Collections

This collection is the organizational records of Central Michigan University (CMU) Athletics, collected by CMU Athletics, consisting mainly of documentation of CMU athletic teams, athletes, and athletic staff, publications, some photographic materials, and other materials.

This collection is the organizational records of Central Michigan University (CMU) Athletics, collected by CMU Athletics, consisting mainly of documentation of CMU athletic teams, athletes, and athletic staff, publications, some photographic materials, and other materials. Processing is ongoing. Materials are mainly in overall good condition. The collection is incomplete and some materials are faded, especially ditto copies, and are hard to read. Some materials, mostly scrapbooks or materials that were in binders, suffered water damage due to flooding in the Athletics basement. Water damage items are so noted in the Box and Folder Listing.

The two largest series in this collection are Team Sports and then Student and Staff folders. These series document, to varying degree of completeness, all sports that existed at CMU up to 2019, mostly as official sports teams and some on what we would now consider the intramural level.

Materials in the Team Sports series, 1896-2019, 50.5 cubic feet (in Boxes 1-51) usually includes statistics, publications, and historical materials as well as other materials. The Team Sports series is organized alphabetically by sport and materials are organized chronologically and alphabetically by folder label within each team. Statistics includes box scores or results and may include team and individual results or box scores. Publications in the series are mainly from CMU, regional and national events and athletic organizations such as programs, fliers, facts and other brochures, variously titled news releases, and media guides. Multiple sports were featured in some seasonal brochures. Usually there is a copy of each program and media guide in each Team's folders for that season. Please see the description of the Publication Series below for more information about CMU publications. Another predominate form of publications in the series is newspaper clippings, from the Mount Pleasant area, Michigan, and out-of-state newspapers. Audiovisual material in the series includes: photographs, negatives, and galley proofs, and scrapbooks. The majority of the photographic materials and moving images in multiple formats remains in the Athletics building as of 2022. Other materials often found in the series such as historical materials folders listing annual statistics and team members, memos; letters of intent; student athletes, and lists of potential team members. Early sports and early women's sports have far less documentation than later sports. For example, both Men’s and Women's Cross-Country materials are few and often easily contained for an academic year in one folder. In contrast, the amount of documentation of the main sports of football and men's basketball is vast. There are also missing years of materials in various Team folders. For example, both Men’s and Women's Cross-Country materials are few and often easily contained for an academic year in one folder. High school sports camps and events held on campus are also documented in the collection. In Box 20 there is a rare letter about the need to cut spending on athletics publications. The contents of the folders for team sports are organized according to the wishes of CMU. Athletics from front to back in folders: photographs, publications, statistics, clippings. Abbreviations in the finding aid are those used by Athletics. The first time the abbreviation appears in the Box and Folder Listing in Team Sports it is spelled out. Later boxes may include some Team Sports material. For example Box 66 includes Gymnastic Meets folders with additional Gymnastic materials.

CMU. Athletics Student and Staff series is the next largest series (originally approximately 20 cubic feet in 20 boxes). There are two subseries: CMU student athletes who played on CMU sports teams Box 80-forward) and CMU staff (Box 51-part of Box 54). CMU staff series includes: coaches, assistant coaches, graduate student assistants, CMU sports announcers, physicians, trainers, Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) commissioners, SID (Sports Information Department, which generated newsletters), and even recognized CMU fans, such as Bob Kuck, the 1985 Baseball Fan of the Year (approximately 4 cubic feet in 4 boxes). The contents of each folder varies in amount, with prominent athletes and coaches having more material. In contrast most folders contain a single photograph or one to a few pieces of information, either text or photographic in nature. Types of materials typically found in these folders include photographs, usually mug shot-style, clippings, CMU news releases of various titles, statistics, and resumes, applications, and CMU’s Sports Information Background Form, all of which detail their biographical and sports history. The series is organized with coach boxes first, then students, alphabetically by surname. Labels include the name of the person, last name first, and the position/s they held or sport/s they played, and the dates spanning the contents of the material in the folder. In cases where there was no position specified, the processing students and the archivist researched through CMU publications to determine the person’s position. In a few cases where the label was entirely missing and the contents of the folder consisted of a single unidentified mug shot style photograph, we checked to see if the photograph included a negative number with a year. Most of the photographs in the collection were taken by CMU. University Communications staff or contract photographs who used a number sequence for negatives. For example, 77-23-4 means it is the fourth photograph on the 23rd reel of film taken in 1977. If we had a date, we researched through the sports teams programs for that year to identify the person. Sometimes there might be additional notes on a photograph that indicate which sport an unidentified athlete played or we could tell from an athlete’s physique which sports the athlete was most likely to play. We checked the specific sports programs for that year or years on either side of that date until we found a photograph which identified the athlete. Folders for some athletes were missing before the collection was transferred to the Clarke. Folders for some staff may also be missing. The contents of the folders for coaches/staff/student athletes are organized according to the wishes of CMU. Athletics from front to back in folders: photographs, publications, statistics, clippings. Abbreviations in the finding aid are those used by Athletics. Sports teams names were spelled out and not abbreviated on these folder labels since the folders are not organized by teams. The only abbreviation widely used in this series is GA for Graduate Assistant.

The Publications series is another smaller series. It includes issues of multiple CMU publications including programs, media guides, Courtside, Football Sidelines, and variously titled news releases, which were not interfiled by CMU. Athletics into the Teams series. Notes about CMU Sports publications in general: The earlier, minor male and women’s sports publications were thinner and fewer with no or few images compared to their later twentieth century publications and to the main sports of football and men’s basketball. A page or two of dittoed information for the cross-country men’s team annual information contrasts with the same year’s glossy media guide and individual game programs for football. But even early football and men’s basketball publications were not as large and complete as later versions. In the late 1970s, for example, few of the football team members’ photographs appear in the programs or media guides. Photographs and statistical information about CMU athletes and coaches, statistics, season final box scores, scheduled games, historical information about star athlete and notable coaches, team and individual records and statistics, and similar information for opponent teams, including photographs, is usually included in the thicker programs and media guides.

Lastly is the Miscellaneous Series, 1896-2019, and undated, which is processed, 22 cubic feet (in 25 boxes and 1 Oversized scrapbook volume). Currently these box numbers begin with S(Scrapbook), T(Top, found on top of cabinets and tables), or M(Miscellaneous folders), until we complete processing. Miscellaneous includes materials that were originally in binders and scrapbooks documenting sports and some publications, some of which were damaged by flooding. Other parts of the Miscellaneous were waiting in piles to be interfiled mostly into the Teams Sports or Publications series when it was transferred to the Clarke, and includes publications, materials documenting CMU Athletics advertising, social media, marking plans and policies, budgets, scholastic and other achievement awards, CMU Athletic Hall of Fame lists, certifications for various team sports, banquets, training, reports, special projects and events such as the construction or opening of Theunissen Stadium, the Rose Center, and Indoor Athletic Complex (IAC), statistics, and more galley proofs. Six boxes of photographic materials remain to be processed.

Researchers may also be interested in several other collections with CMU athletic historical information in them, for example CMU photographs, CMU Information Services, CMU Public Relations and Marketing, and CMU UComm (Communications) at the Clarke. A small series of the collection, focused on CMU Hall of Fame Nominees and Winners, one film and one plaque was transferred to the Clarke before this main collection, and is separately cataloged. Also, CMU. Women's Softball and CMU Cross Country, Track and Field donated their own collections separately to the Clarke. A sample of athletics artifacts, including helmets, jerseys, trophies, and plaques, were transferred from CMU Athletics to the CMU Museum of Cultural and Natural History. Most photographs and recordings remain in the CMU. Athletics complex as per the wishes of CMU. Athletics.

Processing Notes:

We have followed requests for processing and withdrawing as per CMU. Athletics. The contents of the folders for team sports and coaches/staff/student athletes are organized according to the wishes of CMU. Athletics from front to back in folders: photographs, publications, statistics, clippings.

Abbreviations in the finding aid are those used by Athletics. The first time the abbreviation appears in the Box and Folder Listing it is spelled out.

The collection, as transferred to the Clarke, is incomplete. As of March 2024, 14 cubic feet of student folders and photographic materials remains to be processed in the Clarke. An additional 25 cubic feet of student folders and photographic materials remain in the Athletics building, awaiting transfer to the Clarke. 25 cubic feet of materials have been withdrawn from the collection during processing. Withdrawn materials include: duplicates and peripheral material, as well as acidic or thermal copies of materials which were photocopied and the copies retained in the collection. Due to resources, the massive number of clippings in the collection, clippings were not photocopied or scanned as this would have doubled the processing time. News articles for digitized newspapers, such as CMLife and its predecessors CSLife and CNormalLife, or those that only peripherally mentioned CMU, were withdrawn, the rest of the clippings were retained. The only time CMLife articles were retained in the collection was when it was necessary, due to an absence of other information, to explain who someone was, as in the case of MAC Commissioners when only a photograph with a name on it was in the original folder. Non-Michigan materials were retained only if they document CMU athletic history, athletes, or coaches beyond a mere mention such as "CMU plays [or played] here Tues night." Volumes, mostly scrapbooks that were entirely acidic were retained in their current state. Social security numbers on rosters and lists were blacked out with a marker and then photocopied, and the copies were retained in the collection. Also, galley proofs and large caches of photographs were not individually sleeved due to Clarke resources.

This is part of the historical organizational records of Central Michigan University (CMU) Athletics. Most of the collection includes Hall of Fame materials, or other athletic awards.

This is part of the historical organizational records of Central Michigan University (CMU) Athletics that were housed for many years in Athletics. Most of the collection includes Hall of Fame materials, or other athletic awards. Materials are in very good condition.

The following series are documented here: High School athletic events held at CMU; Hall of Fame Board Meeting Files; Hall of Fame Nominees; Swimming Score Books; and 1 folder each: CMU-Athletics News Releases, January – July 1984, and CMU-Athletics Sports Statistics book, August 1985 – May 1987.

High School athletic events held at CMU. This series includes 1 box, .5 cubic foot, 1940, 1981 (incomplete). Included in this series are: programs and agendas, coaching and team and individual statistics, newspaper clippings (copies) and photographic materials. Also included in the collection are the record of the “winningest” high school coaches in Michigan. The high school athletic events series is organized chronologically by year and within each year alphabetically by surname of nominees.

Hall of Fame Board Meeting Files: This series includes 2 boxes, 1 cubic feet, 1983-2000, and undated. Included in this series are: programs, canceled checks, meeting minutes, agendas, canceled checks and attachments. The collection also contains the CMU Hall of Fame selection committee list as well as undated hall of nominee names. The Hall of Fame Board Meeting Files series is organized chronologically by year and within each year alphabetically by surname of nominees.

Hall of Fame Nominees: This series includes 4 boxes, 1.75 cubic feet, 1984-2005, and undated. Included in this series are: hall of fame dinner agendas, Hall of Fame selection letters, statistics, newspaper clippings (copies), and photographic materials. Hall of fame nominees were CMU student athletes in any sport. Several of the nominees listed in this series are mentioned with their nicknames. This is an excellent source for researching CMU athletes, particularly those of CMU and national fame. The Hall of Fame Nominees series is organized chronologically by year and within each year alphabetically by surname of nominees.

Box 9 (.5 cubic foot) includes a mixture of Athlete awards, MAC (Midwest Athletic Conference), IIAC (Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which existed 1908-1970), and NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) letters, programs, and awards, 1947-2002 (scattered), and CMU Intramural handbooks, 1951-1952, 1965-1975.

Swimming Score Books: This series includes 12 volumes, cubic foot. 1968-1980. Included in this series are: statistics for CMU swimming competitions for men and individual swimmers. The collection consist of Mid-American conference swimming championship results. The Swimming score book series is organized chronologically by year.

CMU-Athletics News Releases, January – July 1984. This is 1 folder in Box 7. News Releases were a periodic paper news update from CMU. Information Services unit, currently UComm.

CMU-Athletics Sports Statistics book, August 1985 – May 1987. This is 1 folder in Box 7. These are various end of the season statistics for most CMU sports on a wide variety of papers in different sizes and styles.

(This information is from the collection. A list of all CMU Athletic Hall of Fame inductees is available on the CMU Athletics website (as of November 2018).)

Oversized Materials: CMU Kelly-Shorts Stadium Blue lines, measures 3.75 x 2.5 feet, 1997. The first four pages in the blue-line, A-001 through A-004, were created by Hobbs and Black Associates, Inc. Page “5”, which is unlabeled, was from Schwab-Eaton. Pages “6” and “7” (both labeled but unreadable), S-1, F-1, E-3, and page “11” (labeled but unreadable) were from Eberle M. Smith Associates, Inc. Pages C-101 through C-109 were from Mears Engineering, Inc. The remainder of the pages in the series, AS-101 through A-804, were from Hobbs and Black Associates, Inc. Damages are concentrated mainly at the beginning and end of the series of pages, though almost all pages have slight frayed/folded/damaged outer edges. Damages include various stains on A-001, the first page of the document. A-002 through page “11” have water damage to the upper right corners of the pages. In addition to this water damage in the upper right corner, F-1 through page “11” also have blue ink smudges throughout the pages. C-102 has an old tape mark in the bottom left corner of the page. C-103 is not fully attached to the rest of the document. C-104 has water damage in the upper right corner. C-107 through AS-103 have water damage in the upper right corners of the pages. A-103 and A-105 (missing) have been ripped out of the document, but the left edges of these pages remain attached. A-121 has what looks like coffee stains in the middle of the page. A-122 has water damage in the upper right corner. A-803 is not fully attached to the document, and has a very frayed right edge. A-724 has some water damage and smudged ink throughout, and is also the last fully attached page of the document. A-801 through A-804 are the final three pages in the document, and are not attached. Each of these pages are heavily folded and frayed, and page A-804 has a partially ripped off bottom right corner. CMU R. Perry-Shorts Stadium Presentation Site Plan, measures 2.15 x 1.75 feet, [1970?]. The CMU R. Perry-Shorts Stadium was built in 1971 by Hobbs and Black Associates, Inc. and opened in November, 1972. This original site plan drawing was done with a combination of pencil, watercolor paint, and possibly crayon. The drawing is detailed, but not drawn to scale. The colors include a mixture of vibrant blues, greens, black and brown. The drawing is acidic, with a cardboard base. There is slight damage to the site plan, including scratches on the drawing, and glue remnants on the perimeter of the drawing leftover from a previously attached boarder. Attached is a narrative description of the stadium describing the context of when it was built, taken from the Clarke Historical Library. (For information on Shorts see his collection which is also housed at the Clarke.)

Also included is an edited moving image film of Central Michigan University v. University of Delaware playing each other at the Carmellita Bowl, 1974 (in 1 film canister). Film Id number: 76497-1. Format: 16 mm, color, magnetic sound. Date: 1974. Size: 1000 ft. Physical information: .05" shrinkage. By Katie Zwick and Matt Hood, fall 2019. Overview of scenes: Footage starts during game - Central v. the University of Delaware. Field sign is "NCAA"; end zones signs are "Carmellita Bowl." Film is edited, not continuous. Color is good at beginning, gets lighter about a quarter of the way in, then visibility keeps changing. About three-quarters of the way in, a red tint starts to appear (color dye fading to magenta). There are no names on players' uniforms. Shots of CMU cheerleaders dancing on sidelines. Marching band is visible on sidelines. Occasional shots of crowd. Halftime show is band and color guard. Student signs are visible in stands. Occasional shots of score boards. Crowd rushes the field at the end of the game. Final score is 54-14 Chippewas. Miscellaneous information: we retained the original black leaders on the film.

Processing Note: As of 12/3/18 .5 cubic foot of materials were withdrawn during collection, mostly acidic materials which were photocopied. The photocopies were retained.

This is part of the historical organizational records of Central Michigan University (CMU) Athletics. Most of the collection includes Hall of Fame materials, or other athletic awards.

This is part of the historical organizational records of Central Michigan University (CMU) Athletics that were housed for many years in Athletics. Most of the collection includes Hall of Fame materials, or other athletic awards. Materials are in very good condition.

The following series are documented here: High School athletic events held at CMU; Hall of Fame Board Meeting Files; Hall of Fame Nominees; Swimming Score Books; and 1 folder each: CMU-Athletics News Releases, January – July 1984, and CMU-Athletics Sports Statistics book, August 1985 – May 1987.

High School athletic events held at CMU. This series includes 1 box, .5 cubic foot, 1940, 1981 (incomplete). Included in this series are: programs and agendas, coaching and team and individual statistics, newspaper clippings (copies) and photographic materials. Also included in the collection are the record of the “winningest” high school coaches in Michigan. The high school athletic events series is organized chronologically by year and within each year alphabetically by surname of nominees.

Hall of Fame Board Meeting Files: This series includes 2 boxes, 1 cubic feet, 1983-2000, and undated. Included in this series are: programs, canceled checks, meeting minutes, agendas, canceled checks and attachments. The collection also contains the CMU Hall of Fame selection committee list as well as undated hall of nominee names. The Hall of Fame Board Meeting Files series is organized chronologically by year and within each year alphabetically by surname of nominees.

Hall of Fame Nominees: This series includes 4 boxes, 1.75 cubic feet, 1984-2005, and undated. Included in this series are: hall of fame dinner agendas, Hall of Fame selection letters, statistics, newspaper clippings (copies), and photographic materials. Hall of fame nominees were CMU student athletes in any sport. Several of the nominees listed in this series are mentioned with their nicknames. This is an excellent source for researching CMU athletes, particularly those of CMU and national fame. The Hall of Fame Nominees series is organized chronologically by year and within each year alphabetically by surname of nominees.

Box 9 (.5 cubic foot) includes a mixture of Athlete awards, MAC (Midwest Athletic Conference), IIAC (Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, which existed 1908-1970), and NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) letters, programs, and awards, 1947-2002 (scattered), and CMU Intramural handbooks, 1951-1952, 1965-1975.

Swimming Score Books: This series includes 12 volumes, cubic foot. 1968-1980. Included in this series are: statistics for CMU swimming competitions for men and individual swimmers. The collection consist of Mid-American conference swimming championship results. The Swimming score book series is organized chronologically by year.

CMU-Athletics News Releases, January – July 1984. This is 1 folder in Box 7. News Releases were a periodic paper news update from CMU. Information Services unit, currently UComm.

CMU-Athletics Sports Statistics book, August 1985 – May 1987. This is 1 folder in Box 7. These are various end of the season statistics for most CMU sports on a wide variety of papers in different sizes and styles.

(This information is from the collection. A list of all CMU Athletic Hall of Fame inductees is available on the CMU Athletics website (as of November 2018).)

Oversized Materials: CMU Kelly-Shorts Stadium Blue lines, measures 3.75 x 2.5 feet, 1997. The first four pages in the blue-line, A-001 through A-004, were created by Hobbs and Black Associates, Inc. Page “5”, which is unlabeled, was from Schwab-Eaton. Pages “6” and “7” (both labeled but unreadable), S-1, F-1, E-3, and page “11” (labeled but unreadable) were from Eberle M. Smith Associates, Inc. Pages C-101 through C-109 were from Mears Engineering, Inc. The remainder of the pages in the series, AS-101 through A-804, were from Hobbs and Black Associates, Inc. Damages are concentrated mainly at the beginning and end of the series of pages, though almost all pages have slight frayed/folded/damaged outer edges. Damages include various stains on A-001, the first page of the document. A-002 through page “11” have water damage to the upper right corners of the pages. In addition to this water damage in the upper right corner, F-1 through page “11” also have blue ink smudges throughout the pages. C-102 has an old tape mark in the bottom left corner of the page. C-103 is not fully attached to the rest of the document. C-104 has water damage in the upper right corner. C-107 through AS-103 have water damage in the upper right corners of the pages. A-103 and A-105 (missing) have been ripped out of the document, but the left edges of these pages remain attached. A-121 has what looks like coffee stains in the middle of the page. A-122 has water damage in the upper right corner. A-803 is not fully attached to the document, and has a very frayed right edge. A-724 has some water damage and smudged ink throughout, and is also the last fully attached page of the document. A-801 through A-804 are the final three pages in the document, and are not attached. Each of these pages are heavily folded and frayed, and page A-804 has a partially ripped off bottom right corner. CMU R. Perry-Shorts Stadium Presentation Site Plan, measures 2.15 x 1.75 feet, [1970?]. The CMU R. Perry-Shorts Stadium was built in 1971 by Hobbs and Black Associates, Inc. and opened in November, 1972. This original site plan drawing was done with a combination of pencil, watercolor paint, and possibly crayon. The drawing is detailed, but not drawn to scale. The colors include a mixture of vibrant blues, greens, black and brown. The drawing is acidic, with a cardboard base. There is slight damage to the site plan, including scratches on the drawing, and glue remnants on the perimeter of the drawing leftover from a previously attached boarder. Attached is a narrative description of the stadium describing the context of when it was built, taken from the Clarke Historical Library. (For information on Shorts see his collection which is also housed at the Clarke.)

Also included is an edited moving image film of Central Michigan University v. University of Delaware playing each other at the Carmellita Bowl, 1974 (in 1 film canister). Film Id number: 76497-1. Format: 16 mm, color, magnetic sound. Date: 1974. Size: 1000 ft. Physical information: .05" shrinkage. By Katie Zwick and Matt Hood, fall 2019. Overview of scenes: Footage starts during game - Central v. the University of Delaware. Field sign is "NCAA"; end zones signs are "Carmellita Bowl." Film is edited, not continuous. Color is good at beginning, gets lighter about a quarter of the way in, then visibility keeps changing. About three-quarters of the way in, a red tint starts to appear (color dye fading to magenta). There are no names on players' uniforms. Shots of CMU cheerleaders dancing on sidelines. Marching band is visible on sidelines. Occasional shots of crowd. Halftime show is band and color guard. Student signs are visible in stands. Occasional shots of score boards. Crowd rushes the field at the end of the game. Final score is 54-14 Chippewas. Miscellaneous information: we retained the original black leaders on the film.

Processing Note: As of 12/3/18 .5 cubic foot of materials were withdrawn during collection, mostly acidic materials which were photocopied. The photocopies were retained.

The collection includes the following series, biographical information, photographs, correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, speeches, and subject files documenting Eugene C. Warriner's tenure as Central Michigan University's president, 1970, 1989.

The collection is organized by the following series: Biographical Materials, Correspondence, Meeting Minutes, Photographs, Reports, Speeches, and Subject Files. Dr. Warriner’s personal papers, 1885, 2002, including Biographical Information, such as his Obituary, 1945, and Memorial Service Materials, 1946; a Scrapbook, undated, ca. 1890; Photographs, undated; his Diaries and Date Books, 1885, 1903, 1905-1906, 1929-1937; his License to Preach, 1913; and related newspaper articles (copies). Other series in the collection include Correspondence, which includes personal correspondence, such as about the death of his son Paul Warriner, 1917, and professional correspondence, 1902-1939, undated; Meeting Minutes of various CMU organizations and committees, 1932-1940; Reports of CMU and educational organizations, 1919,1939; Speeches Dr. Warriner gave, 1906, 1942, undated; Subject Files, 1907-1948 and two student papers about him, 1952, and undated; and his Writings and Speeches, 1900-1935, undated. Lastly, there is a box of 3 x 5 inch index cards, indexing his correspondence, 1992-1939, undated.

The collection provides good documentation on Warriner, his interests, ideas, and education and CMU related issues of interest during his tenure as CMU’s president.

Items of note specifically related to Warriner’s interest, views and work related to peace and related issues include: (all in Box 2 folders): in Correspondence: Peace, 1911-1916, 1919: numerous correspondence related to peace, most notably the American School Peace League Letterhead letter about the Celebration Peace Day, April 12, 1915; in Speeches, Miscellaneous-Peace Papers, 1912-1913: the rare newspaper-style undated facsimile about Kellogg-Briand Pact “Si Vis Pacem, Para Pacem;” and in Subject file: American Association of Teacher College, Standards, 1926-1927: his handwritten draft, Essay on Socrates.

The papers include photographic materials, and papers about Norm Lyon's personal and family life, his work as an oil field reporter and photographer for the MIchigan Oil and Gas News (MOGN), and his work as a photographer for the Mount Pleasant Daily Times News.

The collection consists of two main types of formats, photographic materials and papers. The photographic materials include: film negatives, strip negatives (multiple images on 35 mm film negatives), single image negatives, photographs, photograph and negative albums, transparencies, and paste-ups (for MOGN publications). The papers include: correspondence, reports, articles, newspaper clippings, obituaries, maps, and other materials.

The collection has materials from 1929-1930, 1933-1956, 1959-1977, 1979-1985, 1987-1989, 1991, and undated materials of this time period. Many undated negatives can be dated to the 1930s by the size and format of the negative material. Other papers in the collection that predate 1929 are in reality either later (ca.1960s) copies of pre-1929 materials or later (ca. 1950-1960s) notes about times prior to 1929.

The smallest part of the collection documents Norm Lyon’s family, mostly in negatives. Documented here are his wife, Phyllis, children, JoAnn and Dick, their pet dog, “Rip”, relatives, friends, and home life. The children are well documented as infants, at Christmas, 1937, 1940-1941, in Halloween costumes, on family vacations, particularly to Niagara Falls, 1941, and Leonidas (Mich.), while camping, playing with little friends and Rip, in the snow, or with their favorite toys. Phyllis is documented with the children, particularly when they were babies and toddlers, with lady friends working on craft projects, on vacation, and in general sitting and knitting. Norm is rarely photographed except for when he broke his leg and a few portrait shots, all undated The whole family is documented on vacations, camping or at Leonidas (Mich.), at Christmas, playing cards, and while visiting with friends and relatives. Most of the images are negatives and date from approximately 1935 to 1945. A few photographs, probably of the Lyon family or their friends and relatives also are included in the collection, notably in weddings, graduations, or anniversary photographs. None of these photographs are identified.

Civic and other organizations in which Norm was active, particularly the Mount Pleasant Kiwanis Club and the Pere Marquette Club, are documented in both negatives and photographs.

Norm’s work with the Mount Pleasant Daily Times recorded life in Mount Pleasant and the surrounding central Michigan area. Most of the images are negatives and include downtown Mount Pleasant parades, Christmas and Halloween decorations, downtown events and sales, politics, juries, veterans, meetings of various boards, the Indian Hall Dedication of July 7, 1940, Isabella County Fairs, 1947-1948 and 1956, the dedication of the new airport, the opening of Island Park swimming pool, paving streets, city offices, police (both state and local), accidents, fires, various clubs and civic groups particularly the Boy and Girl Scouts, American Legion, Archery Club, Elks Club, 4-H and FFA, Jaycees, Kiwanis, and Lions Club, as well as the local schools and sports teams, and the widening of US-127.

Other Michigan localities documented in negatives include the Pre-Edenville Dam, 1941, Reed City, 1940 (?), Ithaca, 1935, 1937, the Arenac Salt Plant, 1940, and Barrier Salt (Armada), 1966.

Central Michigan University (CMU) is documented as well. Negatives of the Cornerstone Ceremony at Rachel Tate Hall, 1956, the Construction of the Arts and Crafts Building, 1947, are included. Other images of note include the College Hop, 1936, Doc. Sweeney’s Gym[nastics] Troupe, 1942, the Football Team, 1934 and ca.1930s, Homecoming, including football players and a parade, 1935, as well as practice session negatives of both men’s baseball and women’s basketball, and the team image of the Men’s Basketball Team, 1942 are included. Photographs of CMU document most notably the Central State Training College Training School Fire of January. 8, 1933, general building images, and people, including the men’s baseball team, undated

Other unidentified negatives, probably documenting Mount Pleasant and the related area, include: suicides, squatters, farmers, agricultural scenes and products, and farm animals, hot air balloons, vehicles, trains, voting polls, buildings (interior and exterior shots), fires in general, and the Wolscheid Fire, 1948, in particular. Related photographs also mostly of the Mount Pleasant area, document children, buildings, the Kiwanis Club, street paving, snow storms, city vehicles, and the Chippewa Centennial Queen and Runner-up, 1967.

The largest group of negatives, as well as some of the photographs, documents oil exploration and production businesses in Michigan, 1930s-1980s.

Within the oil topics, a large number of negatives and photographs, 1930s-1970s, document men, most of whom are in groups wearing suits, usually holding drinks and cigarettes. While most of these men are unidentified, some are partially identified and other photographs or negatives are dated. It is highly likely that they all are attending Association meetings. One particular set of negatives shows men at the Mount Pleasant Country Club, watching a couple of go-go dancers, 1966.

Other negatives show groups of men who were probably connected with the oil industry relaxing, at meetings, playing cards, fishing, golfing, or hunting. A funny negative shows a group of men dressed up as women golfers. Numerous other images show men in groups either working in or visiting oil fields. The negatives of men in groups span 1935 through 1975, and undated. The photographs of men in groups span the 1960s.

There are also a smaller number of negatives of men who are working in fields unrelated to the oil business, such as in general stores.

Lastly, there are a number of negatives, 1930s-1970s, and some photographs, 1960s, of individual men in the Men-Portraits folders, some of which are identified either by surname or date. While a number of the men may be well known in the oil industry, the most famous central Michigan names associated with the Purple Gang are Isaiah Leebove, circa 1937, and Jack Livingston, undated, circa 1930s, both documented in photographs. Another famous Michigander is Spikehorn [John E.] Meyer (d. 1956) of Harrison, Michigan, 1940s, undated (photographed with his pet deer and bear, and people, including children). Spikehorn is documented in negatives and a few photographs.

A few Michigan politicians are also found in the collection, probably while campaigning, and include governors Soapy [G. Mennen] Williams and Kim Sigler (in negatives) and George Romney (in photographs).

The largest and arguably the most important part of the collection documents the oil exploration and production business throughout the state of Michigan, 1930s-1970s. A few images of the oil business in Texas, Florida, Ohio, and Illinois are also included.

The collection documents in detail the entirety of the oil business, from maps, drilling, core samples, construction of rigs, storage tanks, shipping oil, fires and other disaster, to seismology. Changes and developments in field equipment are recorded, from horse-drawn vehicles, wooden derricks, and using tractor-powered vehicles to sink well pipes to diesel-powered equipment and full-scale production refineries.

Major topics related to the oil exploration and production business in Michigan are well documented by negatives in the collection. These topics include the Association meetings, parties, and other outings, usually baseball or golf, 1940-1974, undated, and Buildings and Plants, most of which are identified, including non-Michigan locations. Plants with a large number of images include: Gaylord, 1967-1971; Gulf-Bateson, 1935, 1940-1942, undated, Gulf-Bay City, 1939-1941, undated and Gulf-General, 1941; Hilliard’s in Roscommon County and Vogel Centre, 1941, 1967; Kalkaska, including Shell Oil Co., 1969-1972, 1974; McClure (various locations), 1966, 1969-1971 and 1975; Porter fields, 1933, 1936, 1939-1940, undated; Pure Oil Co., 1930s, 1936, 1939-1940, undated; Reed City (MI), 1941, Roosevelt Refinery, Mount Pleasant, 1940, 1943, 1947, undated; Saginaw, 1937, 1941, 1975, undated; Shell Oil Co., 1970-1974; Sun Oil Co., 1940-1941, 1965-1966; Tekonsha, Michigan,1966-1967, 1969; and Wise Township (Isabella County), 1940-1941, undated.

Other oil business subjects well documented by negatives include Derricks, both identified and dated, 1930s-1970s, and those neither identified nor dated, including rigs blown down, destroyed, off-shore, and tilting. Fires are also well documented, particularly the Roosevelt fire, 1933, Six Lakes fire, 1974, Struble Well fire, 1934, and the Woods Well fire, circa 1930s. Gas and Gas Plants, Gushers, and Land Leases, Sales, and Landsmen are fairly well documented. The Oil Expos[itions] of 1935-1937 are well documented, showing various exhibiters, their equipment, signs, salesmen, and attendees. Oil Scouts, Pipes, Pumps, and Storage Tanks are also documented. Negatives of refineries, mostly undated, which are well documented included McClanahan Refinery, Toledo Pipe Refinery (Ohio), 1935-1936, and Total Refinery (probably located in Alma. Well sites are well documented in Buckeye, 1936-1938, Durbin, 1935, and Sherman Rocks, 1937.

Brine and gas exploration, laying of lines or pipes, plants and gas stations are also documented, mostly by negatives.

The oil business is also documented in photographs, which mostly dated from the 1960s. Buildings and Plants documented here include Bay Refining Co., and Belle River Gas, 1967, Simrall Pipeline Corp., and Durbin Station. Other topics covered include: Core Samples; Derricks, including Hilliard and McCloud for 1961; Fires, 1961-1963, Florida (Orange County), 1965; Gushers; McClure Drilling Co., Equipment on a Ferryboat, 1961, Pumps; Sinkholes, Storage Tanks; and Wells Sites, including Off-Shore sites.

The Transparencies also document the oil business in Michigan. The Slides nearly all document the oil business in the early 1970s, including the Crawford Well Fire, 1976; Derricks; Kalkaska; seismology, rigs, equipment, fires, core samples, pumps, storage tanks, various people, McClure, equipment, etc.

The partial reels of 35 mm film all are labeled in some form. One partial reel found in Box 11 appears to be personal. Otherwise, all the partial reels in Box 12 document an oil hearing, 1971-1973, McClure, Natural Resource Commission, etc.

The Oversized Folders include photographs (2 folders) and paste-ups (1 folder), all related to Norm’s publishing work with the oil industry.

The Papers are a small part of the collection. Found here are articles and reprints of articles about the Michigan oil business; an oil drilling notebook reports, maps, and other oil related materials. Pigeon River, and the blowout at Williamsburg, 1973-1974 are specifically documented here. The rest of the Papers documents Norm Lyons in biographical information, including correspondence, obituaries notices (of Norm and Phyllis), newspaper clippings, notes, and speeches, and information about the Mount Pleasant Kiwanis Club, particularly their 50th Anniversary in 1983. Other people, probably his friends or oil associates are documented briefly in correspondence and newspaper clippings.

Processing Note: This was a challenging collection to process for several reasons. First, it arrived in a state of complete disorder. Many of the images, negatives and positives, were without any form of identification. Secondly, a number of negatives were often in one wax-paper sleeve with either little or no identifying information or a lot of information that did not always seem to apply to the contents. For example one sleeve might have 15 negatives of different men and the names of only two men on it. Norm’s writing was often difficult to read, particularly when he used his own style of abbreviations. Students and Marian tried mightily to identify and read his notations. Also, some of the photographs were identified by Norm as belonging to various years. As we could, we maintained that grouping. That is why there are photographs in a folder 1965-1967 (we do not know which individual photographs date from which year) and other photographs in a folder strictly labeled 1967 only. Simply sleeving the collection took nearly three months while sorting it took longer. Some items were identifiable only using a lightbox and loupe.

This collection contains papers, publications, and information concerning the Harris family and Milling Company.

This collection contains papers, publications, and information concerning the Harris family and Milling Company. Boxes 1-2 include legal-size materials and Box 3 includes letter-size materials. There are three series in this collection; Harris business, personal, and Minnie Vroman Papers. Most of the materials were produced or collected by Richard O. Harris. The materials include adverting materials, inventories, price lists, product information, company publications, photographic materials, insurance and stock information, board of directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and company records and ledgers. The collection is organized by size, alphabetically and chronologically. Both boxes are legal-size.

Of special note are the Articles of Merger and Merger Agreement detailing how the Harris Milling Company was subsumed by the Nebraska Consolidated Mills Company, a badly damaged daguerreotype of an unknown white woman with a broach, who may be Jane Daniel Fulbright (see the last letter in Personal Correspondence folder), and papers for a milling course Richard O. completed.

Also in the collection are illustrative materials, including photographs and sketches of plans for transport trucks with the Harris Milling Company/FAMO logo in watercolor.

Related family materials include: miscellaneous items documenting Richard O. Harris’ daughter Mary Jane Harris (later Waterhouse)’s involvement with local stage events; papers of Minnie Vroman including a 1909 Chicago x-ray receipt and bills related to a week spent at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in 1917 for gastic issues. There are also papers and a photograph (with unidentified people, probably a Boy Scouts troop and leader) atop a submarine at the Beacon Institute of U.S. Submarine Base New London, Connecticut to which an unknown member of the Harris family was affiliated.

A 2019 addition (Box 3) includes a 1938 Central State Teachers College (CSTC) football schedule of home games on a football shaped program, and a CSTC lecture course season ticket for Kathleen Ordway. Mount Pleasant High School materials include: a 1925 student and staff photograph by T. T. Mock, Battle Creek, Michigan, outside the old high school (photocopy 8 pp.); a 1925 commencement program, a black and white photograph of the 50th reunion of the class of 1925 in 1975; and acidic blue line revision drawings (4 pp.), each of which measures 18x24 inches, of the new Mount Pleasant High School by Louis C. Kingscott and Associates, Inc, Kalamazoo (architects and engineers), April 20, 1953 including a presentation drawing, floor plans for the English, Social Science and Language unit, a floor plan for the science unit with a sectional view of the unit, and a floor plan of the commercial unit (in 1 Oversized Folder). Also included is the October 27, 2000 invitation to the historic marker dedication for Harris Mill. Last is John A. Harris materials including his Civil War service records (copies, 10 pp.), a photograph (copy), presentation reading notes of Anne Harris Hunnewell for the Pasadena Civil War Round Table about John Harris (4 pp.), and letter and envelope (copy) about the John A. Harris materials from Anne Harris Hunnewell to her Grandpa Richard. Also included are 1999 copies from the Internet of a list of John’s unit members (4 pp.), and a map of Eureka, Michigan (1 p.).

Processing Note:

Much of this collection was heavily damaged and was infested with stinkbugs. The archivist and processing student met with the university insect exterminator and determined these bugs were not a threat to the collection. All stinkbugs were contained and removed from the collection. Items with mold, mildew, water, or fire damage, as well as acidic papers were photocopied and withdrawn from the collection during processing, about 1 cubic foot total. Also, during processing one general Mount Pleasant item was added to the Vertical Files.

Three-dimensional items transferred to the CMU Museum in February 2019 where they can receive expert curatorial care include: keychain, patch, matchbooks, product cards, dog food and flour bags, Harris Milling Company FAMO Dairy Feed 100 lbs Bag Sketches (24% and 16%, each measures 18x12 inches, undated; Harris Milling Company FAMO Broiler Ration 25 lbs Bag Sketches (1 is 20%, the other has no % indicated), each measures 18x12 inches, undated; Harris Milling Company FAMO 16% Dairy Feed 100 lbs White Bag Sketch, measures 18x12 inches, undated; Harris Milling Company FAMO Self-rising Bleached Flour Cloth 10lbs Bag, stamped “Emergency Quality Milled Under Gov’t. Order W.F.O. 144,” measures 16.5x10 inches, undated; Harris Milling Company FAMO Self-rising Bleached Flour Cloth 10lbs Bag, measures 17x10 inches, undated; Martha White’s FAMO Self-rising Enriched Bleached Flour .5lbs Bags, (1 plain, 1 with images), each measures 11.5x5.5 inches, undated; Harris Milling Company FAMO Self-rising Bleached Flour Paper 10lbs Bag, stamped “Emergency Quality Milled Under Gov’t. Order W.F.O. 144,” measures 19.25x10 inches, undated; Harris Milling Company Hi-Value Dog Food Paper 25lbs Bag, measures 31x11 inches, undated; Harris Milling Company FAMO Beef Builder Paper 50lbs Bag, measures 34.5x16 inches, undated; Harris Milling Sample Bag (linen) and Harris Ranch Almond Bag (cotton), undated; and a booklet: Michigan. Dept. of Agriculture. Selection…, 1961.

The collection includes videotapes of Central Michigan University events, units, buildings, programs, activities, research, and people at CMU.

Videotape collection, 1989-1995 and undated, includes Central Michigan University (CMU) campus scenes, numerous campus buildings, sports, alumni, professors, commencements, 1990 and 1995, students, Clarke Historical Library, theatre, dance, music, woodshop, Beaver Island (Mich.), Music Building ground breaking, 1994, and the centennial of CMU, 1992-1993. Titles are taken directly from video labels. Videos are 3/4inch videotapes (71/4x5x11/4inch Ampax 197 Master Broadcast Videocassettes).