Collections

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.

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.

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.

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 includes the following series, biographical information, photographs, correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, speeches, subject files, and other materials documenting William B. Boyd's tenure as Central Michigan University's president, 1968-1978.

The collection is organized by the following series: Biographical Information, Correspondence, Meeting Minutes, Photographs, Reports, Speeches, and Subject Files. The collection includes: Biographical Information, 1968-1974 (5 folders); Correspondence, 1968-1978 (about 1 cubic ft.); Meeting Minutes from CMU entities and Education-related institutions and organizations, 1968-1978 (about 1 cubic ft.); a few Photographs, 1969-1971, undated (more are in the Commencement folders and other Subject Files); Reports from CMU entities and educational related institutions and organizations, 1968-1978 (about 1 cubic ft.); Speeches, 1968-1975 (9 folders); and Subject Files on a wide variety of topics relations to education, CMU, and numerous CMU departments and social issues and organizations, 1968-1978, undated (7.75 cubic ft.), including Congratulatory letters to Boyd on his inauguration as CMU’s seventh president (2 folders).

The heart of the collection is in the Subject Files, which documents the change of focus for CMU during Pres. Boyd’s tenure. The topics of Affirmative Action, African American- Curriculum, History Week, and Professorship, and Afro-American Cultural Center; Black Symposium, Black White Convocation, United Black Student Association, Diversity Gay Rights, and Handicapped students all debut during his administration. Other topics of interest include the Lettuce Boycott, May 1972 problems (an incident with the Governor’s car on campus), Native American Affairs, Nigerian Project, Students for a Democratic Society, the Thailand Project (part of the Inter-Institutional Affiliation Project), Korean Orphanage, and the Vietnam Moratorium (which includes a photograph of the protest on campus). There are many topics that with ‘Student” covering the Code of Conduct, various committees, teaching, senate resolutions, unrest, etc. Case files of some students who were “problems” also are included, such as the Anthony Syroccki Case.

Other topics of interest include the Dedication folders for new buildings including the High Rise (later called “the Towers”), McNeel Nature Center, Perry Shorts Stadium, Ryan Hall, and the Tribal Community Center.

There are also many folders related to the faculty and their evaluation or assessment, funding, appropriations, and CMU Development endeavors and the budget.

In the Box and Folder Listing the following abbreviations are used: MI for Michigan, Dept. for Department, and Co. for Company. On folders where abbreviations for names were used, the full name, if known, is given in parenthesis at the end of the folder title.

The collection mostly includes the following series, biographical information, photographs, correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, speeches, subject files, scrapbooks, and congratulatory letters documenting Judson W. Foust's tenure as Central Michigan University's president, 1970, 1989.

The collection is organized by the following series: Biographical Information, Correspondence, Meeting Minutes, Photographs, Reports, Subject Files, Scrapbooks, and Congratulatory Letters. The collection includes Biographical Information, 1923,2002, about .25 cubic ft.; Correspondence, 1935-1978, about 1 cubic ft.; Meeting Minutes from CMU entities and educational related institutions and organizations, 1953-1968, about 1.5 cubic ft.; Photographs, 1960-1968, undated, about .25 cubic ft.; Reports from CMU entities and educational related institutions and organizations, and the State Senate investigation reports of CMU, 1954-1968, undated, about 2.25 cubic ft.; and Subject Files, 1955-1968, undated, about 3.5 cubic ft., on a wide variety of topics relating to education, CMU, and numerous CMU departments. There are six Scrapbooks, 1959-1967, and eleven Photograph Albums, 1958-1972 (2 cubic ft. total). Congratulatory letters on the occasion of Foust’s inauguration as CMU’s president on April 25, 1960, about .5 cubic ft; and his miscellaneous desk items, plaques, and awards are also included (2 cubic ft. total). Two folders of oversized materials including awards, a certificate, congratulatory notes, a resolution, and letter of appreciation from the Korean Orphanage complete the collection.

Of special interest to the researcher may be the Senate Investigation Report, 1965 (2 folders) in Box 5, which relate to the state investigation into the administration versus the faculty at CMU, following numerous complaints, which led to the formation of the Faculty Association, or union in 1967. Paul Evett was one of the professors who testified and was thereafter mistreated by the administration. Additional information may be found in the CMU. Faculty Association collection and in the Michigan. Legislature. Senate. Special Committee on Faculty-Administration Relationships at CMU collection.

Although there is some information regarding student protests or campus unrest, the researcher should view additional information on student protests and campus uprisings in the collection of Professor Joe DeBolt.

Another topic of interest in the Building Dedications and Photographs is the CMU Chapel. This building was built with state funds by Pres. Foust over the objections of CMU’s lawyer as an inter-denominational Christian chapel. After it was built, CMU had to repay the state for using state funds for inappropriate (religious) purposes.

Information on the Thailand Project, (part of the Inter-Institutional Affiliation Project), and Korean Orphanage, that CMU students supported, is also found in the collection.

In the Box and Folder Listing the following abbreviations are used: MI for Michigan, Dept. for Department, and Co. for Company. On folders where abbreviations for names were used, the full name is given in parenthesis at the end of the folder title.

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 collection includes the following series, biographical information, including a photograph, correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, speeches, subject files, and congratulatory notices (letters) documenting Edward B. Jakubauskas' tenure as Central Michigan University's president, 1970, 1989.

The collection consists mainly of his Subject Files (approximately 2 cubic ft.), with various Meeting Minutes, Correspondence, and Reports. Congratulatory Notices (Letters) from many universities on the subject of his inauguration at CMU (1 cubic ft.) are the second major series in the collection. His Speeches, 1988-1991 (.25 cubic ft.), mostly relating to CMU events, the third major series, complete the collection.

The collection contains Biographical Information, graduate lists, and instruction for a survey of a state normal school.

Very few of Grawn's papers exist. Most of these are biographical materials written about him and some miscellaneous materials.

The collection contains biographical information, correspondence, photographs, reports, speeches, subject files, memorabilia, plaques, index card, and oversized materials of President Anspach.

The collection is divided into the following series: Biographical Information (2 cubic ft.), 1912, 2001, undated, including: obituaries (copies), his doctoral dissertation and thesis, certificates, citations, diaries, 1932-1958 (scattered) and 1960-1973, honorary degrees, inauguration materials, scrapbooks, 1948-1959, testimonials and tributes, and his Last Will and Testament, 1977; Correspondence (approximately 1 cubic ft.), 1932-1977, with various individuals, organizations, colleges, boards, and programs; Meeting Minutes (1.5 cubic ft.), 1939-1973, for various CMU departments, committees, and other organizations, councils, and programs; Photographs and Photograph Albums (1.25 cubic ft.), 1941, 1943, 1949-1968, 1971, undated; Reports (approximately 1 cubic ft.), 1937-1941, 1943-1959, 1964, 1970, undated, from CMU departments and committees, and other organizations, councils, and committees; Speeches (4.5 cubic ft.), on a plethora of topics, including speeches recorded on paper, 1929-1976, undated, speeches recorded on reel-to-reel tapes, 1958, 1967, 1971-1973, undated, and programs of speeches given by President Anspach, 1940-1973, undated; Subject Files (4.25 cubic ft.) for a wide variety of CMU organizations, committees, events, a plethora of issues, Michigan and national organizations, councils, boards, and issues of concern to President Anspach, 1931-1977, 1979-1982, undated; Miscellaneous Materials (Memorabilia) (2 cubic ft.) including a wide variety of Masonic, Boy Scout, and CMU memorabilia, such as: Masonic plate; CMU miniature cigarette lighter; Masonic penny; Masonic aprons; Medals; CMU Paperweights (2); numerous Pins; Shriner’s (Masonic) Caps; a gavel; and miscellaneous, 1948, 1950, 1963-1974, undated; and Plaques (.5 cubic ft.), 1959, 1964, 1969, 1972-1973, undated, and a Boy Scouts statue, 1943-1945; and Index Cards (1 cubic ft.) to Articles and Photographs of Anspach in CMU’s school newspapers, CSLife, later CMLife, 1939-1959. Oversized Materials (approximately 4 cubic ft.), including photographs and photograph albums, 1905-1972 (scattered), undated, certificates, 1946-1976 (scattered), undated, diplomas, 1920, 1923, a resolution, 1967, posters, undated, a guest book, 1939, and miscellaneous, are housed in three flat boxes

The collection extensively documents President Anspach’s life and activities during his tenure as President of CMU. His activities in peace and religiously oriented organizations, with children’s organizations and causes, the Boy Scouts, Masons, and various educational organizations and issues are well documented. His personal life at Ashland College, CMU, and after his retirement from CMU are documented to a lesser degree in the collection.