Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Oral history interviews with residents of Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and other Washtenaw County, Michigan, locales largely concerning their remembrances of their lives and activities during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

The sound recordings were received in different accessions depending mainly on the date of the interview. The first accession was largely made up of interviews conducted by the Ypsilanti Historical Society and related to the history of Ypsilanti and surrounding areas. The second accession is comprised of interviews with individuals relating to Ann Arbor business establishments. The later accessions were miscellaneous interviews on Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County history. Accompanying almost all of the interviews were summary sheets providing a condensation of the interview. The listing below notes the interviews which lack a summary.

The library has releases from about half of the interviewees. Interviews with releases are noted in the listing below.

Oral interview on two CDs with Virginia Allan conducted by Jean Rainey under the auspices of the Pennsylvania State University Archives as part of its "A Few Good Women" Oral History Collection. Also included is an edited transcript of the interview.

Oral history project created by the Historical Society for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, an organization dedicated to promoting the history of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Contains digital files of transcripts and chronologies created from the project.

The collection is composed of oral histories surrounding the Historical Society for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. The collection is organized in one series of materials from the Federal Court Oral History Project. The collection is made up of digital files containing interview transcripts and chronologies which outline the educational and professional accomplishments of the project participants.

There are a greater number of transcripts than chronologies as the collection does not include a chronlogies for every participant interviewed.

The Turner Geriatric Clinic was established in 1978 as an extension of the University of Michigan Hospital and is devoted to the medical and social care of the elderly. The collection ranges from 1979 to 2009 (bulk 1990-2008) and contains material on community and social work programs, including photographs, video and audio cassettes, information on programs sponsored by the Center, publications, and material from the U.S.-Japan Training Institute.

The collection consists of materials from the Turner Geriatric Clinic that begins when the Center was established in 1979 and ends with records from 2009, with the bulk covering 1990-2008. The collection contains eight series: Personal Files, Photographs, Programs, Publications, Publicity, Topical Files, U.S.-Japan Institute, and Audio-Visual Materials.

Oral history project relating to women in the trade union movement; interviews and administrative records from the project.

The records of the "The Twentieth Century Trade Union Woman: Vehicle for Social Change" oral history project include transcripts of completed interviews, rough drafts and incomplete versions of other interview; administrative files of the project, and subject files. Also included are the cassette tapes of the interviews, microfiche or microfilm copies of the completed interviews which in 1979 which open to research, and a copy of the Rocking the Boat book. The Administrative Files: Interviewees series is arranged alphabetically by name of interviewee and includes correspondence, vita of the individual, notes of the interviewer, articles, and other miscellaneous background information. The Project subject files, also arranged alphabetically, includes general correspondence, records of advisory board meetings, grant proposals, and correspondence with individuals considered by not interviewed.

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.

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.

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.

Oral histories of University of Michigan Business School faculty members, conducted by Enid Galler 1976, 1990-1992, 1999, and 2005 discussing their background, education, careers, and the business school and university.

The Ross School of Business (University of Michigan) oral history interviews are comprised of typed transcripts and sound recordings, primarily audiocassette tapes of seventeen interviews with retired faculty members recorded during an oral history project undertaken by the School's Alumni and Development Office. The interviews were conducted by Enid H. Galler between 1990 and 1992, 1999, 2005, and one earlier interview identified as being from 1976. The typed transcripts include subject indexes. There are discrepancies between the dates on the transcripts and the dates on the tapes - different dates also appear on the cover sheets of the transcripts and the transcripts themselves. The transcripts and sound recordings are arranged alphabetically by the subject's last name. For consistency, the transcript dates are taken from the cover sheets, and the sound recording dates are taken from the dates on the audio item, except in one case where an item is undated. The date for this interview is taken from the date on the transcript.

Interviews typically include information on the subject's background, education, and family, and commentary on his or her career and overall involvement with the university. The interviews also contain a great deal of information on the administration of, and issues within the School, as well as on the operation of the university as a whole.

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.

Professor of political science at the University of Michigan and Democratic mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan for one term, 1957-1959. The collection consists primarily of Eldersveld's mayoralty subject files. There are also some of his writings, as well as notes, course materials, correspondence, departmental memos, reports, biographical material, and recordings of interviews.

The Samuel J. Eldersveld Papers document Eldersveld's academic career, his mayoralty, and personal background. The collection consists primarily of Eldersveld's writings, notes, course materials, correspondence, departmental memos, reports, oral history project, biographical material and mayoralty subject files. The collection contains the following series: Mayoralty Files, 1957-1959, Ann Arbor City Council, Personal/Biographical, Academic Career and Sound Recordings.

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.

Papers include correspondence, diary, clippings, and photographs relating to his experience as a prisoner; correspondence relating to his Purple Heart award and the Prisoner of War medal. Also included a memoir by Sidney Esensten about his experience as an American P.O.W. during the Korean War.

Visual materials include photos relating to his experience as a prisoner; videotape entitled "P.O.W.--Americans in Enemy Hands" (1986), which includes interview with Fletcher; videotape of 1990 presentation by Fletcher and three Tuskegee Airmen, African American World War II aviators, describing their military experiences, and an undated videotape "Priority: P.O.W."

Conservationist from Petoskey, Michigan who wrote columns and served as an environmental reporter for several regional newspapers; records include published newspaper columns and articles, drafts, photographs and negatives, and documentation relating to his conservation work.

The Reginald Sharkey collection consists of three series: Conservation Career, Writing Career, and Visual Materials. The collection's strength lies in drafts of Sharkey's columns, photographs, and drawings related to wildlife and the environment in Northern Michigan in the 1970s and 1980s.

A Dearborn, Michigan writer and television producer. Collection includes digital materials of the interviews and film footage used in the production of his documentary, "New beginnings: the story of the Islamic Center of America."

The Raad Alawan collection consists of digital materials of the interview and film footage used in the production of his documentary, "New beginnings: the story of the Islamic Center of America."

Patricia A. Irwin (1938-2015) was a Detroit, Mich. nurse. Consists of an oral history interview conducted by Elizabeth J. Miller regarding Irwin's life and career.

The collections includes an oral history interview conducted by Elizabeth J. Miller regarding Irwin's life and career.

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.

The Nursing History Society aims to preserve the history of nursing at the University of Michigan. Society was officially formed in 1983 with the purpose of engaging in activities directed toward the preservation of the history of nursing at the University of Michigan. Records include administrative files, meeting minutes, programs, membership materials, and reports; historical files date from 1936 and include materials on the subject of nursing history, class notes, nursing manuals, oral history tapes, and photographs.

The records for the Nursing History Society consist of administrative records, including minutes, programs, membership materials, and reports; historical files dating back to 1936, collected material on the subject of nursing history, University of Michigan nursing class notes, nursing manuals, oral history tapes, and photographs.

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.

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.

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