Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Zoologist, college professor, president of University of Michigan, 1929-1951. Professional files relating to his career with the University Museum and as a professor of zoology, and presidential files containing correspondence, reports, speeches, and other University materials, including budget and legislative files, material relating to changes in University administration, his relationship with faculty, students and alumni, and photographs.

The Alexander Ruthven papers consists of two series of records. The first is the papers of Ruthven as president of the University of Michigan, 1929 to 1951. The second, and smaller, series is the files maintained by Ruthven as a zoologist with the University Museum and as professor of zoology. This latter series dates largely from 1908 to 1929 but also includes collected earlier files from the 1870s.

Professor of music education at University of Michigan. Correspondence relating to his work in music education; also programs relating to music education, particularly the Summer Conference on Music Education; and photographs.

The David Earl Mattern Papers document Mattern's education and career from 1905 to his death in 1959. The collection is organized in four series: Biographical and Personal Materials, Education, Professional Career, and Photographs. Topics covered extensively in this collection include the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club, the Extension Orchestra, and Mattern's activities during the university's Summer Session.

The Earl V. Moore collection consists of the personal and professional papers of a noted musician, composer and director. Moore taught music at the University of Michigan from 1916 and served as director of the School of Music from1923 until his retirement in 1960.

The papers of Earl V. Moore document his career as professor and dean of the School of Music of the University of Michigan, as well as his career as a composer and performer. Though some of the papers and visual images date from the 1870s, the bulk of the collection dates from the 1920s through the 1960s. Consisting of three linear feet of papers and visual materials, the collection reflects Moore's many accomplishments as conductor, composer, lecturer, organist, and participant in professional societies.

The Moore papers have been divided into seven series: Biographical/Personal Materials, Correspondence, Topical Files, Newspaper Clippings, Musical Scores, Sound Recordings, and Visual Materials.

Professor of music at the University of Michigan School of Music. Green was a noted writer and teacher on the topic of teaching violin and other string instruments. Correspondence, biographical information, lectures and various writings, course materials, programs, and subject files relating in part to Nicolai Malko and Ivan Galamian; also photographs.

The Green collection consists of three linear feet of material arranged mainly alphabetically by type of material or topic. The materials focus on her years as a teacher both in Michigan and Iowa. Green devoted her life and career to the teaching of proper methods for teaching stringed instruments to students at all levels of instruction from elementary to college. She was also a prolific writer of articles about violin instruction, some of which generated a significant amount of comment. Of particular note in this respect is her January 1941 article in The School Musician. This article concerned her belief that band groups and classes were being favored by parents and band directors at the expense of orchestral groups and classes. The article and responses she received are included in the collection.

Other strengths of the collection include numerous articles that she wrote or which were written about her. There are samples of her course syllabi as well as other materials relating to how she conducted her classes. The largest part of the collection includes her correspondence with friends, family, fellow educators, and her students. The materials in the collection cover the length of her career as a teacher and instructor at the University of Michigan as well as the lectures and clinics she conducted during her retirement years. The collection contains very little about her youth, but there are a few newspaper articles about her father, Albert W. Green who was a violin maker and instructor. In addition there is an audio recording of a lecture she gave September 20, 1978 at the University of Connecticut. The photos are mainly of Elizabeth Green herself. The ads and reviews mainly pertain to her 1961 book The Modern Conductor, but there are also ads from some of her other works. There is a complete copy of her 1966-1967 manuscript Teaching Theory Creatively.

Performer and professor of modern dance at the University of Michigan. Collection contains subject files relating to Delanghe's activities as a choreographer, dancer, teacher and department chair. Collection also contains photographs and audiovisual material documenting productions with which Delanghe was involved.

The Gay Delanghe papers document a range of Delanghe's professional activities, with particular focus on choreography, teaching, and performing. The bulk of the records originate from the time of her graduation from the University of Michigan in 1965 through the first twenty years of her tenure in the University of Michigan Dance Department. There are few records from her childhood and college years, or from her late career. The records serve to illuminate her engagements as a dancer, and as a teacher, as well as the processes that went into her choreography and the staging of her work. In addition to this finding aid, a performance list exists which attempts to compile information on all of Delanghe's performances for which documentation exists in the collection. This list is available in Performance and Publicity series and upon request.

The collection is divided into ten series of materials relating to various aspects of the professional and artistic activities of Gay Delanghe. These series are: Biographical Materials, Choreography, Correspondence, Funding and Awards, Notebooks, Photographs, Programs and Publicity, Teaching, University of Michigan Department of Dance, and Audiovisual Materials.

Professor of music at the University of Michigan, and founder and first violinist with the Stanley Quartet. Correspondence relating to music and musical performance and to his career at the University of Michigan; publications; photographs; scrapbooks containing clippings, programs, correspondence, and an occasional photograph; files relating to his violin performances and work with the Stanley Quartet.

The Gilbert Ross papers serve to document Ross' growth and development as a violinist, as well as the growth and development of the Stanley Quartet. With the exception of the alphabetical correspondence files the collection is in chronological order, wherever feasible. Some overlap of dates exists in the clippings files as well as the scrapbooks. The papers are arranged in eight series reflecting the various events and activities in Ross' life. These include: Correspondence, Teaching Career, Publications, Violin Performance, Stanley Quartet, Photographs, Scrapbooks and Notebooks, and Printed Music.

Leslie Bassett is a composer and professor of music at the University of Michigan. Bassett's papers, consisting of correspondence, collected memorabilia, photographs, lectures, scrapbooks, and music, document his career as a composer and professor of music.

The Leslie Bassett Papers consist of correspondence, collected memorabilia, photographs, lectures, scrapbooks, and musical compositions documenting his career as a composer and professor in the School of Music of the University of Michigan.

This collection contains the following series: Correspondence, Memorabilia, Topical Files, Photographs, Scrapbooks, Sound Recordings, and Compositions.

University of Michigan professor of law, 1936-1944 and 1968-1972, vice president for university relations, 1944-1951, vice president and dean of faculties, 1951-1962, and executive vice president, 1962-1967. Papers include correspondence and reports concerning University affairs and some course materials from Niehuss' law classes. Included here are files relating to Niehuss' involvement in the University decision to fire three professors investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and in the review of the University's compliance to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Marvin Niehuss Papers document his career as Law School faculty member and university administrator. The papers include correspondence and reports concerning University affairs and some course materials from Niehuss' law classes. Included here are files relating to Niehuss' involvement in the University decision to fire three professors investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and in the review of the University's compliance to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Niehuss papers have arrived in three separate accessions. Researchers should be aware that there is significant overlap within the three accessions. Specific topics can be tracked across the various accessions. The papers are organized into two series: a small Miscellaneous File, 1945-1951, and Topical Files, 1923-1972.

Peter Sparling is Professor of Dance at the University of Michigan School of Music. Well known as both performer and choreographer, he has danced with Martha Graham and Jose Limon. Papers consist of materials relating to Sparling's dance training, performance, and teaching including background materials; choreography notes and sketches; correspondence; clippings and publicity from dance companies with whom he was associated; programs and reviews; photographs, video and film of performances; and posters.

The Peter Sparling Papers include materials relating to Sparling's dance training, performance, and teaching. The papers are divided into eight series: Background Materials, Choreography, Correspondence, Dance Companies, Programs, Reviews, Photographs, Performance, Audition, and Rehearsal Videos, and Posters.

Central academic administrative unit of the University of Michigan which functions as chief executive assistant to the president, responsible for appointments and promotions with oversight for schools, colleges, educational units and programs; including budget planning, legislative relations, institutional research, and affirmative action policies. Central Files subgroup includes correspondence files of vice-presidents, associate and assistant vice-presidents, and other staff members within the vice-president's office.

The records of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs date from 1947 to 1997 and total more than 675 linear feet. The records are a rich source of information on the University of Michigan from the 1960s to the present. They contain a wide variety of material documenting the concerns of the administration and, to a lesser extent, the faculty and students regarding academic programs, student and faculty activities, and the administrative operations of the University of Michigan.

The records, which include the provost's files as well as the files of associate and assistant vice presidents, are arranged in three subgroups: Central Files, Staff Files, and Supplemental Files. The Central Files subgroup consists of the records maintained by the provost's office and is discussed in greater detail below. The Staff Files subgroup includes the records of assistant and associate vice presidents and of the assistants to the provost. The Supplemental Files subgroup contains material on specific topics to which a number of academic affairs staff contributed their efforts, including retreats, unit reviews, and searches. Each of the subgroups is fully described in a separate finding aid.

It should be noted that some of the records in the record group predate the founding of the Office of Academic Affairs. Such records were generally brought by vice presidents or staff members from previous positions or inherited from persons who formerly performed their duties.

The Central Files subgroup consists of 605 linear feet dating from the creation of the Office of Academic Affairs in the academic year 1961/1962 to 2012/2013. The records consist primarily of correspondence, minutes and other committee files, reports, and budget materials, reflecting the broad range of responsibilities and functions of the provost. Whereas the records of the Staff Files subgroup tend to document the process of policy formation and decision-making functions, the Central Files records more often contain finished products, such as reports and policy statements. For the researcher interested in the provost's views on a particular topic or issue, or the Office of Academic Affairs involvement in the academic and financial life of various schools and colleges, the Central Files subgroup is the single best starting point.

The records of the Central Files subgroup are broken into series by academic year, and each series consists of one or more of the following subseries: Alphabetical Files, Schools and Colleges Files, and Chronological Files. From 1961/1962 through 1973/1974 the series each consist of one subseries of Alphabetical Files. The Alphabetical Files are arranged alphabetically and include topical files as well as files regarding university academic, research, and service units.

From 1974/1975 to 1983/1984 the series are split into two subseries, Alphabetical Files and Schools and Colleges Files. The Alphabetical Files remain similar in content to previous years with the exception that files relating to academic units, namely schools, colleges, and their departments, now comprise the subseries Schools and Colleges Files. Records concerning centers, special libraries, museums, institutes, and interdisciplinary programs are filed in the Alphabetical Files subseries. The Schools and Colleges Files are arranged alphabetically by academic unit and contain materials relating to the annual budget requests, promotion and tenure decisions, internal and external reviews, dean evaluations, and changes in academic programs.

For the years 1974/1975 to 1981/1982, with the exception of 1976/1977, there is an "Index to Correspondence" located at the end of the Alphabetical Files which lists in chronological order the letters written by the vice president, the name of the recipient, the subject of the letter, and the heading under which it is filed.

From 1984/1985 to 1993/1994, 1998/1999-2008/2009 and 2010/2011-2011/2012 the series consist of three subseries: Alphabetical Files, Schools and Colleges Files, and Chronological Files. The Alphabetical Files and the Schools and Colleges Files, while becoming more voluminous over the years, remain similar in nature. The Chronological Files consist of all outgoing correspondence from the vice president and are arranged by month. The Chronological Files are useful if the researcher knows the date the vice president might have corresponded on a particular topic but is unsure of the heading used for filing in the Alphabetical Files.

The Alphabetical Files, as mentioned above, are a strong source of information on a variety of topics relating to the administration of a large university, including the university's relationship with state and federal governments, issues confronting institutions of higher education at various points in time (student unrest and affirmative action, for example), collaborative efforts with other Big Ten and area colleges and universities, and the creation and revision of university policies. The minutes of the Academic Affairs Advisory Council (AAAC) are an especially good source of information on the activities of the Office of Academic Affairs. The AAAC, composed of the deans of the schools and colleges, directors of institutes, centers, and special libraries, and the staff of the Office of Academic Affairs, was established to hold monthly meetings to discuss educational policy, planning for growth, and special studies.

Because folder titles on a particular subject may vary from year to year, researchers are advised to be imaginative in searching for information in the topical files. It should also be noted that information on any given subject can probably be found in various places in the collection.

The 2010 and 2011 series feature the addition of the Archived Website subseries. These were created to preserve the office's public website over time. The subseries document the mission, activities, policies, and individuals involved in the operation of the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs as they are presented on its public website. Content includes important news and announcements, publications (such as reports and administrative documents), and information about committees, initiatives, and events. This archived website will be captured on a regular, ongoing basis as part of the University of Michigan Web Archives, hosted at https://archive-it.org/organizations/934.