Collections

Materials related to the Marxist-Leninist group Motor City Labor League, active in Detroit in the 1970s. Divided into series based loosely on date and group. The group had an acrimonious split in the early 1970s, with the alliances of the resulting organizations constantly shifting.

Materials related to the Motor City Labor League (MCLL)'s activities in the 1970s. Includes administrative materials from planning meetings and statements regarding the intragroup conflicts that divided the MCLL beginning in 1972. The sub- and splinter- groups that were party to this schism include Changeover and Aliance. These groups' activities with the reading group Conflict, Control, Change is also represented. Also includes materials from the Christian-Marxist Diaglogue and Marxist-Leninist reading materials, which formed part of MCLL members' program of self-education.

During the 1930s, and possibly longer, John E. Pokorny was employed by Ford Motor Company as an assistant to Harry Bennett in personnel and security matters. Whether as part of his job or on his own time, Pokorny collected information on supposed subversive organizations in the Detroit, Michigan, area and, for Ford, investigated Communist infiltration oflabor unions. John Pokorny collected most of the materials in this collection to document supposed subversive activities in the Detroit area and in the United States in general. This collection largely reflects Pokorny's collecting practices and not his personal papers; hence, the collection is arranged similar to a subject file. The folders are arranged alphabetically by subject or name with most of the material dating from the 1930s. Most of the original folder titles have been maintained from Pokorny's original arrangement. News clippings comprise a majority of the contents of the collection and most of these are photocopies of the originals. The collection also contains printed materials (leaflets, brochures, flyers), some manuscript material, and a few photographs.

John Pokorny collected most of the materials in this collection to document supposed subversive activities in the Detroit area and in the United States in general. This collection largely reflects Pokorny's collecting practices and not his personal papers; hence, the collection is arranged similar to a subject file. The folders are arranged alphabetically by subject or name with most of the material dating from the 1930s. Most of the original folder titles have been maintained from Pokorny's original arrangement. News clippings comprise a majority of the contents of the collection and most of these are photocopies of the originals. The collection also contains printed materials (leaflets, brochures, flyers), some manuscript material, and a few photographs. In a few instances, cross-references have been made within the collection, e.g. between the National Labor Relations Board and Edward Burke. Any reference was indicated on a piece of8.5"xl4" paper in the front of the folder. There are possibly even more cross-references than are formally indicated; however, the subject matter and organizations represented in the collection overlap to a degree and it would be very difficult to make note of every instance. Therefore, one who is interested in a specific topic is advised to look through other folders that may be somewhat related. A case in point is the American Coalition. Although the group has a specific folder heading under Aliens (meaning immigrants), more papers originating from the group can be found in folders such as Govermnent - Legislation, Politics (I). There are some materials that deem a specific mention or more explanation. The folder on Civil Liberties contains flyers/leaflets, letters, meeting minutes from various groups, such as the Professional League for Civil Rights, Civil Rights League, National Federation for Constitutional Liberties, and the National Emergency Conference for Democratic Rights. Much of this relates to Detroit-based activities. The third folder on Communism contains 2 lists of suspected Communists in the Detroit area in 1932. Each is about 40 pages long. This folder also has correspondence from 1931 to 1933 to and from the hnmigration and Naturalization Service on the activities of "aliens" and suspected Communists. In his position in the Personnel Dept. for the Ford Motor Company, Pokorny received a number of letters from men seeking employment, often after having served in the military. These materials are located in the first and third folders for the Ford Motor Company. The folder Government - Court Bill contains information on the 1937 idea to increase the number of U.S. Supreme Court justices from nine to fifteen. The folder entitled "Military" relates mainly to the Michigan Military Area of the U.S. Army and the reserves. The Michigan United Auto Workers folder contains 6 photographs of individuals, although only two of them are identified. An additional variety of photographs can be found in Box 2. These depict: fires in Detroit (8); Niagara Falls; a photo of two unidentified men; the crashed plane of Major Resonatti, Italian Ace; John Philip Sousa's burial, March 10, 1932; a 1932 fire at the National Soldiers Home (Dayton, OH); and several copies of the installation of officers of the National Sojourners picturing Pokorny and other members. A newsprint copy of this last photograph can be found in the folder Pokorny Personal. This folder also contains correspondence from organizations with which he was involved, greeting cards, his Army commission certificates, and programs from events.

Smith, a former juvenile and adult offender, became an activist for prisoners' rights, especially those of gay inmates, while incarcerated in federal penitentiaries across the country in the late 1970s. As a victim himself he was particularly interested in the problem of prison rape. After his release in 1980, he continued to advocate prison reform through POSRIP (People Organized to Stop Rape of Imprisoned Persons). The papers include an autobiography/chronology of Smith's experiences in and out of juvenile detention centers and prisons; extensive correspondence with friends in the International Committee to Free Russell Smith (ICFRS) concerning prison conditions, his personal safety, his transfers from prison to prison, his efforts to provide legal assistance to other inmates, and his plans for post-release activities; records of legal suits and complaints filed by Smith; and formal reports about Smith filed by prison officials. Copies of the POSRIP Newsletter (1980-1981) can be found with the Labadie's serial holdings.

Comprise autobiography, personal correspondence, 1976-1980, and legal records, 1978-1980.

Correspondence of Fabijanovic and his wife, writings, photos, newspaper clippings, and an obituary of Fabijanovic from Freedom relate to his philosophical and anarchist thought, a bakery and confectionery workers' union, the publication and distribution of his papers, his travels, and personal matters. Among the correspondents are Louis Adamic, John B. Barnhill, Norman Beard, natural pathologist Otto Brunner, Karl Dopf, Enrique Flores Magon, Wilhelm Fox, Charlotte Francke-Pellon, Emma Goldman, Rudolf Grossman, Max Metzkow, Max Nettlau, Carl Nold, Nicholas Petanovic, Charles L. Robinson, Rudolf Rocker, Stefan Zweig, and family members. The papers are in English, French, German, Hungarian, and Serbo-Croatian.

The papers comprise correspondence, manuscripts, and photographs, and relate to philosophical and anarchist thought, union activities (Bakery and Confectionery Workers), his travels, publication and distribution of his papers, social comment and personal matters. There are several series of transcribed correspondence with added commentary, intended for publication; also of correspondence with and about Rudolf Grossman, who defaulted on a publishing agreement. There is a group of papers on general subjects written as night school assignments. A few letters are addressed to his wife. The materials are in English, German, Hungarian, and Serbo-Croatian.

Among the correspondents are Louis Adamic, John B. Barnhill, Norman Beard, natural pathologist Otto Brunner, Karl Dopf, Enrique Flores Magon, Wilhelm Fox, Charlotte Francke-Pellon, Emma Goldman, Rudolf Grossman, Max Metzkow, Max Nettlau, Carl Nold, Nicholas Petanovic, Charles L. Robinson, Rudolf Rocker, Stefan Zweig, and family members.

Contains leaflets, open letters, administrative documents, newspaper clippings, and other materials related to the strike by the University of Michigan's graduate student union, the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO), in 1975.

This collection contains ephemera, documents, and publications related to the 1975 General Employee Organization strike. The bulk of the collection consists of publicity materials, such as open letters and flyers, about contract negotiations leading up to the strike and the strike itself (including campus reactions to the strike). Some of the material is related to the the Black Action Movement's (BAM) demands of the university. A small amount of material from faculty of the Residential Communities is also included. Most material is pro-GEO and pro-strike but a few materials present an opposing position. Also included are administrative materials, such as meeting minutes and position papers, from GEO. Finally, the collection contains newspaper clippings and entire newspapers documenting the strike, from both campus and local news sources.

Writings, clippings, and ephemera relating to the life and works of Pat Halley, a Detroit cab driver, writer, and anarchist.

The correspondence file contains two outgoing letters from Halley: a brief (possibly unsent) letter to writer/publisher Ken Wachsberger and a handwritten letter to two friends asking for their support after Halley was accused of sexual misconduct involving a child.

The largest file in this collection consists of scripts for plays Halley wrote or co-wrote in approximately the 1970s, which include Tales of the Sea, The National Desire, The Werewolf of Grosse Point, The Curse of Belle Isle, Cheap Shots, and A Grave Matter. The theatre flyers and playbills folder holds ephemera associated with these and other performances.

The clippings consist of a 1994 article Halley wrote about his experiences as a cab driver, a 1986 article by Jim Gustafson about the MC5, and Halley's 2007 obituary. Finally, the collection includes a 45 RPM vinyl recording of songs written by Pat Halley and a J. Sase.

Materials consist of 17 mounted, black-and-white photographs of deportees during the 1917 Bisbee Deportation.

This collection consists of 17 mounted, black-and-white photographs of deportees during the 1917 Bisbee Deportation.

This collection consists of Hungarian-language newspapers related to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, spanning the year of 1956, with most of the newspapers published between October 28 and Novemer 4 of that year.

This collection consists of newspapers related to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, all published in Hungarian during the year of 1956. Newspapers are separated into folders based on title and organized chronologically.

Volantini (flyers), publications, manuscripts, and flyers relating to the activities of Lotta Continua and other elements of the Italian Workerist movement at the Pirelli tire factory in Milan's Bicocca district.

The bulk of the Publications Series consists of flyers, pamphlets, and periodicals created by Lotta Continua or other leftist groups to address events at the Pirelli factory.

The Research Materials Series includes drafts of documents analyzing the Pirelli factory struggle, as well as class struggle more generally. These drafts were likely written by the anonymous collector of these materials. Also included are miscellaneous ephemera and news clippings that appear to have served as research for the draft documents.

A 1939 handbook for the Protective Order of Dining Car Waiters, which was the Portland, Oregon chapter of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, an all-black union.

Materials include membership rosters, mediation agreements, schedules, rates of pay, and inventories.