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Collection

Woodrow D. Johnson papers, 1914-1946

234 items

The Johnson collection consists primarily of letters between W. D. Johnson and his wife, Jane, during the Second World War, but includes letters from family and friends as well. The collection provides perspectives on both the home front and the European war front.

The Johnson papers consist primarily of letters between W. D. Johnson and his wife, Jane, during the Second World War, but includes letters from family and friends as well. Johnson also kept a few miscellaneous issues of Stars and Stripes, a map of northeastern France, and a journal in which he wrote sporadically.

Both Johnson and his wife are keen and intelligent writers and observers. Their letters show the anxiety and concern for each other, but also give insight into the larger picture of the home front, the war, and family and friends.

This collection has two main points of interest. First is the home front, described eloquently by Jane. She went to work immediately after Johnson left for training in Missouri, and quickly found a reasonably well-paying job at the Katharine Gibbs School. Although her salary was far less than that earned by women working in the war plants, Jane still brought home $160 per week. Her letters are filled with discussion of the effects of rationing and the constant scramble to find consumer goods and foodstuffs. Her letters also suggest how women whose husbands or boyfriends had been sent overseas banded together to create tight-knit social circles.

The second area of interest is the war front. Johnson writes to his wife frequently, though he rarely speaks of the horrors of the front. Partly because the Army censored his outgoing mail, Johnson rarely mentioned specifics about military events, but his journal and manuscripts chronicle his experiences in France and Belgium, and provides some useful information on the battles he survived, including the Battle of the Bulge. The contrast between his letters to his wife and his journal makes an interesting and useful comparison.

Johnson's letters indicate a dislike of different nationalities, particularly detested the French: "Gee, I love the French. They're so lazy, so dirty, so unworthwhile, they whimper and whine." Elsewhere, he wrote "The French have thoroughly sacked the country, we're perfect gentlemen compared to the Russians and the French." After witnessing the atrocities at Nordhausen, he concluded that the Germans were completely unworthy of sympathy. Letters received from Johnson's friend, Lt. Col. J. B. Coolidge stationed in the Philippines, provide insightful commentary on racial perceptions of the Japanese and Koreans. "The Jap is not so much hated for what he does but he is despised as a human being. His own ruthlessness and his inhuman methods so that the passion has become an automatic reaction."

The W. D. Johnson collection also illustrates the attitudes of enlisted men toward officers. Johnson considered his officers among the worst pillagers in France and Germany, and opined that the "Army suffers inefficiency beyond imagination because it does not enjoy sufficient public sanction to go all the way with its measures -- must continuously compromise."

Collection

Wood family papers, 1846-1951 (majority within 1846-1925)

4 linear feet

The Wood family papers contain correspondence and other items related to the family of James A. Wood of Lebanon, Connecticut, and his descendants from the mid-19th to the early 20th century. Much of the content pertains to education, family news, and politics.

The Wood family papers (4 linear feet) contain correspondence and other items related to the family of James A. Wood of Lebanon, Connecticut, and his descendants from the mid-19th to the early 20th century.

The Correspondence series comprises almost all of the collection. Early items are incoming letters to James A. Wood, Rebecca D. Pillsbury (later Wood), and their daughter, Helen Elizabeth Wood, from family members and acquaintances. James A. Wood's siblings wrote with updates on their lives, such as Caroline E. Wood's teaching career in numerous towns throughout New York. Rebecca D. Pillsbury also received letters from her brothers and sisters, and both Wood's and Pillsbury's correspondents discussed family matters, religion, and local news. Margaret Ann's letter of December 3, 1860, concerns her affection for a deceased baby sister, and an unidentified author's letter of September 4, 1861, describes the recent death of a grandmother. James A. Wood received an increasing amount of business-related correspondence, including letters from Charles W. Pierce, in the 1870s.

After the 1870s, most letters are addressed to Rebecca D. Wood and her daughter, Helen Elizabeth Wood. Rebecca's children often wrote letters to their mother, and Helen received letters from cousins and friends from around the East Coast. George P. Wood, Helen's brother, often shared stories of his young son James and of his life in Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, D. C.; and Peekskill, New York. In one letter, George included a map showing the location of his home in Washington, D. C. (November 13, 1899).

In addition to family and social news, letters occasionally referred to current events. "Dana," one of Helen E. Wood's cousins, wrote from his United States Army post during World War I (December 28, 1917), and other friends discussed the impact of the war. Among Helen's correspondents were Ida McCollister of New Hampshire and Harry Sawyer, an old friend who shared news of his life in Kearney, Nebraska. In one later letter, George P. Wood expressed some of his political views about the 1924 presidential election (October 27, 1924). Correspondence was less frequent after Helen E. Wood's death in 1933, with most incoming letters addressed to Winchester R. Wood of Lynn, Massachusetts, a member of the family's Connecticut branch. Undated items include similar family correspondence, as well as one letter written on a printed program for the Public Meeting of the Philadelphian Society at Kimball Union Academy at Meridian, New Hampshire, on June 12, 1878.

The Essays series includes an "Autobiography of a Sofa," written by R[ebecca] D. Pillsbury, as well as a manuscript draft of the "Common School Repository...Published semi-monthly by L. J. Boynton & R[ebecca] D. Pillsbury," containing 8 pages of short pieces attributed, often only by first name, to various contributors.

Among the six Receipts, addressed to A. Wood (1 item) and Helen E. Wood (5 items) are two receipts for Helen E. Wood's educational expenses and two slips crediting her account at Citizens National Bank, Boston.

Maps and Blueprints comprise 7 items. These are several drawings of house layouts, one map showing the locations of two buildings, and two blueprints.

The Newspaper Clippings series has 6 items, one of which is an article entitled "What They Say: How Girls of Various Cities Behave When They are Kissed."

The Ephemera series contains 52 Christmas cards, greeting cards, postcards, calling cards, programs, and other printed items. Specific items include 2 Red Cross membership cards, a pamphlet advertising The Art of Living Long by Louis Cornaro, and a blank order sheet for Sears, Roebuck and Co. from the 1920s.

Collection

Woodbury and Ellen Hardy family letters, 1856-1868 (majority within 1856-1866)

31 items

This collection consists of 31 letters that Woodbury and Ellen M. Hardy received from friends and family members between 1856 and 1868. From 1856 to 1860, Woodbury Hardy received 13 letters from acquaintances, cousins, and his brother in Hopkinton, New Hampshire; South Danvers, Massachusetts; Palatine, Illinois; and Meridian, Michigan. He and his wife collectively received 6 letters written during the Civil War and 4 written between 1866 and 1868. The collection also holds 8 undated letters. Writers commented on family and social news, agriculture, aspects of life in the Midwest, the Civil War, and the impact of the military draft.

This collection consists of 31 letters that Woodbury and Ellen M. Hardy received from friends and family members between 1856 and 1868. From 1856 to1860, Woodbury Hardy received 13 letters from acquaintances, cousins, and his brother in Hopkinton, New Hampshire; South Danvers, Massachusetts; Palatine, Illinois; and Meridian, Michigan. He and his wife collectively received 6 letters written during the Civil War and 4 written between 1866 and 1868. The collection also holds 8 undated letters. Writers commented on family and social news, agriculture, aspects of life in the Midwest, the Civil War, and the impact of the military draft.

Woodbury Hardy's friends and cousins in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, shared social news with Hardy when he lived in South Danvers, Massachusetts, in the mid-1850s, and in the Midwest during the early 1860s. They commented on weddings, education, agriculture, and family health. Woodbury's brother, Samuel Hardy, and an acquaintance, Levina Williams, wrote of their lives in Illinois, often mentioning agriculture, local news, and separation from family members on the East Coast. Woodbury's cousin, also named Woodbury Hardy, wrote a similar letter from Meridian, Michigan, discussing local history, crops, and schools (March 9, 1860). Woodbury and Ellen Hardy continued to receive similar personal letters from male and female correspondents throughout and after the Civil War.

Of the 6 letters written during the Civil War, 5 comment directly on the effects of the war in South Danvers, Massachusetts. Ellen Hardy's "Uncle Moses" wrote an 8-page letter on July 6 and 9, 1862, sharing his thoughts on the war's causes and progress and on a woman named Sarah Jane, who feared the loss of a loved one in a recent battle. Other letters mention the effects of the draft and names of local volunteers. J. Clough, of Nashua, New Hampshire, wrote a final war-era business letter to Woodbury Hardy regarding a shipment of freight from New Hampshire to Chicago (May 26, 1862).

Family letters of interest include Sanford Hardy's account of his railroad journey from Nashua, New Hampshire, to Chicago, Illinois, in early 1857 (May 28, 1857). He compared first and second class accommodations, and shared his strong negative reaction to other passengers in second class. In one letter, Carlos Hardy, Woodbury's cousin, discussed a recent scandal involving Samuel Hardy and his wife Abby, who reportedly married under duress (December 17, 1858). Two letters by Lydia Ann include mention of a family member and a friend who had been prisoners of war at England's Dartmoor Prison during the War of 1812 (July 23, 1860, and January 10, 1868). Among the undated letters is a letter John Price wrote to his great-grandson, Arthur Hardy, and a letter from Arthur's sick 5 year-old cousin "Frannie" (written by an adult). One later undated letter addressed to Ellen anticipates Woodbury Hardy's imminent return, along with other Civil War veterans.

Collection

Woodburn Shrewsbury letters, 1864-1865

3 items

This collection contains letters that Woodburn Shrewsbury wrote about friendship among soldiers, courtship and marriage, and Presbyterian ministers visiting Madison, Indiana, in 1864 and 1865. Shrewsbury wrote his first letter from Madison House Hospital in Montgomery, Alabama, during his service in the 4th Kentucky Mounted Infantry Regiment.

During and just after the Civil War, Woodburn Shrewsbury wrote 3 letters (14 pages) to his friends Charles, with whom he had served in the 4th Kentucky Mounted Infantry Regiment, Company H (January 8, 1864), and Will (September 27, 1865, and October 19, 1865). Shrewsbury wrote to Charles about his experiences at Madison House Hospital in Montgomery, Alabama, and discussed his beliefs about the strength of friendships formed during military service. He also reported on the flooding of the Alabama River. In each of his letters, Shrewsbury commented on women, courtship, and marriage. Upon hearing of Will's desire to marry, Shrewsbury cautioned him against marrying before the age of 30. He also told Will of his future plans, including the possibility of purchasing oil lands in Kentucky, and shared his opinion of a group of Presbyterian ministers who had just visited Madison, Indiana, where he lived with his parents.

Collection

Women's Suffrage letterhead collection, [after 1895]-[1917]

22 items

This collection of 22 items bearing printed letterheads from various women's suffrage organizations. A portion of the collection is blank stationery. The correspondence relates to expenses, event planning, donation solicitations, and advocacy efforts. The majority originated from organizations based in Boston, Massachusetts. One letter has an anti-suffrage tone.

The letterheads include examples from:
  • Bay County League of Women Voters (Bay City, Mich.)
  • Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage
  • The Empire State Campaign Committee (New York, N.Y.)
  • Equal Suffrage League
  • Leslie Woman Suffrage Commission, Inc. (New York, N.Y.)
  • Leslie Woman Suffrage Continuing Committee (New York, N.Y.)
  • Marcus Ward Company Incorporated
  • Massachusetts Woman Suffrage Association
  • National American Woman Suffrage Association (New York, N.Y.)
  • New York State Woman Suffrage Association
  • Springfield Equal Suffrage League
  • Suffrage Referendum State Committee
  • Suffrage Study Club (Sea Cliff, N.Y.)
  • The Woman's Journal and Suffrage News

Collection

Women's Research Club (University of Michigan) records, 1902-1999

4 linear feet — 0.2 MB (online)

Online
The Women's Research Club of the University of Michigan was founded in 1902 in response to the exclusion of women from the recently established all-male research clubs. Records include minutes, correspondence and reports of club officers and committees, papers concerning the club anniversaries, and photographs.

Records of the Women's Research Club include minutes, 1902-1999; correspondence, 1903-1939 and 1952-1994; membership lists 1904-1999; financial records 1903-1999; correspondence and reports of club officers and committees, including Loan Fund materials; papers concerning the 25th, 50th, 75th, 85th and 90th anniversaries; relationships with the men's research club; histories, memorials, photographs, and clippings.

Collection

Women's League (University of Michigan) records, 1890-2011

39.25 linear feet — 4 oversize volumes — 2 oversize folders

The records of the Women's League of the University of Michigan contain the League's constitution and articles of incorporation, reports, correspondence, minutes of the League and of women students' governing bodies, scrapbooks, presidents reports, and photographs; letters from Ella Wheeler Wilcox and William Dean Howells; also papers of Edith M. Wheeler and Sarah Mills Gayley Browne.

The records of the Women's League date from 1890 to 1965 and measure 33 linear feet. The records are divided into eight series: Women's League (records of the organization), Michigan League (records of the building), Administrative, Students, Union-League Merger, Photographs, and Scrapbooks and Architectural records. The records span the life of the organization and are especially strong for the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, however many of the subseries include records for only a year or two. The bulk of the records are President's Reports, which consist of two to five large bound volumes for each academic year. The subseries in the last five series are arranged alphabetically by type of material, and many are continuations of subseries from the first two series which were from an earlier accession.

Collection

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Ann Arbor - Ypsilanti Branch records, 1938-2005

1 linear foot — 1 oversize volume

Correspondence, minutes, newsletters and newspaper clippings concerning activities of the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti branch of this anti-war organization; also collected materials from the state chapter and from local branches in Detroit, Ingham County, Oakland County, Rouge Valley, and Traverse City, Michigan.

The records of the Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom document the various causes espoused by the League, notably its opposition to the Vietnam conflict and to the Gulf War. Locally, the group promoted education with its Jane Addams Book Award, worked closely with UNICEF, and fought for fair housing practices. These activities are also documented within the files. The League records show the group's continuous community involvement. The records are arranged into three series, Alpha File, Michigan Branch and Other Michigan Branches.

Collection

Women's Glee Club (University of Michigan) records, 1903-2017 (majority within 1979-2006)

2 linear feet — 1 oversize box — 13.7 GB (online)

Online
Singing group established in 1902 as the University of Michigan Girls' Club before changing the name to Women's Glee Club in the 1940s. The group performed on campus and throughout Michigan as well as touring nationally and internationally. The group disbanded in 1953 and was reactivated in 1976. This records include concert programs and posters, fundraising information, correspondence, photographs, audio/visual recordings of performances, newspaper clippings and scrapbooks. Also included are administrative papers including budget information, schedules, rosters and rules.

The Women's Glee Club collection dates from 1903 to 2017 and is comprised of multiple accessions. Because these accessions came with little discernible structure, and because their contents overlapped, they were combined into one collection made up of printed and manuscript materials, as well as posters, scrapbooks, sound and video recordings in a few different formats. The collection has been divided into four series: Audio/Visual Materials, Topical File, Scrapbooks and Concert Posters. The first two series of the collection have been arranged alphabetically by topic, and chronologically within the files. The Scrapbooks series is contained in Box 2, and each scrapbook has retained its original organization.

Collection

Women's Crisis Center (Ann Arbor, Mich.) records, 1971-1990

0.5 linear feet

Women's support group founded in 1971 to aid and counsel victims of rape and abuse. Background materials, coordinator's files, publicity files, and visual materials.

The records of the Women's Crisis Center (WCC) document the goals and activities of this organization in Ann Arbor during the 1970s and 1980s. The bulk of the collection consists of press articles about rape in Washtenaw County, training manuals, and other documentation given to the volunteers of the WCC. The records are divided in four series : background materials, coordinator's files, publicity files, and visual materials.

Collection

Women's Athletics (University of Michigan) records, 1972-1990

9 linear feet

Administrative unit of the University of Michigan Athletic Department responsible for management of women's varsity sports. Records, including topical files, committee minutes, administrative files, and materials on Title IX, document the period when Womens Athletics operated as a semi-autonomous unit under a Director of Women's Athletics.

The Women's Athletics records document the evolution of varsity sports for women at the University of Michigan, and the struggles women engaged in for equity in funding, coaching, facilities, and scholarships. The bulk of the collection represents the administrative files from Phyllis Ocker's tenure as Associate Director for Women's Intercollegiate Athletics. The records document the internal development and management of the women's athletics program, governance of women's athletics through the various intercollegiate conferences and associations with which the program was affiliated, the implementation of Title IX and subsequent internal and external complaints and investigations, and the management and operation of individual sports teams. (Additional material, including media guides, game programs, and photographs for individual sports teams, and microfilmed news clipping scrapbooks can be found in the Bentley Library in the records of the University of Michigan, Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, Sports Information Office.)

Collection

Women's Athletic Association (University of Michigan) records, 1905-1962

6 linear feet

Records, 1905-1962, of the Women's Athletic Association of the University of Michigan. Include constitution, minutes, reports, and other materials; also record books detailing administration of Michigras and Spring Weekend, social and fund-raising activities jointly sponsored with the Michigan Union.

The records contain the original constitution and those of 1953 and 1959, officers reports (1955-1961), executive committee record books (1905-1929), record books (1917-1960), lists of officers, and annual reports of activities. Newsletters, scrapbooks, and photograph detail the activities of the W.A.A., including those of the Michigras Committee and the Spring Weekend Committee.

Researchers interested in the Women's Athletic Association should also consult the records of the Department of Physical Education for Women, which include a history of the Women's Athletic Association.

Collection

Women's Advocate Office (University of Michigan) records, 1970-1977

7 linear feet

Papers, 1970-1976, of the Women's Advocate of the University of Michigan, office created to meet the personal and legal needs of women at the University of Michigan. Contain reference and topical files concerning women's issues, especially abortion, childcare, health care, legal problems, affirmative action, and equal rights.

A large part of the collection consists of reference files of articles related to women's issues. Topical files include materials on career planning, the Center for Continuing Education of Women, the Women's Media Center, and childcare programs and other projects for women at the university. Annual reports, evaluations and various committee reports related to the work of the Women's Advocate Office are also included.

Collection

Women's Activism Against Sex Discrimination: The 1970 HEW Investigation of the University of Michigan records, 1999-2001

0.4 linear feet — 17 audiocassettes

A 2001 research project conducted through the University of Michigan Institute for Research on Women and Gender (IRWG) on the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare's (HEW) investigation of a complaint of gender discrimination at the University of Michigan in 1970. The complaint led to amendments to Title VII and to Title IX in 1972. Files include administrative files and audio cassettes of interviews.

The records of the University of Michigan Institute for Research on Women and Gender's research project, "Women's Activism Against Sex Discrimination: The 1970 HEW Investigation of the University of Michigan" have been divided into two series: Project Files and Interview Audiocassettes.

Collection

Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament, Washtenaw County Chapter records, 1985-1991

1 linear foot

Established in 1984, disbanded in 1992, the Washtenaw County chapter of Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament (WAND), was a local women's initiative advocating peaceful alternatives to armed conflict. The group's members sought to accomplish this goal through coalition-building with other peace and justice organizations, education, political action, and promotion of nonviolent conflict resolution. The record group includes meeting agenda and minutes of the Coordinating Committee (the central organizing body) and subsidiary committees (Executive, Political Action, Strategic Planning). Also included is the WAND newsletter, summaries of member surveys (1985-1987), flyers of special events, and videotapes of protest demonstrations.

Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament, Washtenaw County Chapter records include meeting agendas and minutes of the Coordinating Committee (the central organizing body) and subsidiary committees (Executive, Political Action, Strategic Planning). Also included is the WAND newsletter, summaries of member surveys (1985-1987), flyers of special events, and videotapes of protest demonstrations. The WAND records are organized into four series: Administrative Records, Newsletters, Campaign files and Audio and Visual Materials.

Collection

Women Photographers carte-de-visite album, [1860s-1880s?]

1 volume

The Women Photographers carte-de-visite album contains studio portraits made by female photographers and husband-and-wife teams in the United States and England.

The Women Photographers carte-de-visite album (13.5cm x 10cm) contains 21 studio portraits of men, women, and children made by female photographers and husband-and-wife teams in the United States and England. This album was likely compiled by collector Frederick P. Currier from individual unrelated photos and an empty album

With the exception of one picture of a man and a woman, all of the items are individual portraits. One woman wore a large cross on a necklace, and one infant posed on a chair. The album's dark brown cover has a raised geometric design, and the volume is closed with two metal clasps. A floral design is carved into the sides of the pages. A list of photographers and their locations, when given, is provided below.

Collection

Women of the University Faculty (University of Michigan), records, 1939-2003

1 linear foot

Records, 1939-1983, of the Women of the University Faculty. Includes constitution, history, membership rosters, minutes, financial reports, and correspondence.

Most of the records, 1939-1983, of the Women of the University Faculty have been arranged in chronological order by academic year. The first files contain basic information -- such as a history, various revisions of the constitution, publicity, duties of officers, and summaries of activities. There are also files relating to the group's clubroom and the hosting of the Senate and House Club (wives of Michigan legislators) on two occasions. The general files, arranged by academic year, include membership rosters, lists of officers and committee members, minutes, financial reports, and correspondence.

Collection

Women of Color Task Force (University of Michigan) records, 1979-2008

6 linear feet — 64 KB

Online
Support group founded at the University of Michigan to aid minority women employed as office and professional staff members in combating racial and sexist stereotypes and in providing counsel on matters of career planning, job hunting, and development of communication skills. Records include subject files detailing activities of the Task Force, especially to those conferences it sponsored; also history, minutes, correspondence, photographs, publicity, publications, and videotapes.

The Women of Color Task Force (WCTF) records include subject files detailing activities of the Task Force, especially to those conferences it sponsored; also history, minutes, correspondence, photographs, publicity, publications, and videotapes. The Women of Color Task Force (WCTF) records are divided into three series: Administrative, Events and Audio-Visual

Collection

Women of Color Task Force (University of Michigan) publications, 1982-2009

0.7 linear feet

Support group founded at the University of Michigan to aid minority women employed as office and professional staff members in combating racial and sexist stereotypes and in providing counsel on matters of career planning, job hunting, and development of communication skills. Records include newsletters, brochures, and webpages of the Task Force, and programs and publicity for its Annual Career Conferences.

The Women of Color Task Force Publications include directories, newsletters, programs, brochures, and announcements, annual reports, clippings, posters, press releases, and programs of the Women of Color Career Conference. The publications are organized into two series: Unit Publications and Sub-Unit Publications.

Collection

Women in the Resistance Papers, 1974-1998 (majority within 1974-1985)

8 Linear Feet

Margaret LaFoy Rossiter (1914-1991) was an internationally recognized author. A founder of the Women's Studies Program and a professor of Modern European History at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, she was an alumna of Bryn Mawr College and Douglass College of Rutgers University. She was the author of several articles and the book, Women in the Resistance. The bulk of the collection documents the research that went into writing Women in the Resistance. It contains approximately seven linear feet of interview transcripts and audio recordings, government documents, correspondence, articles, excerpts, photographs, ephemera, questionnaires, personal accounts and drafts of chapters as well as some research for, and reprints and drafts of, other works.

The Margaret L. Rossiter Women in the Resistance Papers were deposited with the Special Collections by her estate in 1998. The collection primarily offers insight into the strategies, challenges and day to day workings of French resistance groups, also referred to as the maquis, who were engaged in underground efforts to liberate France from German occupation during World War II and the personal experiences of the people involved. Artifacts document the lives of pilots and resisters (many of whom were women and sometimes referred to as helpers), military plans and the international world of politics during this time, particularly in France. The collection contains the research that was the basis of Rossiter's book and also offers a look at the resistance research she did not include because it may have been beyond the book's scope. The collection also offers a look into Rossiter's research and political interests outside the French resistance.

Consisting of seven linear feet of material, the Margaret L. Rossiter Women in the Resistance Papers are divided into ten series: Escape and Evasion; Name Files; Military Action and Intelligence; The Resistance; General History (France- World War II); Ephemera; Drafts; Publication and Distribution; Other Research; and Audiovisual Materials . Researchers should note that most series relate to the subject matter and research involved in Women in the Resistance , whereas the series "Other Research" pertains to research and subject matter Rossiter pursued in addition to work towards the book.

The Escape and Evasion series consists of one and a half linear feet. It contains materials pertaining to the experience of American and British Air Force pilots who became evaders and escapers (those who managed to get out of German-occupied territory or were captured and managed to get out of concentration camps) during World War II. The terms escaper and evader often seem to be used interchangeably throughout the book and collection to refer to the soldiers the resisters aided via escape lines. Escape lines, also known as escape organizations or escape networks, were manned land-routes out of German-occupied territory. The escape lines were organized by resistance groups to aid Allied soldiers. This series primarily contains information about experiences of members of the American Air Force Escape and Evasion Society (AFEES) and information on the workings of specific escape lines. Included are the research questionnaires Rossiter distributed to many AFEES members who served in World War II, and the many detailed, personal accounts she received back from them. Rossiter had substantial correspondence over the years with many of these men. The series also contains National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) documents and other materials pertaining to AFEES members and their experiences. The Escape Lines subseries contains primarily government documents along with some of Rossiter's notes, articles, excerpts and correspondence which provide general information about escape lines as well as information about specific lines. The list of specifically-named lines is not exhaustive. Information on escape by sea and pertaining particularly to members of the British Royal Air Force is also included.

The Name Files series consists of two linear feet of material organized by name. If listed in the index of Women in the Resistance, which usually employs the name a person used at the time of the French resistance, that name was used here. If the person has since changed his or her name, either first or last, that name is indicated in parentheses. This series contains information mostly about the women resisters on whom the book focuses as well as some materials about other individuals who were involved in, or particularly knowledgeable about, the resistance. It contains a collection of interview transcripts, for some of which the audio recordings can be found in the Audiovisual Materials and Descriptive Information series (Box 7). It also contains government documents, newspaper and magazine articles, excerpts of books and photographs as well as correspondence with and about the subject of the file.

The Military Action and Intelligence series consists of approximately one linear foot. It contains information on American, British and Free French government-proscribed military plans, action and information-seeking during World War II. The Bombings, Planes and Losses subseries consists of government documents, pamphlets, Rossiter's calculations, book excerpts and correspondence pertaining to the number of Allied planes dispatched and lost as well as military personnel casualties. The Sabotage subseries consists primarily of book excerpts and some articles and official documents describing activities of "irregular" military organizations, such as the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Bureau Central de Renseignements et d'Action (BCRA). These organizations were formed in order to prepare secret armies, instigate revolt, gather intelligence and disrupt and destroy Nazi initiatives and equipment via less traditionally employed military means. The SOE was a British organization that was separate from intelligence organizations MI 6 and MI 9 and worked specifically with the resistance in France. The BCRA was a Free French intelligence agency based out of London. The Military Intelligence Service (MIS-X) was a United States Intelligence organization formed to assist evaders and prisoners of war. The MIS-X subseries primarily contains government documents pertaining to strategies and actions of the organization during World War II. The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) subseries trace the history of those organizations and their functioning during World War II. The OSS was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. Over half of the OSS subseries consists of National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) documents, and the other half consists of articles, book excerpts, pamphlets, government documents and other research material, all pertaining to OSS actions during World War II and the transition of the OSS into the CIA. The CIA being the current manifestation of the OSS, the CIA subseries is divided between government documents provided by the CIA pertaining to OSS actions during World War II, articles about the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Rossiter's FOIA requests for information from the CIA. The Military Archives Division is part of NARA and this subseries documents Rossiter's correspondence and phone conversations with John Taylor, an archivist there. Taylor assisted Rossiter with locating documents for Women in the Resistance and also put her in contact with government people who were involved in the French resistance. The Women in the Military subseries provides readings, pamphlets and government documents relating to the roles of women in the British and United States military during World War II.

The Resistance series consists of about half a linear foot. It contains NARA documents, articles, maps, book excerpts and information about books related to the contribution of resistance groups to Allied Forces military initiatives and the women involved. It also contains specific information on the Comité d'Oeuvres Sociales de la Résistance (COSOR) which was created by the Algiers government to provide social services to resistance groups, as well as information on military decorations awarded to members of the resistance and timelines of events.

The General History (France- World War II) series consists of three folders containing government documents, Rossiter's notes, ephemera and book excerpts relating to the religious and governmental environment in France during World War II. The materials relate particularly to Protestantism, Catholicism and deportation and internment.

The Ephemera series consists of twelve folders. It contains artifacts such as brochures, newsletters and articles that pertain to organizations, events and memorials commemorating the French resistance.

The Drafts series is a little over half a linear foot and is made up of drafts of sections of Women in the Resistance and research materials, including articles and book excerpts, related to those sections. The chapter order and contents do not necessarily reflect those of the final version of the book. Because the majority of the collection consists of research materials Rossiter used in writing the book, the research materials in this series do not appear to be the only sources Rossiter used for the drafts with which they are included, but reflect the original order of the materials as they were donated.

The Publication and Distribution series consists of fifteen folders containing writing guidelines, correspondence and articles and excerpts about how to get published as well as correspondence with editors and potential publishers. The materials include some photographs, and related permissions, that were included in the book, reviews of Women in the Resistance and correspondence and documents relating specifically to Rossiter's relationship and negotiations with University of Michigan Press, Yale University Press and finally Praeger Publishers.

The Other Research series consists of roughly half a linear foot. It contains reprints and drafts of Rossiter's works other than Women in the Resistance and research materials on what appear to be additional academic, political and personal topics. Rossiter researched the history of women in Europe and the United States and the History of Women subseries contains related pamphlets, articles, book excerpts and essays as well as a selected bibliography, Rossiter's notes and newsletters from feminist organizations. She also followed the Klaus Barbie trial and the Klaus Barbie subseries contains relevant articles. Her political interests appear to have included U.S. government involvement in Iran, Libya and Nicaragua in the 1980s. The Political subseries contains articles about the government's involvement as well as Rossiter's letters protesting the government's actions in these regions to government officials and members of the media. Rossiter may have done some research towards her personal travel as this series also contains a few articles and pamphlets on travel in France, Michigan, New Zealand and Tahiti contained in the Travel subseries.

The Audiovisual Materials series consists of one linear foot of audio tapes and a folder of note cards. Some tapes are not labeled or are only partially labeled and the contents are yet to be determined. The labeled tapes contain interviews, lectures, conferences and talks primarily about the French resistance but contain some information relevant to Rossiter's other research on women's studies and Libya as described above. The interviews are with evaders, resistance members, professors and other people particularly knowledgeable about the French resistance. These interviews were performed by Rossiter or her assistants or recorded from television. The note cards give descriptions of the audio cassettes' contents but the numbering on the cards does not match the numbering on the cassette labels. The content of the cassettes as indicated on the cards does reflect the content as indicated on the cassette labels but in a different order.

Collection

Women in Science and Engineering Program (University of Michigan) records, 1974-2023, undated

11.3 linear feet — 62.5 GB (online) — 1 archived website

Online
Established in 1980 as part of the Center for Continuing Education of Women (now CEW+), the Women in Science and Engineering Program (WISE) has sought to increase the number of women who major in and seek advanced degrees in mathematics, science and technical fields. WISE has offered internships, resource guides, programming, and the Warner-Lambert lecture series towards this goal. In addition to supporting women at the collegiate level, WISE offers a variety of K-12 programs for students of any gender identity, although they are primarily aimed at women and girls. Records include correspondence and reports; physical and digital materials related to programming efforts, including the Warner-Lambert lecture series and Girls in Science and Engineering summer camp; funding proposals; research papers and talks by WISE staff members; and clippings and documents related to the establishment of WISE. Planning files for the Girls and Science and Technology (GASAT) IV Conference 1987, digital transcripts and recordings from an oral history project that sought to preserve the history of University of Michigan alumnae in the sciences and engineering, and material related to Smartgirl.com as well as the Women in Engineering Office are also included.

The WISE records (11.3 linear feet and digital files (online)) reflect the changing approaches that WISE took to encourage and support women in the sciences and engineering, as well as the changing organizational structure of the program. Specific formats include correspondence, digital photographs and videos, grant applications and program proposals, oral histories, research studies and talks, publications, reports, web archives, and background material on women and sciences at the University of Michigan. Prominently represented in the collection are WISE's various programming efforts, the Women's History in Michigan Science and Engineering Oral History Project, and the Women in Engineering Office (WIE).

Collection

Women in Michigan Web Archive, 2010-2014

6 archived websites (online; multiple captures)

Online
Web collection of websites created by various women and women's organizations in the State of Michigan, archived by the Bentley Historical Library using the California Digital Library Web Archiving Service crawler from 2010-2015 and the Archive-It web archiving service beginning in 2015.

The Web Archive of Women in Michigan collection contains archived websites created by various women's groups and individual women of the State of Michigan. The websites have been archived by the Bentley Historical Library, using the California Digital Library Web Archiving Service crawler from 2010-2015 and the Archive-It web archiving service beginning in 2015. Access to all websites archived by the Bentley Historical Library is available at: https://archive-it.org/organizations/934.

Web Archives include websites of women's civil and religious organizations created by and for women and Michigan women public leaders, and home. The collection documents the accomplishments, activities, and initiatives of women in the State of Michigan.

The year that appears next to the website title in the contents list indicates the date that the website was first archived. Archived versions of the site from later dates may also be available.

Collection

Women in Engineering Office (University of Michigan) records, 1990-2000

1 linear foot

Office within the College of Engineering devoted to providing services and resources to support women in engineering programs. Include topical files on issues facing women engineers, projects and programs supported by the office such as the Marian Sarah Parker Scholarship program, workshop material and documentation from the Graduate Experience Project. Some scattered photographs are also included.

The WIE records document the programs that the office supported and helped to organize. The records include topical files on issues facing women engineers, projects and programs supported by the office such as the Marian Sarah Parker Scholarship program, workshop material and documentation from the Graduate Experience Project. Some scattered photographs are also included. The records (1 linear foot) date from 1990-2000 and are arranged in two series: Programming and Topical Files.

Collection

Women, Gender, and Family collection, 1678-1996 (majority within 1800-1906)

0.5 linear feet

The Women, Gender, and Family collection contains miscellaneous individual items relating to women, gender, and family primarily in America, between 1678 and 1996.

The Women, Gender, and Family collection contains miscellaneous items relating to women, gender, and family between 1678 and 1996. The bulk of the collection ranges in from 1800 to the early 20th century and is geographically focused on the United States of America. Topics include marriage and divorce, childrearing and motherhood, household management, and consensual and coerced sex. Other areas of interest cover women’s various forms of labor, legal restitution for paternity suits and financial support, and education for women and children. While not as heavily represented, multiple items detail women's engagement in politics, slavery and abolition, and women's rights.

Collection

Women for Survival of Agriculture in Michigan records, 1971-1986

0.3 linear feet

Organization of Michigan family farm wives created in 1971. History and general organizational materials; papers relating to the informational unit of the organization, the American Agri-Women, and the national movement of family farm wives; related printed materials; and photographs.

The record group consists of historical background and general organizational materials; papers relating to the informational unit of the organization, the American Agri-Women, and the national movement of family farm wives. There are also some related printed materials and photographs.

Collection

Woman’s Study Club of Ypsilanti records, 1897-1999

5 linear feet

Originally formed as auxiliary to Ladies Literary Club. Minutes, scrapbooks, program books, and other organizational materials.

The records of the Woman's Study Club of Ypsilanti include a history of the organization written in 1980, minute books of the organization, programs, membership materials, and scrapbooks of club activities.

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.

Collection

Woman's Hunting and Camping photograph album, [1890s?]

1 volume

The Woman's Hunting and Camping photograph album contains pictures taken during a camping trip in upstate New York and exterior views of homes and municipal buildings in western Massachusetts. Many of the camping pictures feature women.

The Woman's Hunting and Camping photograph album (34cm x 25cm) contains 68 photographs taken in upstate New York and western Massachusetts around the turn of the 20th century. The green cloth cover has the words "Colgate & Co's Toilet Soaps and Perfumery" on the front in thin gold letters. Most of the photographs, which are pasted three to a page, have brief captions.

The first group of photographs pertains to a camping trip around Lewey Lake, Mason Lake, and Indian Lake in northern New York, including many views of woodland scenery and pictures of male and female campers. People are shown carrying and paddling in canoes, relaxing and posing around log cabins and campsites, and riding in open horse-drawn carts. The album includes two portraits of a woman dressed in a hunting outfit posing with a rifle and a portrait of a baby taken on his or her first birthday. One group of pictures concerns a logging camp and loggers. The final pages contain photographs of homes and other buildings in Hatfield, Northampton, Amherst, and Hadley, Massachusetts, including the compiler's girlhood home, a mill, the Northampton library, and the municipal halls of Northampton and Amherst. People can be seen relaxing in front of some of the dwellings.

Collection

Woman's Cuba Travel diary, 1854-1855

1 volume

An unnamed woman kept this diary, documenting her sojourn to Cuba from October 1854 to April 1855. She traveled with members of her family, including "Uncle M" (likely Montgomery Livingston), Margaret (possibly Margaret M. Tillotson), Mary, and a servant Bridget. Staying primarily in Havana and Güines, the writer described Cuban vegetation, religious and social practices of white and Black residents, cuisine and dress, military and political figures, enslaved laborers and hired servants, sugar, tobacco, and coffee plantations, and other international travelers.

An unnamed woman kept this diary, documenting her sojourn to Cuba from October 1854 to April 1855 with members of her family, including "Uncle M" (likely Montgomery Livingston), Margaret (possibly Margaret M. Tillotson), Mary, and a servant Bridget. Staying primarily in Havana and Güines, the writer described Cuban vegetation, religious and social practices of white and Black residents, cuisine and dress, military and political figures, enslaved laborers and hired servants, sugar, tobacco, and coffee plantations, and other international travelers.

The party travelled from New York aboard the steamboat Black Warrior, captained by James D. Bulloch, in October 1854. The diarist described their voyage, other passengers, and their arrival in Cuba. Because the captain and vessel had been embroiled in an international conflict earlier in the year, Cuban authorities scrutinized the Black Warrior upon their arrival in Havana. While staying at a boarding house in Havana, the writer described the city, food, merchants, residents and their fashion, and the presence of enslaved people.

Upon leaving the city, they took up residence in Güines. Frequently exploring the area by horseback, the writer detailed local vegetation, produce, and crops, while also noting the social and religious life of the community. She commented occasionally on books she was reading, and she wrote of the people she encountered, such as local vendors, enslaved people, other Americans, or the poor (see November 28, 1854). She provided commentary on practices like smoking, culinary dishes, music, and balls. Marginal figures are also remarked upon, including an American woman living under the protection of the Jesuits who was being pursued by her ex-husband seeking custody of their children (see December 1, 1854; December 6, 1854; December 18, 1854).

The writer regularly remarked on enslaved and free people of color and their activities, including their participation in Mass and religious holidays, such as Epiphany / El Dia de los Reyes (January 6, 1855). She noted their presence at balls, their relationships with their children, work as vendors, and labor on plantations and in the town. She visited a number of plantations and wrote of their crops, buildings, operations, and enslaved laborers. Several times, she noted violence against enslaved people, including evidence of beatings and punishments (December 1, 1854; December 2, 1854; December 16, 1854; January 22, 1855). On another occasion, she witnessed a two-year-old boy sold separately from his mother, and wrote about their distress (March 13, 1855). The writer also made at least two references to Chinese laborers (October 31, 1854, and November 25, 1854). The family hired several servants during their stay in Cuba, and the writer periodically remarked on their displeasure with them and their dismissal.

The diarist commented on military troops and government officials in the region. Several entries pertain to the "Lopez Expedition" and its aftermath, referring to American-backed efforts by Narcisco López to liberate Cuba from Spanish rule several years earlier (October 16, 1854; November 19, 1854; December 19, 1854). She wrote about orders by José Gutiérrez de la Concha to inquire into residents' "character" and take up any of ill repute (seemingly targeting Black populations), and attendant police presence (November 25, 1854; December 3, 1854; December 4, 1854; December 11, 1854; December 13, 1854; January 23, 1855; March 1, 1855). She noted the uniforms of the "gens d'armes" and their participation in Mass. The diary includes occasional remarks about the local jail.

The family made occasional trips to Havana for shopping and made a brief visit to Matanzas in February 1855, where they met with the American consul who was working to protect American sailors (February 7, 1855). The diary ends on April 15, 1855, as the family prepared to depart for Havana to return to the United States.

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 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, 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

Wolf family photograph albums, [1880s]-1906

2 volumes

The Wolf family photograph albums contain cabinet card and carte-de-visite portraits of numerous men, women, and children. Most of the photographs were taken in Indianapolis and various small towns in central Indiana.

Together, the Wolf family photograph albums contain 61 portraits taken in Indianapolis, Indiana, and other central Indiana locales around the late 19th century. Volume 1 (26cm x 21cm) contains 45 items in sleeves and 6 loose items; Volume 2 (20cm x 15cm) contains 7 items in sleeves and 3 loose items, as well as three paper cutouts in the shape of hatchets related to the annual celebration of George Washington's birthday. Most items are cartes-de-visite and cabinet cards, though tintypes, other card photographs, and unmounted prints are also present. The first volume also has a small plate containing the names of George McGaughey, Sallie McGaughey, Jesse McGaughey, and Mrs. Minnie Wolf.

The majority of the photographs are studio portraits of men, women, and children. Some members of the Hill, Wolf, and McGaughey families are identified by captions written on the album pages or directly on the photographs. A picture of Jacob Grove Wolf is accompanied by part of a newspaper obituary regarding his death. Henry G. Wolf, Jr., posed near a large waterfall, possibly at Niagara Falls. Volume 1 has a hard leather cover with a slightly raised decorative design, including a small rope culminating in a tassel. Volume 2 has a hard white cover with a raised, painted floral design.

Collection

Wolcott P. Marsh family papers, 1844-1876 (majority within 1855-1863)

15 items

The Wolcott P. Marsh family papers contain the correspondence of several members of the Marsh family, between 1844 and 1876, with approximately half of the letters written by Wolcott P. Marsh. They document Marsh family news, business, Civil War service, and religious thought.

The Wolcott P. Marsh family papers are comprised of 13 letters and two miscellaneous envelopes, dating from 1844-1876. Wolcott P. Marsh, a merchant and Civil War captain, wrote seven of the letters, beginning with a letter concerning travel between several mid-Atlantic cities, written on September 21, 1855. On August 10, 1863, Marsh wrote to a cousin from camp at Fredericksburg, Virginia, and described the geography and residents of Fredericksburg. The remainder of his letters shed light on such topics as his support of Lincoln and his business ventures.

Marsh’s relatives wrote an additional six letters, some of which relate the growth of Battle Creek, Michigan (August 17, 1844), and Brooklyn, New York (December 26, 1847: “This village grows larger than it did when you visited. You will be surprised to see many buildings.”), as well as family news and religious advice.

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

W. L. Cummings collection, 1906-1941 (majority within 1906-1928)

0.5 linear feet

This collection is made up of correspondence, scrapbooks, and advertisements related to W. L. Cummings, who was a doctor in Syracuse, New York, during the early 20th century. The material largely pertains to traveling doctors and patent medicines.

This collection (0.5 linear feet) is made up of correspondence, scrapbooks, and advertisements related to W. L. Cummings, who was a doctor in Syracuse, New York, during the early 20th century. The material largely pertains to traveling doctors and patent medicines.

The Correspondence series contains 10 letters that W. L. Cummings received from September 16, 1912-August 31, 1928, and on January 22, 1941. Trevey Slack, a traveling doctor, wrote 6 letters to Cummings from September 16, 1912-May 26, 1913. He described his experiences in Wisconsin, Indiana, and Missouri, and provided information on medical treatments, other traveling doctors, and the medical profession. In his letter of November 25, 1912, he commented on doctors who put on vaudeville performances. Other letters include formulas for a liniment and a stomach remedy (March 22, 1918, and January 22, 1941).

The Speeches series includes 2 speech drafts concerning the effectiveness of patent medicine and a medicine called "Sangvine."

Cummings's 1905 Account Book contains dated records of his income and expenses.

Two Scrapbooks contain recipes, printed advertisements, newspaper clippings, labels, and other items related to medical ailments and treatments, medicines, and household products. The first scrapbook (144 pages), dated November 5, 1914, includes items from and related to A. W. Lithgow, such as recipes for medicinal formulas and household cleaners, as well as a "pedler's license" issued to Lithgow by the city of Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The second scrapbook (approximately 40 pages) contains printed items related to medicines and household cleaners.

The Printed Items series (36 items) includes advertisements for medicines and related products. Some items are mounted on cards with other advertisements. Broadsides, notices, and other items relate to medical remedies and patent medicines, including an advertisement for "Perfecto Hair Tonic and Dandruff Remover" produced by W. L. Cummings in Unadilla Forks, New York. Also present are blank contract forms for potential distributors of products of the Cooperative Chemical Company. Other material pertains to vaudeville performances, life insurance, and a contest. The Pamphlets subseries (15 items) contains 4 pamphlets that Cummings wrote from 1910-1925: 3 about household formulas, and 1entitled "The Pathway to Prosperity." This subseries also includes pamphlets about patent medicines and women's diseases, as well as Lydia E. Pinkham's "Letters to a Young Housewife."

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

Wissahickon Paper Mill papers, 1844-1845

7 items

This collection contains 2 letters and 5 documents concerning the operation of a paper mill on Wissahickon Creek near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1844 and 1845. These include an indenture for the property, financial records and receipts, and correspondence regarding the mill's output and potential technical improvements.

This collection contains 2 letters and 5 documents concerning the operation of a paper mill on Wissahickon Creek near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1844 and 1845. These include an indenture for the property, financial records and receipts, and correspondence regarding the mill's output and potential technical improvements.

Among the financial records are a handwritten receipt between George Weiss and the Bank of Germantown for equipment (March 25, 1844) and the report of a committee assigned to sell equipment left over from the grist mill that once occupied the property (March 25, 1844). Two items relate to a contract between H. H. Bottom & Company and William Sherer concerning improvements to be made to the facility: the original agreement between the parties includes a list of materials to be furnished by the company (February 17, 1844), and a later document relates the findings of a group assigned to arbitrate a disagreement over the refitting of the mill (January 6, 1845). The remaining 3 items concern Charles Magarge and the paper mill's ownership and operation. These are a brief letter Magarge wrote to Samuel Harvey, the Bank of Germantown's president, in which he reported the mill's production figures between November 1844 and February 1845 (March 8, 1845); the indenture in which the Bank of Germantown agreed to lease the mill and surrounding property to Magarge and to Edwin R. Cope of the Philadelphia Paper Manufacturers and Dealers (July 22, 1845); and an undated letter from John H. Caulking to Charles Magarge regarding the dimensions of a water wheel to power the mill's engines, based on Caulking's recent observations of a mill at Trenton, New Jersey.

Collection

Wise Township (Isabella County, Michigan) Township Records, 1898-1939

.5 cubic feet (in 1 box)

The records consist of photocopies of legal-sized mortgages, insurance policies, tax receipts, blueprints, oaths and bonds, notices of candidates and meetings, petitions, school district records, and miscellaneous.

The records consist of photocopies of mortgages, insurance policies, tax receipts, blueprints, oaths and bonds, notices of candidates and meetings, petitions, school district records, and miscellaneous.

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

Wisconsin and Minnesota Friendship Photograph Album, ca. 1910s-1918

approximately 245 photographs in 1 album

The Wisconsin and Minnesota friendship photograph album contains approximately 245 photographs documenting a friend group of young women.

The Wisconsin and Minnesota friendship photograph album contains approximately 245 photographs documenting a friend group of young women.

The album (18 x 29.5 cm) has black cloth covers and black paper pages. Contents generally progress chronologically starting from the 1910s while the friend group appears to be in college before documenting their lives once they get married and start having families. Numerous images have witty captions, likely referencing inside jokes. Photographs primarily consist of individual and group portraits showing the women partaking in various activities including striking comical poses together, attending costume and fraternity parties, holding picnics, and going on various other adventures. Also present are views of the University of Wisconsin-Stout in Menominee, Wisconsin, Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and Loring Park in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Halfway through the album begins to document members of the friend group getting married and starting families of their own, with photographs mainly depicting young children, homes, and group vacations including a trip to Salt Lake City, Utah. The last few pages also include images of a World War I-era soldier and nurses with facemasks (possibly indicating involvement with treating Spanish influenza victims).

Photographs showing instances of blackface and other racially insensitive costumes are present.

Collection

Winston Churchill collection, 1889-1965

11 items

The Winston Churchill collection contains 11 items related to various aspects of Churchill's life, written by Churchill, his wife, and their acquaintances. Of particular interest are Churchill's annotated notes for a speech he delivered at the University of Miami's commencement ceremonies on February 26, 1946. In his speech, Churchill discussed U.S.-British cooperation during World War II, the importance of secondary education, and the education of servicemen returning from the war.

The Winston Churchill collection contains 11 items related to various aspects of Churchill's life, written by Churchill, his wife, and a few of their acquaintances. The earliest item in the collection is a letter by Churchill's father, Randolph Spencer Churchill, relating to a request for a speech (July 11, 1889). The remainder of the items deal directly with Winston Churchill's life, including a letter written by Churchill to James B. Pond about Churchill's anticipated visit to North America in 1900 (September 11, 1900). Other material pertains to political and personal affairs, including two letters regarding historic plates sent to the Churchill family. Churchill's typed notes, with manuscript annotations, used for a commencement address he made at Miami University on February 26, 1946, concerning the U.S.-British cooperation during World War II, the importance of secondary education, and the education of servicemen returning from the war. Other items related to Churchill's activities in Miami include a printed copy of his address and two photographs of Churchill during the event. Also of interest is a letter written by architect Leo Sylvester Sullivan, who attended school with Churchill in the early 1900s. Sullivan recalled Churchill's extensive oral preparations, and remembered, "Every stuttering sentence was repeated over & over again & was altered to avoid the stutter" (July 6, 1956). The collection includes a copy of The New York Times from January 25, 1965, with two copies of a Special Supplement regarding the life and death of Winston Churchill. See the box and folder listing below for a detailed inventory of the collection.

Collection

Winnie Ruth Judd papers, 1931-1933

0.25 linear feet

This collection is made up of correspondence, legal documents, and newspaper clippings related to Winnie Ruth Judd and George W. Stephens. Judd was sentenced to death after being found guilty of the murder of her friend and roommate Agnes LeRoi, but avoided capital punishment after being declared insane at a later trial. The focus of the collection is on Judd's mental health and her second trial.

The Correspondence series consists of incoming and outgoing letters of George W. Stephens (24) and Winnie Ruth Judd (5). Stephens, superintendent of the Arizona State Hospital, sent and received 24 letters in the early 1930s. On June 13 and November 4, 1931, he wrote to George S. Adams of Yorkton State Hospital in South Dakota, discussing his salary, hospital funding, and his involvement as a witness in a murder trial. The remaining items are letters that Stephens received from various correspondents about his involvement with the Judd trial and his work at the hospital. Some criticized Stephens for testifying on behalf of Judd at her insanity trial and otherwise discussed the mental health aspects of the case. One correspondent suggested that exposure to aluminum had contributed to Judd's insanity (February 10, 1932), and a longtime acquaintance of the Judd family suggested that Winnie had always been slightly unstable (April 15, 1933). Additional items include a lengthy letter from Juanita Rose Baker, possibly a patient at the Napa State Hospital in Imola, California (January 30, 1932), and an open letter from H. C. Reichenbach of Detroit, Michigan, to the "Supreme Justice" about the religious aspects of capital punishment (April 16-17, 1933).

Winnie Ruth Judd wrote letters to George W. Stephens on October 17 and December 30, 1932. She complained of her poor treatment by "Dr. Stewart," including her imprisonment in a "death cell" where she could hear executions, and thanked Stephens for his assistance in her case. In letters to H. Richardson (October 26, 1932) and her husband, William C. Judd ([December 7, 1932]), she discussed her many health problems and related treatments. Judd received an unsigned letter of support dated December 12, 1932.

The Legal Documents series (13 items) contains materials related to Winnie Ruth Judd's physical and mental health around the time of her murder and insanity trials. Some items mention family members' own mental health issues. Items include a judge's decision regarding Judd's initial appeal of her conviction and sentence (December 12, 1932), and undated transcripts of testimonies by Dr. H. E. Pinkerton and George W. Stephens, both of whom believed that Judd suffered from dementia praecox.

The Newspaper Clippings and Other Printed Items series (37 items) is made up of articles related to the murders of Agnes LeRoi and Hedvig Samuelson and to Winnie Ruth Judd's trials. The materials cover several aspects of the case, including initial reports of the murders, lawyers and other legal personnel involved in Judd's trials, and trial proceedings and judgments. Some materials concern Jack Halloran, a Phoenix businessman and acquaintance of the three women who may have been involved in the murders. Included is Burton McKinnell's printed defense of his sister, entitled "The Truth About Winnie Ruth Judd."

The Photograph is a studio portrait of a young boy.

Collection

Winifred Hunt collection, 1943-1945

20 items

This collection is made up of letters received by Winifred Hunt of Blair, Oklahoma, during World War II. Calvin C. Farmer, Winifred's boyfriend, wrote about his experiences in the navy and about their relationship.

This collection is made up of 20 letters received by Winifred Hunt of Blair, Oklahoma, during World War II. Winifred's boyfriend, Calvin C. Farmer, wrote 16 letters from the Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois; the Naval Personnel Distribution Center in Pleasanton, California; and ports such as San Francisco and New Orleans. He often discussed their relationship, apologized for spending time with another woman (February 7, 1943), and anticipated their marriage and wedding night (December 10, 1944). Some of Farmer's letters pertain to his life in the navy, and 4 include humorous and patriotic printed illustrations. Hunt's other correspondents included J. Hutchins at Camp Hood, Texas; a writer who signed himself "J. J."; and a man named "Bobby" at the U.S. Naval Hospital in San Diego, California. Bobby's letter concerns recent marriages in Blair, Oklahoma, and his own secret marriage.

Collection

Winifred B. Shaw correspondence, 1916-1918

7 items

This collection is made up of letters that a soldier named Jody sent to Winifred B. Shaw of Fishers Island, New York, while serving with the United States Army in Hawaii from 1916-1918. Jody described Honolulu's Chinese and Japanese residents, discussed his leisure activities, and commented on his friendships.

This collection is made up of 7 letters that a soldier named "Jody" sent to Winifred B. Shaw of Fishers Island, New York, while serving with the United States Army in Hawaii. Jody wrote 3 letters from Fort De Russy between January 14, 1916, and October 15, 1916. He described Honolulu's Chinese and Japanese districts in detail, commenting on the city's Asian residents, Asian shops, and his visit to a Japanese tea house with other soldiers. He described a military march and discussed his leisure activities, which included swimming and a trip on an outrigger canoe. His letter of September 5, 1916, contains diagrams of an outrigger canoe and a surfboard, as well as a small cartoon of an outrigger canoe riding a wave. His letter of October 15, 1916, includes drawings of an obi, a shamisen, and a bachi. Jody's final 4 letters, written from Fort Ruger, Hawaii, between December 8, 1917, and June 9, 1918, largely pertain to social activities with friends and romantic interest in a woman named Hazel. His letter of June 9, 1918, includes a copied poem, "Afterward" by Channing Pollock. A brief parody newsletter, "The Tropic Scandal," with a misspelled letter purportedly written by a soldier serving in the trenches in Europe, is enclosed in his letter of December 8, 1917.

Collection

Wingfield Watson Collection, 1868, 1982, and undated

2 cubic feet (in 2 boxes)

Papers include copies and transcriptions of correspondence, articles, and biographical materials. Note: A users copy is available for researchers to use.

The collection consists of photocopies and transcriptions of correspondence to and from Watson, copies of articles he wrote and published, copies of Strangite Mormon articles he reprinted, and copies of his biographical information.

Some correspondence is with family and friends, including his daughter, Grace, and his grandchildren. Other correspondence is with two of Strang’s widows, Betsy (Elizabeth) and Elvira and three of Strang’s sons, Charles J., Gabriel, and Clement J. Strang. There is also correspondence with major Strangite Mormons, such as Lorenzo Dow (L. D.) Hickey, publisher Edward Couch, and Joseph Smith III, leader of the Reorganized Church. The correspondence mainly discusses Strangite beliefs, activities, and history.

For further information see related collections such as Lorenzo D. Hickey Papers, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Strangite) Collection and Miscellaneous collection, or numerous books on Mormons and Strangites at the Clarke Historical Library.

Note: A users copy is available for researchers to use.

Collection

Winfield Scott collection, 1809-1862

99 items

A miscellaneous collection of letters and documents by or relating to Winfield Scott, 1818-1862.

The Winfield Scott collection is a miscellaneous collection of letters and documents written by or related to Scott, spanning 1818-1862. The items cover much of Scott's long military career, including his involvement in the War of 1812, the Second Seminole War, the Anglo-American dispute over the Canadian border, the Mexican-American War, and to a lesser extent, the Civil War. Also present are letters documenting Scott's ideas concerning politics, temperance, army discipline, and his presidential ambitions.

The earliest material in the collection primarily pertains to the War of 1812 and includes a warrant issued by Scott to pay the Seneca Turnpike for toll charges incurred by troops (October 25, 1813) and a note with a brief discussion of supply abuses in the Army (May 27, 1814). In the note Scott wrote, "The expenditures of the war have already been four times greater than they should have been." Somewhat later items include a prolonged discussion of army rank (January 19, 1826), and Scott's observations on the conduct of Col. George Croghan: "I heard of his having drawn a prize; of his being drunk in the street--scattering money to the crowd &c &c. On Saturday he was seen dead drunk in a hackney coach driving up Broadway" (October 4, 1830). Also present is a recommendation of Brevet Major Mann Page Lomax to Secretary of War Lewis Cass (January 21, 1832).

Several items of interest in the collection relate to military actions against Native Americans. On June 22, 1832, Scott wrote to William J. Worth explaining that he was en route to Chicago, where he was to assume command of the army in the Black Hawk War. The letter also includes a discussion of securing supplies from Watervliet, New York (June 22, 1832). In another item, Scott wrote from the headquarters of the Army of the South at Columbus, Georgia, calling for two regiments to be placed under his command for three months "to act against the Seminole Indians in Florida." He also noted that he would be at Picolata, Florida, by February 10, and would confer with William Schley about the Creeks at the borders of Georgia, whom he considered "unquiet, if not in a state of hostility" (January 31, 1836). A letter of June 17, 1836, also concerns the Second Seminole War, particularly regarding general strategy and the logistics of equipping the Georgia Volunteers with rifles (June 17, 1836).

A handful of letters concerns Scott's presidential ambitions and his thoughts on political matters. In a letter of November 16, 1839, he wrote of his desire to be the Whig nominee for president, debated whether to claim Virginia or New Jersey as his home, and noted that he had support in Ohio and Michigan. In other letters, he discussed several prominent Whigs and their politics, his "agitated" reaction to election results (October 12, 1844), and his tactics for gaining the presidential nomination of his party. On the last subject, he noted his attempts to silently bide his time and "become as perfect a non-entity as my best advisors can wish" (June 28, 1845). Other letters reveal Scott's efforts to gather intelligence concerning "Canadian patriots," (July 8, 1841) and his views that a "humble Tract" that he wrote about the abuses of alcohol "led to the formation of the early temperance societies, under pledges to abstain from the use of all intoxicating drinks" (February 17, 1842). However, Scott did not shun all alcoholic beverages, and several items document his wine orders (November 15, 1844; October 29, 1847).

The collection closes with a few items related to the Mexican-American War and the Civil War. Items concerning the former conflict include Scott's orders to Brigadier General John Anthony Quitman (May 6, 1847) and a discussion by Brigadier General David Emanuel Twiggs of the scarcity of water and shelter for troops under him (September 23, 1847). Also of interest is Scott's statement that he had "no expectation of a change of feeling on the part of Mexico in favour of peace until we shall have taken Vera Cruz harbour & have the Capitol in extreme peril of capture" (November 30, 1846). Several items relate to the Civil War, including a memorandum entitled "Views," which Scott wrote in 1860 concerning the threat of southern secession and future divisions within the United States (October 29, 1860). He also noted, "From a knowledge of our southern population, it is my solemn conviction that there is some danger of an early act of rashness, preliminary to secession." In a letter dated May 17, 1862, Scott revealed his deeply optimistic view that the war would end soon: "Thank God this unnatural Rebellion is likely to be crushed & terminated in a few weeks, perhaps days."

The Printed Items series (1 item) includes Memoir of General Scott, From Records Cotemporaneous with the Events. (Washington: C. Alexander, 1852).

Collection

Windsor (Vt.) barter records, 1846-1848

1 volume

This volume is made up of barter records kept by "G.W." for a store in the Windsor, Vermont, area. The writer recorded the names of people, the goods they received from the store, and the goods they used to trade for them. The store sold dishes, looking glasses, foodstuffs (molasses, salt, sugar, tea, ginger, crackers, fish, rum, rice, candy, saleratus, raisins, etc.), opium, cloth, clothing, tobacco, snuff, oil, combs, ink, writing utensils, paper, and other goods. In return, customers traded butter, eggs, rags, wood, corn, apples, chickens, cheese, maple sugar, oats, and other items.

This volume is made up of barter records kept by "G.W." for a store in the Windsor, Vermont, area. The writer recorded the names of people, the goods they received from the store, and the goods they used to trade for them. The store sold dishes, looking glasses, foodstuffs (molasses, salt, sugar, tea, ginger, crackers, fish, rum, rice, candy, saleratus, raisins, etc.), opium, cloth, clothing, tobacco, snuff, oil, combs, ink, writing utensils, paper, and other goods. In return, customers traded butter, eggs, rags, wood, corn, apples, chickens, cheese, maple sugar, oats, and other items.

Collection

Winchester family papers, 1799-1847 (majority within 1810-1818)

18 items

The Winchester family papers contain correspondence and one document related to the family of John and Nancy Winchester of Groton, Connecticut. Their son William, a sailor during and after the War of 1812, wrote most of the letters.

The Winchester family papers contain correspondence and one document related to the family of John and Nancy Winchester of Groton, Connecticut. Their son William, a sailor during and after the War of 1812, wrote most of the letters. In his brief letters to his mother Nancy, William reported on his health and recent assignments and voyages, and requested news of his brothers and of life at home. He composed several of the letters while serving in the Navy during the War of 1812. In one letter, he reported having heard the news of the death of one of his brothers, and implored his mother to tell him which brother had died (May 11, 1814); most likely Elias. Other letters in the collection include correspondence from William's brothers, John and Alden, who, like William, gave their mother brief updates on their own travels at sea and of their employment, In her letter of February 18, 1814, Nancy sent news about the ill health of Elias. Also of interest within the collection is the official discharge form relieving the senior John Winchester from duty as a drummer in the Second Regiment of Artillery and Engineers, signed by Secretary of War James McHenry (November 30, 1799).