Collections

Organizational records of the club including minutes, bylaws, brochures, financial records, reports, and other materials.

The collection includes an incomplete run of Board of Director and Regular Club Meeting Minutes, Membership Cards and lists, Financial Statements, and Correspondence. Also included are the Club’s By Laws, the Charter meeting brochure, various scattered Reports, Project Materials, History Materials, a Plaque, Apron, three Banners, and other miscellaneous materials. Newspaper clippings (copies) are in various folders.

Processing Note: Publications of the Sunrise Rotary Club, including its newsletter, Spokesman, programs, directories, and miscellaneous publications of District 631 have been separately cataloged. The records of the first (ongoing) Rotary Club (Mount Pleasant, Mich.) are separately cataloged as well

The collection includes biographical information, correspondence, notably of the Boys' Republic, photographs and photograph albums, subject files, plaques, etc.

The collection includes: Biographical Information, consisting of diplomas, family history materials, photographs, newspaper clippings (copies), and related materials, 1930s-2002, undated; Correspondence, General (from students), to parents related to World War II, from two girl friends, Rebecca Reynolds and Verna May, and Dale Williams, a boy in the Boys’ Vocational School in Lansing, 1939-1955, undated, and the Boys’ Republic and student there, Bob Downes, 1948-1951; Photographs, 1922, 2000; Subject Files, including materials related to CMU, Flushing High School, Greeting Cards, Historical Michigan Calendars, Flint Junior College, the University of Michigan, the Boys’ Republic, juvenile delinquency, and other materials, 1935, 2000, undated; Photograph Albums related to his family and CMU, military service, and HOSTS/Mentor Program, 1941, 2000; Photographs of the Flushing High School Senior Class, 1939; and Plaques, for his outstanding work as a school and senior volunteer at West Elementary School, Florida, 1997-1998. The Oversized folders include Historical Landmarks of Brighton, a collection of illustrations of and text about Brighton, Michigan’s landmark buildings and history, undated, and a CMU war years class reunion photograph, 2000.

Because some of the materials in the Boys’ Republic correspondence and notebook contain sensitive, personal information about the students, researchers are asked to not name the individual students who created or are discussed in these materials.

The following materials were removed from the collection and cataloged: Memory Lane Gazette, 1982-2002, the Montrose Historical Association Newsletter, and Fieldbook of Natural History, c. 1949, by E. Laurence Palmer, which includes autographs and souvenir materials from Rufus’ favorite teacher, CMU Biology Dept. Professor Irene Jarae.

The Herbert H. Dow collection, 1900, 2013, consists mostly of copies of materials gathered by Kohrman for an exhibit in the Clarke Historical Library and a PowerPoint presentation he did on Brine in Mount Pleasant.

The Herbert H. Dow collection, 1900, 2013, consists mostly of copies of newspaper clippings, publications, patents, images, maps, scrapbooks, correspondence, major correspondence is with geologist Raymond G. Vugrinovich and British artist Arthur Henry Knighton-Hammond, taxes, obituaries, indexes and finding aids. Some original notes and publications are also included. The collection was gathered by Kohrman for an exhibit in the Clarke Historical Library and a PowerPoint presentation he did on Brine in Mount Pleasant. The collection is in original order as organized by Kohrman, with his index in the front of Box 1.

Additional collections by/about Kohrman are housed at the Clarke, while the ACS. Midland Chapter records are on loan to the Clarke.

Processing Note: Duplicates were returned to the donor. A number of the copies were made of originals in the Clarke. Five items were separately cataloged.

This collection contains papers, publications, and information concerning the Harris family and Milling Company.

This collection contains papers, publications, and information concerning the Harris family and Milling Company. Boxes 1-2 include legal-size materials and Box 3 includes letter-size materials. There are three series in this collection; Harris business, personal, and Minnie Vroman Papers. Most of the materials were produced or collected by Richard O. Harris. The materials include adverting materials, inventories, price lists, product information, company publications, photographic materials, insurance and stock information, board of directors meeting minutes, correspondence, and company records and ledgers. The collection is organized by size, alphabetically and chronologically. Both boxes are legal-size.

Of special note are the Articles of Merger and Merger Agreement detailing how the Harris Milling Company was subsumed by the Nebraska Consolidated Mills Company, a badly damaged daguerreotype of an unknown white woman with a broach, who may be Jane Daniel Fulbright (see the last letter in Personal Correspondence folder), and papers for a milling course Richard O. completed.

Also in the collection are illustrative materials, including photographs and sketches of plans for transport trucks with the Harris Milling Company/FAMO logo in watercolor.

Related family materials include: miscellaneous items documenting Richard O. Harris’ daughter Mary Jane Harris (later Waterhouse)’s involvement with local stage events; papers of Minnie Vroman including a 1909 Chicago x-ray receipt and bills related to a week spent at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in 1917 for gastic issues. There are also papers and a photograph (with unidentified people, probably a Boy Scouts troop and leader) atop a submarine at the Beacon Institute of U.S. Submarine Base New London, Connecticut to which an unknown member of the Harris family was affiliated.

A 2019 addition (Box 3) includes a 1938 Central State Teachers College (CSTC) football schedule of home games on a football shaped program, and a CSTC lecture course season ticket for Kathleen Ordway. Mount Pleasant High School materials include: a 1925 student and staff photograph by T. T. Mock, Battle Creek, Michigan, outside the old high school (photocopy 8 pp.); a 1925 commencement program, a black and white photograph of the 50th reunion of the class of 1925 in 1975; and acidic blue line revision drawings (4 pp.), each of which measures 18x24 inches, of the new Mount Pleasant High School by Louis C. Kingscott and Associates, Inc, Kalamazoo (architects and engineers), April 20, 1953 including a presentation drawing, floor plans for the English, Social Science and Language unit, a floor plan for the science unit with a sectional view of the unit, and a floor plan of the commercial unit (in 1 Oversized Folder). Also included is the October 27, 2000 invitation to the historic marker dedication for Harris Mill. Last is John A. Harris materials including his Civil War service records (copies, 10 pp.), a photograph (copy), presentation reading notes of Anne Harris Hunnewell for the Pasadena Civil War Round Table about John Harris (4 pp.), and letter and envelope (copy) about the John A. Harris materials from Anne Harris Hunnewell to her Grandpa Richard. Also included are 1999 copies from the Internet of a list of John’s unit members (4 pp.), and a map of Eureka, Michigan (1 p.).

Processing Note:

Much of this collection was heavily damaged and was infested with stinkbugs. The archivist and processing student met with the university insect exterminator and determined these bugs were not a threat to the collection. All stinkbugs were contained and removed from the collection. Items with mold, mildew, water, or fire damage, as well as acidic papers were photocopied and withdrawn from the collection during processing, about 1 cubic foot total. Also, during processing one general Mount Pleasant item was added to the Vertical Files.

Three-dimensional items transferred to the CMU Museum in February 2019 where they can receive expert curatorial care include: keychain, patch, matchbooks, product cards, dog food and flour bags, Harris Milling Company FAMO Dairy Feed 100 lbs Bag Sketches (24% and 16%, each measures 18x12 inches, undated; Harris Milling Company FAMO Broiler Ration 25 lbs Bag Sketches (1 is 20%, the other has no % indicated), each measures 18x12 inches, undated; Harris Milling Company FAMO 16% Dairy Feed 100 lbs White Bag Sketch, measures 18x12 inches, undated; Harris Milling Company FAMO Self-rising Bleached Flour Cloth 10lbs Bag, stamped “Emergency Quality Milled Under Gov’t. Order W.F.O. 144,” measures 16.5x10 inches, undated; Harris Milling Company FAMO Self-rising Bleached Flour Cloth 10lbs Bag, measures 17x10 inches, undated; Martha White’s FAMO Self-rising Enriched Bleached Flour .5lbs Bags, (1 plain, 1 with images), each measures 11.5x5.5 inches, undated; Harris Milling Company FAMO Self-rising Bleached Flour Paper 10lbs Bag, stamped “Emergency Quality Milled Under Gov’t. Order W.F.O. 144,” measures 19.25x10 inches, undated; Harris Milling Company Hi-Value Dog Food Paper 25lbs Bag, measures 31x11 inches, undated; Harris Milling Company FAMO Beef Builder Paper 50lbs Bag, measures 34.5x16 inches, undated; Harris Milling Sample Bag (linen) and Harris Ranch Almond Bag (cotton), undated; and a booklet: Michigan. Dept. of Agriculture. Selection…, 1961.

The collection, 2019, 5 cubic feet (in 10 boxes), was collected by Quita V. Shier to research her subsequent book on the topic, and includes research copies of military service records of the men in Company K from the National Archives and information from online censuses and newspapers documenting the First Michigan Sharpshooter Regiment, Company K.

The collection, 2019, 5 cubic feet (in 10 boxes), was collected by Quita V. Shier to research her subsequent book on the topic, and includes research copies of military service records of the men in Company K from the National Archives and information from online censuses and newspapers documenting the First Michigan Sharpshooter Regiment, Company K. The military service records document enlistment, pay, invalid status, death or discharge, and/or pension records in military forms and correspondence. Only a few images are included of tombstones or portraits of soldiers in obituaries. A few tax or land records are also included. The collection documents the lives and significance of the Company K soldiers during the Civil War era. This collection is organized alphabetically by the name of the soldier’s surnames. The originals are housed in the National Archives.

The papers consists of family papers, photographic materials, genealogical materials, miscellaneous, and a scrapbook.

Miscellaneous papers, compiled from various donors and sources, compose this collection. The collection includes various photographic images, genealogical materials, music, correspondence, notes, and a scrapbook about Preston and Woodworth family members.

The collection includes correspondence, meeting minutes, photographs, reports, speeches, subject files and a plaque documenting Harold Abel's tenure as Central Michigan University's president, 1975-1985. There are very few personal materials in the collection. Of particular note are the materials documenting the Jane Fonda campus speech controversy, 1977-1978.

Except for some Biographical Information, 1975, 2002, undated (3 folders), the rest of the collection has no personal materials in it. The remaining series in the collection, all related to CMU or educational topics, include: Correspondence, 1972-1985 (approximately .5 cubic ft.); Meeting Minutes, 1976-1984 (approximately .5 cubic ft.); Photographs, 1981, undated (a few folders); Reports, 1964, 1985 (Approximately .5 cubic ft.); Speeches, 1976, 1985 (9 folders); most of the rest of the collection consists of Subject Files, 1973-1987. There is also one Plaque, 1977.

The collection includes a lot of financial, budget, fundraising, and Development Fund information in the collection because of the lean budget years experienced by CMU during President Abel’s tenure. Other topics documented at length in the collection include the Institute for Personal and Career Development (IPCD), commencements, December 1976-May 1985, the Jane Fonda Controversy, and Korean Hanyang University and Chung Ang University.

The only Photographs in the collection are in folders with Inauguration Materials, Development Board Meeting Minutes, and the Subject Files for the Perry Shorts Stadium Improvement and the Roscommon Property.

Oversized Michigan Senate Resolution No. 691, July 2, 1980, commending CMU administrators and deans for not taking a pay raise, is also included.

Abbreviations used in the finding aid include CMU for Central Michigan University, MI for Michigan, and Dept. for Department. Folder labels with acronyms used by President Abel are followed by the full organizational name, if known, in parenthesis at the end of the label.

The collection consists of Phi Alpha Theta. Omicron Omega (Central Michigan University) Organizational Records, 1971-2007, and undated.

The collection of organizational records, 1969, 2007, and undated, includes original bylaws, letters from Central Michigan University Presidents Harold Abel and Edward B. Jakubauakas congratulating the organization for obtaining awards, annual reports, awards, a constitution, fliers, initiation information, meeting minutes, membership lists, photographs, and scrapbook pages of Phi Alpha Theta, 1971 – 2007, undated. The collection is organized alphabetically and chronologically.

Processing Note: Approximately 2 cubic foot of applications, duplicates, financials, and other related materials were withdrawn from the collection during processing.

The collection documents the center's history with curriculum, teacher guides and newsletters, as well as reports.

The collection includes newsletters and materials developed by or used by the Center's staff. Many of the publications are from the State of Michigan.

The collection documents the department's history with organizational histories, photographs, slides, website pages, annual reports, correspondence, publications, meeting minutes, scrapbooks, and other materials.

Through the years, department staff saved various historical materials, photographs, scrapbooks, meeting minutes, and other relevant materials, to document the history of the department and its related student organizations. About half of the collection documents the department, while the other half documents the related student organizations.

The collection is organized first by format, with letter and legal-size papers and photographs filed in alphabetical order by organizational name in boxes. The organizational history and related notes, compiled in 1996 by Donna Poynor begins the collection. Oversized volumes (Scrapbooks and Photograph Albums) are divided by organizational name and stacked with the largest volume in each section on the bottom of the pile. They are described at the end of the box and folder listing.

The history of the entire department from its establishment until 1996 is documented in Organizational Histories and Research Notes, 1996; Photographs, 1930s-1960s, and 1990s, and 2003; Published Materials (articles in CMU publications, departmental brochures, and a reprint of an article by a student in the department), 1944-1984 (Scattered); Slides, 1950s, 1961, and undated; CMU and You Day Photographs and Report, 1991; and the 2006 department website pages. The undated Sewing I Notebook and teacher contracts date from 1905 through 1913 are the earliest extant items in the collection. They document the period when courses were taught as Domestic Science and Arts. The Notebook is charming. It includes Ruby Wilfing’s neatly written class notes with definitions and ideas, and examples of swatches of materials demonstrating her ability to sew various types of complex stitches. A miniature apron she sewed is included.

The Department of Home Economics is documented by Annual Reports from the 1960s, Departmental Correspondence, both General Correspondence, mainly noting changes in department staff and leadership during the 1960s, as well as some Correspondence specific to the Renovation of Wightman Hall, 1966-1968 and 1970. Other correspondence is with the Office of Vocation Education, part of the Michigan Department of Public Instruction, regarding the review and development of the department. There is also a department Scrapbook, 1961-1963.

The Department of Home Economics, Family Life and Consumer Education is documented by a publication, Quest for Values, 1968-1969 by Evelyn I. Rouner.

Several student home economics clubs are documented in the collection. The Central Home Economics Club is documented by organizational records, including: Constitutions, 1941-1987 (Scattered); Meeting Minutes of both regular and Executive Council meetings, and Lists of Members, 1920-1940, 1946-1950, 1961-1977 and 1979-1989, and Scrapbooks, 1942, 1946-1948, and 1958-1963 (1 v.) and 1958-1964 (1 v.). This club evolved into the Central Michigan Home Economics Association, documented by Scrapbooks, 1977-1979 (2 v.), and the CMU Home Economics Association, documented by a Scrapbook, 1979-1980.

The Central Home Economics Club was a member of a state home economics organization, the Michigan Home Economics Association, which is documented by Scrapbooks, 1936-1938 and 1982-1984 (2 v.).

Another related club was Kappa Omicron Phi (the National Home Economics Honors Society), which is documented by a Photograph album, 1978-1983 and two Scrapbooks, 1961-1977 and 1973-1982.

Photographs in the collection include black and white as well as colored and colored slides. A number of the Photographs were published in the department’s brochures and articles about the department. The Scrapbooks vary in size and composition. A wide variety of materials, including photographs, art, correspondence, invitations, table favors, posters, programs, newspaper clippings, etc. are found in the scrapbooks. Because of the mix of their composition and contents, all of the Scrapbooks suffer from various levels of acidity and fragility and should be used with care by researchers.

Processing Notes: Some of the scrapbooks consisted of materials in rotting binders. The historical materials were removed from the binders and filed in folders. Two photographs in the collection were of women in the home economics courses at Michigan Agricultural College, now Michigan State University, so those photographs were transferred to the MSU Archives and Historical Collections.