Collections

This collection contains 37 letters that Virgil Cornish received during his time as a steward at the Hartford Retreat for the Insane in the mid-1800s. Many of the letters concern payments for the care of, requests for news of, or favors for the institution's patients.

This collection contains 37 business and personal letters that Virgil Cornish received during his time as a steward at the Hartford Retreat for the Insane in the mid-1800s. Family members and other concerned parties contacted the institution from towns in Connecticut and from cities such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. The majority of the letters concern payments for the treatment and housing of individuals. Many writers noted dollar amounts (for payments originally enclosed with the letters), reflecting the cost of mental health care at the Retreat between 1846 and 1857.

Correspondents often requested news of and favors for patients, and sometimes requested that Cornish forward clothing and other gifts. On one occasion, Hugh Robinson informed Cornish of the death of Gertrude Hudson, the sister of a Hartford Retreat patient (September 2, 1851). A few letters reflect the institution's daily work, including an W. W. Anderson's apology for declining a job at the retreat's dining hall (October 16, 1852). The collection also includes a small number of personal letters (or business letters with personal content), including one by Cornish's friend Henry R. Angus, who offered to deliver letters to Cornish's son in California during a journey to San Francisco (October 29, 1852).

During the fall of 1861, Virgil Moats assisted in organizing a company of infantry at Camp Dennison, Ohio, accepting a commission as Captain when the regiment was formally admitted into service in December. His letters include accouts of the Battle of Shiloh, and useful information on Chickasaw Bluffs, Port Gibson, and Arkansas Post. The majority of Moats' letters were written during the Vicksburg Campaign.

The survivng Civil War correspondence of Virgil Moats covers only fourteen months of his military career, March 1862 to May 1863. While these 18 letters represent only a fraction of his correspondence, even during this period, they include important accounts of the Battle of Shiloh, and useful information on Chickasaw Bluffs, Port Gibson, and Arkansas Post. The majority of Moats' letters were written during the Vicksburg Campaign. His letter of May 8, 1863, was written from the town of Rocky Springs, Miss., then a bustling town about forty miles inland from the river, though today it is reduced to a ghost town.

In addition to Moats' letters are three letters by two of Eliza's brothers: John E. Richardson, a sergeant in Co. F, wrote from Vicksburg to the convalescing Virgil, then in a Cincinnati hospital, and Lay Whitney Richardson, a soldier in the 68th Ohio Infantry, wrote Eliza two letters in 1864 and 1865.

The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Trip photograph album includes pictures of railroad cars, tracks, and travelers taken in the 1890s, as well as pictures of trackside scenes in Tennessee and pictures of people enjoying recreational activities on a beach.

The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Trip album contains 296 photographs taken along a railroad line in Tennessee and on an unidentified beach in the 1890s. Each item is a Kodak No. 2 circular print, mounted onto the pages in groups of 6; two are pasted on top of other pictures. The photographs are numbered 577-863. The volume has leather covers with the title "Photographs" stamped in gold on the front.

Most of the album's images are scenes from a railroad trip in Tennessee, beginning with views of the Hotel Roanoke in Roanoke, Virginia, and including pictures of passengers, tracks, trackside scenery, depots, and small towns. The album also contains pictures of people walking along a beach, displaying captured fish, preparing to launch a rowboat, and shooting small birds. Additional groups of items show a large Victorian house, people disembarking from a boat, and bathers diving into a large partially covered swimming area.

The Virginia, Georgia, and Maryland carte-de-visite album contains carte-de-visite and tintype studio portraits of men, women, and children taken around the 1870s-1880s. Most of the tintypes are hand-tinted.

This album (13cm x9cm) contains 16 carte-de-visite and 13 tintype photographs taken in Virginia, Georgia, and Maryland circa 1870s-1880s. Most items are individual portraits, with three exceptions: a carte-de-visite of two women, a tintype of a woman holding an infant, and a tintype family photograph of six people, mostly children. The majority of the tintypes and at least two of the cartes-de-visite have hand coloring. One photograph of an infant is identified as Estelle Simcoe. The volume's brown cover has a raised geometric design, and the title "Album" is stamped in gold on the spine.

These loose pages, extracted from an orderly book, document service of the 2nd Elite Corps of the Virginia Militia from September to October 1814. Garrisoned in Charles City County, the unit kept records of courts martial, unit orders, and observations of its commander, Colonel Moses Green. The collection also includes a single leaf dated February 1815, with 2nd Virginia Militia Regiment orders from Brigade commander General Robert Porterfield. At the time, the unit was garrisoned at Camp Holly (near New Market) and entries pertain to forage requirements for the regiment's horses, a morning report, the disbanding of the unit, and the distribution of equipment.

These loose pages, extracted from an orderly book, document service of the 2nd Elite Corps of the Virginia Militia from September to October 1814. Garrisoned in Charles City County, the unit kept records of courts martial, unit orders, and observations of its commander, Colonel Moses Green. The collection also includes a single leaf dated February 1815, with 2nd Virginia Militia Regiment orders from Brigade commander General Robert Porterfield. At the time, the unit was garrisoned at Camp Holly (near New Market) and entries pertain to forage requirements for the regiment's horses, a morning report, the disbanding of the unit, and the distribution of equipment.

The unit's courts martial include cases of drunkenness, fighting, abusing (cursing) other soldiers, disobeying orders, neglect of duty, and riotous behavior. The records include verdicts, punishments, and transcripts of testimony.

The pages include regimental orders in which:

• Colonel Moses Green finds himself "astounded" that regiments have failed to adhere to regulations.
• Increased camp accountability is needed with respect to damage inflicted on nearby private properties, including the burning of wooden fences.
• Soldiers are forbidden from firing a gun within one mile of camp.
• Commanders are liable for reporting all delinquencies under their command.
• Uniformed companies are expected to appear in uniform at all regimental parades.

The final leaf, pertaining to the 2nd Virginia Militia Regiment, contains the following:

• Recto: Two tables. One respecting the foraging needed to feed the regiment's fourteen horses and the second is a morning report of Captain Stevenson on February 17, 1815.
• Verso: Orders from Brigadier-General Robert Porterfield respecting the discharge dates of companies, the sick or injured, relief of guards, and property belonging to the "publick".

The Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts photograph album contains approximately 195 photographs depicting the travels and leisure activities of an unidentified Brooklyn-based family in various locations in Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts.

The Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts photograph album contains approximately 195 photographs depicting the travels and leisure activities of an unidentified Brooklyn-based family in various locations in Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts. The album (28 x 40 cm) has black cloth covers, with the front cover being detached. Images of interest include a series of photographs documenting an 1898 trip to Richmond, Virginia, including views of the Capitol, City Hall, St. John's Church, and other landmarks. Also present are 17 photographs showing Fort Monroe, Virginia, with an additional 11 images showing Old Point Comfort hotels, docks, a street view of Phoebus, Virginia, and waterfront views of the Hampton Roads region. New York-related photographs include views of carriage-driving and horseback riding at the Brooklyn Riding & Driving Club, and a summer home at Lake Mahopac, with views of people sailing, swimming, taking carriage rides on country roads, and women golfing. Massachusetts-related photographs include 12 images taken in Boston during 1899 including views of the Public Library and Faneuil Hall and three street views of Commonwealth Avenue.

Virginia Nordby was a lawyer and University of Michigan administrator with positions as director of the Office of Affirmative Action, policy advisor to the president, university freedom of information officer, associate vice-president for government relations and associate vice-president for student affairs. In addition to her duties at the University, she served as a consultant for the Michigan Women's Task Force on Rape, and served as the pricipal drafter of the Michigan Criminal Sexual Conduct Act of 1974. Her work largely focused on affirmative action, Title IX and equality for women in college sports, and addressing sexual violence on campus. This collection includes Nordby's files from her time as policy coordinator, her research topical files, other professional files, and photographs. Also included are files relating to the formulation of the university's student discriminatory policy and to her work as consultant to the Michigan Women's Task Force on Rape.

The Virginia Nordby Papers (1972-1992) document the professional activities of Virginia Nordby during her tenure as a University of Michigan administrator and Law School lecturer. The papers have been divided into three principal series: University Policy and Affirmative Action, Topical Files, and Professional Files.

Series one, University Policy and Affirmative Action contains files relating to Nordby's work for the University of Michigan, including research and policy proposals regarding the student code of conduct, faculty and staff policies, and student affairs. Series two contains Nordby's topical research files relating to her university work and other professional work, namely student discriminatory policy, Title IX and Athletics, and Labor issues. Series three, Professional Files, contains files related to Nordby's legal work, consulting, and speeches given outside of her capacity as a University of Michigan administrator.

Researchers should note that the language used in the collection and finding aid surrounding sexual violence reflects the language in use during Virginia Nordby's career. Some of the language in the descriptive notes has been updated to include currently accepted terminology in 2023. All folder titles in this collection are original, and reflect the language in use during Nordby's career. Original folder titles may include outdated or harmful descriptive language. Original folder titles have been maintained to preserve the original context of how the creator labeled their files.

Oral interview on two CDs with Virginia Allan conducted by Jean Rainey under the auspices of the Pennsylvania State University Archives as part of its "A Few Good Women" Oral History Collection. Also included is an edited transcript of the interview.

Wyandotte, Michigan, businesswoman, chairwoman of the President's Task Force on Women's Rights and Responsibilities during the Nixon Administration, later deputy assistant secretary of state for public affairs. Papers and photographs relating to her interest in women's rights, the equal rights amendment, Republican Party politics, the activities of International Women's Year, 1975, and the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs.

The Virginia R. Allan Papers have been grouped both according to types of documents covering her entire career (biographical, correspondence, writings and speeches, etc.). These are followed by three series of files pertaining to Allan's activities and organizational affiliations within specific time periods in her career. These chronological divisions (with some overlapping of dates) are 1950s-1972, 1971-1977, and 1977-1985. Although each of these chronological series documents Allan's life-long interest in women's issues, there are obvious highlights to each. The first chronological series - 1950s-1972, is especially solid with material relating to Allan's association with the Michigan and the National Federation of Business and Professional Women, and her service on the President's Task Force on Women's Rights and Responsibilities. The second of these series - 1971-1977 - obviously documents Allan's work at the State Department, her role with the International Women's Year and her participation in the Mexico City Conference in 1975. And the third chronological series - 1977-1985 - contain files pertaining to her participation in the second and third United Nations International Women's Conferences and to her faculty responsibilities at George Washington University.

The collection concludes with a small series -- Groups and Activities -- which contains both material dated after 1985 as well as earlier materials, a series of Personal materials, and a series of Audio-Visual materials that includes photographs, a videotape, and sound recordings.

Three scrapbooks contains correspondence, admission letters, registration documents, tickets to university events, dance cards, programs and newspaper clippings. Illustrates University of Michigan student social activities following World War II. Also includes a narrative of a November 1945 visit with Fielding H. Yost, and issues of the "Pipes of Pan" published for University of Michigan sorority women.

Photographs in two photo albums depict students and student organizations, such as Delta Delta Delta, the Football and Basketball team, and game day celebrations and events. Also features photographs of Bob Chappius, Rose Bowl 1948 and Marlene Dietrich.