Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

The University Library system at the University of Michigan provides information resources and services to faculty, students, staff, and the public, and is comprised of undergraduate, graduate, and subject-oriented divisional collections. The record group includes administrative files of library directors, reports, committee files, financial records, photographs, and publications.

The records of the library of the University of Michigan document the development and administration of the central library. The records include topical files, miscellaneous correspondence and reports, and business record books, 1886-1916; include files of librarians/directors/deans Theodore W. Koch, William W. Bishop, Warner G. Rice, Frederick H. Wagman, Richard Dougherty, Robert M. Warner, Don Riggs, William A. Gosling, and Paul Courant; also assorted papers of earlier librarians, Andrew Ten Brook and Raymond C. Davis.

1. The records are organized into elleven subgroups:
2. Assistant Director for Technical Services, 1984 - 1999
3. Associate Director for Public Service Files, 1976 - 1998
4. Associate Director for Technical Services, 1979 - 1986
5. Associate Director's office, 1982 - 1989
6. Audio - Visual Materials, 1954 - 2001
7. Collection Development Office, 1949 - 1986
8. Deputy Director's Office, 1980 - 1991
9. Directors Office, 1905-2013
10. Human Resources, 1956 - 2001
11. Miscellaneous Records, 1837 - 1985
12. Other Offices and Programs, 1904 - 2004

Director of Orientation and Counselor to New Students, Assistant Professor Emeritus of Romance Languages. Collection includes correspondence, research notes, photographs, and scrapbook related to birth places and resting places of early University of Michigan presidents.

This collection documents the personal research done by Philip Everette Bursley between 1939-1954 on the birth places and final resting places of five of the founders of the University of Michigan, as well as the first eight presidents of the university.

The Topical Files series contains research material including research correspondence, publication drafts, and hand drawn maps.

The Visual Material series consists of photographs of birth places and resting places of the founders and presidents, photographs of the founders and presidents or of paintings depicting the founders and presidents, and a scrapbook created by Bursley.

Notable individuals researched include University of Michigan founders General Lewis Cass, Governor William Woodbridge, Judge Augustus Brevoort Woodward, Reverend John Monteith, Father Gabriel Richard, as well as presidents Henry Philip Tappan, Reverend Erastus Otis Haven, Henry Simmons Frieze, James Burrill Angell, Harry Burns Hutchins, Marion LeRoy Burton, Alfred Henry Lloyd, Clarence Cook Little, Alexander Grant Ruthven, and Harlan H. Hatcher.

Ann Arbor, Michigan, attorney, Republican regent of the University of Michigan. Correspondence and other materials relating to state and local Republican party affairs, particularly the election of 1944 and the Constitutional Convention, 1961-1962; organizational files, primarily concerning activities with the Rotary Club, the Free and Accepted Order of Masons, the National Music Camp at Interlochen, the American Bar Association, the First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, the Historical Society of Michigan, Cleary College, Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and the Wayne State University Board of Governors; and photographs.

The Roscoe Bonisteel collection dates largely after 1950, when Bonisteel had already reached an age at which most men retire. Because of this, many of Bonisteel's activities are either poorly documented or altogether absent from his papers. Despite this, the papers do contain some illuminating material.

The collection is divided into ten series: biographical and personal, colleges and universities, financial, historical organizations, legal, Masons, political, Presbyterian Church, Rotary, and Photographs.

Vice-president and secretary of the University of Michigan; correspondence; research materials for his biographies of university presidents; files relating to activities on the Ann Arbor City Council; course notes from classes at the University of Michigan; and photographs.

The Shirley Wheeler Smith papers include a combination of personal and professional materials. Much of Smith's career with the U-M is documented in the official records of the University, most notably in the records of the Secretary's Office and the papers of the presidents under whom he served (Angell, Hutchins, Burton, Little, and Ruthven). Even so, these papers contain much material relating to the business affairs of the U-M. The extensive correspondence files (with partial index) demonstrate wide influence in all phases of University operations as he corresponded with presidents, faculty, members of the board of regents, and other university personnel. Also documented in the collection is Smith's activities with the city of Ann Arbor and with other community organizations.

The collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Research for writings; Topical files; Ann Arbor City Council; Papers (by date); Personal and miscellaneous; and Photographs.

Hillsdale, Michigan physician, regent of the University of Michigan. Correspondence, notes, reports, addresses, and other papers relating to board of regents activities and state medical issues.

The Sawyer papers contain a mixture of papers relating to his political and regental activities, and to his medical practice and association with professional medical groups. The collection has been arranged into three series: Correspondence and other papers (arranged chronologically); University of Michigan Board of Regents; and Addresses and Miscellaneous. Sawyer's regent's papers are significant for information on those individuals who were considered for the presidency of the University of Michigan in 1909, 1920, 1925, and 1930. As a heavily involved regent, Sawyer maintained communications with his fellow regents, with university presidents and other administrators. These letters and other documents will be found throughout the Correspondence series. These individuals include James B. Angell, Harry B. Hutchins, Marion L. Burton, Clarence C. Little, and Alexander Ruthven.

Professor of physiology at the University of Michigan; correspondence, speeches, and other materials concerning U-M Medical School activities, the Ann Arbor Red Cross, the Ann Arbor Art Association, and Lombard’s interest in art and etching.

The Warren P. Lombard papers have been arranged into the following series: Biographical/miscellaneous; Correspondence; Organizational and other interests; Physiology and related materials; and Photographs. Much of the collection relates to Lombard's organizational activities, notably the Ann Arbor Red Cross and the Ann Arbor Art Association. Some of Lombard's correspondents include: James B. Angell, William W. Bishop, Marion L. Burton, James J. Couzens, John G. Curtis, Joseph Erlanger, Frederick R. Green, Charles W. Greene, Granville S. Hall, Yandell Henderson, Donald R. Hooker, Frederic S. Lee, Carl Ludwig, Graham Lusk, George W. Norris, Reuben Peterson, William T. Porter, Henry Sewall, Albert A. Stanley, Langdon C. Stewardson, and Victor C. Vaughan.

General secretary of the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan and editor of the Michigan Alumnus; correspondence, drawings and etchings, photographs and other visual materials

The Shaw collection is an assemblage of personal materials such as correspondence, essays and student notebook, and of Shaw's work as an artists including drawings, etchings, and other examples of artistic expression that he used in connection with his work with the University's Alumni Association and its publications. Records of Shaw's activities with the university will be found in the record groups for the Alumni Association and the Bureau of Alumni Relations also located at the Bentley Library. The collection has been divided into five series: Correspondence, Essays, Drawings and Etchings, Miscellaneous, and Photographs and other Visual Materials.