Collections

Diaries, 1866-1920, some biographical materials of Andrew Jackson, a farmer in Livingstton and Ingham counties, Michigan, and a work diary, 1897, probably of one of his farm workers.

Except for some brief biographical materials, 1920, and undated, the collection consists entirely of Andrew’s diaries, 1866-1920. His diaries document farm work, the weather, family visits, funerals, deaths, births, farm workers, health, and purchases and sales of goods, cattle, and crops. There is also a work diary, 1897, probably by a farm worker of Andrew’s.

The majority of the correspondence is between Andrew and his extended family and friends, 1862-1865, but other materials date to 2012, or are undated.

The collection is composed mainly of correspondence between Andrew and his extended family written mostly between 1862 and 1865. There is also a letter from 1867 and several which are undated. The majority of the correspondence is between Andrew and Eliza, with correspondence to/from Amara. The majority of the letters concerns farm life and what to do on the farm. Of particular note is a letter dated Sept. 17, 1864 from Seymour Clark to Amara Bachelder from a Camp near Atlanta, Georgia, describing the siege of Atlanta. There is one folder devoted to writings and poems written or copied by Andrew while he served during the Civil War. In the Miscellaneous No Name folder there is a poem called “Love Letter to a Soldier.” The Oversized folder includes newspaper clippings and a bounty form for Andrew. The first folder in the collection contains biographical information on the above mentioned people. Illustrations are limited to letterhead.

Political Campaign Objects, 1920-2017, undated, contains materials relating to American politics, specifically presidential races and state-level campaigns in Michigan.

Political Campaign Objects, 1920-2017, undated, contains materials relating to American politics, specifically presidential races and state-level campaigns in Michigan. The collection is organized by size, format, and chronologically and alphabetically. Correspondence between the donor and Michigan Governor James Blanchard, President Johnson, and President Obama, as well as invitations to mostly presidential inaugurations and other political events are in Box 1. Political memorabilia such as campaign pins and bumper stickers for both national and state-level campaigns are also included. There are campaign memorabilia items such as mint tins and candy wrappers for presidential candidates Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump.

Box 2 has the topic of Berlin Wall Fragment, 1989, Stamps, Detroit Topics and Great Lakes Vessels, 2001, and War Ration Book of Kathryn M. Rowe of Vickery, Ohio, 1943.

Box 3 features a Riegle US Senator paper visor and a blue Dukakis ’88 mesh ballcap.

Campaign apparel is found in Oversized Folder No. 1 are a yellow ACLU T-shirt promoting abortion access and Bill Clinton graphic t-shirt about re-uniting America. There are two Elizabeth Warren posters from her presidential campaign and a cardboard coat hanger of President Lyndon B. Johnson. Oversized Folder No. 2 has a red crewneck sweatshirt in white text stating (Engler=Union Buster).

Box 4 includes 2 glass steins and 1 porcelain mug. The mug is white porcelain with red, white, and blue stars, strips and a ribbon motif with the words “84 Democratic National Convention.” The chipped mug was manufactured by Porcelain by Paula, Inc., California, the official supplier for the convention, as noted on the bottom of the mug. The mug measures four inches high and three inches in diameter The two clear glass steins are the same. Each stein feature a blue motif of the white house with an eagle, flag, branches, and stars ringed by the words “President and Vice President Inauguration 1997.” Each stein measures five inches high and three inches in diameter. The steins are in excellent condition.

Box 5 includes mostly political pins, the majority of which are for presidential campaigns, documentation of the 1988 Democratic National Convention, including pins, photographs, passes, and an assorted of other political campaign objects, such as a comb, nail file, a few newsletters, a postcard, and other items.

Oversized Folders 3-5 include more campaign apparel: a Black, cotton book bag with white trim and strap, with McGovern/Shriver in red embroidered font on the front, undated [1972], with a note from Shagena who carried her books at CMU in it; a Democratic National Convention Atlanta 1988 vest worn by participants; and a Jesse Jackson presidential campaign poster, 1988.

Processing Note: Approximately .5 cubic feet of duplicates were withdrawn from the collection. The matches were removed from the matchbook.

The papers consist mainly of drawings, blueprints, tracings, elevations, building specifications, and biographical materials.

The collection is organized by format and size. Box 1 consists of tracings, Box 2 mostly of tracings. Boxes 3-8 are rolled blueprints and architectural drawings (8.5 cubic feet). Each rolled drawing may include: building blueprints, tracings, elevations, and other related architectural drawings. These are housed in large telescope style boxes. Box 9-10 include one folder of biographical materials and building specifications. All of the materials are in good condition. Some of the specifications suffer from being stored rolled around the blueprints and are somewhat bent out of shape. The strength of the collection is obviously the drawings and building specifications. Materials vary in size and were boxed by size to fit into as few boxes as possible.

The collection includes papers (series) of Ardith Westie, Charles Westie, combined papers Ardith and Charles Westie, and papers of John E. Westie.

The collection includes papers (series) of Ardith Westie, Charles Westie, combined papers Ardith and Charles Westie, and papers of John E. Westie. The collection is in good condition and is organized by series, size, alphabetically and chronologically.

The first series consists of the papers of Ardith Westie, about 2.5 cubic feet (in 3 boxes) which is split into five sub series: Biographical, Community, Personal Correspondence, College Years, and CMU. The series documents her outstanding high school years, very active college years at CMU, her later career at CMU, her personal friendships, and her social community interests and activities

Ardith’s Biographical materials sub-series, 1933-2000 (scattered), undated, includes photographs of her throughout her life, high school materials.

Her Community papers sub-series documents her activities and interests including mother interest groups and GAP, Mount Pleasant’s Group Action for People, as described in her biographical section.

Her Personal Correspondence sub-series, 1931- 2013 (scattered), undated, includes, in many cases, 70 years of friendship with female college friends, including Jane Yost Stone, who was Ardith’s college roommate for three years, as well as some of their boyfriends and male friends, and with her family. The young men wrote in the 1940s of waiting to be drafted, of training and serving, and missing friends. Elmer White was also associated with the Michigan Press Association. Some v-mail examples are in the men’s war correspondence. The women’s correspondence reflects the evolution from their college interests, through marriage and work, raising and caring for children, to grandchildren, losing spouses, to living as seniors. The baby announcements in the Lucy Booth Bradley and Gladyce Ellis folders are adorable. Most of this correspondence is to Ardith. During her college years she wrote at least weekly to her family, usually her mother, but also to her twin sisters, Carmen and Janice, and received an equal amount of mail in return. They sent mostly letters and postcards, as well as holiday and birthday cards. Ardith wrote about her classes, expenses ($6 was sufficient for her to survive for two weeks with money to spare), clothing needs, friends, her CMLife work, and of her feelings. After she and Chuck married, he sometimes wrote or typed within her letters to her family. Her mother and sisters wrote about the family’s health, social and farm activities, finances, her sisters’ classes and social life, church events, and news of extended family and friends. The few references to World War II mainly concern men being drafted or dying. One of the interesting letters is in April 1942 where Ardith notes she was studying for exams when Chuck burst in and announced he had to report for the draft on April 30.

Within the Family Correspondence are two examples of commercially produced greeting cards with racist depictions of African American children. The first is on a January 4, 1940 New Year’s card, and features a naked black child inside a barrel. The second is on a February 19, 1942 birthday card and has a black girl hanging laundry, bent over, showing her patched underwear.

Ardith also corresponded less frequently with friend and fellow War Years alum, Senator Robert P. Griffin with clippings (copies) documenting the visit of President Gerald R. Ford to CMU to inaugurate the Robert P. Griffin Endowed Chair.

Ardith’s College Years sub-series, 1938-1942, document her very involved life as a CMU college student, as a member of multiple groups, including Kappa Delta Pi and Masquers (the CMU dramatic club), her homework, notes, and essays, clippings, accounts, dance books with pencils, diaries, some correspondence, and her 1942 valedictorian address. Her commencement program is in her Personal Correspondence to/from Family.

Her CMU sub-series, 1945-1993, and undated, documents Ardith’s work and leadership with the CMU Alumni Association, Housing Committee, Summerfest, CMU 75th and Centennial celebration including history and awards, and the creation and dedication of the Peace Grove, 1995.

The Ardith and Chuck Westie Papers, approximately .5 cubic foot, include personal and CMU materials, including CMU projects and other projects they worked on together, and people with whom they both corresponded, 1940s-2015, and undated, including the CMU War Years Gatherings or Reunions and the CMU Peace Grove Memorial in honor of the CMU students who died while serving their nation in World War I and II. Lists of these students are in the related correspondence. They corresponded with many friends including fellow CMU alums Norm Johnston, a prison history author, and Robert E. McCabe, the architect of the Detroit Renaissance Center. Both Westies researched and documented the history of the First United Methodist Church of Mount Pleasant, of which they were members.

Charles “Chuck” Westie’s Papers, approximately 3 cubic feet, are divided into the sub-series of Biographical materials, College Years, and CMU materials from when he was a professor at CMU

His Biographical Materials sub-series, 1937-1981 (scattered) and undated, includes photographs of Charles, 1937-1993, undated, while a student and professor, and his Personal Correspondence, from family and friends, 1937-1940s, undated. There are examples of his correspondence to Ardith and her family in her Personal Correspondence to/from Family folders 1940 and forward. Charles strongly questioned the WWII before he was drafted. He later wrote letters of support for men seeking conscientious objector status, 1969-1972. Charles wrote powerfully about his attitude about war in an untitled [anti-Viet Nam] article, 1969, referring to his experience at Normandy and how he witnessed many American soldiers and friends die. There is a letter and poem to Ardith about his thoughts about the death of his dear friend John Evans after viewing John’s wedding photographs, July 1944. Related to this is 1946 correspondence to/from Ed Slavinsky’s family. Ed and Charles met in the Percy Jones Hospital when Charles was recovering from losing his leg and Ed was suffering from “battle fatigue,” later called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

His College Years sub-series, 1937-1943, include: Charles’ Central Michigan College of Education B.S. degree and commencement materials, 1945; his academic transcript, 1943, his commencement invitations, and program, 1945; English papers, plays and poems he wrote or participated in; correspondence to friends, mainly his then girlfriend, Lillian Hunt, Masquers (dramatic club) materials, and photographs of his college buddies and girlfriends; a CSTC (Central State Teachers College) pennant and Chippewa Pledge. An oversized photograph album with wooden covers, with a front cover carved by Chuck with an image of an Indigenous man and pinecone, includes images before and during his college years. Photographs which became loose from the volume are in a large envelop boxed with the album.

The majority of Charles’ CMU materials sub-series focuses on his academic career, committee work, and interests while at CMU. Well documented in his papers are his efforts to form and the early years of the CMU Faculty Association (FA). which began as the Mount Pleasant Chapter of the American Association of University Professors. There are correspondence, memos, reports and newsletters, and oversized reports of Committee Z, which investigated and reported on CMU faculty salary compensation compared to faculty nationally. This subseries documents the hostility between the faculty and the administration, and evidence of faculty who were fired or whose tenure, promotions, and salary increases were delayed or denied in retaliation for their complaints and union activity by the administration. Charles communicated with administrators, faculty, professors, Michigan and national union officials, and politicians, including Senator Guy Vander Jagt.

His papers document the Sociology Department and its successor, the Sociology and Anthropology Department, with meeting minutes, memos, reports, and examples of Charles’ tests. There is documentation of committees or topical projects or CMU units he helped create or in which he actively participated. The major projects and committees in his papers include: the CMU Centennial, Art Gallery, the Honors Program, the Museum, the Peace Grove, Veit Woodland, Lem Tucker scholarship, Indigenous education, and the all Ojibwa Boy Scout Troop 606, handicapped and non-traditional CMU students, foster children, and Korean orphans supported by CMU.

Also documented in his papers are CMU student protests and related activities including Jane Fonda speaking at CMU, 1970; President Boyd’s reaction to the community at CMU, and the suspension of CMU African American students in 1970.

Ardith and Chuck corresponded with or documented significant CMU people including presidents Abel, Anspach, Boyd, and Foust, Norval Bovee, D. Louise Sharp, Rolland H. Maybee, and Senator Robert P. Griffin.

There is one box of legal-size materials of Charles’ related to his CMU career and interests, There is also one Oversized folder which includes: a Bicentennial Declaration of Human Rights for Handicapped Persons, by the CMU Office of Career Development for Handicapped Persons [1976]; a poem about Sigma Kappa, undated; and a handmade poster advertising the 1969-1970 classics film schedule.

The Papers of John E. Westie, 1957-1973, undated, .5 cubic foot (in 1 box) is the last series in the collection. With the exception of his C.P. [College Preparatory] high school English papers, 1964-1965, and two brief notes (copies) from President Anspach, 1957, 1960, his papers focus on his successful fight to have the government classify him as a conscientious objector during the Viet Nam War. His correspondence and paperwork with the Isabella County draft board, Selective Service, his lawyer, and between he and his wife, Sandy, and his parents, demonstrate his efforts and the difficulties he overcame. This series includes publications from or by the government about the selective service process, and more from or by religious organizations that advocated for conscientious objectors, the Central Mennonite Committee and the United Methodist Church, the Midwest Committee for Draft Counseling and its Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors, and the National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors. Newspaper clippings (copies) about the draft or conscientious objectors, 1965-1972, undated, complete the series.

Researchers may also be interested in other collections in the Clarke documenting the history of CMU, the Faculty Association, Mount Pleasant, and other topics in this collection. Charles’ World War II material is in the state Archives of Michigan.

Processing Note: 31 cubic feet of duplicate publications, miscellaneous materials, most envelopes, blank forms, drafts, vitas, information with social security numbers, and peripheral materials were withdrawn from the collection. Very acidic materials and poor-quality photocopies were photocopied and only the new copies were retained in the collection. 68 Michigan postcards were added to the Clarke’s Michigan Postcard Collection. 20 monographs and 10 issues of magazines re: CMU history and conscientious objectors were separately cataloged. Envelopes were retained if that was the only way to identify the address of the sender. The postal date from the envelope was added in pencil to undated correspondence. Whenever possible, undated correspondence without envelopes was dated from the letter’s contents and context.

The collection includes financial and legal records, correspondence, and stock certificates of the Arivaca Mill Company (Arivaca, Ariz.).

The collection includes legal records, correspondence, telegrams, stock certificates, and other materials related to the AMM and C Co. Correspondence and legal papers concerning other business interests of both Witherells are also included.

Papers include mostly photographs, negatives and audiotapes of 19th century people, architecture, farms, churches, probably in rural Michigan, and 1960s Michigan politicians, political events and gatherings.

Most of the collection is photographs and negatives. The 19th century photographs have been reshot by a modern camera. Subject headings of photographs were ones used by Arnold Bransdorfer. Some photographs are quite faded. Almost all of the photographs are black and white.

Among these are images of what is presumably rural Michigan and many photographs of Michigan Republicans and Republican political gatherings in the 1960s. There is one photograph of Robert Kennedy at a political gathering.

Related Michigan Republican political publications, news releases, and a statement are among the paper materials. The correspondence discusses some of the photography work Arnold Bransdorfer did as Michigan Senate Photographer. Michigan Republicans documented here include William Milliken, G. Mennen Williams, George Romney, and Guy Vander Jagt, among others.

The audiotapes, mostly 1965-1968, and undated, relate largely to Michigan political press conferences, speeches, and advertisements, although Richard Nixon is documented at an unspecified time, as well as a speech by Walter Reuther in 1967. Different genres of music are also recorded on the audiotapes.

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 papers include accounts, land papers, correspondence, miscellaneous, and printed materials.

The collection includes Arthur Bronson’s Accounts, 1817-1843 and undated; Land Papers, 1833-1844, for Illinois, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, New York (State) and Kings County, and Wisconsin; Legal Papers, 1828-1849; Correspondence, 1820-1848 and undated; Miscellaneous, 1825-1843 and undated; and Printed Materials, including maps, laws, land sale fliers and advertisements, etc., 1815-1867 and undated. Companies documented include the Peru Iron Company, Union Bank of New York, and the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company.

Some of Arthur’s papers are found in the collections of his father and brother, Isaac and Frederic Bronson, and in the Bronson Family Papers. Bronson papers housed at other institutions are available at the Clarke on 30 reels of positive microfilm (Micro. Mss. F-40). These include Arthur’s letters, 1825-1838?, 1815-1844 and accounts, 1823-1844 (reels 3-5); letters, 1822-1834 (reels 9-10); letters, 1838-1844 (reels 13-16); legal cases, undated (reel 19); letters, 1835-1836 (reel 22); and accounts, 1846-1865 (reel 23).

For additional letters of Anna Eliza (Bailey) Bronson, see the Bronson Family Papers finding aid.

Letters to Arthur Bronson may also be found in the Charles Butler Papers (3 reels of positive microfilm, Mss. Micro. F-79).

Collection includes Moral Re-Armament newsletters, newspaper clippings, news releasees, and magazines; correspondence to/from Shera; and miscellaneous materials.

The collection is organized alphabetically by type of material, and chronologically within folders. Most of the collection consists of local school newsletters, state and national newspaper clippings, news releases, 1941-1949 (Scattered), and the New World News magazines, 1945-1947, which document the interests, activities, and ideals of MRA.

Correspondence includes that to Arthur Shera and his family, 1944-1949, and from Arthur to Howard Davidson of New World News, 1945-1946, a MRA periodical, and to various people 1948-1949. Also included are mailing correspondence, press releases, forms, and programs,1946-1946, and undated, for Ideas Have Legs, which was first a book and later a play, which disseminated the ideals of the MRA.

Miscellaneous materials in the collection include an organizational history and biographical materials on Arthur Shera from a variety of online sources; Book Order Forms 1945-1947; Lists of Food for Europe from the Grand Rapids (Mich.) team, 1946; Lists of Names, 1944, 1947, and undated (these are likely various mailing lists, rather than a list of members), the very brief play, Where are you?, undated; and some miscellaneous poems by Arthur and other members of the MRA, 1945, 1947, and undated.