Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Organization dedicated to outreach, education, and intervention for troubled youth located in Albion, Michigan. The collection includes materials related to Floyd Starr, Foundtaion's administrative and development records, historic and promotional photographs, analog and digital audio-visual recordings, marketing materials, as well as publications.

The Starr Commonwealth Records collection contains 150.4 linear feet (157 boxes), 1.65 GB, and 52 oversize boxes of the records from the main administrative office of the Starr Commonwealth organization. It also includes historical records from the Starr Commonwealth School for Boys and records from the organization's branch facilities located across Michigan and Ohio. The collection also contains a substantial amount of material related to Floyd Starr, the founder and first president of the organization. Materials include correspondence, records, publications, videocassettes, audiocassettes, digital files, photographs, scrapbooks. The collection highlights the life and work of Floyd Starr, the administrative work of Starr Commonwealth, and the impact of the organization on local communities in Michigan and Ohio.

The Starr Commonwealth records have been organized into seven series: the Floyd Starr series, the Visitors series, the Administrative records series, the Marketing records series, the Development records series, the Publications series, and the Visual materials and Artifacts series.

The Floyd Starr series contains correspondence, papers and audiovisual materials about the life of Starr Commonwealth's founder.

The Visitors series contains correspondence, speech transcripts, photographs, and clippings from the visits of influential individuals to Starr Commonwealth. The series highlights materials from the trips of George Washington Carver and Helen Keller to Starr Commonwealth to visit with the students and deliver inspiring speeches.

The Administrative records series contains records, notes, correspondence, clippings, audiovisual materials and photographs from the central administrative offices of Starr Commonwealth. The series also includes materials from the Starr Commonwealth Public Relations department and the Chapel-in-the-Woods religious facility on the Albion campus.

The Marketing records series contains records, photographs and audiovisual materials that illustrate publicity projects and strategies for the organization.

The Development records series contains records, publications, and photographs from fundraising and donor activities. These records highlight some of Starr Commonwealth's major fundraising strategies and activities.

The Publications series contains published materials produced by Starr's Albion, Van Wert and Columbus campuses. Publications include annual reports, student and faculty newsletters, student handbooks, and scholarly publications from Starr Commonwealth leadership.

The Visual Materials and Artifacts series contains a collection of scrapbooks, photographs, photograph albums, and slides. It also contains materials and artifacts from Bruecker Museum on the Albion campus. These materials provide a visual representation of the students, faculty, buildings and major events at Starr Commonwealth throughout its history.

Audiovisual materials, archived web content, and other files pertaining to films produced by Sue Marx, a prolific documentary filmmaker who operated her own studio in Detroit between 1980 and 2011. Collection includes completed documentaries in analog and digital form, raw footage in various audiovisual formats, production background information, scripts, and transcripts, among other items.

Materials in the Sue Marx papers, which primarily consist of audiovisual formats, address Marx's career as a filmmaker after leaving network broadcasting, spanning more than two decades of documentaries and advertisements created by Marx's eponymous production company. While the collection includes polished versions of various films, including Marx's Academy Award-winning short subject "Young at Heart," the bulk of the analog and digital materials contain raw footage from which Marx later constructed her completed documentaries and promotional pieces. Also included are files containing background research materials, production releases, scripts, transcripts of interviews, and audio files.

Office responsible for planning and managing the university's official and ceremonial events, including commencements, faculty and student honors convocations, and development events such as University Seminars and President's Weekends; also manages operation of the President's House and Inglis House. Consists of files of events arranged by year including planning files, scripts, programs, guest lists, decoration, and event set up. Many event files include photographs; particularly University Seminars where faculty gave presentations to key university supporters. Some audio-visual materials are also present, including audiocassettes, digital recordings, and videocassettes.

Records of the University and Development Events office include files on major recurring campus events as well as special dedications and occasions. Events files often contain planning materials, correspondence, programs, scripts, invitation lists, newspaper clippings, and photographs. Photographs often depict decorations and event setup as well as those in attendance. The records are arranged within two series: Event Files and Audio-Visual Material.

Records of the University Human Resources and its predecessors. University Human Resources plans, administers, and monitors the university policies regarding personnel and employee relations and nondiscrimination. This office coordinates with various executive officers and deans of the schools and colleges.

University Human Resources records (27.4 linear feet) are divided into three subgroups: Affirmative Action, Personnel, and Human Resources and Affirmative Action.