Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Sophia Holley Ellis is a Black University of Michigan graduate (BA 1949, MS 1950, MA 1964) and Detroit, Michigan teacher. She primarily taught for Detroit Public Schools (DPS), notably as a German teacher at Martin Luther King, Jr. Senior High School. The collection includes biographical and graduation materials, clippings, an oral history, a photograph album, papers, publications, and scrapbooks.

The Sophia Holley Ellis papers primarily documents Ellis's academic life at the University of Michigan as well as her professional life. Included in this collection are biographical and graduation materials, clippings, an oral history, a photograph album, papers, publications, and several scrapbooks.

The collections' scrapbooks will be of particular interest to researchers. Her University of Michigan scrapbook contains diplomas; photographs of students, including Ellis and her classmates, as well as events on campus; notes describing events in Ellis's personal life; correspondence and other items related to Ellis's academic career; announcements and programs of plays, performances, and other campus events; issues of student and alum publications; greeting cards; and ephemera. Also included are details of her first date; sorority pledging material, including the historically Black sorority Delta Sigma Theta (DST); and photos from a trip to Washington, DC with classmates where Ellis was excluded from some venues because of racial segregation. Her International trip scrapbook documents her travels abroad, while the National Council for International Visitors Award scrapbook highlights her receipt of the Phyllis Layton Perry Educator of the Year award in 2006.

Researchers should also consult her oral history, which was captured on December 3, 2017. During this interview, Ellis—who spoke with Kyle Whitaker and Nancy Bryk—addressed a range of topics, including her family history, early life, and experiences at the University of Michigan.

David D. Dexter was a cornet player in the University of Michigan Symphony Band. In 1961, the Band toured and performed across the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. The collection includes digitized slides, correspondence, diaries, and audio recordings documenting the Band's experiences and performances. Also, a sound recording of an interview that was given by Dexter to a TV station in Ohio.

Digital images of slides, writings, and digitized sound recordings constitute the majority of items in the collection. Also included Dexter's packing lists, newsletter issues, and ephemera. All material relates to the University of Michigan Symphony Band's 1961 tour of the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East.

Established by students in 1896, the University of Michigan Band had its first salaried director in 1915. The William Revelli era (1935-1971) brought the Band to prominence as the marching, concert, and symphony bands toured and performed extensively, including a tour of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union by the Symphony band in 1961, the Jazz Band's 1965 tour of Latin American, and the Symphony Band 2011 tour of China. Records include scrapbooks of band activities (including photographs); bound volumes ("Blue Books"), 1936-present, containing band formations, newsletters, and announcements of band activities, also topical files relating to band tours and concerts. The Marching Band is best documented, although concert band, symphony band, and related ensembles are represented.

The University of Michigan Band records are divided into eight series: Tours and Concerts, Yearbooks, Photographs and Posters, Audio-Visual Material, Band Books ("Blue Books"), Scrapbooks, Publications, and Director's Records. The majority of the records consist of bound volumes of band formations, announcements, and publications, and oversized scrapbooks of band activities. Additional material includes topical files documenting tours and performances. The bulk of the documentation pertains to the Marching Band.