Collections : [University of Michigan William L. Clements Library]

The Grace D. Banker collection contains letters, photographs, and newspaper clippings written by or relating to Grace D. Banker, a telephone operator who served during World War I as part of the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Europe with the American Expeditionary Forces.

Banker sent two letters to Georgette Poulard, an American immigrant of French origin. On April 8, 1918, in French, Grace Banker informed her friend that she did not see any submarines on the voyage to France, described her appreciation for the French countryside, and gardens, and assured her that she did not carry a revolver as she was not in danger. On September 10, 1918, Banker wrote about the news of her father's death, the picturesque quality of her surroundings, and her current lodgings in a French home. Accompanying the letters are three empty envelopes addressed to Poulard, one containing a newspaper clipping about Banker's decoration and some plant material in a small envelope labelled "My Four and Five and six/leaf clovers/Georgette/Poulard."

The collection includes a silver gelatin portrait photograph of Grace Banker in uniform, mounted in a separated trifold photo mat. A contemporary newspaper clipping, "First Passaic Girl to join the Army," includes a newsprint reproduction of the portrait; it is pasted on the damaged mat.

This collection contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, a typescript, and a photograph related to William D. Workman's appearance on a television program about the integration of schools in the South, originally aired on September 29, 1957. Workman received 23 responses over the following days. Writers most frequently expressed their support of segregated schools, and many also commented on race relations and other political issues concerning the South.

This collection contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, a typescript, and a photograph related to William D. Workman's appearance on a television program about the integration of schools in the South, originally aired on September 29, 1957. Workman received 23 responses over the following days. Writers most frequently expressed their support of segregated schools, and many also commented on race relations and other political issues concerning the South.

Most items in the Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings series are letters of thanks Workman received shortly after his television appearance. Viewers and listeners sent 23 acknowledgments in letters, postcards, and telegrams, most written on September 30, 1957. Though the overwhelming majority of correspondents provided positive feedback, one provided a strongly negative response. Most letters originated from viewers in southern states, who lauded Workman for his comments on the effects of integration policies on the South, and often expressed their own opinions and thoughts on racial issues and on relations between the North and South. Writers overwhelmingly supported segregation. Many referred to the right to self-governance, and a man named Ed. C. Dennis, Jr., jokingly referred to the possibility of South Carolina seceding from the Union. One woman also noted her father's service in the Confederate Army, and many writers commented on recent desegregation attempts in Little Rock, Arkansas. A few correspondents also shared their feelings, usually negative, about Jews and Catholics. Workman received newspaper clippings and pamphlets on similar topics, particularly on religious and political issues; one took exception to the upcoming film Island in the Sun, which featured interracial romances. The series also holds a bundled group of letters between Workman and producers at CBS, who thanked him for his participation in the program.

The Typescript and Photograph series contains a typescript of the "Report on Integration," which aired on CBS television on September 29, 1957, and on CBS radio on September 30, 1957, as well as a black-and-white photograph of the panel participants.