Collections

The collection consists of copies of photographs (in which most actors are identified), slides, posters, Daily Times-News (Mount Pleasant, Michigan) newspaper clippings, inventories of these copies, media files of the reunion events of August 14, 16, 2009 held in Mount Pleasant, alumni invitations, questionnaires, and an attendance report. The only original format item is the McDonalds place mat advertising the Central Michigan University Summer Repertory Company, [1977]. Media Player, Excel, and Windows are necessary to play or view all the electronic files in this collection. Additions includes reunion sound recordings on 3 SOny DVCams, digital copies of the DVCams on a hard drive, 2013, and 1 microcassette, 2009.

The collection consists of copies of photographs (in which most actors are identified), slides, posters, Daily Times-News (Mount Pleasant, Michigan) newspaper clippings, inventories of these copies, media files of the reunion events of August 14, 16, 2009 held in Mount Pleasant, alumni invitations, questionnaires, and an attendance report. The only original format item is the McDonald’s place mat advertising the CMU Summer Repertory Company, [1977]. An addition to the collection includes reunion sound recordings on three Sony DVCams, 2009, and one microcassette, [2009]. Media Player, Excel, and Windows are necessary to play or view the 15 CDs and small 2009 external hard drive. A later addition includes a digital user copy of the 3 DVCams on an external hard drive. The digital copy was created in May 2013 by CMU. FACET, now CETL. Also on the hard drive are transfers with reformatted code to allow playback on non-proprietary software. The digital copies play with VLC media player and occupies 213 GB. The digital 1970s Theatre Reunion Folder includes: Fri open mike night, 2 hours 6 minutes, 31 seconds of open mike discussion; Sat night dinner, 52 minutes, 1 second of assorted piano and singing by reunion attendees and their memories; Sat round table 1 (2 hours, 13 minutes, 41 seconds) and 2 (5 minutes, 15 seconds) of alumni discussing their experiences at CMU and in CMU theatre; State of theatre, 51 minutes 57 seconds of discussion by Steve Berglund, CMU Theatre Director talking about what CMU theatre provides in experiences and opportunities for students; and Thrs setup, 8 minutes, 35 seconds, of background noise of people literally setting up the space, moving chairs, laughing and talking.

Other Clarke collections with CMU. Theatre materials in them include the CMU Vertical Files, Theatre Scrapbooks, CMU Public Relations and Marketing (CMUPRM) Videotapes and CMUPRM Posters.

The collection documents Dr. Baugh’s time as a professor at CMU, the Affirmative Action Council, materials from Ken Hechler, Secretary of State, after his (and former Republican Congressman George Wortley’s) visit to CMU through the Congress to Campus program, Eyes on the Prize course materials, Task Force folder includes some extremely hateful and inappropriate terminology in letters and songs that students and faculty received at CMU which demonstrate the racism/prejudices theyfaced in the early 1990s.

The collection, 1984-2017 (scattered), and undated, . 5 cubic feet in 1 box, 1 Ov. Folder) consists of materials documenting biographical information about Dr. Baugh’s time as a professor at CMU, email correspondence regarding the materials she donated, meetings minutes and information pertaining to the Affirmative Action Council, and a newspaper clipping and associated letters and songs from Ken Hechler, Secretary of State, after his (and former Republican Congressman George Wortley’s) visit to CMU through the Congress to Campus program. The collection also includes early notes and a class syllabus for the Eyes on the Prize course, and meeting minutes, meetings notes, and three days of transcripts from the public hearings held on campus and the report done after they were concluded. The Task Force folder includes some extremely hateful and inappropriate terminology in letters and songs that students and faculty received at CMU which demonstrate the racism/prejudices they were facing even in the early 1990s.

The collection consists mainly of cassette recordings and slides of an African and multiple African American poets and authors reading their poems and parts of their books and discussing what poetry is and why it matters to them and to the community, 1972-2015 (Scattered), undated, mostly at Central Michigan University.

The collection consists mainly of cassette recordings and slides of an African and multiple African American poets and authors reading their poems and parts of their books and discussing what poetry is and why it matters to them and to the community, 1972-2015 (Scattered), undated, mostly at Central Michigan University. The collection is organized by format, alphabetically and chronologically. Physically the collection is in good condition.

The cassette recordings were mostly created when the poets presented to classes, were panelists at Paul Laurence Dunbar celebrations on campus, or presented in other public CMU forums. Most of the cassettes were recorded by CMU CSIC, while the remainder are amateur recordings. The recording quality varies.

There are also three small slide boxes of color kodak slides inside Box 1. Slide Boxes #1-2 are slides of multiple poets presenting to CMU classes, as panelists at Paul Laurence Dunbar celebrations on campus, or attending CMU receptions, October 1972. Slide Box 3 includes 4 slides of Etheridge Knight and 4 slides of Chinua Achebe on campus, all dated April 1973. There are also 8 sides of an Etheridge Knight talking with Dr. Eric Torgerson’s class with Dr. Martha Brown, including some images of him with Carroll Arnett (Gogisgi) and two other women at an airport, and at home with Dr. Eric Torgerson, August 1973. Poets and a few CMU people were identified in these slides by Dr. Tracy Collins and Dr. Ron Primeau in 2022.

Lastly, there are two folders of correspondence inside Box 1. One folder is a congratulatory letter from Pfeiffer to Alice Walker, 1983, on the occasion of her becoming the first woman of color to win the Pulitzer Prize for The Color Purple. The other folder includes correspondence Pfeiffer had with Octavia E. Butler, her biographical information, published interviews, lists of her publications, and an undated color photograph of Butler with Pfeiffer, 1982-2015 (Scattered).

Processing Note:

During processing about half of the original donation of cassettes were withdrawn because they were blank, copyrighted materials which are now available in more accessible formats, or personal recorded messages from family and friends to Pfeiffers. A few slides, which were images of book covers and a few pages of generic correspondence were also withdrawn. An oversized Ray Bradbury print was returned to the donor as per the donor form.

The collection contains the sermons, newspaper articles, and research of The Reverend Father John H. Goodrow.

These sermons provide an interesting perspective on the ideals of the turbulent years of the 1960s and 1970s, such as discrimination, discussed in a sermon written for July 9, 1972. Such topics were also covered within articles Father Goodrow wrote for the Daily Times of Mount Pleasant, Michigan, which are in this collection. Most of the articles that could be dated within this collection were written during the 1970s and range in topics, including articles discussing South Africa and the United States (1971), community restoration (1973), President Nixon (1974), Indian discrimination (undated), and even an article on cats (undated). Father Goodrow also wrote for other publications, such as The Christian Challenge and The Living Church and local newspapers including the Morning Sun and CMLife. Materials collected to add St. John’s Episcopal Church to the National Register of Historic Places, 1981, complete the collection. For more information about the church, see the finding aid and catalog record for its collection which is also housed in the Clarke.

Processing Note: Acidic materials (1 cubic foot) were copied and the originals were returned to the donor as requested.

Miscellaneous collection of his research materials, drafts of books, speeches, biographical materials, and photographic materials of John Cumming.

The collection reflects Cumming’s many interests and activities as Director of the Clarke, historian, author, researcher, bibliophile, printer, and collector. The collection document Mount Pleasant, Isabella County, Auburn, and Oakland County (Michigan) history, as well as his special interests, including Abel Bingham, the Gold Rush, and (Strangite) Mormons. There are drafts of his books and articles, speeches, and biographical materials. Photographic materials are also included. Most of the material in the collection is undated. Materials have been processed by Acc# to facilitate research by the donor. Boxes 1-6, Oversized folder, Acc#5261, 52991, 71-41; Boxes 7-8, Acc# 53561; Boxes 9-10, Acc#67488 and 67600; Box 11, unaccessioned materials from January 2007; Boxes 12-16, Acc#72398.

Processing Note: Duplicates were removed from the collection. A list of items merged into other, existing collections, where they were more apt to be used by researchers, is in the donor’s file.

Published items were separately cataloged and housed in the Clarke.

Additional materials generated in his capacity as Director of the Clarke are found in the Clarke Historical Library Organizational Records.

A collection of slides from Cumming is separately cataloged.

Correspondence from John and Ingrid Hepler to Jett and Shelley Whitehead, 1978-1993 (Scattered), and undated.

Correspondence from John and Ingrid Hepler to Jett and Shelley Whitehead, 1978-1993 (Scattered), and undated. The collection is organized chronologically. The collection documents their deepening friendship between themselves and their families and numerous interests they shared. Towards the end of Hepler’s life, as he became unable to read and write himself, his wife Ingrid wrote on his behalf to Jett and his wife, Shelly. Broadly, they discussed many topics in their letters. One major topic they discussed is writing. Mainly, Hepler and Whitehead discussed poetry, poets and authors, Wallace Stevens, Robert Frost (most frequently), and Shakespeare. They also discussed and critiqued their own writings and mailed each other written material that they found interesting (See July 1978 – May 1980, July 1980 – May 1981, July 1981 – May 1982, July 1982 – July 1983, August 1983 – March 1984, April – December 1984, January – June 1985, July 1985 – March 1986, January – August 1989, September – December 1989, February – May 1990, and June 1990 – June 1993, Hepler Writings, 1976, 1983 folders, and Jett Whitehead Poetry folder). Another major topic they often wrote about was their families. Throughout the collection, Hepler wrote about his children and grandchildren. When deaths in the extended families occur, condolences are sent and when someone is sick, well wishes are sent (See July 1980 – May 1981, July 1981 – May 1982, April – December 1984, January – June 1985, July 1985 – March 1986, April 1986 – November 1987, January – August 1989, September – December 1989, February – May 1990, and June 1990 – June 1993 folders). They also frequently wrote about everyday occurrences and sent each other good wishes. The relationship between the Hepler and Whitehead families strengthened over time. The Heplers sent the Whiteheads advice, encouragement, and considered them as part of their own family (See August 1978 – May 1980, July 1982 – July 1983, April – December 1984, July 1985 – March 1986, April 1986 – November 1987, September – December 1989, February – May 1990, and June 1990 – June 1993 folders). While health was discussed throughout the collection, it becomes a main topic when Hepler is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease towards the end of the collection. Ingrid informed the Whiteheads about John’s condition and carried on the correspondence for John when he could no longer read nor write. She also included her own feelings on the situation in her letters to the Whiteheads, noted that she missed the conversations she once had with her husband, and who he was before the disease as it sometimes made him abusive towards her (See June 1990 – June 1993 folder). In his letters, Hepler occasionally mentions CMU. He writes about other CMU professor like Daniel Weber (See July 1980 – May 1980 folder), Clarke Historical Library Reference Librarian and Faculty member Bill Miles (See July 1981 – May 1982 folder), and negative publicity that CMU received from the Detroit Free Press, regarding former Sigma Phi Epsilon president Paul Bonaccine, who was accused of sexually assaulting another student. The charges were reduced to attempted fourth degree criminal sexual conduct to which Bonaccine plead no contest. Sigma Phi Epsilon was stripped of its rights as a CMU Fraternity in 1984 for four years (CM Life, November 19, 1984, January 14, 1985, and See January – June 1985 and July 1985 – March 1986 folder).

Jean B. Mayhew Collection includes biographical materials (copies), two of her undated papers, published papers (reprints) about her work and teaching, a three-quarter-inch umatic (videocassette) excerpt of a TV Speech 101 Demo Lecture she gave at the National Speech Association Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, 1964, and a 2-inch quad tape of CMU TV footage of her speaking, 1962-1964, probably in her Speech 101 classes. .

The collection includes biographical materials (copies), two of her undated papers, published papers (reprints) about her work and teaching, a ¾-inch umatic (videocassette) excerpt of a TV Speech 101 Demo Lecture she gave at the National Speech Association Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, 1964, and a 2-inch quad tape of CMU TV footage of her speaking, 1962-1964, probably in her Speech 101 classes. Please note: The Clarke does not currently possess equipment to play the recordings.

Papers include: awards and certificates of appreciation, biographical information, information concerning the Fulbright scholarship and Fulbright-Kommission conference, photographs, and plaques.

Papers, 1988-2017 (scattered), and undated, include: awards and certificates of appreciation, biographical information, information concerning the Fulbright scholarship and Fulbright-Kommission conference, photographs, and plaques. The collection is organized by format and size, alphabetically and chronologically.

Processing Note: Less than .25 cubic foot of material (duplicates, peripheral materials) was withdrawn during processing.

the following collections contains bicycle safety materials, bylaws, correspondence, drunken driving information, minutes, project materials, scrapbooks, and vehicle safety checks.

The collection includes bylaws, 1965-1967; correspondence, 1954-1978; list of members, undated; meeting minutes, 1953-1957; publicity and related correspondence,1959-1977; scrapbooks, 1959-1965; and various financial records, reports, and miscellaneous.

The collection documents the activities and history of the Isabella County Girl Scouts.

The collection of Organization Records, 1930-1980, undated, documents fifty years of the Council. Materials include: financial records, 1937-1945, 1953-1962; scrapbooks, 1951-1980; bulletins, 1951-1959; record book, 1947-1962 (with correspondence, bulletins, and meeting minutes); photographs, 1945, 1959, 1980; constitution and by-laws, 1938, 1955; journals of activities, 1930-1956 (meeting minutes of the Leadership Council); annual reports, 1952-1958; directories, 1940-1962; some loose correspondence and meeting minutes, which document the leadership, not the actual Girl Scout meetings, 1960-1962, 1954-1964. Special events such as Senior Round-Ups and conferences are also included in the collection. Boxes 1-2 contain letter-size materials while Box 3 contains legal-size materials and Box 4 has oversized materials.