Collections

The collection consists of material collected and written by Virginia Kjolhede's mother, Marion Kraft Larson, about her school mate Ernest Hemingway and the Hemingway family, and the papers and photographs of Virginia's husband, Ted Kjolhede, respected athlete, alumni, coach, and athletic director of Central Michigan University.

The collection is divided into two series, each in its own box: first the materials of Ted Kjolhede, and second, the materials of Marion Kraft Larson. Materials in each box are in alphabetical and chronological order. Acidic clippings were photocopied and the originals were withdrawn from the collection.

Series (Box) 1 consists of materials documenting the life of Ted Kjolhede, including biographical materials, photographs of his athletic career and teams, articles and letters to the editors he wrote, many of which were published in his role as guest columnist of the local Mount Pleasant newspaper, the Morning Sun, and various materials related to CMU athletics, CMU World War II graduates, and his career at CMU.

Series (Box) 2 consists mostly of newspaper and magazine articles (copies) collected or created by Marion Kraft Larson about Ernest Hemingway. Also included are a few biographical materials about Marion. Of particular interest, is her Memory Book of Oak Park and River Forest Township High School, 1917, signed by Ernest and Marcelline Hemingway, among others, and her 1972 paper about her memories of Ernest and other Hemingways, entitled “Yes, I Knew Ernest Hemingway.” There is one undated, color photograph of Marion, and a photograph album, 1912-1913, probably of her primary school mates. Also included is one oversized photograph of the Oak Park and River Forest Township High School graduation class, 1917.

The collection consists of material collected about President Mike Rao, including clippings, reports, updates, publications, and university-wide emails. This collection is not composed of his official presidential papers.

This collection is not composed of President Mike’s official presidential papers. Rather, it was culled mostly from newspapers, reports, updates, publications, and university-wide emails. Some correspondence and reports in the collection are courtesy of now retired Professor Wayne Osborn, who served on high level university committees with President Mike. The collection documents President Mike’s accomplishments, strategic vision, and public statements on topics such as diversity, the defeat of Proposal 2, and school massacres, rather than his thought process or implementation plans.

This collection is not composed of President Ross' official presidential papers. It is an artificial collection collected by Archivist Marian Matyn from newspapers, reports, updates, publications and university-wide emails.

This collection is not composed of President Ross' official presidential papers. Rather, it was culled from newspapers, reports, updates, publications and university-wide emails. The collection, 2009-2018, bulk 2012-2018, includes any information about Ross, his presidency, statements he made, CMU News Announcements documenting CMU history, people, events and changes during his administration and some information which predates but affected or is relevant to his administration. Major events during his tenure included: Budget Deficit/ Cuts, 2016-2017, CMU’s 125th Anniversary, 2017; the Executive Order on Immigration, January 30, 2017 (see also the Muslim Ban March collection in the Clarke); and the racist incident on campus (see Hitler Valentine Card Statement and Information, 2017 folder). CMU opened a $95 million Biosciences Building — the largest construction project in its history, funded through state, private and university dollars in January 2017; and although the process began under Interim CMU President Kathy Wilbur, CMU opened America's 137th College of Medicine (CMED) under Dr. Ross' direction and graduated its first physicians in 2017. Other topics documented in the collection include: Academic Reorganization, 2017-2018; the expansion of CMU’s medical/health studies programs into the Center for Integrated Health Studies, April 2018; and CMU Women’s Basketball team which won both the MAC and NCAA championships, 2018.

In addition, copies of any major published reports from the Ross administration which came to the Clarke are in the CMU vertical files.

Information about the March 2, 2018 shooting on CMU’s campus is in a separate collection as its impact and CMU responses to it continued after President Ross retired.

This collection consists of the family papers of Leonard E. and Louise A. Plachta, providing a personal view into their childhoods, university experiences, married life and relationship with each other, friends, and relatives through their correspondence, and careers, mainly in Detroit and Mount Pleasant, Michigan.

This collection consists of the family papers of Leonard E. and Louise A. Plachta, providing a personal view into their childhoods, university experiences, married life and relationship with each other, friends, and relatives through their correspondence, and careers, mainly in Detroit and Mount Pleasant, Michigan. While most of the collection is in English, some correspondence, stories, family history and vital records, and school grades are in Polish. The collection is organized by creator and then alphabetically by topic and, finally, chronologically. Physically, the collection is in very good condition. Boxes 1-4 are letter-size .5 cubic foot and Box 5 is a letter-size .25 cubic foot box.

The Papers of Leonard E. Plachta:

The Papers of Leonard E. Plachta (in Boxes 1-3) includes his family history with family tree information, and his elementary grades (some in Polish) and high school grades and activities, such as childhood photographs and his Safety Patrol Pledge, Grade 7-8. His university materials included applications, in which he wrote about his hopes, dreams, interests, and lack of parental support to pursue a college degree. His university degrees and related commencement materials are included. There is one folder each of material documenting his wedding to Louise, and another his army training. We see some of his personal relationships with each other and family in Correspondence, from Leonard to Louise,; and in Correspondence, Personal to Leonard, Leonard and Louise.

The majority of his papers focuses his career at Central Michigan University (CMU His Annual Personal Data Report (Academic Accomplishments), are annual reports of his professorial academic accomplishments in the Business School. When he became Dean of the CMU Business School he wrote Some Thoughts on Becoming Dean of the School of Business Administration at CMU]. Photographs of Dean Plachta with students, other CMU faculty and administrators, and when he attended the Small Business Institute Award Dinners also document his time as dean.

Most of the CMU material is from his tenure as CMU president. When he became Interim President he received numerous congratulatory notes. Those retained in the collection are from CMU and Mount Pleasant people, among them former CMU Presidents Harold Abel and William B. Boyd, presidents of other universities, and Michigan politicians and businessmen. Other materials documenting his tenure as CMU president include: CMU Agreement with Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara (student exchange program established), 1993; a Caricature by Paco; CMU Correspondence, Thank yous for Hospitality to Leonard and Louise from Alumni Class 1947 for their 50th Reunion; an invitation to the CMU Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government Celebration Dinner; Morning Sun Interview Materials; Photographs in the collection document Awards and Recognition Events, one with Governor Jennifer Granholm, Commencements, 1992-1995, 1997; Groundbreaking, Official Building Openings and other events, Homecoming, 1995 and 1997; Students, Alums; and international visits to Villa Bosch, a conference center, in Heidelberg, Germany, and the Tatsuzawa Educational Establishments (Morioka Chou Senior High School),a preeminent private high school, in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Demands for his resignation in 1998 are documented in the folder labeled CMU Students Demand Plachta’s Resignation.

His retirement and honors received afterwards are documented by Awards and Certificates, Leonard and Louise together; CMU Correspondence, Congratulations Upon His Retirement; CMU Plachta Day, Dinner Invitation; CMU President Mike Rao, Goals, Strategic Plans, Correspondence. Certificates and awards, newspaper clippings, plaques, and CMU Correspondence- General span his entire career or entire life. There is one folder of materials from the semester he taught at Michigan State University. An overall view about him is provided by his obituary and self-generated biographical materials.

The Papers of Louise Plachta:

The Papers of Louise Plachta (in Boxes 4-5) document her family history in copies of her parents’ vital records, stories, and correspondence (some in Polish from her mother and other relatives), and secondary education with childhood elementary grades (some in Polish) and high school grades and class anniversary materials. Her University of Detroit materials include her degree. The one folder of their wedding material is filed under Leonard’s name. Her writing is documented in her English papers, Correspondence, and Stories, h Interview materials, Articles, and Speeches. Materials specifically related to her time at CMU include: Caricature by Paco, Brent Wisher; Certificates; her CMU Master of Arts Degree in Case; CMU Plachta Scholarships and Awards Materials; Identity Cards; her unofficial Correspondence, re: Leonard Resigning; all but one of her English papers; most of her Photographs and CMU Photo Identity Card; ‘Robert Frost and the rural’ CMU Bohannon Schoolhouse, Program, and Photographs; and two plaques. An overview of her life is found in her photographs, resume, and obituary.

Researchers may also be interested in the official CMU Office of the President Papers of Leonard E. Plachta, which are administrative in nature. For more detail please see that finding aid. Additional materials about both Plachtas may be found in multiple manuscript collections in the Clarke, especially those related to public relations, as well as digitized CMU publications. A copy of his 1964 dissertation, A search for a proper accounting for the issuance of stock dividends, is also available in the Clarke.

Processing Note: Approximately 1 cubic foot of materials were removed from the collection during processing including: miscellaneous financial information, pay raise requests, benefits information, letters of recommendation, generic travel mementos, generic correspondence, information with social security numbers, unidentified photographs, CMU publications (duplicates) and acidic materials, mainly newspaper clippings (copies were retained). Material of a more personal nature were returned to the donor as per the donor agreement.