Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

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Collection

Jerry Peterson "Jerry Vile" collection, 1986-2015

2.6 linear feet (in 8 boxes)

Jerry Peterson, aka Jerry Vile, is a Detroit metro area artist, performer, and publisher known for his provocative style. Peterson created and published several free culture/humor magazines between 1978-1999 including White Noise, Fun: The Magazine for Swinging Intelectuals [sic], and Orbit. The collection is comprised of complete runs of Fun and Orbit and contains a small number of photographs, memorabilia, and other publications including an anthology by Rob St. Mary.

The collection is primarily comprised of the periodicals Fun: The Magazine for Swinging Intelectuals [sic] and Orbit, created and published by Jerry Peterson. The satirical magazines document Detroit's pop and punk culture scenes in the 1980s and 1990s and include articles and graphics on arts, culture, humor, and entertainment. A detailed index of volumes and issues may be found in Box 8; this is a useful reference due to inconsistency of both publications volume/issue numbering scheme.

The collection also contains a small number of photographs and memorabilia from Orbit; special edition publications by Jerry Peterson on Detroit including a satirical ad he had printed in the Detroit Metro Times during the Detroit bankruptcy in 2013; and the book The Orbit Magazine Anthology: re-entry, authored by Rob St. Mary and published in 2015, which chronicles the history of Detroit's alternative publications.

Collection

Jesse Gonzales papers, 1968-2014 (majority within 1982-2012)

1 linear foot — 1 oversize folder — 7.7 GB (online)

Online
The papers of Jesse Gonzales document the Latino and Hispanic communities in Michigan, primarily within the Lansing area, and elsewhere. Materials include photographs, both analog and digital, as well as personal and biographical information about Gonzales and his family, his poetry and selected writings. Additionally, the papers contain printed materials about cultural and art programs and festivals in the state.

The Jesse Gonzales papers include original images created by Jesse Gonzales, as well as collected materials on Latino/Chicano life and culture in Michigan.

Collection

Jim Dunne papers, 1969-2011 (majority within 1974-1996)

2 linear feet (in 4 boxes) — 7.3 GB (online)

Online
Jim Dunne is known for his work as a pioneer in automotive spy photography. He is also an established journalist and author, and conducted automotive performance tests and reviews of new vehicles for many years. The collection, spanning 1969-2011, includes his book Car Spy: Secret Cars Exposed by the Industry's Most Notorious Photographer, magazines containing his photographic work, articles written by him, and awards and recognitions. A large portion of the collection is made up of visual materials, which consists of photographs, slides, negatives, digital materials containing images of automobiles he included in his book, and a digital slideshow presentation featuring his work.

The Jim Dunne collection mostly consists of publications and visual materials from across his career, including articles written by and about him, photographs, negatives, and some digital materials. The series in this collection are: Publications, Visual Materials, Recognitions, and Miscellaneous.

Collection

Joe Knollenberg papers, 1993-2008

11 linear feet — 5.30 GB

Online
Republican Congressman representing the 9th district of Michigan from 1993-2008. Collection includes correspondence, memoranda, topical files, press releases, audiovisual materials, as well as digital files.

The Joe Knollenberg papers date from the beginning of Knollenberg's congressional career in 1993, to his final year in office in 2008, and document the work he did as a congressman, including serving on committees, and participating in the legislative process.

Collection

John and Leni Sinclair papers, 1957-2003

66.5 linear feet (in 82 boxes) — 1 oversize folder (UAl) — 1 oversize volume — 33 open reel videotapes — 727.7 GB (online)

Online
John and Leni Sinclair were leaders of the counterculture movement in Michigan, organizers of radical social, political, and cultural endeavors primarily in the areas of music, poetry, graphic design, and community welfare projects. Papers and photographs (1957-1979) relating to all phases of their careers, including participation in the Artists' Workshop in Detroit, the Rainbow Multi-Media Corporation, the White Panther Party and its offshoot, the Rainbow Peoples Party; also materials concerning the legalization of marijuana, radical politics, and prison reform. Also material, 1979-2000, relating to John Sinclair's work as a writer, performer, radio show host and music promoter.

The John Sinclair papers came to the library in 1979. Jointly donated by John and Leni Sinclair, this initial accession, covering the period 1957-1979, included textual material, sound recordings, and photographs relating to all phases of their careers, including participation in the Artists' Workshop in Detroit, the Rainbow Multi-Media Corporation, the White Panther Party and its offshoot, the Rainbow Peoples Party; also materials concerning the legalization of marijuana, radical politics, prison reform, and rock and jazz music.

The Sinclair papers provide a rich and unique source for the study of America's radical movement in the nineteen sixties and seventies. Beginning with a remarkable series of correspondence that includes letters from Abbie Hoffman, Allen Ginsberg, Timothy Leary, and Jerry Rubin, and continuing on through extensive subject files, the collection details the cultural, political and business activities of a man whose energy and charisma made him a local and national leader of the counterculture. In addition, the collection documents the support and creativity of his wife and partner, who as writer, photographer and publicist helped to showcase the lifestyle which he symbolized.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, John Sinclair added to his papers with materials relating to his career as a writer and performer. In the winter of 2000, he donated a second large accession relating mainly to the period since leaving Detroit for New Orleans.

The Sinclair collection has been divided into four subgroups: Textual Files, Printed Material, Sound Recordings, and Visual Material.

Collection

John D. Dingell, Jr. papers, 1922-2017 (majority within 1955-2014)

511 linear feet (in 511 boxes) — 136.4 GB (online) — 2 oversize items (framed)

Online
John Dingell, Jr. was Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan and longest-serving member in congressional history, 1955-2015. Dingell was the son of John Dingell, Sr. (Democratic congressman from Michigan's 15th district, 1933-1955), and husband of Debbie Dingell, who succeeded him as Representative of Michigan's 12th district in 2015. The collection documents John Dingell, Jr.'s election campaigns and his 59-year tenure in Congress. Records include legislative files, correspondence, speeches, scrapbooks, press clippings, photographs, and audiovisual materials.

The collection documents John D. Dingell, Jr.'s political career including his 59 years in the United States House of Representatives (1955-2015). The papers include campaign materials documenting Dingell's 29 elections, Democratic National Committee and Michigan Democratic Party materials, and redistricting in Michigan.

The bulk of the papers document Dingell's tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives including legislative files on topics such as civil rights, healthcare, insurance, Social Security, Medicare, environmental issues, endangered species, the auto industry, agriculture, taxes, and trade; administrative office files including correspondence, schedules, voting records, and legislative planning; and photographs, press clippings, scrapbooks, and speeches.

The collection includes born-digital records, as well as 254 pieces of audiovisual material, described in the Container Listing at the item level. Dingell's member website, campaign website, as well as his personal Twitter account are cataloged separately.

Collection

John Engler Papers, 1968-2003

435 linear feet — 1 oversize folder — 2.1 GB (online)

Online
Republican member of the Michigan state legislature (House and Senate, 1971-1990); governor of Michigan (1991-2003); active member of the Republican Governors' Association and the National Governors' Association. The Engler collection consists primarily of materials created and maintained by Governor Engler and his staff during the period when he was governor, 1991-2003. Other records include papers from his several terms in the Michigan House and the Michigan Senate. The collection includes papers files, photographs, sound recordings, videotapes, memorabilia, and some electronic files. The gubernatorial files are arranged mainly by unit or functional responsibility within the governor's office. These series are Executive Office, Communications Division, Legal Division, State Government Affairs, Legislative Affairs Division, Operations Division, External Affairs, Scheduling, Washington DC Office, and Office of the First Lady. Topics extensively documented include state welfare and school funding reform, reorganization of state boards and commissions, notably the restructuring of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and Republican party politics.

The John Engler papers are the most important source available for the study of Michigan's state government from 1991 to 2002. The collection is particularly strong on the topics of welfare and school funding reform, state government reorganization and the rising impact of the National Governors' Association in state and national politics. Engler's efforts to attract commerce to Michigan are also well-documented. The materials are arranged into two main subgroups: Pre-gubernatorial Papers and Gubernatorial Papers. The bulk of the material relates to Engler's gubernatorial career, therefore, the analysis that follows focuses primarily on this subgroup.

The materials in the "Gubernatorial Papers" subgroup are arranged according to the offices and subdivisions of the governor's office that created them. This means that the governor's speeches and press releases, for example, may be found within a grouping or "series" called "Communications Division," within the "Gubernatorial" subgroup, while legislative histories for various public acts may be found within the "Legislative Affairs" series.

While some kinds of documents were produced uniquely by one division, other kinds were produced in several divisions of the governor's office. The governor's correspondence, for example, was drafted and approved by several different staff members. Letters to important business and political leaders may be found within the "Executive Office" series, the "State Government Affairs" series, and the "Washington DC Office" series in particular. There no comprehensive chronological correspondence file.

In using the collection, the researcher should think functionally and ask who would have created the information sought. For example, the policy advisors in the State Government Affairs Division created individual topical files which gathered together correspondence and research materials to support briefing memoranda which they presented to the governor, while the speechwriters in the Communications Division often gathered different types of materials to help them shape the presentation of the same policies to the public.

Collection

John Harriman Poster Collection, circa 1985-2005

3 linear feet (in 5 boxes) — 2 oversize folders

William L. Clements Library staff member, collector of posters; event posters and announcements flyers advertising University of Michigan and Ann Arbor and other Michigan community events and activities.

The posters in the John Harriman Collection have been arranged first by size and then either by date or by broad category: University of Michigan events and Ann Arbor and other Michigan community events. The sizes of the poster and event flyers fall into three ranges. Within each, there are of course variations. The smallest range is mainly 8 1/2"x11" (with a few measuring 8 1/2"x14"); the medium size is a combination of 11"x17" and 17"x22"; the largest size of poster measures more than 21"x25".

The largest portion of the collection consists of posters and flyers advertising University of Michigan events, activities, courses, lectures, groups, and elections that took place on the campus of the university, involved groups from the university, or were sponsored by the university. Some of the more common poster topics include: student elections, student music groups, fraternity/sorority activities, campus classes and lectures, and theatrical or musical performances on campus. A smaller accumulation of posters and flyers advertises events, activities, groups, and elections that taking place in the state of Michigan, largely Ann Arbor.

Collection

John H. Holland papers, 1949-2012 (majority within 1950s-1980s)

17 linear feet

Professor of psychology, electrical engineering, and computer science at the University of Michigan beginning in 1959. Holland developed the concept of "genetic algorithms," research specializations in complex adaptive systems and artificial intelligence. First recipient of a computer science PhD at the University of Michigan, and a 1992 recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship. Papers consist of departmental records pertaining to his professorial career and academic career, as well as research, papers and presentations, notes, correspondence.

The papers document the academic and professional aspects of John H. Holland's career as student, professor, and researcher, from 1949-2012.

Collection

John J. H. Schwarz Papers, 1987-2002 (majority within 1999-2002)

8 linear feet — 3.1 MB (online)

Republican state senator from Battle Creek, Michigan, 1987-2002; legislative files documenting issues of higher education appropriations, state health concerns, and expenditure of monies received from lawsuit against the tobacco companies.

The papers represent a fragment of this state senator's career as much material had been discarded prior to the library's contact with the Schwarz office. Although some of the materials (mainly clippings) date to the period when he first came to Lansing in the mid-1980s, the great bulk of the collection dates from Schwarz's last term in office, 1999-2002. As might be expected, the files pertain to Schwarz's activities in the state senate, especially on issues of appropriations to the state's colleges and universities. There is also substantial information relating to current state health issues. Not present in these papers are materials relating to his activities outside the senate, campaigns for office, or his candidacy for governor in 2002. There are also no photographs or other visual materials in the collection.

The papers have been brought together in the following series: Higher Education; Health Issues; Other Issues; and Miscellaneous.