Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Socialist Labor Party member, later member of the League for Socialist Reconstruction. Correspondence, campaign files, audio-tapes, and other materials largely concerning his work with the State Central Committee of the Socialist Labor Party and Socialist Reconstruction, 1928-1992; and collected family materials including letters and memoirs of Levi Muncy, soldier during the Civil War; also photographs.

The Ralph Muncy collection consists primarily of papers relating to his interest in socialist political activities. A smaller portion of the collection documents the involvement of his wife, Lydia B. Muncy, in the socialist cause. Together they also collected materials relating to the history of their families (Muncy-Baird). Included is much original family material dating back into the nineteenth century. The Ralph Muncy papers have been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Topical Files; and Ralph Muncy and Lydia Baird Muncy Personal.

Oral history project of the Michigan Historical Collection to document politics and government during the gubernatorial administration of G. Mennen Williams; transcripts of interviews, sound cassettes, and administrative records of the project.

This is a collection of oral history tapes and interviews relating to the history of the gubernatorial administration of G. Mennen Williams. Interviews have been arranged alphabetically and include Paul Adams, Michael Berry, Geraldine N. Bledsoe, Ernest R. Boehm, Raymond Clevenger, John D. Dingell, Tom Downs, Alfred B. Fitt, Hicks and Martha Griffiths, Adelaide Hart, Jane B. Hart, Erma Henderson, Stella Lecznar, Wade H. McCree, Louis Mezzano, Victor G. Reuther, Horace Sheffield, Otis Smith, Paul W. Weber, Nancy (Quirk) Williams, Joseph L. Wisniewski, and Leonard Woodcock. Project files also include questionnaires (but not interviews) from other individuals associated with G. Mennen Williams.

Grand Rapids, Michigan, businessman and Republican campaign official. Correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings and campaign materials concerning the Warren Commission's investigation of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the writing of the book, Portrait of the Assassin with Gerald Ford, and his activities as campaign manager for Paul Bagwell for governor in 1958, and as field director of the Richard Nixon for President campaign in 1960.

The collection documents John R. Stiles' work with the Warren Commission and the state Republican Party. The collection has been arranged into the following series: Portrait of the Assassin drafts; Warren Commission File; and Republican Party Political Files.

Detroit, Michigan, attorney, Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1955-1974, and member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Congressional papers, arranged by term, include legislative files, bills files, topical files, schedules, sound recordings, photographs, motion pictures, and scrapbooks. The collection details relationship with colleagues and constituents and pertains to committee activities, legislation sponsored, and issues of the day. Topics of interest include civil rights, the war in Vietnam, Sleeping Bear Dunes, the humane slaughtering of animals, the economy and the fiscal policy of the federal government, women's rights, the Equal Rights Amendment, economic problems of women, and the need for national health insurance legislation.

The Griffiths collection consists primarily of correspondence exchanged with constituents and lobbying groups on matters of pending or proposed legislation and on topics of current interest. The collection's great value is its documentation of the workings of this one congressional office and its perspective on the issues confronting the nation in the period of 1955 to 1974. With the Democrats in control of the Congress, these years witnessed legislative efforts to use the power of the Federal Government to rectify the ills of society on matters of civil rights, assistance to the poor, health care for the aged, environmental protection, and so forth. It was also a time of strife in society resulting from the war in Vietnam, tension among the races, and the Watergate crisis. The Griffiths collection documents these issues with letters from constituents and her response to the concerns of the people.

Beyond general issues, the Griffiths papers have importance for their documentation of the specific contribution of this one woman member of Congress, who served for twenty years, and who was rewarded by her colleagues with increasingly responsible committee positions. Especially significant was her appointment to the powerful Ways and Means Committee under the chairmanship of Wilbur Mills. Griffiths' files from her work on W and Means Committee detail the major pieces of tax reform legislation of the 1960s, notably Griffiths' efforts to legislate some equity into the benefits accorded to American women.

The Martha W. Griffiths papers, with few exceptions, have been maintained in the arrangement scheme used by the Griffiths office.

Methodist minister. Working files detailing his opposition to ballot proposals that would have legalized charity gambling in 1954 and 1956; also files concerning his opposition to a parochiaid proposal in 1970.

The David Evans papers document the processes used by church and educational organizations in Michigan to educate and mobilize the public on behalf of ballot proposals. The collection consists of the working files of Dr. David Evans and relates to the two proposals, the first in the 1950s that would have allowed charity gambling and the second in the period of 1968 to 1971 which would have allowed the expenditure of public money on parochial schools. Documents in the collection include minutes, reports, background information, clippings, press releases, and related materials.

Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, Regent of the University of Michigan, Michigan Supreme Court justice. Political files include activities as Republican State Chairman and his involvement in the presidential campaign of Nelson Rockefeller (1964) and George Romney (1967-1968); also files from his service as regent of the University of Michigan (1969-1975) and justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (1975-1977).

The Lawrence Lindemer Papers contain correspondence, memoranda, official reports, newspaper clippings, photographs, and an audio tape documenting the political and legal career of Lawrence B. Lindemer. While the entire collection spans from 1954 to 1982, the bulk of the records date from 1964 to 1976 with an additional cluster of records dated 1981-1982.

The collection has been divided into four series: Political files; Regent of the University of Michigan; Legal Career, including Michigan Supreme Court; and Other materials. The Lindemer files are especially valuable for their documentation of Lindemer's activities within the Republican Party, as state chairman, as chair of the Midwest Nelson Rockefeller campaign for President in 1964, and his involvement in the presidential candidacy of George Romney for President in 1968.

Michigan Democratic Party worker; political papers, scrapbooks, and photographs.

The collection consists of political papers (arranged chronologically), files relating to her opposition to state aid to parochial schools, photographs, and scrapbooks.

Traverse City, Michigan, businessman, Republican state legislator and chairman of the appropriations committee of the Michigan house of representatives. Correspondence: legislative and campaign files, and files, including materials regarding his election campaigns; personal files; and photographs.

Arnell Engstrom served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1940 to 1968. The Arnell Engstrom Papers, however, only document his activities from approximately 1955 through 1970, with the papers being strongest for the years 1960 to 1968.

The papers are divided into three series: Correspondence Files, Legislative Files, and a small Personal series. This arrangement is a combination of the original arrangement of the materials (the Correspondence Files and the Legislative Files) and an artificial arrangement of some materials that document Engstrom's personal activities.

Recording secretary of the Central Committee of the Michigan Democratic Party, 1962-1967. Correspondence, working files, printed material, photographs and audio-tapes dealing with the organization and management of the state Democratic Party, Lansing and Ingham County, Michigan, party politics, various political issues, Michigan participation in the national Democratic Conventions of 1960 and 1964, and the Michigan Senate Campaign of 1966.

The Nye papers, though containing virtually no personal material, is strong on state Democratic politics, especially as relates to her work as recording secretary and her involvement in party affairs in Lansing and Ingham County.

The collection has been arranged into the following series: Personal / Biographical; Correspondence; Lansing and Ingham County Democratic Party; Michigan Democratic Party; Party Conventions; Miscellaneous Democratic Party materials. The collection documents her political activities on the local, county, and state level and includes memoranda and correspondence with three Democratic state chairmen: Neil Staebler, John Joe Collins, and Zolton Ferency. In addition, her files include State Central Committee minutes, directories and other information on party publications, such as the Democratic Digest. Her files also contain material on various political campaigns of the 1950's and 1960's, and on various national Democratic Conventions, including notes and tape recordings of the meetings of the Michigan caucus at the 1964 convention.

Republican State Senator, 1951-1968, from St. Clair, Michigan, and member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Scrapbooks of correspondence, newspaper clippings, and printed material detailing his political career; notebooks of speeches; papers relating to the proposed state income tax, 1962-1963; papers concerning the administration of the Blue Water Bridge, 1955-1963; and miscellanea.

Scrapbooks documenting Beadle's career as a state legislator and politician, and as writer of doggerel poetry. The records include correspondence, newspaper clippings, and printed material detailing his political career; notebooks of speeches; papers relating to the proposed state income tax, 1962-1963; papers concerning the administration of the Blue Water Bridge, 1955-1963; and miscellanea.