career. A transcript has been made of this recording.

Collection

Ecology Center of Ann Arbor and Teach-In on the Environment oral histories, 2017-2020

83.1 GB (online)

Online
The Ecology Center of Ann Arbor and Teach-In on the Environment oral histories is a collection of recordings conducted by the University of Michigan students and faculty. The interviews primarily focus on Environmental Action (ENACT) and the Teach- In on the Environment in 1970, and the history of the first Earth Day that same year. In addition, past and present staff and collaborators of the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor discuss environmental activism in Michigan, with topics ranging from toxics disposal, recycling, waste disposal, and affordable energy. The oral history interviews were featured in-part and in-whole in digital exhibits hosted by the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Faculty member Matthew Lassiter was the advisor for these projects and was responsible for collecting all the related oral histories into a single collection for archival preservation.

This collection is comprised of interviews with members of Environmental Action for Survival (ENACT), the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor, and other environmental justice activists. Broadly, the interviews cover environmental justice in Michigan. In 2017, student interviewers spoke to members of ENACT who organized the 1970 Teach-In on the Environment, as well as activists who organized the first Earth Day. In the 2019-2021 partnership with the Ecology Center that followed, the Environmental Justice HistoryLab conducted interviews with current and former members and collaborators of the Ecology Center on all aspects of local environmental activism, including waste management, toxics disposal, energy programs, and environmental policy in the state.

The collection is organized into three series: Environmental Activism in Michigan, the Ecology Center, and Digital Exhibitions. These series are based on the project that the recorded interviews and clips were associated with, as well as which groups sponsored the interviews. Digital Exhibitions contains links to the final digital exhibits associated with each project, where available. While the interviews do not currently have transcripts, most of the recordings have an associated timestamped index.

Collection

Lembi Kongas papers, 1975-1978, 1992

2 linear feet

Oral history project conducted by Lembi Kongas entitled "Twentieth Century Farm Women: A View from Southern Michigan: Oral History Project, 1975-1978"; include audio tapes and transcripts of interviews; background materials; and published volumes, 1992, entitled "Farm women in the Twentieth Century: A view from southern Michigan."

The Kongas collection consists of the results of the project to document the lives of farm women living in Southern Michigan. The collection includes tapes of oral interviews, transcripts of the interviews, background materials, and miscellaneous photographs and slides.