Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan was established in 1897 following a consolidation of the Society of Alumni with the alumni societies of the professional schools. The Michigan Alumnus became the association's official organ. As the organization grew, local chapters were established and provided greater structure. The records include files pertaining to the Alumni Association's administrative office and various chapters and interests groups. This includes national and international U-M alumni and alumnae clubs, the Alumnae Council, the Society of Alumni, the University of Michigan Black Alumni (UMBA-formerly the African American Alumni Council (AAC)), and the Reunion of Black Graduates (RBG). The records include but are not limited to correspondence, minutes, reports, and survey responses, audiovisual materials, digital files, photographs, and publications.

The collection spans 1845-2001. The textual records of the Alumni Association (boxes 1-133) are largely unprocessed, and are described in only general terms in this finding aid. Exceptions include files maintained by Marjorie Williams who served as the vice chair and chair of the Alumnae Council from 1960 to 1962, Class Reunion files, and Topical Files.

Additions to the collection (boxes 168-171) incorporate records, audiovisual materials, photographs, and publications pertaining to the University of Michigan Black Alumni (UMBA). To note are materials specifically related to the African American Alumni Council (AAAC)-formerly the UMBA, and the Reunion of Black Graduates (RBG). This includes information about the Dr. Leonard F. Sain Award, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. scholarship and symposium, the Camp Michigania retreat, and annual reunion for black graduates photographs, planning materials, and souvenir books.

Lawyer, Member of Michigan Supreme Court, 1842-1846, Democratic Governor of Michigan, 1846-1847, and holder of numerous other public offices; papers include correspondence and other papers documenting his career in public service.

The Alpheus Felch papers details the active life of this nineteenth century Michigan public servant. Not only are public issues discussed in the correspondence files but the researcher will also gain an understanding of some of the personal problems associated with public service. The collection also includes several files of other family members.

Professor of philosophy and dean of the graduate school of University of Michigan. Correspondence, speeches, manuscripts of writings, student notebooks from Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, philosophy lecture notes, and photographs.

The Alfred Lloyd collection includes correspondence, speeches and writings, lecture notes. Within the correspondence, there are letters from Charles H. Cooley, July 1920, William H. Hobbs, Dec. 1918, James H. Tufts, July 1916 and Feb. 1919, the Ann Arbor Branch of the National Security League, Dec. 1918, John Dewey, Oct. 1917, Bertrand Russell, November 1925 and January 1926, and Robert M. Wenley in the years 1925 to 1927.

Professor of geology and paleontology at the University of Michigan, director of the Michigan Geological Survey, and chancellor of Syracuse University, popular lecturer and writer on scientific topics and as a Methodist layman who worked to reconcile traditional religious beliefs to nineteenth-century developments in the fields of evolutionary biology, cosmology, geology, and paleontology. Papers include extensive diaries, field notes and maps from travels and geological expeditions, correspondence, speeches, articles and other publications and photographs.

The papers of Alexander Winchell are those of an orderly man who carefully documented his own life through well-organized correspondence, diaries, notebooks, and scrapbooks. Winchell kept thorough evidence of his activities, writings, lectures, and thoughts, for most of his life. The only area that seems poorly documented is his university teaching. The collection does not appear to include significant material relating to relationships with students in the classroom.

"Alexander Winchell, an editorial tribute," published in The American Geologist (Feb. 1892, MHC call number DB/2/W759/A512), includes a year-by-year account of Winchell's life, based on the papers, and probably written by his brother N. H. Winchell. Although there are no footnotes in this work, it provides a useful summary of Winchell's activities and clues to the existence of documentation in the collection.

The collection is divided into six major series: Biographical, Correspondence, Diaries and journals, Writings and lectures, Reference and research files, and Scrapbooks; and three smaller series: Visual materials, Processing notes, and Card files.

Winchell's bibliography is located in Box 1 (the most complete copy is in the "Permanent memoranda" volume), and drafts of many of his writings are found in Boxes 8-14. Copies of many, but not all, of Winchell's publications are found in the MHC printed collection. The card catalog includes details for all separately cataloged items. There are also three collections of pamphlets that are not inventoried: two slightly different bound sets prepared by N. H. Winchell after Alexander Winchell's death (MHC call numbers DA/2/W759/M678/Set A and DA/2/W759/M678/Set B) and a two-box collection of pamphlets collected by the University Library (MHC call number Univ. of Mich. Coll./J/17/W759).

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.

Professor of economics and director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Michigan, and consultant on China to the U. S. Department of State. China files relating to the Chinese economy and to the reopening of relations with the Peoples Republic of China; also correspondence and talk files; papers and photographs relating to professional travels; writings; and miscellaneous University and Vietnam subject files.

The papers of Alexander Eckstein consist of 10.3 linear feet of material. The collection most heavily documents the last twenty-five years of Eckstein's life, roughly the years 1960-1976, although there is some earlier material dating back to World War II. The papers deal almost exclusively with his professional life; there is very little of a personal nature included. Furthermore, the bulk of the collection concerns primarily his work and interest in China, although the section of his writings does contain material on Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. The papers portray Eckstein the scholar rather than Eckstein the professor. For instance there are no materials relating to his term as Director of the China Center at the University of Michigan or to the Chinese Economic Studies project which he directed. The collection is divided into the following major series: Personal, China, Personal Correspondence, Talks, Trips, University of Michigan, Vietnam, Writings, Sound Recordings, and Photographs.

University of Michigan pathologist. Correspondence, primarily with physicians, articles, and other material relating to University of Michigan Medical School and medical practice in general; files relating to his editorship of the Annals of Clinical Medicine; and photographs.

The Aldred Scott Warthin collection documents the growth of pathology as a discipline at the Medical School at the University of Michigan and the professional life of one of the nation's leading pathologists. The papers are divided into five series: Correspondence, Topical Files, Writings, Biographical/Personal, and Annals of Clinical Medicine.

Physician, early specialist in the treatment of mental illness; correspondence; topical files; lectures and publications; casework; and photographs.

The Albert M. Barrett papers comprise 3 linear feet, and have been divided into five series: Correspondence; Topical Files; Lectures and Publications; Photographs; and Casework.

Albert and Emma Wheeler were community and civil rights leaders from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Albert Wheeler was also professor of microbiology and dermatology at the University of Michigan. In addition, he and his wife helped to establish the local chapter of the NAACP. Albert Wheeler served as mayor of Ann Arbor, 1975 to 1978. The series in the collection are Personal/Biographical; NAACP/Civil Rights Activities; Mayoralty Files; University of Michigan; and Photographs. The collection documents the Wheelers' devotion to the cause of civil rights and their involvement with numerous civil rights and community organizations. The collection also includes Albert Wheeler's mayoralty files.

The Albert H. and Emma M. Wheeler collection documents the involvement of this couple in the growth and development of the civil rights movement in Ann Arbor. The collection includes in part the mayoralty files of Albert Wheeler, mayor of Ann Arbor from 1975 to 1978. The collection is divided into six series: Personal/Biographical, NAACP/Civil Rights Issues, Mayoral Files, University of Michigan, Photographs and Medical.

Albert Easton White was a professor of Metallurgical Engineering and Director of the Engineering Research Institute. The collection consists of about 75 items of correspondence and about 10 photographs from events throughout his career.

The collection consists of two series, Correspondence and Photographs.

Correspondence includes primarily letters two Professor White, especially around the time of his retirement in 1953. The series also contains a few reports on the research activities in engineering at the University of Michigan.

Photographs contains images from different stages of Professor White's career, including the groundbreaking of the Engineering building on North Campus, and social events associated with the American Society of Metals.