Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

University of Michigan chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity for Black college students. The Epsilon chapter was founded in April 1909. History, administrative records, topical files, reports, and photographs largely relating to the chapter and activities of African American students at the University of Michigan. Also included is some material related to the chapter's 2009 centennial celebration.

The records of the Epsilon Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha include correspondence, minutes, photographic material, publications, reports, and topical files.

The records—which document the activities and experiences of African Americans at the University of Michigan—also provides a rich source of information about the history, activities, and administration of the Epsilon Chapter, particularly during the 1920's, 1980's, and 1990's. Also documented is the chapter's centennial celebration in 2009.

Student led project to plan a new facility for the William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center located on Central Campus. Meeting agendas and minutes, photographs, surveys, working papers, project reports and timelines.

The A New Trotter Initiative (University of Michigan) records contains digital files from the "Core Team", the group of students who directly collaborated with university staff and design contractors to plan the new facility for the William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center. Materials include meeting agendas and minutes, working papers, presentation materials, photographs and survey data. The collection highlights the motivations behind establishing a new location for the Trotter House on Central Campus and the importance of the center as a multicultural space for students. It also highlights the collaborative process used to select a new location for the Trotter Center and the interior design of the center.

The collection is organized into one series of records. The Core Team series is further organized into two subseries, the Working Documents subseries which contains materials from 2015-2016 and the Retired Documents subseries which contains materials from earlier stages of the project in 2013-2014.

Christopher H. Armstrong was the first openly gay student body president of the Michigan Student Assembly at the University of Michigan. This collection documents his undergraduate experience, speaking engagements, and the lawsuit Christopher Armstrong v. Andrew Shirvell in which Armstrong was represented by attorney Deborah Gordon. Materials include court documents, news articles, television news coverage including interviews with Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, speeches, notes, and correspondence.

The collection documents the experiences of Christopher Armstrong, the first openly gay student body president of the University of Michigan, during his tenure as an undergraduate student, president of the Michigan Student Assembly (MSA), and the lawsuit he brought against a Michigan's assistant attorney general, Andrew Shirvell. Materials include court documents, news articles, television news coverage, speeches, notes, correspondence, and student government material between 2008 and 2015.

Marjorie Bradfield was the first African American librarian in Detroit, working for the Detroit Public Library and as head librarian for Detroit Public Schools. Horace Bradfield was an African American Physician at Providence and Hutzel hospitals, and out of offices on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit. The collection contains Marjorie Bradfield's autobiography, audio recordings of interviews with Horace Bradfield, and photographs of the Bradfields.

The Marjorie and Horace Bradfield papers consists of autobiographical material and photographs.

In her autobiography, Marjorie Bradfield describes her first library jobs, and the events that led her to the Detroit Public Library. It highlights Bradfield's professional accomplishments, as well as challenges she faced as an African American woman in the library field. The autobiography includes an appendix with citations of essays and articles written by Bradfield.

Also contained within the collection are recordings of a 1978 interview with Horace Bradfield, facilitated by his daughter, Trudy Bradfield Taliaferro. The first part of the interview, Bradfield discusses his time as a student at the University of Michigan between 1931 and 1935. Throughout the interview, Bradfield describes his experience as an African American student at the University of Michigan during the 1930s. The second part of the interview covers his struggles finding a job as an African American physician in Detroit following his graduation in 1935.

The collection includes a small number of photographs in the collection, primarily portraits of the Bradfields, and a photograph from their wedding day in 1938. One of these photographs is available online as a digital file.

Professor Emerita of the University of Michigan's School of Information and Library Studies. Files of materials received from various University of Michigan committees and commissions on which she served, notably the Commission for Women; the Advisory Committee on Recreation, Intramurals and Club Sports; the Alumnae Athena Award Committee; and the University Club of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Also includes audiovisual material, biographical material (including an oral history transcript), correspondence, photographs, press releases, and publications.

The Gwendolyn S. Cruzat papers reflect Dr. Cruzat's involvement with several committees dedicated to regulating university athletics and maintaining equality for both men's and women's athletics, notably the Commission for Women; the Advisory Committee on Recreation, Intramurals and Club Sports; the Alumnae Athena Award Committee; and the University Club of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Also included are audiovisual material, biographical material, correspondence, photographs, press releases, and publications that document Dr. Cruzat's professional work, her retirement, and University of Michigan sports.

Papers of David M. Dennison, professor of physics at the University of Michigan; contain lecture notes and exam materials, correspondence, speeches, files relating to research in theoretical physics, University of Michigan and travel files.

The David M. Dennison Papers contain both the personal correspondence of the Dennison family and items relating to David M. Dennison's research and teaching while at the University of Michigan.

The first part of the collection is correspondence from 1894-1896 from James Lutheran Dennison and his wife to their son Walter Dennison, the father of David M. Dennison. One folder contains correspondence from George Dennison and his wife Nina to his brother Walter Dennison also from the 1890s.

Biographical and personal materials for David M Dennison are comprised of letters from David M. Dennison and his wife, Helen Lenette Johnson, memorial materials from David's death, home finances, and travel information. Family documents in this collection are comprised mostly of his son Edwin's Ph.D. research at the University of Michigan. Dennison's papers include various speeches, articles, and other writings about the physics he was studying, primarily focused on the later part of Dennison's time at the University. Materials from the University of Michigan include lecture notes and exams from the many physics classes Dennison taught. Documents relating to administration of the physics department and David's colleagues are also a part of this collection. Of note is David and Helen's correspondence and connection to the Niels Bohr Institute.

Audio-visual materials in the collection include photographs of David and Helen from the early 1900s through the 1970s. There are also two cassette tapes with recording of talks given by David, as well as photograph negatives and spectroscopic plates, lantern slides depicting astronomical images pertaining to his astro-physics research.

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.

Nuclear engineer, professor and eleventh president of the University of Michigan (1988-1996), leader in efforts to transform the University of Michigan, and higher education generally, into a culturally diverse, financially secure, and technologically advanced institution. Collection consists of both paper and digital documents, including speeches, presentations, writings and images. Portions of the collection are restricted. This collection represents the "personal papers" of president Duderstadt. Other material relating to his presidency is located in the record group "University of Michigan. President."

The James J. Duderstadt papers span the years from 1963 to the present, although the bulk of the material covers 1970 to 1996. The collection, consisting mainly of Speeches, Position Papers, and Presentations, effectively documents Duderstadt's vision, agenda, and planning process. There are two subgroups in the collection: Paper Documents and Digital Documents.

The Paper Documents subgroup is comprised of thirteen series: Biographical / Background Material, Speeches and Accompanying Material, Computer Printouts of Speeches, Position Papers, Publications, Presentations, Correspondence, Research, Topical Files (Pre-Presidency), Teaching, Presidential Transition Files, Strategic Planning, and Diaries and Notebooks. It includes a few papers from his years as engineering dean and his term as provost, along with a substantial amount of material from his years as professor of nuclear engineering and as president of the university.

A second subgroup, Digital Documents, is comprised of material created and maintained in electronic form (utilizing a number of software programs), and is particularly strong for representing Duderstadt's entire term as president of the university. The subgroup includes eight series: Speeches, Idea Files, Strategy, Position Papers, Presentations, Write Files and Legacy Files. The digital files of speeches and position papers frequently contain various and well-organized iterations of key documents. Of particular note are the Strategy Files, which hold substantial planning documents, many designed to encourage and promote vigorous response to change at many levels within the university. The subgroup also contains a series of Digital Images, most of which appeared in the 1996 publication Rebuilding the University: 1986-1996.

Legally-certified collective bargaining agent for the graduate student teaching and staff assistants at the University of Michigan. Includes minutes of meetings, announcements, newsletters and other materials concerning, in part, its activities to gain recognition and its strike against the University in 1975. Also includes material related to the organization's bargaining and negotiations with the University.

The records of the Graduate Employees Organization consist of agendas and minutes of meetings, correspondence, newspaper clippings, newsletters, contract negotiating proposals and notes, and membership lists. These materials document the struggle of GSAs for recognition, fair wages, and good working conditions at the University of Michigan since 1974. The records of GEO came to the library in a series of accessions beginning in 1985. These accessions were arranged into five series: Administration, Bargaining, Office Files, Original Artwork, and Archived Website, reflecting the core structures and functions of the union. Some of the materials in different accessions overlap in dates and information with the prior accessions to this collection.

Graduate School of the University of Michigan. Records include dean's topical files, 1892-1996; files of associate deans; minutes of the executive board; project and grant files detailing faculty and student research; lists of degrees granted; records of fellowships and awards granted by the graduate school and university; and files relating to academic departments and programs, including reviews of degree programs.

The records of the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies document the administration of the school, its academic programs and research projects and fellowships funded by the school and outside sources. The records include Dean's Files, minutes of the Executive Board and Administrative Council, Academic Unit and Program Evaluation files, and grants administration records.

Records of the Graduate School have been received by the library in numerous accessions, some large others quite small. Some accessions represent continuations or complements to previously received materials. This finding attempts to intellectually integrate continuing or similar record series received in multiple accessions.

The records are organized into a number of series. Among the more significant are:

1. Deans' Topical File
2. Research Records
3. University Units
4. Program Evaluations
5. Faculty Research Grants
6. Degree Lists
7. Faculty Fellowships, Grants and Awards
8. Graduate School Executive Board and Administrative Council

In 2008, the Rackham School of Graduate Studies announced that it would become a 'paperless' office and that future accessions to the Bentley Library would be electronic. The materials from 1990 to 2003 were thus digitized by Rackham staff (from the original paper records) and saved as PDF (Portable Document Format) files. As of 2012, these digital accessions comprise two subseries within the Graduate School Executive Board and Administrative Council series and Program Evaluation series.