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
Number of results to display per page
View results as:

Search Results

Collection

William L. Clements Library records, 1923-1964

28 linear feet (enumeration begins with Box 4)

Records, 1923-1964, of the William L. Clements Library of the University of Michigan; contain official correspondence and other materials.

The records of the William L. Clements Library contain correspondence regarding the operation of the library, acquisitions by gift or purchase, and a topical file maintained by the directors. The records are organized into two series: Topical Files circa 1923-1964, and Correspondence.

The Topical Files circa 1923-1949 series was transferred to the William L. Clements Library in July 2022.

Collection

William L. Clements papers, 1920-1933

3 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Bay City, Michigan, industrialist, Republican member of the University of Michigan Board of Regents, 1909-1933, and founder of the William L. Clements Library. University and regental files concerning selection of university presidents and other university affairs; and photographs.

The collection consists of regental papers arranged alphabetically by correspondent. There is also a smaller series of photographic portraits. Clements' correspondents include University of Michigan presidents, administrators, faculty, as well as other members of the board of regents.

Collection

William Livingstone and family papers, 1850-1995 (majority within 1865-1925)

2 reels (in 4 boxes) — 1 oversize volume — 1 oversize folder

Livingstone was a Detroit, Michigan businessman, banker, and newspaper publisher. He was an advocate of improving shipping on the Great Lakes, helping to found the Lake Carriers' Association. Livingstone successfully lobbied Congress for funds to construct a channel in the lower Detroit River (the Livingstone Channel). The collection consists of manuscript and visual materials, some of which were collected by later family members. Included are diaries and account books, 1871-1882 (scattered) and 1925; correspondence and newspaper clippings; subject files pertaining to the Dime Savings Bank and the Lake Carriers' Association; and a speech book containing draft of speech written for James G. Blaine, presidential candidate in 1884. Visual materials include photographs and drawings.

The papers of William Livingstone consist of manuscript and visual materials, some of which were collected by later family members. The papers include diaries and account books, 1871-1882 (scattered) and 1925; correspondence and newspaper clippings; subject files pertaining to the Dime Savings Bank and the Lake Carriers' Association; and a speech book containing draft of speech written for James G. Blaine, presidential candidate in 1884. Many of the letters in the collection were personal communications sent to Marion Scherer from family and friends while she was away at school. Visual materials include family photographs and drawings. The collection is organized into three series, William Livingston Jr. Topical Files, Correspondence, and Visual Materials.

Collection

William L. Mills Papers, 1920-1988 (majority within 1950-1957)

1.3 linear feet (in 2 boxes)

Dearborn, Michigan newspaper publisher; candidate for mayor of Dearborn in 1957. Papers relating to the Dearborn Independent newspaper; collected materials detailing the career of Dearborn mayor Orville Hubbard; campaign files documenting Mills' unsuccessful bid to unseat Hubbard in 1957; and photographs.

The Mills collection, approximately 1.3 linear feet of correspondence, clippings, photographs, and related materials, covers the period of 1920 to 1988. The great bulk of the collection dates from the years of the late 1940s to 1957.

Although Mills was a newspaper publisher for a long period, the Mills collection relates only in part to this phase of his life. The great majority of materials concern his unsuccessful campaign against Orville Hubbard in 1957. Of interest are the series of articles that Mills wrote, titled "How Dearborn got a dictator mayor."

A series of photographs that Mills collected are of especial importance. Many of these do relate to the activities and operation of the Dearborn Independent, to the cities of Dearborn and Fordson, and to Mills' extensive ties with the Ford Motor Company and the Ford family.

Collection

William Lucas Papers, 1965-1986 (majority within 1975-1986)

34 linear feet — 1 oversize folder — 25.2 GB (online) — 7 digital audiovisual files

Online
Wayne County sheriff, 1969-1982, Wayne County Executive, 1983-1986, and Republican candidate for governor of Michigan, 1986. Correspondence, subject files, clippings, videotapes, and photographs primarily concerning his work as sheriff and county executive, and his gubernatorial campaign.

The William Lucas Papers consist of manuscript and audiovisual materials which primarily document economic and social affairs in Wayne County, when Lucas served as county executive, and Lucas's campaign for governor in 1986. There are few materials on Lucas's career prior to his service as Wayne County executive. His gubernatorial campaign is documented in a somewhat piecemeal fashion, and study of it would be enhanced by the use of oral interviews. Media coverage of the campaign, however, has been preserved quite thoroughly. The Lucas Papers (34 linear feet) are comprised of six series: Personal, Wayne County Offices, Political, Clippings, Videotapes, and Photographs.

Collection

William M. Cary Papers, 1963-1986

0.75 linear feet

Environmental education teacher at East Grand Rapids, Michigan, High School and member of the board of the West Michigan Environmental Action Council. Subject files consisting of newsletters, reports, testimonies, and printed material relating to Michigan environmental issues.

The William M. Cary papers consists of three-quarters linear foot of newsletters, reports, testimonies, and printed materials concerning Michigan environmental issues and groups. The collection is arranged alphabetically in one topical series. There are nine subseries, including: Center for Environmental Study, Energy Conservation, Environmental Education, Manhattan nature Trail, Noise Pollution, Nuclear Power Plants, Pesticides, Water Quality, and West Michigan Environmental Action Council, covering the years 1963-1986. The three subseries of primary interest to researchers are Environmental Education, Manhattan Nature Trail, and Water Quality as they are the most complete.

Collection

William M. Dewing diary, 1858-1864

1 volume

Farmer near present-day Cranbrook, Michigan. Description of daily life.

Brief descriptions of everyday life. Transcribed by Miriam E. Kushner.

Collection

William M. Greene papers, 1850-1863

1 linear foot

Online

Five letters (1862-63) written to his sister while Greene served in the Union army during the Civil War. He describes the Blue Ridge Mountains region while on a march, speaks of the monotony of camp life, describes winter quarters near Fredericksburg, mentions a box from home, comments on home news and the men in his company, tells of a boat trip from Fredericksburg to Newport News, of their new camp, and of purchasing oysters.

Collection

William Montague Ferry family papers [microfilm], 1823-1904

2 microfilms (0.8 linear feet and 1 oversize folder)

Online
William Montague Ferry served as missionary to Indians at Michilimackinac, Michigan for the United Foreign Missionary Society, 1822-1834 and as clergyman in Grand Haven, Michigan. William Montague Ferry, Jr. served in the 14th Michigan Infantry in the Civil War, as University of Michigan Regent and later moved to Park City, Utah where he was active in Democratic Party politics. Thomas W. Ferry served as congressman, 1865 to 1871, and as U.S. Senator from 1871 to 1883. Papers include correspondence describing missionary work of William M. Ferry, Sr., civil war letters of William M. Ferry, Jr., some political correspondence of Thomas W. Ferry, and letters of Amanda White Ferry, wife of William Sr.

The Ferry family collection consists of letters and typescripts of letters from William Montague Ferry and his wife Amanda White Ferry describing their trip from Ashfield, Massachusetts, to Mackinac Island and their missionary work among the Indians; letters, 1862-1901, of Colonel William M. Ferry, University of Michigan regent, particularly to his wife and other relatives while serving in the Fourteenth Michigan Infantry during the Civil War; speeches and letters from contemporary politicians to Thomas White Ferry, lumberman and U.S. Senator; and two scrapbooks of newspaper clippings on the Ferry family. Correspondents in the collection include: Susan B. Anthony, Henry P. Baldwin, Zachariah Chandler, Schuyler Colfax, William M. Evarts, Hamilton Fish, Rutherford B. Haye, Whitelaw Reid, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Collection

William Muschenheim papers, 1923-2004 (majority within 1951-1985)

13.5 linear feet (in 15 boxes) — 7 folders

Online
Modernist architect based in New York City, 1929-1950, and professor of architecture at the University of Michigan, 1950-1972, where he also carried on an active private practice until shortly before his death in 1990. A graduate of MIT, Muschenheim studied further with Peter Behrens at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts and was strongly influenced both by a visit to the Bauhaus in Weimar, Germany and by a period working in urban planning with Peter Korn in Berlin. Two major Muschenheim collections exist, one within the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library at Columbia University and another within the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan. The Muschenheim collection at the Avery represents primarily his professional career from 1929 to 1957, and the Muschenheim collection at the Bentley concerns his later professional practice and teaching career at the University of Michigan, as of 1950. This finding aid describes both the Avery and Bentley collections.

Staffs of the Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library and the Bentley Historical Library have prepared separate finding aids for their respective William Muschenheim collections. These have been merged to provide one integrated finding aid. This integrated finding aid lists all Muschenheim materials held by both repositories. All of the drawings, papers, photographs and other materials for each project are brought together in a single job-number/chronological sequence. The physical location of each item/folder is indicated by "A" for Avery and "B" for Bentley. The combined finding aid organizes the Muschenheim papers into four series:

  1. Biographical and Professional Material [Bentley]
  2. University of Michigan Teaching Career [Bentley]
  3. Publications and research [Bentley]
  4. Project Files [Avery and Bentley]

The project files of William Muschenheim are described according to Muschenheim's original filing system in which he interfiled the drawings, correspondence, specifications, and other papers for each job/client. Muschenheim typically assigned each client a single job number no matter how many projects he may have done for the client. There are a total of 130 numbered jobs in the Avery Collection (#1-130, with gaps between jobs 11-17, 25-26, 28-29) and 63 numbered jobs in the Bentley collection (#132-193, there are no materials for 22 of the jobs). There are also nine unnumbered projects (4 Avery and 5 Bentley) and several folders of miscellaneous material.

Each numbered job consists of one or more projects and each project is subdivided by format of material into Drawings, Papers, Photographs, and Presentation Boards as appropriate. There is some variance in the manner in which the two archives have arranged and described project material. The Avery has described its drawings at the item level while the Bentley provides only folder level descriptions for most projects. For this finding aid item level descriptions are provided for selected Bentley projects. Photographs are found in the "Papers" in some Avery project files but are listed separately in the Bentley finding aid.

At both the Avery and Bentley the oversize architectural drawings have been removed from their original folders and stored separately.

The William Muschenheim Architectural Drawings and Papers at the Avery Library span 1929-1957, with bulk dates 1931-1950. Muschenheim's papers document 130 separate jobs, and the visual material consists of 3081 sheets of drawings. The projects mainly represent Muschenheim's work in New York City, but also include work in Albany (NY), Amenia (NY),Bridgehampton (NY), Chappaqua (NY), Hampton Bays (NY), Malverne (NY), Massapequa (NY), Nassau Point (Long Island), Washington (CT), Washington DC, Westhampton Beach (NY), and Woodstock (NY), among other locations.

William Muschenheim had numerous clients which included the following family members: Carl Muschenheim, Elsa Muschenheim, and Frederick A. Muschenheim. In addition to the many clients for whom Muschenheim did alteration work, he also worked with a wide variety of companies. Some of the companies include Bigelow Carpet Company, C.G. Flygare Inc., Excel Metal Cabinet Co., Inc., F. Schumacher & Co., Famaes Development, Hans Knoll, Howard & Schaffer, Inc., Kurt Versen Lamps, Inc., Ledlin Light Designers, Portland Cement Association, and Thonet Brothers, among many others.

The papers and drawings in the William E. Muschenheim collection at the Bentley Library span the years 1923 to 2004, however the bulk of the collection covers the years 1951 to 1985. The papers are primarily comprised of material documenting Muschenheim's research and teaching career from 1950 to 1973 at the University of Michigan, and the private practice he continued in Ann Arbor after leaving New York City. There are limited papers and drawings related to his life and professional work prior to 1950, although the Photographs Series includes beautiful black and white images of many of his important New York projects, and the Publications and Research Series is valuable for articles published in the thirties and the forties showcasing his work. Papers and drawings spanning the years 1929-1957 (bulk dates 1931-1950) are held at the Avery Library, Columbia University.

Muschenheim's early and lasting commitment to the modern movement and to an international view of architecture and architectural education is reflected in the collection, which consists of biographical and professional materials, research and course materials, publications related to his work, project files and drawings, and photographs and slides. The Muschenheim collection will interest researchers drawn to study the work of a pioneering modernist, well known for originality in working with color as an integral part of contemporary design, and those interested in the generation of architects involved in the fifties and sixties with legitimizing the modern period in an academic environment. Additionally, Muschenheim's efforts to illuminate the art of architecture as an important element and expression of culture to a broader segment of society renders the collection important to a wide range of disciplines and interests.

The papers are largely organized according to Muschenheim's original filing scheme, in which he interfiled material related to projects (including drawings) with professional papers, correspondence, and other documents, numbering them sequentially. The Bentley Library collection consists of material numbered 132 to 192. Many large original drawings were removed from folders, flattened, and are stored in drawers. Five series make up the collection: Biographical and Professional Materials; University of Michigan Teaching Career, College of Architecture and Design; Publications and Research; Project Files; and Digitization Project. Users should note that material related to a single project is often scattered throughout the collection. A Supplemental Guide to work produced after 1950 in the additional descriptive data portion of this finding aid. Also appended is Muschenheim's list of projects (numbered 1-189).

Collection

William M. Woodworth papers, 1895, 1900-1901

1 folder

This collection consists of a copy of Woodworth's last will and testament, 1895; privately printed copy of pamphlet of his "Poems" (1900), and letter written upon his return to Grayling, 1901.

Collection

William N. Miller papers, 1910-1928

0.2 linear feet

Detroit contractor and businessman. Materials include drawings, photographs, and other materials depicting the Great Lakes Terminal Warehouse in Detroit, as well as other projects.

Drawings, photographs, and other materials depicting the Great Lakes Terminal Warehouse in Detroit and other projects.

Photos (1910) of construction project in Detroit for the Michigan Central railroad; photos of other projects including the Great Lakes Terminal Warehouse in Detroit.

Collection

William Palmer Wells papers, 1879, undated

0.4 linear feet (2 items and 4 v.)

Professor of Law at University of Michigan. Papers consist of a communication to University of Michigan Board of Regents requesting leave of absence; doctor's report on his health; and four volumes of notes for his law lectures.

The William P. Wells papers consist of a communication to University of Michigan Board of Regents requesting leave of absence; doctor's report on his health; and four volumes of notes for his law lectures.

Collection

William Perdue Halstead papers, 1935-1975

5 linear feet

Professor of speech communication and theatre at the University of Michigan. Correspondence and other materials relating in part to his interest in university theatre productions.

The William P. Halstead papers consist of correspondence, clippings, theater programs and other materials relating to his work in the Speech Department and to his interest in university theater productions. (Halstead bound most of his papers in chronological order. The bound volumes and additional unbound materials are separated into five series: Personal, Production Materials, University of Michigan, Department of Speech, Miscellaneous, and Photographs.

Collection

William P. Favorite Papers, 1918-1977

0.75 linear feet

Graduate of the College of Engineering of the University of Michigan, later founder of Radio Construction Company, firm that erected various radio towers, notably the University of Michigan's Peach Mountain Radio Astronomy Observatory. Files relating to his construction business and to University of Michigan reunions; also collected materials relating to the history of Sturgis, Michigan.

The William P. Favorite collection contains material relating to reunions of the 1917 and 1920 graduating classes of the School of Engineering at the University of Michigan; records, 1941-1962, of Radio Construction Company, including material related to the construction of the University of Michigan's Peach Mountain Radio Astronomy Observatory; and collected material relating to the history of Favorite's home town of Sturgis, Michigan.

Collection

William P. Lemon papers, 1908-1966

18 linear feet

Presbyterian clergyman, longtime pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1934-1951; correspondence, copies of essays and book reviews written for religious periodicals, sermons and addresses, mimeographed study notes of talks given in Detroit before the Men's Club for the Study of Religion, religious and literary notebooks, and travel journals.

The series in the collection are: Biographical; Correspondence; Writings; Speeches, sermons, lectures; Miscellaneous notes; Scriptures; Literary Studies; and Scrapbooks, journals, etc.

Collection

William Pollard papers, 1961-1995 (majority within 1972-1983)

3 linear feet

Member of the Ann Arbor Airport Advisory Committee; collected materials detailing operation of the airport and dispute over the proposed airport expansion.

The William Pollard collection consists of his accumulation of material relating to his interest in the Ann Arbor Municipal Airport. This collection is divided into four series: Advisory Committee, Expansion, Legislation and Regulation and Topical Files.

Collection

William Randolph Taylor Papers, 1918-1987

7.5 linear feet

Professor of botany at University of Michigan, curator of algae at the University Herbarium, and biologist with the atomic bomb test program in Marshall Islands in 1946. Correspondence and other papers relating to his scientific interests and activities.

The Taylor papers are arranged into two principal series; correspondence (1918-1980) and Topical and Subject Papers. Taylor corresponded with most of the significant figures in the field of cytology and algae. The papers do not date beyond 1980 when Taylor left Michigan and retired to the Farlow Herbarium at Harvard in Cambridge.

Collection

William Ratigan papers, 1939-1978

3 linear feet

Charlevoix, Michigan resident, novelist and historian of Great Lakes shipwrecks, the Mackinac Bridge, folklore, and other subjects; correspondence, manuscripts of books, and research materials.

The William Ratigan collection consists of correspondence, manuscripts of his books, research and reference files on topics of interest to him, and photographs. There are letters in the collection from William B. Eerdmans, Marianne Moore, Milo Quaife, David B. Steinman, and folklorist Ivan Walton.

The photographs in the collection are of shipping and boating at Charlevoix, Michigan, of Charlevoix boat builder, Roy Ranger, of construction of the Mackinac Bridge, of the Sault Sainte Marie Canal, and of other topics related to Ratigan's writing interests.

Collection

William R. Mielke papers, 1918-1919, 2013

17.9 MB (online)

Online
Michigan-born member of U.S. Army Co. I, 339th Infantry; served with the U.S. Polar Bear Expedition in Archangel, Russia. Collection includes Mielke's service records, a digital photograph of his grave marker, and digitized images of his service diary

The William R. Mielke papers consist of a single series, Military Service, which include his enlistment record, honorable discharge papers, scanned images of his service diary, and a photograph of his gravesite in Lewiston, Mich. The diary details his unit's movements from training at Camp Custer to England and on to Russia. Entries describe patrols, combat experiences, and living conditions among soldiers during the expedition.

Collection

William R. Ringer papers, 1920-1922

0.3 linear feet

William R. Ringer was a student at the University of Michigan Law School from 1920 to 1922. Collection consists of three volumes of detailed diary entries interspersed with ephemera collected while a student.

The William R. Ringer papers document his time as a law student at the University of Michigan from September 1920 to June 1922. The papers are organized into two series Diaries and Background.

Collection

William S. Benninghoff papers, 1943-2000 (majority within 1968-1986)

3.5 linear feet

Botany professor and Director of the Matthaei Botanical Gardens at the University of Michigan; records include administrative and research files related to his positions with the university.

The W. S. Benninghoff collection consists of three series: Botany Department, Matthaei Botanical Gardens, and University of Michigan Biological Station. The strength of the collection is its documentation of the administrative aspects of the Botany Department and Matthaei Botanical Gardens in the 1970s and 1980s.

Collection

Williams family papers, 1838-1953

2 linear feet

A. L. Williams family of Owosso, Michigan. Personal and business correspondence of A. L. Williams, Owosso, Michigan pioneer, railroad entrepreneur, and spiritualist; and personal letters of other members of the family, including May Williams Dewey, wife of E. O. Dewey (Thomas E. Dewey family); and miscellaneous newspaper clippings, business ledgers, and personal and business diaries concerning business affairs and daily activities; "spirit messages" received from departed family and others; also photographs.

The Williams Family [Owosso] collection consists of 2 linear feet of material. It includes the personal and business papers of four generations of Williamses from 1838 to 1953. However, the bulk of the material relates to the family of Alfred Leonzo Williams between 1860 and 1890.

Collection

William Shadford photograph collection, circa 1890-1901

1 folder

Ann Arbor, Mich. resident. Consists of interior and exterior photographs of various Ann Arbor, Michigan, businesses.

The collection consists of interior and exterior photographs of various Ann Arbor, Michigan, businesses.

Collection

William S. Housel papers, 1916-1968

5 linear feet — 1 oversize volume

Professor of civil engineering and specialist in soil mechanics at the University of Michigan. Correspondence, daily logs of activities, class materials, conference and lecture files, and professional reports and soil investigation studies; and photographs.

The Housel papers include correspondence, newspaper clippings, lectures, conference materials, class materials, and various reports and studies of soil investigations. Of interest is a series of daily logs kept by Housel in the period 1962-1968 and which concern some of his consulting projects.

Collection

William Sprague Studley papers, 1846-1910

0.6 linear feet (in 2 boxes)

The collection is arranged into three small series: Correspondence, Studley Family, and Other Papers. Included in the collection is a scattering of correspondence, diaries, 1860 and 1873, of trip in Florida and Europe, a scrapbook, and newspaper clippings concerning the activities of the Studley family, 1855-1910.

Collection

William T. Brownson papers, 1949-1975

0.5 linear feet

Labor relations specialist for the Lamar Pipe Company and the Michigan Concrete Pipe Association. Materials relating to his dealings with the Teamster's union; also papers concerning his work with an Ann Arbor, Michigan, citizens group formed to oppose proposed building on Stadium Blvd.

The William T. Brownson Papers comprise two series: Labor and Union (1949-75) and the New Southeast Property Owners Committee (1957-59). The second series offers a valuable look at how a local citizens' group fought organized government and corporate developers.

Collection

William T. Gossett papers, 1927-1987 (majority within 1947-1981)

19 linear feet

Lawyer with the Bendix Corporation and the Ford Motor Company, and member of numerous legal and public service organizations. Speeches, articles and public statements; material relating to his activities with the American Bar Association, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and other legal groups; some files concern his interest in such topics as business ethics, campus government and student dissent in the 1960s, electoral college reform, and legal education; there is also material detailing his involvement in public service organizations concerned largely with civil rights and education; also contracts, agreements, and other documentation relating to reorganization of Wesco Corporation (later National Theatres Corporation), 1933-1936; and reorganization of Fox Film Corporation and Twentieth Century Pictures, July-August 1935.

The William T. Gossett collection chronicle his professional career as a lawyer and businessman as well as those many public service activities in which he was active. The collection was received in two accessions, 1981 and 1997. The 1981 accession, the largest of the two, consisted of the following series: Vita; Speeches, Articles, and Statements; Professional Activities; Topical Files; Public Service Files; Hospitals and Organizations; Colleges Universities, and Schools; and Personal Correspondence. The smaller 1997 accession included these series: Biographical and Personal Materials; Speeches, Articles, and Statements; Photographs; and Twentieth Century-Fox. There was some slight overlap in the content of the two accessions, particularly in Gossett's speeches and articles. No attempt was made, however, to intersperse this similar material.

Collection

William Wallace Phillips papers, 1963-1988

0.1 linear feet — 1 oversize item

This collection is comprised of correspondence and other papers relating to William Wallace Phillips' work and his calling as a hermit, as well as copies of his poetry.

Collection

William Walter Wedemeyer papers, 1890-1913

1.3 linear feet (in 2 boxes)

Ann Arbor, Michigan attorney, American consul in British Guiana in 1905, and U.S. Congressman, 1911-1913. Political and business correspondence, notes and addresses, and other materials relating to his business interests and political career; also papers concerning his trips to Alaska, British Guiana, and Panama.

The Wedemeyer collection includes political and business correspondence, notes and addresses, and other materials relating to his business interests and political career. There are also papers concerning his trips to Alaska, British Guiana, and Panama. Some of his correspondents included Russell A. Alger, James B. Angell, Gerrit J. Diekema, Frederick Douglass, Benjamin Harrison, Frank Knox, Charles E. Townsend, James Schermerhorn, Henry C. Smith, and Fred M. Warner.

Collection

William Warner Bishop pamphlets and reprints, 1900-1951

1 box

Reference Librarian at the Library of Congress, 1904-1915 and Librarian of the University of Michigan, 1905-1915. Journal articles and other writings on library topics.

The William Warner Bishop pamphlets and reprints consists of journal articles and other writings on library topics.

Collection

William Warner Bishop Papers, 1891-1955

25 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Internationally recognized librarian; director of the University of Michigan Library. Correspondence and subject files relating to professional activities.

The Bishop papers consist of personal and professional files documenting William Warner Bishop's activities apart from his work as librarian at the University of Michigan. The librarian's files were separately received and continue to be maintained as part of the records of the University of Michigan Library.

Collection

William Warner Bishop papers, 1928-1987

6 linear feet

Professor of international law at the University of Michigan. Correspondence and other files relating to his professional and academic activities, including work with the American Bar Association Section of International and Comparative Law, the American Society of International Law, the International Law Association, and the Committee on International and Comparative Law of the State Bar of Michigan.

The papers of William Warner Bishop, Jr., covering the period from 1928 to 1987, consist of six linear feet of correspondence, course materials, addresses and professional papers. The collection has been arranged into six series: Biographical/Personal; Addresses, Papers, etc.; Associations; Professional Correspondence; and Course Materials. The collection relates mainly to Bishop's study and teaching of international law. Among the more personal files are materials relating to Bishop's lifelong activity with the local area Boy Scouts.

Collection

William W. Blume papers, 1811-1825, 1830s, 1931-1963

18 linear feet

Professor of law at the University of Michigan; papers contain correspondence, teaching materials, papers relating to student discipline, proceedings of the University Judicial Council, 1950-1953; also research files and collected material relating to his study of Michigan's territorial court system; and copies of court records for Brown County, 1830s; also Wayne County Probate Court records, 1811-1825.

The William Wirt Blume papers include a memoir of his 192-1921 trip to China, a chronological correspondence file, teaching materials and other files related to his career at the University of Michigan, several reports on legal issues and research notes and files for his history of Michigan Territorial Supreme Court. The papers are arrange in five series: Travel, Correspondence, University of Michigan, Reports, and Notes and Research Material on Territorial Courts.

The series Notes and Research Material on Territorial Courts (boxes 6-18) contains Blume's notes and collected research materials relating to his study of U.S. territorial law and territorial court systems. Much of the emphasis of Blume's study concerned the Michigan Territorial Supreme Court and the various county and circuit courts under it. The researcher is directed to the Michigan Supreme Court record group for the original documents that Blume and his staff studied. This record group was transferred to the State Archives of Michigan in 2011. The researcher should also note that Blume's Transactions of the Supreme Court of the Territory of Michigan, with its extensive notes and historical commentaries is a superb introduction to Blume's career interests.

Collection

William Wilson Cook photograph collection, circa 1880-1939 (scattered)

1 envelope

William Wilson Cook (1858-1930) was a University of Michigan alumnus and New York attorney, author, and philanthropist whose financial contributions to the University of Michigan funded the construction of the Martha Cook Building and Law Quadrangle. Consists of a portrait engraving of Cook and photographs of Cook's sculpture on display in the Martha Cook Building.

The collection consists of a portrait engraving of Cook and photographs of Cook's sculpture on display in the Martha Cook Building.

Collection

Willis C. Patterson papers, 1896-2019

19.4 linear feet (in 24 boxes) — 2 oversize boxes (online) — 1 digital audio file

Online
Willis C. Patterson, the first African American professor at the University of Michigan's School of Music, was an active faculty member from 1968 to 1999. He was a professor of voice and associate dean for academic affairs. Patterson directed the Men's Glee Club from 1969 and 1975 and spent summers as a faculty member at the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan. While maintaining an active concert career and fulfilling teaching duties, Patterson organized a Black American Music Symposium and compiled several works on African American composers. Patterson played an active role in securing funding and mentorship for students of color and disadvantaged students both at Michigan and in the Ann Arbor community. The collection includes some biographical material, but focuses mainly on his professional career, musical career, and collection of works by African American composers. It includes correspondence, research, photographs, clippings, publications, and topical files.

The Willis C. Patterson papers include some biographical material, but focuses mainly on his professional career, musical career, and collection of works by African American composers. The collection includes correspondence, publications and research material, photographic material, posters, student records, clippings, and topical files.

Collection

Willow Run Area Recreation Project records, 1942-1945

0.5 linear feet

Agency established to develop recreational and community organizations in the Willow Run, Michigan, area as a means of improving home-front morale during World War II. Subject files relating to Project activities; and photographs.

This record group documents the development of the Willow Run Area Recreation Project with emphasis on several programs supported by the staff. Approximately half of the folders contain material that relate directly to the Project goals, staff, and finances. In addition, there are two files, the Detroit-Area Recreation Committee and the Civilian Defense Agency, that contain material relevant to the efforts of the Willow Run Project. Of particular note within the General Information file and Survey file are several summary reports. Each contains excellent overviews of the Project goals and accomplishments. There are also a number of statistical sheets concerning the population of the Ypsilanti community.

Within the remaining folders are documents from specific programs coordinated by the Willow Run Project staff. Several folders contain newsletters and support material for consumer cooperatives. Other folders outline recreational activities and social services such as daycare centers for children of working parents. There is also a small file of publicity photos.

Collection

Willow Run Black History Organization Records, 1940-1989 (majority within 1984-1989)

2 linear feet

Organization formed in 1983 to collect the history of African Americans in Willow Run, Michigan, produce a written history, and foster racial understanding. Records include administrative files, collected material, and audio-visual materials.

The records will interest researchers considering the history of Willow Run, the particular contributions and experiences of its African American citizens, and the evolution of a Michigan community with roots in wartime defense work. It is also an example of a grass-roots effort to address the lack of documentation of black residents' contributions to the expansion of a formerly rural area.

Collection

Willow Run photograph collection, circa 1941-1945

1 folder

The Willow Run Industrial Complex was a manufacturing plant that created thousands of B-24 Liberator airplanes during World War II. The Willow Run photograph collection consists of an interior photograph of the Willow Run Bomber Plant.

The Willow Run Photograph Collection consists of an interior photograph of the Willow Run Bomber Plant.

Collection

Willow Run Public School Library records, 1944-1969

4 linear feet — 3 oversize volumes

Files collected by Nell Barrett, head librarian, Willow Run Public School Library concerning history of Willow Run, Michigan, and activities of the schools and library system.

The collection consists of materials collected by Nell Barrett, head librarian at the Willow Run Public School Library relating to Willow Run. Included are materials relating to her work as a librarian, background information, scrapbooks and clippings, and photographs.

Collection

Wilma T. Donahue Papers, 1945-1990 (majority within 1949-1982)

26 linear feet (in 27 boxes)

Gerontologist, faculty member at the University of Michigan, first with the Bureau of Psychological Services, later with the Institute for Human Adjustment, and as co-director of its successor unit, the Institute of Gerontology. Files detailing her participation at various meetings and conferences, her other professional activities and affiliations, research projects files, University of Michigan administrative and teaching materials, and videotapes of presentations at 1979 conference, "White House Conferences as Agents of Social Change", also photographs.

The Wilma T. Donahue papers document her career as a teacher, researcher, and administrator at the University of Michigan. The papers span the years 1945-1990 with the bulk of the material falling within the two decades bound by 1949-1969. The Donahue papers are a subset of the Michigan Historical Collections/Institute of Gerontology Joint Archives in Gerontology and can best be understood as an integral element of that larger set.

The Donahue papers provide a clear insight to the development of the field of gerontology as an academic discipline and as an area of concern for policy makers and the general public. The earliest files reflect Donahue's training as a psychologist as it relates to her research on testing, returning veterans, and the blind. In the late 1940s Donahue and Clark Tibbitts began to research and publish articles on the aging population in America. Donahue's papers reflect this new interest as the focus of her writings now turns to issues of aging: housing, mental and physical health, adult education, and the economics of retirement. These issues dominated Donahue's research for twenty years and her papers document her increasing stature as an influential figure in gerontology at the state and national levels, especially her involvement with the University of Michigan Annual Conferences on Gerontology, the Michigan Commission on Aging, and her "cutting edge" research on housing the aging.

The collection came to the library in different accessions and from different sources. Although there is some overlap, the files as received represent distinct series. These series are Articles, Conferences, Addresses and Meetings, 1949-1970; Professional Activities and Affiliations, 1953-1970; Research Projects, 1955-1971; University of Michigan: Administration and Teaching, 1946-1968; Videotapes: White House Conferences as Agents of Social Change, 1979; International Center for Social Gerontology; and Miscellaneous.

Collection

Wilson I. Davenny papers, 1889-1917

3 linear feet — 1 oversize folder

Newspaperman, lobbyist for the National Rivers and Harbors Congress, and spokesman for the United Spanish War Veterans. Correspondence, scrapbooks, speeches, business papers and account books relating primarily to his work as a lobbyist.

The Davenny collection is comprised of the following series: Correspondence and other papers; United Spanish War Veterans Organization; National Rivers and Harbors Congress; and Other materials. The National Rivers and Harbors Congress series provides insight into the financing and operation of the lobby. Much of the correspondence in this series is with M.A. Thompson, secretary and treasurer of the organization.

Collection

Wilson Ornithological Society records, 1887-2003 (majority within 1960s-2002)

7 linear feet

Miscellaneous correspondence, membership material, constitution, agreement with the University of Michigan; also presidents' files, 1997-2002.

The record group consist of a scattering of early records from the 19th century, including some correspondence and a notebook from the Wilson Ornithological Club, Cambridge, Mass. The bulk of the records date from the 1960s and consist of files of various individuals holding office within the organization as president or in some other position.

Collection

Wisconsin Land & Lumber Company records, 1871-1920

42 linear feet — 65 oversize volumes — 71 microfilms — 1.8 GB (online)

Online
Corporate records of C.J.L. Meyer of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and Hermansville, Michigan, manufacturer of doors, lumber for sashes, hardwood flooring, and related products; records of the William Mueller Company of Escanaba and LaBranche, Michigan, a firm taken over by Wisconsin Land and Lumber in 1909. Financial journals, ledgers, inventories, payroll ledgers; letterbooks of C.J.L. Meyer, Edwin P. Radford, company superintendent, and of other company officials; office correspondence files; and photographs.

This record group which came from the Wisconsin Land and Lumber Company in Hermansville, Michigan is in fact an accumulation of records from three distinct business enterprises. First, there are records of C.J.L. Meyer business enterprises in Chicago and Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Next are records maintained in Hermansville with the establishment of the Wisconsin Land and Lumber Company in the 1870s. A third, smaller portion of the records are from the William Mueller Company, which WLL purchased in 1909.

When originally received in 1948, the records consisted of nearly 500 volumes of business journals and ledgers, time books, and letterpress books. During 1979-1981, the library began a program of microfilming to reduce the size of the record group. With the permission of the company, records that had been microfilmed were discarded. Also discarded were records duplicative in content of the records on microfilm. Other records were retained in the original without filming. The record group then consisted of 53 reels of microfilm representing approximately 112 volumes of business records, 65 oversized volumes, and 42 linear feet of boxed records (volumes, letterpress books, and correspondence files). In 2006, the library received additional microfilm (18 rolls) and digital materials containing scanned images of the photographs in the possession of the IXL Museum, which is the repository for the records of the company not received with the first accession. These records, which were retained, include personal correspondence of C.J.L. Meyer, some records of Meyer prior to the establishment of WLL, and records then considered current or of continuing value to the operation of the company.

The record group has been arranged as much as possible into series, but the researcher should note that identification of individuals volumes or files was not as certain as one would like. Thus, for example, there are various ledgers and journals, some with overlapping dates, but it was not always clear where these records were created or what function or division within the firm they documented. The fact that the company retained some of the earlier records accounts in part for what appear to be broken series. Further complicating the structure of the following finding aid is the interspersing of microfilmed materials and oversize volumes. Similar kinds of records (such as time books), for example, are thus found both in original and on microfilm.

As much as possible, like kinds of records have been kept to together (letterpress books, etc.). These are followed by records known to be created by a specific organization or maintained in a specific locale (e.g. Fond du Lac). The series in the record group are: Letterpress books (mainly business correspondence); Letterpress books (mainly business correspondence); Inventories, order books, etc.; C. J. L. Meyer Business Records; Wisconsin Land and Lumber Company; William Mueller Company; Photographs; and IXL Museum additions.

In 2007, the IXL Museum of Hermansville, Michigan, successor to the company and custodian of additional records of the Wisconsin Land and Lumber Company, entered into agreement with the Bentley Library to exchange microfilm of selected portions of the records housed in the other's repository. In addition, the two repositories agreed that the Bentley Library would place on indefinite loan to the IXL Museum the originals of WLL photographs in its possession, and that the IXL Museum would donated to the Bentley Library digital copies of all of the many hundreds of photographs in its collection.

Collection

W. K. Kellogg Foundation Institute records, 1933-1979

5 linear feet

Semi-autonomous institute concerned with graduate, postgraduate, and extension programs of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry; course outlines and enrollment lists, instrument lists, and topical files concerning conferences, workshops, and reunions.

The record group has been arranged into the following series: Course Outlines and Enrollment Lists; and Topical Files.

Collection

W. L. Williams Papers, 1962-1986 (majority within 1967-1986)

2 linear feet

University of Michigan physicist whose work concentrated in atomic physics, notably hydrogen parity experiments; also participated in astrophysics research with Arthur Rich, dean for research at the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science and the Arts, 1985-1986. Grant proposal materials, correspondence, notes from experiments and research, course materials, papers pertaining to Williams' research at the University of Michigan.

The papers of William L. Williams are contained in four series: Biographical Information, Research Interests, Course Materials, and a Topical File.

Collection

Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, Ann Arbor Chapter records, 1874, 1877-1979

2.5 linear feet

Ann Arbor chapter of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union; Minute books and treasurer’s books of Mary J. Taft Union; secretary’s book of Juvenile Temperance Union, 1877-1885; miscellaneous other records, and motion pictures.

The Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, Ann Arbor Chapter records consist of minute books and treasurer’s books of Mary J. Taft Union; secretary’s book of Juvenile Temperance Union, 1877-1885; and miscellaneous other records. The records have been arranged into four series: Secretary's books; Treasurer's books; Other Records, and Motion Pictures. The Other Records series includes scattered, correspondence, a letter, June 1884, to the University of Michigan Board of Regents concerning regulation of student drinking, a scrapbook and clippings about the chapter's activities, and miscellaneous.

Collection

Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, Battle Creek Chapter records, 1874-1986

2.5 linear feet

Minutes of meetings, records of the Board of Trustees, minutes of the Red Ribbon Temperance Union, 1880-1882, scrapbook and printed material relating to activities of the Union.

The record group documents the local activities of the W.C.T.U .includes minutes of regular meetings (1874-1986, with some gaps), minutes of the Board of Trustees (1907-1975, with some gaps), and minute book of the Red Ribbon Temperance Union, 1880-1882. Also included are record books of the treasurer, yearbooks with lists of officers, a scrapbook and assorted clippings, and reports of the chapter to the Michigan Department of the Treasury.

Collection

Woman's Christian Temperance Union, Flint Federation records, 1874-1980

1.8 linear feet — 1 oversize volume

Flint, Michigan chapter of the national Woman's Christian Temperance Union, founded in 1874; includes minutes and other administrative records of Flint chapter and records of several subordinate unions.

The Flint WCTU collection comprises 1.8 linear feet and one oversize volume; it spans the years 1874 to 1975 and contains minutes, treasurers' books, correspondence, reports and scrapbooks. The collection includes records from the organization's most successful years, and also documents its diminishing numbers and political clout between the 1930s and 1970s. Of particular interest are minutes from the group's first meeting in 1874, which are located in the oversize volume.

Collection

Woman's National Farm and Garden Association. Ann Arbor Branch records, 1946-2015

4.85 linear feet — 2 oversize volumes — 182 KB (Online) — 1 oversize folder

Online
Local branch of organization established to foster closer ties between city and country women and to stimulate interest in gardening and horticultural pursuits. Membership rosters, organizational files, historical information, files relating to fundraising and civic events, notably the Greens Market sale and the Garden Walk tour of local gardens; also photographs.

The records of the Woman's National Farm and Garden Association, Ann Arbor Branch, document all of the group's various organizational and community service activities. They reflect the organization's dedication to community service through scholarships, charitable gifts, and service activities. The records have been divided into five series: History, Yearbooks, Organizational, Photographs, and Activities. A sixth series has been added to account for 2014-2015 Accessions.