Collections : [University of Michigan Special Collections Research Center]

The Finvola Drury papers consist of correspondence, publications, writings, printed ephemera, photographs, and audiovisual materials created or collected by Finvola Drury, a poet, teacher, , and activist.

The Finvola Drury papers are organized into eight series: correspondence, publications, writings, professional, personal, photographs, clippings, and A/V materials.

The correspondence series is sorted alphabetically by surname or institution name, except in cases where the correspondent's full name was not included in the correspondence or a single letter was addressed to multiple recipients. The bulk of correspondence is between Finvola Drury and her son, George S. Drury, and his wife Kathy. Other notable correspondents include Flo Kennedy, Sohnya Sayres, Jim Cohn, and David Cope.

A note on names: Finvola's daughter, Finvola, is often referred to by her nickname "Finny," or sometimes "Finvola II," while Finvola herself uses the nickname "Fin."

The publications series is sorted between poetry and prose and arranged alphabetically by title. Also included are various ephemera with Drury's poetry or prose printed on them, as well as a published review of Drury's book, Burning the Snow.

The writings series contains four subseries: poetry drafts, prose drafts, notes, and notebooks and journals. Both the poetry and prose draft subseries include files created and named by Drury and/or the donor, denoted in the finding aid and folder titles as "poetry draft files" or "prose draft files." Loose/unsorted poetry and prose drafts were organized alphabetically by name by the processing archivist and placed into folders labeled "alphabetized poetry drafts," denoted in the finding aid like "poetry drafts, A-Z." The notes subseries consists of pages of Drury's handwritten notes about literature, writing, ideas for poems or prose, and other subjects of interest. The "subject notes" files were ordered and labeled by Drury and/or the donor. Other notes were loose and/or unsorted and brought together in processing. Finally, the notebooks and journals subseries comprises notebooks and journals Drury kept throughout her life, as well as a handful of notebooks that belonged to her daughter, Finvola.

The professional series is made up of materials from Drury's career, sorted primarily by institution, followed by announcements for Drury's poetry readings, a copy of Drury's resume, and the draft of a memoir a student wrote under Drury's tutelage.

The personal series consists of biographical sketches written about Drury, notes and records from Drury's undergraduate and graduate education, personal ephemera, and a book given to Drury by Detroit artists.

The photographs series is organized chronologically.

The clippings series consists of newspapers and clippings Drury kept in her files, as well as a handful of collages Drury and her friend, Kathy Rose, made from news clippings.

The A/V series contains two LP music records, three tapes, and three CDs.

The Human Rights Party Papers consist of correspondence, writings, administrative materials, teaching materials, notes, reports, and photos regarding the life and works of Benita and Gabe Kaimowitz and Edward and Victoria Vandenberg, all of whom were active members of the Human Rights Party in Ann Arbor in the 1970s.

The correspondence series largely consists of correspondence to and occasionally from Ed and Victoria concerning their personal and professional lives. Items groupings correspond to the creators' original order.

The campaign materials series comprises legal documents, ad copy, expenses, ephemera, and photos related to Benita Kaimowitz's 1973 bid for Ann Arbor mayor and Ed Vandenberg's 1986 candidacy for probate judge.

The teaching materials series includes lesson plans, assignments, student work, student evaluations, reading lists, and correspondence relating to Victoria and Ed Vandenberg's and Benita Kaimowitz's work as teachers. Both Benita and Ed taught courses at Community High School, a public alternative school founded in 1972 in response to the popularity of the Youth Liberation movement in Ann Arbor.

The Ed Vandenberg legal work series contains materials related to Ed's career as an attorney and ombudsman.

In the Office of Ethics and Religion series are administrative materials, correspondence, notes, ephemera, and proposals created by or submitted to the eponymous office. Ed Vandenberg served for a time as president of the Office of Ethics and Religion, and participated in many of the office's forums, conferences, and iniatives. Many of the materials in this series pertain to the University Values Program and the debates it facilitated concerning research into recombinant DNA technology.

The conferences series primarily consists of documents related to the 1977 "Narcissism in Modern Society" conference held at the University of Michigan and hosted in part by the Office of Religion and Ethics. It also includes statements and notes about attendees from the 1965 International Conference on Alternative Perspectives on Vietnam, which was co-sponsored by the predecessor to the Office of Ethics and Religion. Lastly, the series contains of a handful of documents related to various teach-ins in the 60s and 70s.

The topical files series is composed of groupings of files, largely collected by Ed Vandenberg, related to political and philosophical topics that did not fit neatly elsewhere in the collection. Files contain a variety of items, including essays, articles, newsletters, and ephemera.

The last item in the collection is a spiral-bound notebook used as a communication log for the Kaimowitzes' communal home.

Isaac E. Ronch was a Yiddish writer, teacher, and journalist active in Jewish immigrant circles in Chicago and New York from the 1920s through the 1980s. Ronch was also a good friend of artist Marc Chagall. This collection includes correspondence, writings, and books documenting Ronch and Chagall's friendship, as well as publications, manuscripts, correspondence, photographs, ephemera, and clippings relating to Ronch's own life and works.

The Marc Chagall Materials Series is made up of records documenting Chagall and Ronch's friendship. The donor, Ronch's son, included a handful of books about the history of Jewish arts and identity in Russia to contextualize Chagall's work with Itzik Feffer, which led to his first meeting with Ronch.

The Landsmanshaften Book Series includes a signed copy of the book Di Yiddishe Landsmanshaften foon New York (The Jewish Landsmanshaften of New York), as well as papers relating to the creation of the Landsmanshaften book.

The Writings Series consists of Ronch's creative and journalistic writings. Books include books of prose and poetry, primarily written in Yiddish. Ronch's two serialized novels are preserved as compilations of newspaper clippings placed in composition books.

The Collected Publications Series is made up of three publications (or photocopies of publications) found in Ronch's papers: a 1902 issue of the periodical Di Yiddishe Familie, which includes an article by Sholem Asch, the 1982 Bulletin of the Reuben Brainin Children's Clinic in Tel Aviv, and photocopied pages of a Holocaust Memorial/Yizkor Book for Konin that includes likely relatives of Ronch under the surname Ronchkovski.

The Correspondence Series consists of a single postcard from Sol Liptzin, a scholar of Yiddish and German literature.

The Photographs Series includes photos of Ronch with his students at the Chicago shul where he taught, photos of Ronch giving lectures at Camp Kinderland and Camp Lakeland, and photos of Ronch with as-yet unidentified colleagues sometime in the 1930s.

The Clippings and Ephemera Series comprises newspaper clippings and ephemera relating to Ronch's activities or colleagues, as well as a obituaries for Ronch.

Books, correspondence, photos, contracts, manuscripts, magazines, and ephemera relating to the works of playwright and screenwriter Clifford Odets.

This collection is organized into eight series.

The Books Series consists of published stage plays and screenplays written by Odets, books belonging to or inscribed by Odets, biographical publications about Odets, novels that Odets adapted into screenplays, and stage plays written by other Group Theatre writers. The bulk of the Correspondence Series is Odets's letters to his friend Bill Kozlenko. Other letters sent by Odets to a variety of correspondents are also included.

The Contracts Series consists of contracts Odets signed with movie studios.

The Manuscripts Series consists of scripts, notes, and test scenes from Odets's various projects, including a scrapped film called Joseph. Also included are proofs of The Time Is Right: The 1940 Journal of Clifford Odets, published posthumously in 1988.

The Photographs Series includes portraits and photos of Odets, portraits of Odets's first wife Luise Rainer, and photos of film and stage productions of Odets's works.

The Magazines Series comprises magazines with articles or advertisements about Odets or his works or colleagues, organized chronologically.

The bulk of the Ephemera Series are playbills and lobby cards for Odets's plays and movies. Also included are one sheets, small flyers, pressbooks, and tickets. Two of the pamphlets feature Odets's writing, while the pamphlet by Margaret Brenman-Gibson is an analysis of Odets and his work.

The A/V Series consists of two LPs: a recording of the original Broadway cast of the Golden Boy musical adaptation and a recording of Odets in conversation with Herman Harvey.

Writings, publications, and clippings collected by activist and SDS founder Tom Hayden. The majority of the materials relate to the Civil Rights movement in the early 1960s, particularly the activities of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

Materials are arranged in three series: 1. Writings, 2. Organization records, and 3. Newspaper clippings.

The Writings Series consists of Hayden's essays and notes about student activism, democracy, and the civil rights movement.

The Organizational Records Series is composed of materials related to organizations Hayden participated in or associated with in the early 1960s. A good deal of the materials document SNCC's activities in Americus, Georgia.

The Newspaper Clippings Series dates from 1961 to 1963 and covers civil rights demonstrations in the South. Someone, likely Hayden, annotated some of the clippings with timelines and commentary.

This collection consists of manuscripts of articles submitted to Fraye Arbeter Shtime, a Jewish Anarchist journal, during the 1920s and 30s.

The Fraye Arbeter Shtime papers consist of manuscripts submitted for publication during the editorships of Joseph Cohen (1923-32) and Mark Mrachnyi (1934-40).

Photographs, correspondence, ephemera, and trophies relating to the Thompson family of Detroit. While most of the material relates to the elder Thompsons (Mamie L. and W.A.) and their work with the NAACP, there is also a scrapbook highlighting the accomplishments of their son, Arthur L. Thompson, the first black medical officer in the Navy. Highlights include both formal portraits and informal family snapshots, correspondence related to the NAACP (including a signed letter from Walter White), and trophies the elder Thompsons received in recognition of their service. Most material dates from the 1920s-40s, with smaller amounts of material up to the 1960s.

The collection is approximately 2.25 linear feet. The bulk of the collection is photographs, both in albums and loose, totaling more than 400 photos. Some are posed, formal shots and others are informal snapshots or Polaroids taken between the 1920s and the late 1960s. A small number of photos (presumably of the Thomspsons' ancestors) predate the 1920s. The photos mostly depict the home lives and recreation of the Thompsons and friends. Awards recognize the Thompsons' contributions to the NAACP and fundraising efforts. Correspondence and newspaper clippings are limited to one sparse folder apiece, and again mainly concern the activities of the Detroit branch of the NAACP. Also included is the guest book for an "Interracial Fellowship party" hosted by the Thompsons in December of 1950 and a scrapbook documenting their son's military career.

This collection consists of letters, prints, and brochures that children's authors and their publishers sent to Chamberlain, a school librarian.

This collection consists of letters, prints, and brochures that children's authors and their publishers sent to Chamberlain, a school librarian. The letters date from late 1972 to fall of 1973. The collection consists primarily of type- and hand-written letters on various stationary. Some authors wrote on or signed brochures or book pages. A few included printed illustrations.

Authors discuss subjects such as their upcoming work, their inspirations, the importance of reading and fun in childhood, and censorship in children's literature.

Notable items include an authentic signature from Charles Schulz, an illustration from Patricia Coombs' Dorrie and the Goblin, and a series of exchanges between Chamberlain, Roald Dahl, and a magazine editor concerning a critical review of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory>.

The Allan L. Rock papers consist primarily of materials from the various court cases in which Rock was involved in the 1970's. The collection includes transcripts of hearings, submissions to various courts, and correspondence regarding the cases. Also included are transcripts and correspondence from several cases similar to Rock's, some of which directly benefited from the 1976 Rock decision. This collection presents some early and significant decisions about gay rights and is valuable in research about gay rights, especially surrounding issues of national security. The collection is divided into five main series: Correspondence, Intelligence Files, Litigation, Press and Topical Files.

The Correspondence series includes one folder of personal correspondence, which is primarily letters written to a 1968 love interest. The Press folder contains various letters and responses--from the obscene to the mundane -- to articles written about Rock. The primary portion of the Correspondence series is made up of letters separated from the litigation files which recount decisions and court actions. These are divide into two sub-series: non- Rock related cases and Rock. The non-Rock cases include all correspondence which came into Rock's possession from the cases of Dubbs, Fultun, Gayer, Kovalich, Preston, and Tabler. The Rock correspondence consists of 5 folders of material, is organized chronologically, and includes all correspondence between Rock and those involved in his litigation process. The Correspondence series provides a thorough chronological account of all legal actions and documents Rock's reactions to each of the cases.

The Intelligence Files series contains all files provided to Rock from the Air Force, Army, Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office (DISCO), FBI, Industrial Security Clearance Review Offices (ISCRO), Navy and the U.S. Civil Service Commission. The files date from 1960 through the 1970s. Rock's original organization of this material was largely preserved, since the materials often contain multiple dates (of the request and of the original investigation).

The Litigation series contains all briefs, filings and other legal documentation of cases, all of which involve questions of the rights of homosexual individuals to hold security clearance. The series begins with the sub-series of Non-Rock Related Cases. These include cases brought by Julie Dubbs, John Napier Eaves, Roy Lee Fultun, Richard Gayer, Jean Kovalich, Elisha Stroud Marsh, Warren Gene Preston, Jack Schwarz, Oliver W. Sipple, the Society for Individual Rights, Otis Francis Tabler and Bennington Wentworth. The largest amount of material is available from the Kovalich case, which includes all legal documents and several depositions. Her case is perhaps the most interesting because of her standing as a supervisor within the Department of Defense itself. When she admitted her homosexuality, she was demoted. Eventually, she won her case. The Wentworth and Tabler cases also contain large amounts of material.

The Rock sub-series of the Litigation files consists of 1 linear foot of material. It is organized primarily by case and by chronology within each case. The folders of legal documents and briefs are supplemented by nine bound transcripts and testimonies, all labeled and dated. This sub-series consists of all legal documents for each of the cases in which Rock was involved: Rock v. CIA, Rock v. Department of Defense, and Rock v. State of California.

The Press series is organized into clippings and articles, and press releases. Both of these sub-series contain non-Rock and Rock related divisions, and all material is organized chronologically. The Non- Rock related press clippings and articles are especially interesting for the context they provide, documenting one view of homosexuality in America in the 1970s. These folders contain information about various state decisions on the legalization of homosexual activity, as well as information about the 1973 decision by the American Psychiatric Association which declared that homosexuality was no longer considered a mental disorder.

The Topical Files include an unpublished book manuscript written by Rock in 1978 called In the National Interest. This manuscript details Rock's experiences in the court system and provides his perspective on the actions and decisions of the Department of Defense. This honest account is well researched and provides more than just a re-telling of the events already detailed in the correspondence and litigation files. It includes background information about homosexuality in general, and history about homosexuals' treatment by the Department of Defense.

The Jonathan Demme Papers consist of materials related to Demme's extensive filmography from 1970-2008, including "The Silence of the Lambs". Materials are arranged chronologically by project, and cover most aspects of pre- and post-production, as well as publicity and related awards. As of November 2023, only the "Silence of the Lambs" series has been processed and made available. Additional series will be completed at a later date.

The Jonathan Demme Papers consists of approximately 150 linear feet of materials from 1970-2000. Materials include correspondence, legal and business documents, and photographs, as well as extensive documentation of film production, including pre- and post-production phases. In some cases, awards and publicity materials are also included.

The "Silence of the Lambs" series consists of approximately 13 linear feet. The material follows the project through the phases of production, and includes many drafts of the final script and novel adaptation, as well as extensive pre-production and location scouting information.

As of November 2023, only the "Silence of the Lambs" series has been processed and made available to researchers.