Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Back to top

Search Constraints

Start Over You searched for: Repository University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library Remove constraint Repository: University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library Level Collection Remove constraint Level: Collection Places Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1946-1960. Remove constraint Places: Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1946-1960.
Number of results to display per page
View results as:

Search Results

Collection

Sligh Family Papers, 1842-2012

36 linear feet (in 41 boxes) — 31 oversize volumes — 1 oversize folder

Online
Grand Rapids, Michigan family, involved in furniture making and other businesses, also active in local state and Republican Party politics and businessmen's associations. Papers include family papers and correspondence, business records, scrapbooks and visual materials.

The Sligh family collection consists of the personal and business papers of the four generations of Slighs mentioned in the biographical introduction: James W. Sligh, Charles R. Sligh, Charles R. Sligh, Jr., and Robert L. Sligh. Although there is some overlap, the files have been arranged into seven series, one for each of these three Slighs, one for the Sligh Furniture Company and related family businesses, and one each for Newspaper clippings and Scrapbooks, and Visual Materials.

Collection

Raymond Wesley Starr papers, 1860s-1968 (majority within 1936-1947)

11 linear feet — 1 folder

Grand Rapids, Michigan attorney, state attorney general, 1937-1938, associate justice and chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, U.S. District Court Judge for the Western District of Michigan. Correspondence, newspaper clippings, and business and professional papers, including material, 1950-1968, relating to his interest in Ferris State College, Big Rapids, Michigan; and photographs.

The Starr collection consists primarily of correspondence from 1936 to 1947. These correspondence files are arranged alphabetically with the bulk of them dated 1946 to 1947, the period when Starr was first appointed U.S. District Court Judge for the Western District of Michigan. A smaller portion of the collection relates to Starr's association with Ferris State College, to his various other organization interests, and to his real estate and business activities.

Collection

David Walbridge Kendall papers, 1862-1865, 1891-1924, 1932-1976 (majority within 1932-1971)

12 linear feet

Attorney, government official; general counsel, later assistant secretary of the treasury, 1955-1957; special counsel to President Eisenhower, 1958-1961; vice president for legal affairs of the Chrysler Corporation, 1962-1968; chairman of the board of incorporators of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation that led to Amtrak. Personal and autobiographical materials; correspondence, 1932-1976; copies of outgoing responses made as special counsel to the president; speeches, articles, scrapbooks, and clippings pertaining to his career and to his political and civic interests; Amtrak files, including memos and minutes of the board of incorporators, also copies of Civil War correspondence of his uncle Austin J. Kendall, 1862-1865, and papers of his father, educator Calvin Kendall, ca. 1890-ca. 1917; and photographs.

The David Kendall collection covers the period of 1932 to 1976. Included with the collection is a small group of earlier family material, principally copies of the Civil War letters of Austin Kendall, DWK's uncle, and papers of his father Calvin Kendall, a teacher and educator, from the turn of the century.

The Kendall papers (12 linear feet) have been arranged into 10 series: Personal, Correspondence, Chronological File (General Counsel to the President), Speech File, Articles, Topical Files, National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Scrapbooks and Newspaper Clippings, Student Papers, and Family Papers.

Collection

Prohibition National Committee (U.S.) records, 1872-1972

8 linear feet — 1 oversize folder — 2 oversize volumes

Minutes, 1888-1919, including; correspondence, newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks concerning party affairs; also papers, 1929-1970, concerning Prohibition Party in Michigan; papers, 1918-1930, concerning prohibition in Great Britain; papers, 1951-1958, concerning the National Temperance and Prohibition Council; and minutes, 1872, of the State Central Committee of the Prohibition Party of Michigan; also photographs and films.

The Prohibition National Committee record group is arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Minutes and other papers; Press and printed; Sound recordings; Other organizations; and Visual materials. Except for the significant minute books of the party's national executive committee in the 1880s, most of the record group dates from the 20th century after the passage of the 18th Amendment. Information regarding the earliest years of the Prohibition Party in unfortunately missing in this record group.

Collection

Stuart Hoffman Perry papers, 1874-1966

2 linear feet — 53 oversize volumes

Publisher of the Adrian Telegram at Adrian, Michigan. Scrapbooks containing newspaper editorials primarily on political subjects; and miscellaneous correspondence and articles concerning his newspaper work; notes, 1899-1950, relating to his foreign travels, papers, 1935-1955, concerning his interest in meteorites; and photographs.

The collection has been arranged into the following series: Adrian Telegram, Correspondence, Speeches and Articles, Other activities and interests, Programs of meetings and annual dinners, Newspaper clippings, and Photographs.

Collection

Wilber M. Brucker Papers, 1877-1968

54 linear feet — 2 oversize folders — 22 GB (online)

Online
Prosecuting attorney of Saginaw County, Michigan, attorney general of Michigan, 1929-1931, governor, 1931-1932, general counsel to the Department of Defense during the Army-McCarthy Hearing, 1954-1955, and Secretary of the Army, 1955-1961. Correspondence, speeches, tapes, appointment books, scrapbooks, photograph albums, newspaper clippings, and other materials concerning his political career.

The Wilber M. Brucker Collection consists of correspondence, subject files, scrapbooks, tape recordings, visual materials, political ephemera, and other materials from a lifelong career in public service. The collection provides significant, though not always extensive, material on his activities as state attorney general, governor, and secretary of the army. In addition, the papers include documentation from Brucker's private career: his law practice, his involvement in the preparation of a plan for the reapportionment of the Michigan Legislature, his devotion to Republican Party causes, his activities with the Knights Templar of Michigan, and as a member of the World War I Rainbow Division. With some exceptions, the early phases of Brucker's life are not as well represented as one might hope. There is really no body of Brucker gubernatorial materials extant. What remains are scattered items, largely concerning the election campaigns of 1930 and 1932.

The collection has been arranged into twelve series: Biographical; Correspondence; Family Papers; Subject Files; Knights Templar; Rainbow Division; Appointment Books; Speeches; Secretary of the Army; Newspaper Clippings; Personal: Albums, Scrapbooks, etc.; and Visual Materials.

Collection

Emerson R. Boyles papers, 1879-1911, 1931-1960

6 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Charlotte, Michigan, attorney, legal advisor to Governors Frank Fitzgerald and Luren Dickinson and justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. Correspondence, newspaper clippings and other materials on Michigan politics, the Republican Party, and his association with Governor Dickinson; scrapbook, 1885-1889, compiled by Fred A. Pennington; account book, 1904-1905; day book, 1941; log book, 1942, of Beaver Island cabin; and miscellaneous notebooks and photograph albums.

The Emerson Boyles papers consist of correspondence, newspaper clippings and other materials on Michigan politics, the Republican Party, and his association with Governor Dickinson; a scrapbook, 1885-1889, compiled by Fred A. Pennington; account book, 1904-1905; day book, 1941; log book, 1942, of Beaver Island cabin; and miscellaneous notebooks and photograph albums. The collection has been arranged into three series: Correspondence and other papers; Miscellaneous personal and family; and Photographs.

Collection

J. Joseph Herbert Papers, 1880s-1956 (majority within 1940-1956)

8 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Manistique, Michigan, attorney, Republican regent of University of Michigan, and counsel to Michigan State Medical Society. Correspondence and other materials relating to his legal and university career, his interest in the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan, and Republican politics, 1942-1956; and photographs.

The J. Joseph Herbert collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence, Regents Files, Michigan State Medical Society, Other Activities; and Miscellaneous and personal.

Collection

G. Mennen Williams papers, 1883-1988 (majority within 1958-1980)

843 linear feet — 42 oversize volumes — 147 audiotapes (3 3/4 - 7 1/2 ips; 5-10 inches; reel-to-reel tapes) — 46 audiocassettes — 30 phonograph records — 42.1 GB (online)

Online
Governor of Michigan 1949 to 1960, under-secretary of state for African Affairs from 1961 to 1965, and Michigan Supreme Court justice from 1970 to 1986 and leader in state and national Democratic Party. Papers document his public career and aspects of his personal and family life and include correspondence, subject files, staff files, speeches, press releases and news clippings, photographs, sound recordings, films and videotapes.

The G. Mennen Williams Papers consist of official and personal files arranged into six subgroups: 1) Gubernatorial papers, 1949-1960 (681 linear ft.); 2) Non-gubernatorial papers, 1883-1948 and 1958-1988 (107 linear ft.); 3) Visual materials, ca. 1911-1988 (ca. 25 linear ft.); 4) sound recordings, 1950-ca. 1988 (5 linear ft.) Scrapbooks, 1948-1987 (43 vols.) and State Department Microfilm, 1961-1966 (23 reels).

As part of its own control system, the governor's office maintained a card index to the correspondents in many of the subgroups and series within the gubernatorial papers. This card file is located in the library's reading room. In addition, Nancy Williams and her staff compiled an extensive and detailed run of scrapbooks covering the Williams years. There is a separate inventory to these scrapbooks in a separately bound volume.

Strategy for Use of the Gubernatorial Papers: Although the Williams gubernatorial collection consists of hundreds of linear feet of material, the file arrangement created by the governor's staff is a fairly simple one to understand and to use.

The bulk of the collection falls within specific functional groupings, corresponding to the various activities and responsibilities that Williams performed as governor. Thus, if the researcher is uncertain of what portions of the collection might be relevant to his/her research, he/she is advised to think in terms of gubernatorial function. Does the proposed research concern the workings or area responsibility of a state board? If so, the Boards and Commissions series would be the most likely place in which to find material. The election of 1954? Then Democratic Party/Campaign Papers should be first choice. The passage of a specific piece of legislation? Here, Legislative Files is an obvious choice. The possible choices (called subgroups and series) that the researcher has are listed in the Organization of the Collection section. A description of the contents of each of these subgroups/series is provided below.

If, at first, unsuccessful in finding material on any given topic, the researcher might consider these additional strategies:

1. Refer to the Williams card index (located in the library's reading room). Sometimes, the name of an individual associated with a subject provides the easiest point of access into the collection. This file is arranged alphabetically and lists the dates of letters between an individual and the governor's office. This file only indexes the larger series and subgroups in the collection. It does not index the staff files, or parts of the Democratic Party/Campaign subgroup. Nevertheless it is an invaluable tool, and can uncover important material otherwise buried.

2. Refer to the various series of staff papers. Staff members were often closely involved in a specific subject areas (Jordan Popkin and aging, for example) and thus their files are frequently rich in source material.

3. If only partially successful in locating desired material, the researcher should think of an alternative subgroup or series. The governor's office, for a variety of reasons, often filed related material in different locations depending upon the source of a document. Thus, information relating to a strike might be filed both under the Labor Mediation Board in Boards and Commissions, and Strikes in General Subjects. Furthermore, if the strike influenced a specific piece of legislation, there could be material in the Legislative Files.

Collection

Albert Joseph Engel Papers, 1885-1960

10 linear feet

Prosecuting attorney for Missaukee County, Michigan, Republican State Senator, and U.S. Congressman from the 9th Michigan District from 1935 to 1951. Correspondence, reports and newspaper clippings concerning his activities on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Armed Services; material on the Manhattan Project and the testing of the atomic and hydrogen bombs; and photographs.

The Albert J. Engel papers primarily document his eight terms of service in United States House of Representatives, 1935-1951, though is some correspondence and other material dating back to 1911. The papers include correspondence, speeches, press releases, clippings scrapbooks and articles about Engel, files on various topics that came before Engel's House committees -- notably the Bikini Island A bomb and H bomb tests, and photographs

Collection

Arthur J. Lacy Papers, 1891-1975

10 linear feet — 2 oversize folders — 1 oversize volume

Detroit, Michigan, attorney and judge, Democratic candidate for governor in 1934. Correspondence, legal case files, family materials, speeches, essays, diary notes, financial materials, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, photographs, and transcript of oral interview.

The Arthur J. Lacy collection consists of correspondence and other papers documenting his political activities within the Democratic party and career as a Detroit attorney. The collection has been divided into the following series: Biographical information; Personal letters; Professional correspondence and related papers; Lacy Family papers; Speeches; Early personal materials; Writings, essays, etc.; Financial files; Miscellaneous; Newspapers clippings; Photographs; and Legal files.

The Lacy Collection documents particularly well Lacy's major legal cases (Wilson vs. White, the Ford Stock Tax Case, Mary A. Rackham Estate) and his transition from conservative Democrat to conservative Republican. His letters home from Valparaiso, Indiana and Ann Arbor and his letters to his future wife Beth Garwick give a detailed picture of college life in the 1890's. Major subjects covered in the public papers are the Detroit Domestic Relations Court, problems of taxation and banking in the depression, Lacy's friendship with James Couzens, and the campaigns of 1932 and 1934. A series of notes Lacy wrote to himself from 1915-1928 and 1946-1956 reveal his political ideals, personal morality, and his relationship to his family.

Within the Professional Correspondence and related papers series, the researcher will find correspondence with many notable political and business figures. These include John W. Anderson, William R. Angell, Art Baker, Arthur A. Ballantine, C.C. Bradner, John V. Brennan, Thomas E. Brennan, Prentiss M. Brown, Wilber M. Brucker, George E. Bushnell, Daniel T. Campau, Harvey J. Campbell, John J. Carson, E.R. Chapin, John S. Coleman, William A. Comstock, Calvin Coolidge, Grace G. Coolidge, Frank Couzens, James J. Couzens, John D. Dingell, Patrick J. Doyle, William J. Durant, Henry T. Ewald, Mordecai J.B. Ezechiel, James A. Farley, Homer Ferguson, Woodbridge N. Ferris, Clara J.B. Ford, Edsel B. Ford, Joseph Foss, Fred W. Green, Alexander J. Groesbeck, Edgar A. Guest, James M. Hare, Herbert C. Hoover, J. Edgar Hoover, Kaufman T. Keller, Stanley S. Kresge, David Lawrence, Arthur F. Lederle, John C. Lehr, Fulton Lewis, Percy Loud, William G. McAdoo, William McKinley, George A. Marston, Eliza M. Mosher, Frank Murphy, George Murphy, William J. Norton, George D. O'Brien, Elmer B. O'Hara, Hazen S. Pingree, Mary A. H. Rackham, Horace H. Rackham, Clarence A. Reid, George W. Romney, Eleanor Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Alexander G. Ruthven, W.M. Skillman, Albert E. Sleeper, Edward D. Stair, Arthur E. Summerfield, William H. Taft, Joseph P. Tumulty, Arthur H. Vandenberg, A. VanderZee, Murray D. Van Wagoner, Henry F. Vaughan, Carl Vinson, Matilda R.D. Wilson, Clarence E. Wilcox, and R.A.C. Wollenberg.

The Lacy Family papers are rich in detail about life in Michigan in the nineteenth and early twentieth century; the surviving letters document family crises and Lacy's role in them as the oldest and most successful child and later, as family leader. Lacy was the family genealogist and he collected and preserved the family correspondence of his uncles and aunt, some of which date back to the 1850's.

Collection

Earl C. Michener papers, 1898-1934, 1940-1954 (majority within 1904-1934)

13 linear feet

Adrian, Michigan attorney and Republican congressman, 1919-1933 and 1935-1951. Correspondence, 1898-1934, newspaper clippings, 1920-1950, including materials concerning veterans and other constituent affairs, political campaigns, the Republican Party, the influence of the Ku Klux Klan in the election of 1924, and personal affairs.

The Michener collection consists almost totally of correspondence accumulated while Michener served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Although the collection dates from 1898 to 1955, the great bulk of it dates from 1904 to 1934, years when Michener practiced law, served as a county prosecutor, then went off to Congress. The files relate exclusively to the politics of being a congressman, the job of staying in touch with constituents, responding to their concerns, thanking them when they offer support, etc. During each election year, Michener sent out hundreds of form letters. Such correspondence included notes enclosed with nominating petitions; brief notes which accompanied signed petitions; acknowledgments of the signed petitions; letters to newspapers asking them to print enclosed advertisements; letters enclosing campaign cards; form letters urging support at the primary; letters of congratulation; Michener's acknowledgment of congratulations; letters to people from various towns asking them to phone in the election returns; thank you notes to those who phoned in the returns; and so forth. Examples of each type of these form letters have been included in the collection though the bulk of materials has been reduced.

The collection is particularly valuable for material on grass-roots Republican politics, the methods and means by which an individual sought election to Congress and then maintained that position through several successive terms. Michener's correspondence is particularly heavy during election years. Some of the issues discussed by him relate to prohibition in Michigan, the influence of the Ku-Klux-Klan in the 1924 election, and the problems confronting veterans of the Spanish-American War and World War I. The collection is less valuable for the work that Michener did while in Congress. There are few files relating to legislative activities.

Collection

Edward N. Hartwick Papers, 1898-1978 (majority within 1940-1960)

3 linear feet — 25.4 GB (online)

Online
President of the Wayne County Republican Precinct Organization and member of the 14th Congressional District Republican Committee; files relating to political activities; also photographs, motion pictures, and sound recordings.

The papers of Edward N. Hartwick center around his involvement in the Republican party in the Wayne County area, and on the state and national level. The series in the collection are Wayne County Republican Party Activities; State Republican Central Committee; Election of 1952; Miscellaneous Political Files; Personal; Visual Materials; and Sound Recordings.

Included in the collection are meeting minutes, party organizational materials, and other materials relating to his activities within the Wayne County party organization and the Michigan State Central Committee. In addition, there are papers dealing with Hartwick's role as a delegate to the 1952 Republican National Convention. He received many letters urging him to support the various candidates - Eisenhower, MacArthur, and Taft.

Collection

Thomas M. Spaulding papers, 1901-1969

2 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

The Thomas M. Spaulding collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence and other materials; Biographical and Personal; Organizational Affiliations; Political Materials; Topical Files; Writings; Stephen Tucker Spaulding Materials; and Photographs. The correspondence is of interest for its mention of current affairs, national politics, and the Cosmos Club of Washington, D.C. Of special interest are two volumes of diaries, covering the period of 1941-1944, with detailed comments on the conduct of World War II as viewed from Washington, D.C.

Collection

John P. Espie papers, 1902-1950

0.5 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Farmer and businessman in Eagle Township, Clinton County, Michigan; thirteen-term (1923-1933, 1935-1949) Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives; Chairman, Ways and Means Committee (1939-1949). Correspondence, newspaper clippings, diaries, photographs, and miscellanea concerning his life and legislative career.

This collection presents material concerning the life, business affairs, and legislative career of John P. Espie (1881-1949). The first folder contains copies of three biographical sketches and some handwritten genealogical information concerning Espie's 19th century forebears. Subsequent folders contain correspondence, newspaper clippings, miscellaneous items, and photographs.

Collection

Frank G. Millard Papers, 1904-1976

4 linear feet (in 6 boxes) — 7 oversize volumes — 1 phonograph record

Republican attorney general of Michigan, 1951-1954, general counsel of the Department of the Army. World War I letters, papers detailing work as chairman of the committee on emerging problems of the Michigan Constitutional Convention; miscellaneous genealogical material, and diaries and memoranda books; scrapbooks concerning political career, especially his service as state attorney general; and photographs.

Only a few papers survived Millard. Correspondence, most interesting for his letters written in France during 1917, and a small body of papers from his committee chairmanship at the 1961 state constitutional convention, highlight the collection. A large number of newspaper clippings about his career, and many awards and citations he received, are also available. A few items regarding his military career, his political activities and his membership in the Masons can also be found.

A large number of photographs and albums are also found in the collection. Included are five scrapbooks, 1955-1961, covering the period when Frank Millard was general counsel in the Department of the Army. These scrapbooks are 70-80 percent photographic, and the remainder consist of clippings, programs, correspondence, schedules and itineraries. Another scrapbook covers the years 1912-1914 when Millard was a student at the University of Michigan. It also contains three pages of earlier material dated 1901-1910. This scrapbook is more than half photographic in content with the rest consisting of programs, clippings, and memorabilia.

Collection

Frank A. Picard papers, 1907-1963

3 linear feet — 11 oversize volumes — 1 oversize folder

Chairman of Michigan Liquor Control Commission, 1932-1934, candidate for the US Senate in 1934, president of Michigan Bar Association, and U.S. Judge of Eastern District of Michigan, 1939-1963. Correspondence and other papers relating to Michigan and national politics, his work on the Liquor Control Commission and the Michigan Bar Association; also campaign speeches and scrapbooks.

The Frank A. Picard papers consist of correspondence and other papers relating to Michigan and national politics, his work on the Michigan Liquor Control Commission and the Michigan Bar Association; files of campaign speeches and scrapbooks; and scripts and related papers for plays he wrote. The collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence, speeches and other materials; Scripts and plays; Other writings and miscellaneous; and Scrapbooks.

Collection

Bartel J. Jonkman papers, 1908-1952

1 linear foot — 2 oversize volumes

U.S. Congressman from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Programs, clippings, photographs, campaign materials and scattered correspondence and speeches concerning his career.

The Bartel Jonkman papers consists of a miscellanea of correspondence, speeches, clippings, articles, and other materials relating to his Congressional career and to his activities in Grand Rapids.

Collection

Frank D. McKay Papers, 1909-1965

3 linear feet — 2 oversize volumes

Grand Rapids, Michigan businessman and politician; correspondence, business papers; scrapbooks, and photographs.

The Frank D. McKay collection is divided into the following series: Correspondence; Topical Files; Business and financial papers; Newspaper clippings and scrapbooks; and Photographs.

Collection

George Murphy papers, 1911-1961

15 linear feet — 1 volume — 1 oversize folder

Judge of the Recorder's Court in Detroit and Frank Murphy's brother; contain correspondence, legal briefs, newspaper clippings, and other materials concerning Detroit politics, 1935-1961, the grand jury investigation of Detroit street railways, 1936, arbitration of labor disputes, 1936-1941, investigation of the Charles Street housing project, 1939-1940, as well as materials illuminating the careers and personal affairs of both George and Frank Murphy, especially in relation to Detroit and the Philippine Islands.

The George Murphy papers, which encompass the years 1911 to 1961, are most comprehensive for the decade following 1932. During this period - the most politically active in Murphy's career - the correspondence is especially useful in illustrating George Murphy's role in his brother's emergence as a politician, especially his role as dispenser of patronage in the depression years. The papers, of course, illuminate the social function performed by the Recorder's Court and contain voluminous correspondence with state and federal judges, attorneys, prisoners, prison officials, probation officers, etc. Judge Murphy also maintained close contact with affairs in his home town, Harbor Beach. Included in the collection are significant materials on affairs in the Philippines during his brother's governorship there, particularly correspondence during the years 1933 to 1936 with his sister, Marguerite, Eleanor Bumgardner, and with leading Filipinos concerning conditions there.

Collection

Robert H. Brucker papers, 1914-1967

4 linear feet

Saginaw, Michigan, attorney, aide and political advisor to his brother, Governor Wilber M. Brucker. Diaries, notebooks, correspondence and photograph albums concerning in part the political career of his brother.

The collection includes the following series: Diaries; Notebooks containing letters exchanged between Robert and Wilber Brucker; Photograph albums; and Miscellaneous notebooks and other volumes.

Collection

Jay G. Hayden scrapbooks, 1916-1965

8 linear feet (46 volumes.)

Newspaper articles and columns by Detroit News Washington correspondent, include extensive comment on national politics and foreign relations, particularly as they relate to Michigan

Scrapbooks, 1916-1965, of Jay G. Hayden, Washington correspondent for the Detroit News, contain extensive comment on national politics and foreign relations, particularly as they relate to Michigan. Personal subjects include: Sherman Adams, Smith W. Brookhart, Prentiss M. Brown, William Jennings Bryan, James F. Byrnes, Benjamin N. Cardozo, James Couzens, George Creel, Charles DeGualle, Edwin Denby, Lewis Douglas, John Foster Dulles, Dwight D. Eisenhower, James A. Farley, Henry Ford, Felix Frankfurter, John Glenn, James Hoffa, Herbert Hoover, Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchev, Robert M. LaFollette, Douglas McArthur, Joe McCarthy, Andrew Mellon, James Meredith, Billy Mitchell, Frank Murphy, Truman H. Newberry, Richard M. Nixon, Sam Rayburn, Owen J. Roberts, Nelson A. Rockefeller, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Frank L. Smith, Joseph Stalin, Harlan F. Stone, Harry S. Truman, Arthur H. Vandenberg, William S. Vare, Henry A. Wallace and Leonard Wood.

Collection

Howard Cyrus Lawrence Papers, 1916-1966

25 linear feet — 2 oversize volumes

Grand Rapids, Michigan businessman and Republican politician. Correspondence, business records, speeches, and other papers relating to state politics, charitable and civic interests, banking issues, the Grand Rapids Varnish Corporation, the Michigan Trust Company of Grand Rapids, and the Ypsilanti-Reed Furniture Company of Ionia, Michigan; also materials on Albion College, the Methodist Church, the Ionia Free Fair, and Republican Party politics, especially the campaign of Arthur H, Vandenberg for the presidency in 1940.

The collection documents the business, civic, and political interests of Howard C. Lawrence. The series in the collection are: Correspondence; Speeches and speech material; Financial; Business Interests; Charitable and Civic Interests; Clippings; Miscellaneous; Photographs; and Notebooks.

Collection

Margaret Bayne Price Papers, 1918-1969 (majority within 1947-1968)

25 linear feet

Democratic National Committeewoman from Michigan, Vice-Chair of the Democratic National Committee and Director of Women's Affairs of the Democratic Party. Extensive correspondence, speeches, press releases, political campaign materials, newspaper clippings, agendas, and assorted printed material relating to her work in the Democratic Party; material concerning Democratic politics, 1948-1967, and the activities of the Democratic National Committee and the Michigan State Central Committee.

The collection includes extensive correspondence, speeches, press releases, political campaign materials, newspaper clippings, agendas, and assorted printed material relating to her work in the Democratic Party; material concerning state and national Democratic politics, 1948-1967, and materials accumulated from her service with the Democratic National Committee and the Michigan State Central Committee.

The collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Press Materials; Speeches; Miscellaneous Materials; Organizational Activities; State and Local Politics; National Politics; Printed Materials; and Photographs.

Collection

Talbot Smith papers, 1918-1978

46.3 linear feet

Lawyer, teacher, jurist, justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, and the U.S. Court of Appeals. Correspondence, speeches, case files, and research materials; also photographs.

The papers of Talbot Smith have been divided into the following series: Personal and early career material, Judicial career, Case files and related, Research and topical Files, and Other materials.

Collection

Michael A. Gorman papers, 1920-1958

2 linear feet

Editor of the Flint Journal. Correspondence and topical files concerning his newspaper career in Flint, the role of the Flint Journal in the development of the city, the General Motors sit-down strike of 1937, and the position of automobile industry to Flint; and photographs.

The Gorman papers reflect the relationship between a local newspaper and the community it served. The collection comprises two linear feet of correspondence and topical files from the period 1928 to 1958. Representing but a selection of Gorman's original files, this remnant appears to include correspondence which Gorman considered to be most important. The correspondence includes substantive material as well as letters of autograph value only.

Collection

Clara H. Brucker papers, 1920-1980

8 linear feet

Active in numerous civic and charitable organization, Clara Brucker assisted her husband Wilber M. Brucker, who had served as both governor of Michigan and Secretary of the Army. The collection includes correspondence, speeches, travel briefs and diaries.

The Clara Brucker collection includes papers concerning her work with the Mock Republican Conventions and her interest in the prevention of sex crimes against women and children, the General Federation of Women's Clubs and miscellaneous other charities. One of Clara Brucker's correspondents was May-ling Soong Chiang (Mme. Chiang Kai-shek). The collection has been arranged into the following series: Personal and biographical; School of Government; Women's civic, political and service organizations; Clippings; Travel and trip briefings; Diaries; and Miscellaneous.

Collection

William B. Cudlip papers, 1922-1985

8.5 linear feet

Detroit, Michigan, attorney, Republican regent of University of Michigan; regent’s files; political materials; and personal miscellanea.

The Cudlip collection contains files relating to his activities as regent of the University of Michigan, 1963-1972, to his work as delegate to Michigan's Constitutional Convention, 1961-1962, and as general counsel for the Michigan Bankers Association, 1932-1953. In addition, there is personal and political correspondence, 1922-1985, detailing in part with his involvement in Republican Party affairs, especially his friendship with Michigan Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg and his support of Vandenberg's candidacy for the Republican nomination for president in1940. Other files include speeches relating mainly to banking during the depression; an essay, entitled, "Pages from the diary of a lumberjack"; and notebooks from his University of Michigan Law School classes, 1923-1926.

Collection

William E. Brown papers, 1923-1972

11 linear feet — 3 oversize volumes

Republican mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1945-1957. The collection consists of topical files on Ann Arbor municipal issues, business records from his real estate and automobile sales ventures, scrapbooks, and photographs

The Brown papers have been arranged into the following series: Topical files; Other mayoralty papers (relating primarily to off-street parking); Scrapbooks; Business records; and Photographs. The Topical files are the largest portion of the collection and include correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings, and miscellanea concerning such issues as housing, the new city charter, off-street parking, the new Veterans Administration Hospital, planning for a new city hall, Brown's election campaigns, and the support given by Brown to Albert E. Cobo in his campaign for governor of Michigan in 1956. The scrapbooks, 1945-1962, contain newspaper clippings and other materials relating to his mayoralty.

Collection

Fred L. Crawford papers, 1925-1953

6 linear feet — 1 oversize volume

Saginaw, Michigan, sugar processor and Republican Congressman (1935-1953). Correspondence, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, speeches, and photographs.

The Crawford collection consists of correspondence relating to his political career, especially the election campaigns of 1936, 1940 and 1952. Some of his correspondents include Wilber M. Brucker, Mar. 6, 1937, Leonard Hall, May 19, 1950, and George A. Malcolm, Nov. 7, 1936. Of note are letters of Stanley Morse of the Farmer's Independence Council, Aug.-Dec. 1935-1936, describing agricultural conditions and a letter of H.W. Anderson, April 27, 1937, relating to the Flint Sit-Down strike.

There are also scrapbooks relating to his career activities and to his trips to the Philippines in 1935 and 1946. One of his scrapbooks concerns the activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1938, and includes a letter from J. Edgar Hoover; another scrapbook contains newspaper clippings and campaign miscellanea from his re-election campaign in 1936.

The Photographs series consists of a photograph album, 1946, detailing his participation as member of the U.S. delegation to the Philippine Commonwealth and Independence ceremonies. This volume also includes photos of various countries visited on the way to and from the Philippines. Other photographs are of a Congressional visit to United States Pacific Ocean island possessions and trusts and to Japan in 1949; and portraits of other Michigan members of Congress.

Collection

Donald S. Leonard Papers, 1925-1966

33 linear feet — 1 oversize folder — 1.55 GB

Online
Michigan State Police officer, 1923-1941, Michigan Civil Defense Director during World War II, State Police Commissioner, 1947-1951, Republican candidate for governor, 1954, served on Michigan Liquor Commissioner and as Detroit Recorders Court judge. Papers include extensive documentation of his service as Director of Civil Defense and State Police Commissioner and his political activities.

The Donald S. Leonard collection is a valuable resource to researchers studying topics of law enforcement and civil defense and Michigan state politics and government. The Donald S. Leonard collection has been arranged into seven series: Personal and Correspondence, 1925-1966; Civil Defense; World War II Era, 1941-1946; Michigan State Police, 1929-1952; Detroit Police Department, 1952-1954; Political Files, 1950-1956; Organization and Activities Files; Audio-Visual Materials; Committee on Equal Educational Opportunities. Leonard also taught law course at the State Police Recruit School and Metropolitan Police Academy of Michigan.

Collection

Lynn M. Bartlett papers, 1925-1971 (majority within 1955-1969)

7 linear feet — 4 microfilms — 1 oversize folder

Educational administrator, Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1957-1965, and official with the Johnson administration. Correspondence, reports, and newspaper clippings concerning his public career, political campaigns for state office, work in the constitutional convention, and interest in educational topics.

The Lynn M. Bartlett papers have been arranged into six series. The first three series were accumulated in his capacity as State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Education, and Assistant Secretary for Education within the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The researcher should note that although these series have been designated with the title of the office that Bartlett held, these series do not include the official files from those agencies. Records for the state office will be found in the Michigan State Archives; and records for the two federal positions held either reside within the agency itself or have been transferred to the National Archives. These three series consist of personal materials, such as speeches, personal letters (e.g., letters of congratulation, and thank yous), and other files not deemed to be part of the agency's files.

The final three series consist of Biographical/Personal, the papers of Bartlett's wife Josephine, and Collected Material.

Collection

Alfred B. Connable papers, 1925-1992 (majority within 1941-1957)

2 linear feet

Republican regent of the University of Michigan. Files and photographs relating to his election campaigns, his regental activities, especially as member of the Association of Governing Boards of State Universities and Allied Institutions; also papers concerning his work as price specialist with the Office of Price Administration during World War II, and as Michigan campaign manager for Wendell Willkie, 1943-1944.

The papers in the Alfred B. Connable collection, covering the years 1925-1992, document Connable's political and business careers, and also include biographical information. Included in the collection are newspaper clippings, correspondence, a diary, and photographs. The collection is organized into six series: Biographical Information, Board of Regents, Business Career, Political Career, Miscellaneous, and Photographs.

Collection

Blair Moody Papers, 1928-1954 (majority within 1934-1952)

27.5 linear feet (in 29 boxes) — 29 film reels — 60 phonograph records — 37 GB (online)

Online
Detroit newspaperman and United States Senator from Michigan. Correspondence chiefly concerning his 1952 senatorial campaign and his newspaper work in the United States and abroad during World War II; scrapbooks of newspaper articles written by Moody and published for the most part in the Detroit News and Barron's; tape recordings of public affairs radio program; photographs and motion pictures of public affairs interview programs.

The Blair Moody collection documents the career of a Washington-based newspaper correspondent and columnist and United States Senator. The collection covers the period 1928 to 1954, though the bulk of materials date since the mid-1940s. Much of the collection pertains to that period of time when Moody was in the Senate or was running for election to the Senate, although his newspaper career is also well documented. The collection has been divided into the following series: Biographical; Correspondence; Personal/Family; Newspaper Career; Gridiron Club; Senatorial Papers; Speeches; Scrapbooks; Sound Recordings; and Visual Materials.

Collection

Charles M. Ziegler papers, 1928-1959

2 linear feet — 9 oversize volumes — 1 oversize folder

Republican State Highway Commissioner, 1943-1957. Correspondence, scrapbooks and other papers concerning the highway department, Republican politics, and his interest in the Michigan Republican League, the Michigan Indian Foundation, and the construction of the Mackinac Bridge; also photographs.

The collections includes the following series of papers: Correspondence; Campaign and Republican Party Activities; Michigan Highway Department; Topical files and miscellaneous; and Scrapbooks and clippings. Much of the correspondence relates to his first campaign in 1943 for Highway Commissioner.

Collection

John B. Bennett papers, 1928-1964

2 linear feet — 0.98 GB

Online
Republican Congressman from Ontonagon in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Correspondence, campaign materials, copies of bills introduced in Congress, and files concerning congressional reapportionment and the problems of the Upper Peninsula.

The John B. Bennett collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Election and political materials; Congressional papers; Biographical; Photographs; and Sound recordings.

Collection

Allan M. Williams Papers, 1930-1979

6 linear feet

Engineer-manager of the Ionia County (Mich.) Road Commission. Speeches, articles, correspondence, press releases, newspaper clippings, photographs, and miscellanea relating to his work as county engineer; also contains material concerning the Ionia County Free Fair and the American Road Builders' Association.

The Allan M. Williams Collection includes much material dealing with Williams' professional interests and concerns. There are papers relating to the American Road Builders' Association and Michigan organizations, including articles and speeches written by Williams. In addition, there are materials relating to his unsuccessful primary campaigns for State Road Commissioner in 1941 and 1943 and for State Senator in 1962. Finally, materials relating to the Ionia County Free Fair are quite rich, including correspondence, financial information, and publicity dealing with far range planning and the day-to-day operations of the Ionia County Free Fair and its governing board.

The collections has been arranged into the following series: Biographical/Personal; Ionia County Free Fair; Speeches and writings; American Road Builders' Association; Other Organizations; Projects and related; Political file; Community projects; Photographs.

Collection

Detroit News Lansing Bureau records, 1931-1972

35.5 linear feet (in 38 boxes)

Scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings detailing all aspects of state government, including the gubernatorial administrations of Kim Sigler, G. Mennen Williams, John B. Swainson, and George Romney; also; and miscellaneous reference files, including political and governmental press releases. Also, general topical index for the years 1935-1966, legislature topical index for 1960-1961, and Constitutional Convention topical index for 1961-1962.

The records consists primarily of scrapbooks dating from 1931 to 1966, miscellaneous press and reference files, and clippings of articles by reporter Glenn Engle. The scrapbooks provide detailed and complete coverage of state government with particular emphasis on the gubernatorial administrations of Kim Sigler, G. Mennen Williams, John Swainson and George Romney. There are also clippings pertaining to Michigan politics, the work of Michigan's Grand Jury (1943-1962), and the state constitutional convention, 1961-1964.

The collection also includes alphabetically organized topical indices for general files (1935-1966), Legislature (1960-1961), and Constitutional Convention (1961-1962). Each card contains a summary of events relating to a particular topic.

Collection

Delmar D. Gibbons papers, 1932-1967

2 linear feet

State and national Prohibition Party officer and candidate, executive chairman of the Prohibition National Committee, editor of the National Statesman, 1963-1967; correspondence, campaign material, news releases, scrapbooks, photographs, and printed material.

The Delmar Gibbons papers document his activities in support of prohibition and in Michigan state politics. The collection includes correspondence, campaign material, news releases, scrapbooks, photographs, and printed material. The collection is arranged into the following series: Prohibition Party election and campaign materials; Other Prohibition and Temperance Organizations; Scrapbooks; and Other materials

Collection

Democratic Party of Michigan records, 1932-2008 (majority within 1950-1994)

97 linear feet (in 99 boxes) — 1 film reel — 18.4 GB (online)

Online
Files of state chairs, Neil Staebler, John J. Collins, Zolton Ferency, Sander Levin, James McNeely, Morley Winograd, Olivia Maynard, Richard Wiener, F. Thomas LeWand, and Gary Corbin; files of deputy state chair, Billie S. Farnum, vice chairs Adelaide Hart and Olivia Maynard, and vice chair Robert Mitchell; files relating to state constitutional convention, and to state and national political campaigns, since 1950; sound recordings and visual materials.

The records of the Democratic Party of Michigan have come to the library in several accessions beginning in 1967 and periodically thereafter. The record group is comprised of files mainly from the Lansing office of the Democratic Party of Michigan. The files are of the officers of the party: state chair, vice chair, deputy chair, and secretary among others. As might be expected, the records relate to the day-to-day operation of the party, the management of political campaigns (i.e. selecting candidates, defining issues, raising funds, getting out the vote, etc.). In addition, much of the records concern the state organization's relationship with the National Democratic Party and its participation in the national convention to select a presidential nominee. Because of inconsistencies in how files were maintained and used, the files of one party officer might also include materials of his / her predecessor. Thus the researcher should be examine the entire finding aid for material on any given topic or time period.

The records of the Democratic Party of Michigan has been arranged into the following series: (1) Earlier records, prior to 1965; (2) State Chair, Democratic State Central Committee files; (3) Other Party Officers; (4) Headquarters files; (5) Detroit Office Files; (6) Topical Files; (7) State Central Committee Meeting Minutes; (8) State and National Convention files; (9) Appeals Committee; (10) Publications and miscellaneous; (11) Visual Materials; (12) Sound Recordings.

Collection

Alvin M. Bentley papers, 1935-1969 (majority within 1950-1968)

104 linear feet — 5 oversize volumes — 1.36 GB (online)

Online
Republican congressman form Michigan's Eighth District, 1952-1960, candidate for U.S. Senate, 1960; member U.S. Foreign Service, 1942-1950, delegate to 1962 state constitutional convention; University of Michigan regent and philanthropist. Papers include diaries, correspondence photographs and other material his political career and other varied interests.

The Alvin M. Bentley collection includes correspondence, speeches, subject files, and other materials relating to his political career and public service activities. Included are his files while serving as a member of Congress and as a delegate to Michigan's Constitutional Convention in 1961-1962, his campaign files from his race for the U.S. Senate in 1960 and his bid to be elected Congressman-at-large in 1962. Other series in the collection relate to his interest in issues of education, particularly higher education, as reflected in his service on the Citizen's Committee on Higher Education, his campaign for the State Board of Education and his tenure as a member of the University of Michigan Board of Regents. Of value in documenting the various phases of Bentley's career are series of diaries and journals, scrapbooks and clipping files, and photographs.

Collection

Lawrence Llewellyn Farrell Papers, 1935-1971

3.5 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Works Projects Administration district manager, official in the Office of Price Administration and executive secretary to Governor G. Mennen Williams. Materials concerning Michigan Democratic politics, particularly the elections of 1948 and 1952, his work for the W.P.A. and O.P.A. and his with the Michigan Children's Aid Society.

The Farrell collection is arranged into the following series: Correspondence, Political Papers, Works Projects Administration, Office of Price Administration, and Other Papers.

Collection

Dorothy Leonard Judd Papers, 1935-1974

9 linear feet

Resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan, delegate to the Michigan Constitutional Convention (1961-1962), chairwoman of the Michigan State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and member of the Michigan Civil Service Commission. Correspondence and topical files relating to her public activities; also materials concerning her interest in site planning for a Kent County airport; and photographs.

Except for some personal and genealogical studies, the Judd papers have been arranged into series accumulated as a result of specific interests and activities. These series include Michigan State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights; Michigan Civil Service Commission; Michigan Constitutional Convention; Kent County Airport Site Planning; and Grand Rapids Politics and Reform.

Collection

Samuel James Eldersveld papers, 1938-2010

5.5 linear feet — 3.3 GB (online)

Online
Professor of political science at the University of Michigan and Democratic mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan for one term, 1957-1959. The collection consists primarily of Eldersveld's mayoralty subject files. There are also some of his writings, as well as notes, course materials, correspondence, departmental memos, reports, biographical material, and recordings of interviews.

The Samuel J. Eldersveld Papers document Eldersveld's academic career, his mayoralty, and personal background. The collection consists primarily of Eldersveld's writings, notes, course materials, correspondence, departmental memos, reports, oral history project, biographical material and mayoralty subject files. The collection contains the following series: Mayoralty Files, 1957-1959, Ann Arbor City Council, Personal/Biographical, Academic Career and Sound Recordings.

Collection

Homer Ferguson Papers, 1939-1976

26 linear feet — 1 oversize folder — 35 phonograph records — 769 MB (online)

Online
Republican U.S. Senator from Michigan, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines; files relating to his various career responsibilities, photographs, sound recordings.

The Homer Ferguson collection has been divided into eleven series based primarily upon the important phases of his public life: Personal; Circuit Judgeship; Senate Career; Interregnum: November 1954 - April 1955; Hoover Commission; Philippine Ambassadorship; United States Court of Military Appeals; Inter-Parliamentary Union; Photographs, Sound Recordings, and Myrtle Ferguson Papers.

Collection

Creighton R. Coleman Papers, 1941-1977

2.3 linear feet

Assistant chief of the decartelization branch, economics division in the Office of Military Government for Germany (US), 1946-1948; later Republican state senator from Marshall, Calhoun County, Michigan, 1949-1956. Reports, correspondence, memoranda, and photographs concerning his work in Germany; also miscellaneous files detailing his activities in the state legislature.

The collection is arranged into the following series: Office of the Military Government for Germany (US) Economics Division, Decartelization Branch; State Senator's Files; Topical Files; and Photographs.

Collection

Paul Gordon Goebel papers, 1942-1964

11 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Businessman and Republican mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1950-1954 and 1956-1958, delegate to the 1961 constitutional convention, and regent of University of Michigan. Correspondence, mayoral topical files, campaign materials, and scrapbooks concerning his activities in opposition to the political leadership of Frank D. McKay and George Welsh, the Republican National Convention of 1960, the work of the constitutional convention, and the founding of WZZM-TV and photographs.

The Paul G. Goebel papers include correspondence, mayoral topical files, campaign materials, and scrapbooks concerning his activities in opposition to the political leadership of Frank D. McKay and George Welsh, the Republican National Convention of 1960, the work of the constitutional convention, and the founding of WZZM-TV. A small file of photographs consists of portraits, campaign photographs, and photos of Goebel at public functions The series in the collection include Correspondence; Mayoralty Papers; Personal and Political; Scrapbooks; Constitutional Convention; and Photographs.

Collection

John B. Swainson Papers, 1943-1975 (majority within 1960-1962)

71.5 linear feet (in 73 boxes) — 1 oversize folder — 1 oversize volume — 7.77 GB (online)

Online
Democratic governor of Michigan, 1961-1963; gubernatorial office files, campaign files, papers from his career as state senator and lieutenant governor.

The John B. Swainson collection consists of four subgroups of files: pre-gubernatorial (covering the period of 1943 to 1960), gubernatorial (covering his one-term, two-year tenure as the state's chief executive), post-gubernatorial (covering the years since he left the governor's office, 1963 to 1975), and visual materials.

The great bulk of the collection is the gubernatorial subgroup documenting the last months of Swainson's term as lieutenant governor under Governor G. Mennen Williams, the 1960 campaign for governor, his gubernatorial administration, and his unsuccessful campaign for re-election. The importance of the collection, as with all gubernatorial records, is its documentation of public policy issues of the early 1960s and the relationship of the governor to the legislature, to the heads of the state's various boards and commissions, to the federal government, and to the citizens of Michigan.

Collection

Owen J. Cleary Papers, 1944-1959

10 linear feet — 2 oversize volumes — 1 oversize folder

Owen J. Cleary was an attorney, president of Cleary College in Ypsilanti (1940-1960), Michigan secretary of state (1953-1954), and chairman of the Republican State Central Committee (1949-1953). The collection includes correspondence, scrapbooks and clippings, organizational files, and Republican Party files.

The collection documents the later period of Cleary's life, mainly from 1945 to 1959. The series include Correspondence; Scrapbooks and clippings; Organizational interests; and Political files.

The great bulk of the collection consists of correspondence dated from 1945 to 1959 and documenting his work as Republican State chairman (1949-1953), his tenure as Michigan secretary of state (1953-1954), and his various other civic, political, and business involvements. There is included with this finding aid a selective index to Cleary's correspondents.