Collections

Correspondence, manuscripts, A/V materials, journals, artwork, and realia from the life and works of Postbeat poet Jim Cohn.

The correspondence series is made up of letters Cohn sent and received throughout his career. Cohn sorted the correspondence according to the person he was corresponding with, making special room for his two primary correspondents, fellow poets David Cope and Randy Roark.

The ASL Poetry and Poetics, Beat and Postbeat Studies, and Disability series contain records of Cohn's research, writings, and work related to each subject. Similarly, the Research Notebooks contain materials related to Cohn's archival research about poets Paul Blackburn and Ezra Pound.

The Audio Files and Books in Print files series are papers relating to Cohn's recordings and publications, respectively. Related A/V materials were placed in the A/V series, while published books were separated for cataloging.

The Education, Juvenilia, and Photographs series contain papers, photography, and artifacts from Cohn's personal life from childhood through the 2000s.

The Editor/Co-editor and Publisher series consist of magazines that Cohn helped edit or publish, as well as files related to the same.

The Manuscripts series contains Cohn's manuscripts, organized by genre.

Fine Arts includes two of Cohn's art projects, making paper and printing poetry on Tibetan prayer flags.

The Promotional Materials series includes papers relating to Cohn's public career and self-promotion, as well as performance reviews from a former job. The Interviews series contains both interviews of Cohn and interviews with other poets conducted by Cohn.

The Teaching Guides series are papers related to poetry workshops Cohn has taught.

The Museum of American Poetics series consists of printouts of various sections and updates to the website over the years.

Finally, the A/V materials series largely consists of CD and tape recordings of Cohn's spoken word music poetry. Also included are CD backups of the MAP website, recordings of Allen Ginsberg, and Ann Waldman's 2003 film, "Makeup on Empty Space." Please reach out to the Special Collections Research Center for information about accessing these materials.

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

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

The collection, 1917, 2011 and undated, includes materials created by Hughes documenting his life and radio career, as well as material he collected on topics of interest to him, such as radio and aspects of Michigan history. Of particular note are materials documenting his correspondence and subsequent citations in newspaper articles about his SQL with Jonestown, Guyana.

The collection, 1917, 2011 and undated, includes materials created by Hughes documenting his life and radio career, as well as material he collected on topics of interest to him, such as radio and aspects of Michigan history. Of particular note are materials documenting his correspondence and subsequent citations in newspaper articles about his SQL with Jonestown, Guyana, in August-September 1978.

Materials documenting Hughes’ life include biographical materials (obituaries), his communication with Michigan radio stations, his funeral visitors book, honors, correspondence and some (not general tourism) materials of the Grand Hotel (Mackinac Island, Mich.), communications with his niece, Pat Potter, photographs, plaques, radio scripts, reports (his on cassette), and his World War II service medals and photograph. Oversized materials include biographical and legal materials, and honors (certificates).

Michigan historical materials include: general Michigan history materials, placemats, and postcards, a compilation of police badges, and photographs of Mount Pleasant Schools. The photographs include: Old Kinney School, second grade, 1917-1918, Miss Carey, teacher; Mount Pleasant High School, 6th grade, 1921-1922, Miss May O’Hara, teacher; and the Mount Pleasant High School Golf Team, 1950. Some of the people in these photographs are identified. Also included is his official letter donating centennial newspaper editions to the Clarke in 1975.

In August 1978 Hughes and some other radio enthusiasts were at the Isabella County Fair when they contacted Guyana and talked to a man named Wes in the medical unit of an agricultural project. Soon afterwards, Hughes received a postcard stamped Peoples Temple Agricultural/Medical Project noting "Thanks for the QSL. This is a very beautiful country. The people are very friendly to the USA. They are doing a great job and appreciate whatever encouragement offered. Best wishes to you and yours." Albert Touchette, Jonestown, Guyana, WB6 M1D/8R3. Tochette noted "letter follows."

The follow-up letter, on Peoples Temple letterhead, dated September 11, 1978, was sent to Hughes by Richard D. Tropp, Staff Assistant. In the letter, Tropp hoped the QSL was received. He enclosed some brochures (no longer with the collection, which Hughes photocopied) and hoped they provide good reading. Tropp noted their founder was the Rev. Jim Jones. Tropp thanked Hughes for his interest in their work and noted amateur radio operators had saved lives there and contributed to their success. Tropp closed by wishing Hughes good luck.

On November 18, 1978, 918 people including 304 children under the age of eighteen, died in or near Jonestown. Jones' staff killed U.S. Congressman Leo J. Ryan, three news people and a disenchanted member of the Temple who had sought, with others, to leave with the help of the Ryan. Then, Jones and over 900 of his followers killed themselves.

After the mass suicide/murder, Hughes realized the significance of his connection and was interviewed for an article published in the Morning Sun, November 21, 1978. The story was picked up by the Associated Press on November 20th and CMLife on December 4th. Copies of the articles are in the collection.

For more information and primary and secondary sources about the tragic event, the aftermath, see Alternative Considerations of Jonestown and Peoples Temple, a website compiled by San Diego State University at http://jonestown.sdsu.edu/ According to the site, Tropp, a teacher age 36, and his sister, and Albert, age 24, who was in charge of the radio room, Albert's mother, siblings and part of his maternal extended family all died at Jonestown.

Processing Note: During processing 2.5 cubic feet of material was withdrawn including duplicates, mass produced and out-of-state or out-of-scope radio station materials and publications. A lot of this material was correspondence noting someone had turned in and communicated with or information about non-Michigan radio stations. Duplicates of the Mount Pleasant High School yearbooks were donated to Mount Pleasant High School. Five items were separately cataloged.

Jimmie Howard Reynolds (1925-2013) was a band director from Louisiana who taught and directed music programs at the high school and collegiate level. During the 1970/1971 academic year, Reynolds took a sabbatical leave from his position as Director of Bands at Louisiana Polytechnic University to serve as a graduate assistant under Dr. William D. Revelli during his final year as Director of Bands at the University of Michigan. Reynolds kept a journal of rehearsals and performances from that time and wrote extensively about the pedagogical practices Revelli employed as Director. This diary is a digital transcription of the entire diary as written, prepared by Reynolds' son, Dr. Patrick Allen Reynolds, in 2021.

The Jimmie Howard Reynolds diary, titled "Rehearsals with WRD", was maintained by Reynolds during the 1970-1971 academic year at the University of Michigan. Reynolds was a graduate student assistant for William D. Revelli during his last year as Director of Bands. The diary held by the Bentley Historical Library is a transcription, prepared and edited by Reynold's son, Dr. Patrick Reynolds, in 2021. Dr. Reynolds transcribed the diary as written, with minor changes to punctuation and grammar to aid in clarity. Dr. Reynolds also added some additional information to the text, usually to clarify names, dates, or events as written about by his father; these additions are added in brackets.

While Reynolds and Revelli maintained a close professional relationship for forty years, the diary documents criticisms Reynolds had of Revelli's conducting and pedagogy. In some entries, names have been removed by Dr. Reynolds to avoid embarrassment on behalf of the performers. A full note regarding Dr. Reynolds' transcription work is included in the digital file.

Manistique, Michigan, attorney, Republican regent of University of Michigan, and counsel to Michigan State Medical Society. Correspondence and other materials relating to his legal and university career, his interest in the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan, and Republican politics, 1942-1956; and photographs.

The J. Joseph Herbert collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence, Regents Files, Michigan State Medical Society, Other Activities; and Miscellaneous and personal.

The JJR photographic slide collection relates solely to the firm's Michigan projects. The files are arranged into three series: Michigan; University of Michigan; and Other Michigan Universities. Included are slides of project sites (with some aerial images), site plans, and conceptual drawings. Although the collection covers the entire state, the bulk of the slides relate to southeast and lower Michigan, especially Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, and Saginaw. The files are in the order maintained by the organization. There is thus some overlap between the general Michigan series and the University of Michigan and Other Michigan Universities series. The researcher is advised to examine the finding aid closely.

Auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic, East Tawas, Iosco County, Michigan.

Minutes of meetings, 1924-1931.

J. Louis Engdahl (1884-1932), editor and journalist, was an advocate for labor, socialist, and communist causes. The collection includes letters Engdahl wrote to his wife and daughter, trial transcripts, photographs; Engdahl's original writings; and published works in various formats. Also included are memorabilia, clippings, pamphlets, and other printed material, and artwork.

The J. Louis Engdahl Papers (6.5 linear feet) are divided into seven series: Correspondence, Writings, Chicago Socialist Trial, Scottsboro Trial, Photographs and Artwork, Personal and Memorabilia, and Printed Material.

Highlights of the collection include the letters Engdahl wrote to his wife and daughter, in which loving epithets and stories of day-to-day life mingle with accounts of his work and that of other prominent labor, socialist, and communist figures. The collection contains several pieces of Engdahl's original writings, along with numerous published works in various formats. Causes for which Engdahl fought, both on his own behalf and that of others, are documented through letters, clippings, trial transcripts, and images. Over sixty photographs, as well as various pieces of personal memorabilia, depict both family life and professional associations. Also of note is a portrait of Engdahl by the artist Mitchell Siporin.

A note on names: Throughout the collection, certain individuals are referred to by various alternate names and nicknames. Engdahl himself went by "J. Louis" or more informally, "Louis," rather than his given name of "John." Sophia Levitin Rodriguez is addressed variously as "Sophia," "Sophie," "Sonia," and even by her middle name, "Vera." As mentioned in the biographical portion of this finding aid, Pauline and Louis Engdahl's daughter is also named Pauline. To avoid confusion, within this finding aid, Engdahl's wife is referred to as "Pauline Levitin Engdahl" and their daughter as "Pauline Engdahl." Pauline Engdahl had the family nickname of "Chootch," with variants "Chootchie," "Chuche," etc.

J. Martin Gorham was a lawyer from Barre, Mass. who enlisted in the 33rd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. His papers consist of four letters written to his sister and her husband during the Atlanta Campaign and shortly after the fall of Savannah.

The Gorham collection consists of only four letters, three written to his sister Sarah Jane and one to her husband, James R. Marrett. Three of the letters were written during the Atlanta Campaign, and one shortly after the fall of Savannah. Gorham's letters reflect his high level of education. They are observant and literate, and yet, because he was detailed as regimental clerk during the campaigns in Georgia and the Carolinas, they are comparatively slight on detail concerning military activity. The last letter in which Gorham describes the headquarters in Savannah and relating a little bit about the city and state, is far and away the best in the collection. Gorham's notion that the quality of the regimental band made them a popular choice for headquarters guard duty and favoritism is also worth noting.

Materials collected by J. M. Bagley, which include the family papers of Coldwater (Mich.) politician Corydon P. Benton. Benton's papers contain about 15 letters (Sept. 28, 1861-Dec. 3, 1862) from his son Edwin Benton, a soldier with the 44th Illinois Infantry who was killed in action at Stones River, Tenn., as well as a letter (Jan. 8, 1863) from B. F. Kneppen relating to Edwin Benton's death. Benton's papers also include correspondence (1871-1880) of another son, Frank Benton, who was a student at Michigan Agricultural College and a missionary to Cyprus. The collection also includes the correspondence from 1849-1862 of Daniel Wilson of Ovid Township in Branch County, Michigan. These materials contain letters from Wilson's nephews John Willson (Apr. 11, 1862) written from Belmont, Ky., and O. Wilson (Mar. 30, 1863) of the 4th Rhode Island Artillery, Battery C, written from Falmouth, Va. Another portion includes five letters (Dec. 17, 1861-Mar. 9, 1862) of William Babcock, written from Kentucky and Tennessee.