Collections : [Central Michigan University Clarke Historical Library]

The collection includes art and posters of Central Michigan University arthletes, speakers, student events, programs, museum, and the biological station on Beaver Island.

The collection includes art, drawings and prints from them, of CMU athletes and buildings, early 1990s, and CMU posters, 1975-2013, and undated. Posters include the topics of: Beaver Island, Admissions, Athletics, CMU and You Day, Programs/Speakers Series, Scholarships, School of Music, Student Services, Graduate Studies, Extended Degree Programs, Panhellenic, Leadership Institute, Minority Affairs, Study Abroad, Museum, and University Theatre. The art and posters are all in good condition. The art was generated by Church, probably Eugene Church, who in the early 1990s was CMU’s director of publications, public relations unit.

Within each folder, posters and art are organized by topic, size, and date. They are described by title, size, and date.

The collection documents the history of the Central Michigan University. Department of Biology in photographs, publications, clippings, slides, blueprints, films, and miscellaneous.

Box 1 and 2 consist of many different blueprints for various classrooms in Brooks and Dow halls. There are photographs in Box 1 of the cornerstone ceremony in 1964 with Judson Foust, Kendall Brooks, and Faith Johnston. There are also around 30 photographs of different staff members and students who were a part of the Biology Department. Two staff members who stood out were Faith Johnston and Ray Hampton. Their folders include news articles and photographs. Faith Johnston’s folder includes a cassette on her seminar from February 2nd, 1978. There were also news articles and photographs from Central Michigan University’s Biological Station on Beaver Island. Finally, in Box 1 “News Articles April 2003- May 2007” there is a CD on Gil Stark’s and Doug Valek’s retirement party at Neithercut Woodlands, April 22nd, 2006.

Boxes 3 and 4 consist of various ideas, designs, plans, and inventory request for the new Science II Building Project.

There is also a Box of 255 slides on various Biology Department field trips or research in Michigan. These slides consisted of Big Creek Drain Study, Consumers Power Study, Faith Johnston, and different studies on lakes in Michigan.

There are two super 8 color, silent films, undated, of the Biological Station at Beaver Island, both 50 feet, of staff and students eating and relaxing (Film # 74212-1) and relaxing, cooking, and listening to a lecture (Film # 74212-2).

There is one oversized scrapbook, that is acidic containing various newspaper clippings and photographs on different programs, research, and staff members from the Biology Department, 1946- 1970.

There are two oversized blueprints of the Freshman Laboratory, 1966, drawn by B.D Job, No. 22, 514, for blue-line plans of lab desks.

Processing Note: Items that were acidic, fragile (onion paper), on wax paper, and damaged were copied and withdrawn. Approximately .5 cubic ft. Documents were withdrawn from the collection.

The collection consists mainly of her research notes, manuscript drafts, reference materials, photographs, papers and speeches on the Strangite Mormons, Native Americans, and Irish of Beaver Island, Michigan.

This is a well-documented research collection of Beaver Island history, concentrating on the Irish Catholics and, secondarily the Strangite Mormons, who settled there, as well as other aspects of Beaver Island history. It is divided simply by format into two series: Papers and Notecards. Topical materials (in folders) within the Papers and the topics of the Notecards are in alphabetical order.

The Papers, 1907-1996 (Scattered), and undated, consist mainly of Helen’s research notes and drafts of manuscripts, as well as collected reference materials and photographs, for her Irish Book, and papers or speeches on various aspects of Beaver Island area history, including: land [property], Native Americans, Irish, Strangite Mormons, fishing, boats, statistics, culture, and genealogy.

There are a few manuscript drafts, typed papers, and research notes on Crinoids (fossils) and the Sugar Creek of Montgomery County, Indiana.

Also included are Biographical Materials, 1990, 1996-1997, and undated (1 folder), which includes Photographs of Helen. There is Correspondence from various people asking Helen to do genealogical research for them or answer genealogy questions, and/or supplying her with genealogical information and other materials for her research (6 folders). There is also Correspondence, 1969-1974, regarding manuscripts she submitted to journals for publication (1 folder).

The 5”x8” Notecards (3 boxes) document her research on the following topics: Beaver Island Vital Statistics, Ireland, Emigration/ “Trip Over”; Beaver Island History; Boats/Fishing; [data from] the Michigan Census, 1850-1910; and Mormons. The Notecards are in the process of being transcribed by a Central Michigan University professor.

A map of Beaver Island and a book about Arranmore (Ireland), which were part of Helen Collar’s reference materials, were cataloged separately.

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).