Collections

Detroit, Michigan, social worker, executive vice president of the Children's Fund of Michigan, and chairman of various relief commissions during the depression. Materials relating to his welfare activities, his interests in mental health and the work of the American Red Cross, and his general interest in the field of social work; also papers detailing his activities with the Detroit Prismatic Club; essays concerning the legislation of prohibition in Michigan; and photographs and sound recordings.

The William J. Norton collection relates mainly to relating to his welfare activities, his interests in mental health and the work of the American Red Cross, and to his general interest in the field of social work. The collection has been divided into seven series: Biographical Material and Correspondence, Presentations and Essays, Articles, Fiction Writing, Social Work Organizations, Audio Tapes and Photographs, and Other Materials.

Professor of law at the University of Michigan; director of the Legislative Research Center; president and executive director of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Biographical and personal materials; subject files relating to his association with the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and his work in the drafting of uniform legislation among the states in specific areas.

The Pierce papers document his work for the preservation of state parks, most notably in correspondence with Genevieve Gillette, and his work with the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL). The paper have been organized into two series: Biographical/Personal and National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.

This collection is made up of letters and financial documents related to William J. Robinson, a tanner in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, and Martin Ryan, a farmer in Niantic, Illinois. Ryan composed the majority of the letters, writing to Robinson about farm work and finances during the 1860s. Other items pertain to the business and financial interests of Ryan and Robinson.

This collection is made up of around 125 letters and financial records addressed to William J. Robinson, a tanner in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Martin Ryan, a farmer in Niantic, Illinois, composed approximately two-thirds of the letters, writing to Robinson about farm work and finances during the 1860s. Aside from a few land-related documents sent to Ryan, most of the remaining items pertain to Robinson's other business and financial interests.

Martin Ryan wrote frequently to William J. Robinson between December 1860 and the spring of 1869. He reported on the timber industry, real property, his crops (most frequently corn), cattle prices and purchases, and farm-related finances. In a few letters, he referred to the inherent risks of shipping cattle to Pennsylvania during the war (June 16 and July 7, 1863), and he also discussed monetary policy related to gold and silver standards (July 15, 1861), his desire for his wife to work fewer hours and for his sons to go to school (August 20, 1864), and his difficulties with a manager who often drank (several items, 1866-1867). In 1867 and 1868, Ryan often mentioned a lawsuit, and a few items of business correspondence addressed to him appear interspersed between his outgoing letters from the late 1860s. Ryan's letter of May 27, 1861, encloses an itemized list of costs associated with his farm.

The remaining items are primarily business letters and receipts to William J. Robinson, most of which are dated after 1869 (approximately 40 items). The firm Whitneys & Kingman (also known as Kingman & Whitney) of Chicago, Illinois, inquired about Robinson's willingness to purchase hides and sent numerous invoices and receipts. A few of Robinson's draft replies are present. Robinson received at least 2 letters from his son Edwin in the mid-1870s, and some items from the 1880s are addressed to his son James.

This collection personal correspondence, legal documents, and publications related to Finnish-American labor organizer William Kaino Heikkila's struggles for US citizenship under anti-communist immigration policies.

The records, which measure one linear foot, cover the dates from 1951 to 1966 and are divided into seven series. These are as follows: Correspondence (1952-1966), Publicity and Activities (1958-1961 and undated), Legal Proceedings and Documents (1952-1964 and undated), Legislation (1958-1962 and undated), Personal (1958-1960), Subject Files (1951-1960 and undated), and Miscellaneous (1958-1960 and undated).

The Correspondence series, (1952-1966), is rich in materials relating to both the public (esp. legal) and private sides of William Heikkila's deportation ordeal. It contains letters from Heikkila's attorneys, the general public, friends and family of the Heikkilas, and from William Heikkila himself to his wife, Phyllis, in the midst of his deportation stay in Finland. The letters illustrate both the ongoing struggle for Heikkila's citizenship and freedom, and the extent to which individuals and groups offered their support to his cause.

The Publicity and Activities series, (1958-1961 and undated), is the largest series in the records collection. The materials in this series help to illustrate the great amount of attention his deportation and the following proceedings received in the national, regional, and in particular local media. Included are a variety of materials from the NCCPFB, which played a central role in supporting both Heikkila's case and cause throughout the years. The organizational records of the NCCPFB, also in the Labadie collection, are a similar but somewhat less abundant source of materials of this nature. The bulk of the Publicity and Activities series consists of news clippings from around 1958, which provide a valuable means of understanding the deportation and proceedings from the perspective of the general public, and offers a generally detailed chronological progression of events in the case.

The Legal Proceedings and Documents series, (1952-1964 and undated), includes briefs from Heikkila's citizenship and deportation cases from 1952 to 1959. Also in this series are several items relating to Phyllis Heikkila's legal battle to win William's Social Security Lump Sum Death Benefit.

The next series, Legislation (1958-1962 and undated), contains informational sheets about bills published by the NCCPFB and other regional divisions of the American Committee for Protection of Foreign Born (ACPFB). It also contains copies of some bills and notes and publications relating to bills.

The Personal series (1958-1960) includes two groupings of materials: those relating to Heikkila's deportation and related travel (1958), and those relating to his death and funeral (1960).

The Subject Files (1951-1960 and undated) contains two folders. The first concerns William Niukkanen (a.k.a. William Mackie), another Finnish-born man residing in the United States who encountered citizenship battles similar to those of Heikkila, and who was sometimes discussed in relation to Heikkila. The second relates to the House Committee on Un-American Activities (HUAC), which was intimately involved with the battle against Communism in the 1950s onward which Heikkila found himself inadvertently involved with.

The final series, Miscellaneous (1958-1960 and undated), contains some photographs, some Finnish language materials of undetermined nature, and some general items which do not fall within the series structure but which nonetheless have a place in the records collection.

Detroit, Michigan, businessman, founder of Detroit Power Squadron and officer with its parent body, the United States Power Squadrons. Series in the collection include United States Power Squadrons; Boating Organizations; Published and unpublished articles and speeches; World War II Activities; Personal and Miscellaneous; and Photographs.

The papers of William K. Anderson consist primarily of materials relating to his life-long interest in boating, navigation, and other marine activities. Most heavily documented are those files detailing his involvement with various powerboat groups, the United States Power Squadrons and the Detroit Power Squadron being the most prominent. The collection has been divided into six series: United States Power Squadrons, Boating Organizations, Writings, World War II Activities, Miscellaneous and Personal, and Photographs.

The William Kennedy papers consist of contemporary copies of three legal documents related to a mid-18th century dispute between Oliver and William Kennedy and John Gay Alleyne over a sugar cane plantation and slaves in the parish of St. Michael, Barbados.

The William Kennedy papers contain three legal documents within a single volume, all of which relate to a prolonged dispute over an allegedly unpaid debt between landowners in 18th-century Barbados and the possible destruction of documents relevant to the case. The William Kennedy papers are contemporary manuscript copies of court documents. The first document, dated October 26, 1752, prefaces the second by briefly describing its contents.

The second document describes in detail numerous aspects of the Alleyne v. Kennedy case, in which John Gay Alleyne accused William Kennedy of destroying evidence of payment that his brother, Oliver Kennedy, allegedly received from Joseph Dottin, whose estate Alleyne inherited. Dated 1752, it spans approximately 240 pages, and contains multiple descriptions of the Alleyne plantation, now known as St. Nicholas Abbey, the 130 slaves that worked it, and accompanying household goods. It also contains sets of interrogatories, and depositions of 21 witnesses.

The third document, dated February 7, 1753, is William Kennedy’s appeal against the 1752 ruling in favor of Alleyne. In the 38-page document, Kennedy outlines the “fraudulent scheme” between Nicholas and Dottin and defends his actions as Deputy Provost Marshall.

1907 Graduate of the University of Michigan College of Engineering. Includes photos of students posing and playing cards as well as published photos of University of Michigan sports teams.

The collection includes photos of students posing and playing cards as well as published photos of University of Michigan sports teams.

Professor of philosophy at the University of Michigan, scholar and writer on moral philosophy, ethics, and philosophy of education. Collection includes philosophy papers written as a student at Calvin College, the University of Michigan, and Harvard; lecture notes and course materials, mainly from his teaching career at the University of Michigan; research articles and other manuscripts; formal lectures and conference papers; topical and background files on philosophy topics; correspondence; and files detailing University of Michigan departmental and committee responsibilities.

The William Frankena papers document the development of a major philosopher and ethicist through his undergraduate and graduate school papers, published and unpublished articles, correspondence and curricular material. This collection (14 linear feet; 1927-1991) is organized into eight series which are based mainly upon the various professional activities of William Frankena. The series are: Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Studies, Teaching, Articles and Manuscripts, Lectures and Papers, Topical, Correspondence, and University of Michigan Activities.

The Knox collection is a significant resource for study of the pre-Revolutionary and Revolutionary turmoil engulfing Britain's North American colonies between 1766 and 1782, as seen from deep within the heart of the colonial administration. An arch-administrator, empowered as Undersecretary of State, Knox maintained a consistent line articulating a theory of imperial power based upon an evangelically-tinged system of paternal power and filial obligation.

The Knox papers comprise a significant resource for study of the pre-Revolutionary and Revolutionary turmoil engulfing Britain's North American colonies between 1766 and 1782, as seen from deep within the heart of the colonial administration. An arch-administrator, empowered as Undersecretary of State, Knox maintained a consistent line articulating a theory of imperial power based upon an evangelically-tinged system of paternal power and filial obligation. His correspondence, including letters from political titans such as Grenville and Shelburne, and prominent figures such as Henry Ellis and William Henry Lyttelton, maps out an intricate perspective on imperial theory and colonial administration, and provides insight into the British conduct of the war as viewed from the Colonial Office.

Between 1757 and 1765, Knox operated as provost marshal, council member, and later colonial agent for the colony of Georgia, living in Savannah between 1757 and 1761. The correspondence surviving from this period is incomplete, however a number of interesting and important letters regarding American affairs remain, particularly in Knox's correspondence with Ellis and Lyttelton. Knox was responsible for the management of supplies for Britain's Indian allies, and the papers therefore contain a limited record of arms and presents given distributed among Indians in the colony, and he maintained a close eye in particular on relations with the Cherokee and Creek Indians.

The collection provides better coverage of Knox's activities during the later 1760s, the years when Knox's political star began to rise and the colonies plunged into revolution. Especially after his appointment as Undersecretary in 1770, Knox's correspondence provides an informed, but essentially myopic perspective on the war in America, facilitating Germain in his overly optimistic assessment of the progress of the war. During the Revolution, he received regular, second-hand accounts of the course of military campaigns and news of the frustrations and failures of British efforts to quell the troubles, but managed in nearly every case to see such signs as temporary and of limited significance.

Knox's attention during the post-Revolutionary years was divided largely between Irish and Canadian affairs. Knox gathered information on Loyalist interests in eastern Canada, opinions on the fisheries issue in Newfoundland, and several documents outlining the state of the provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. Maintaining his suspicion of American intentions, Knox was repeatedly incensed by American behavior, particularly during the embargo of 1807-1809, and by their thinly-disguised designs on Canadian lands. Approximately 100 items relate to Irish affairs, mostly concerning Knox's desire to promote prosperity in Ireland through trade reform, using his experiences in Georgia as a model, believing that prosperity would be the best guarantor of imperial allegiance. For similar reasons, Knox maintained an interest in Catholic emancipation, supporting Catholic desires to be placed on the same footing as Protestant dissenters.

At the end of the collection are a series of interesting personal anecdotes and memoirs of Knox's political experiences, including fascinating commentary on Knox's first experiences in America, the first (1776) attempt at peace negotiations between Britain and America, and his reminiscences of George Grenville, William Henry Lyttelton, Lord Rockingham, William Howe, Lord Hillsborough, William Eden (Baron Auckland), George Germain, and others. Among the most interesting miscellaneous items is a lengthy letter from an elderly Knox to the great astronomer, William Herschel, regarding the motion of the planets and soliciting his ideas on the physical location of heaven in the new Copernican universe. Herschel's reply, also included, is as judicious as it is evasive.

Although the Historical Manuscripts Commission calendared the Knox Papers in Various Collections 6 (1909), pp. 81-296, 120 items in this collection were not listed.

Willia Kossak served on the staffs of Generals Grant and Sherman during the Civil War, rising to the position of Chief Engineer of the 17th Army Corps during Sherman's campaigns in Georgia. His journals cover the Vicksburg and Atlanta Campaigns with Sherman, including progress reports, accounts, and personal observations and opinions. The first journal also contains lists of private citizens in Vicksburg evicted to make way for military defense works, and a map showing fortifications in the city. The second volume includes lists of supplies for troops, pencils sketches of the area around Ackworth, Ga., and Nenesaw Mountain, and a section titled "Alphabetical list of Pontoncers, Ponton Train, Dept. of the Tennessee."

William Kossak's two journals cover only a portion of his Civil War service as an engineer in the command of William Tecumseh Sherman, but they include important information on two campaigns during which the engineers -- and Kossak in particular -- made key contributions.

Journal, June 16, 1863-May 3, 1864

During the Vicksburg Campaign, Kossak was responsible for various projects in Vicksburg and the surrounding countryside in Mississippi. His primary concern was with lines of defence, although he reported progress on the Vicksburg city hospital and on officers' headquarters. He was also involved in rationing whiskey and other liquor to the troops. Kossak's journal often takes on the mantle of a diary when he embellished cut-and-dried progress reports with his personal observations and opinions on subjects ranging from contrabands and countersigns to desertion (see esp. Feb 14, 1864), the weather, prices, pontoon-trains, and Generals Grant, McPherson, and others. In the margin, he kept an account book of sorts, showing cash spent.

Of special interest are lists of private citizens in Vicksburg evicted to make way for military defence works, and a note on March 18, 1864 that states tersely: "16th anniversary of the Revolution in Prussia (Berlin). God Bless the Dead!" Laid in the volume is a map showing fortifications in the city.

Journal, June 16, 1864-May 30, 1865

This second volume of Kossak's journal concerns the Atlanta Campaign and its aftermath, a period during which Kossak was chief engineer of the 17th Army Corps. Stylistically, the reports in this volume echo those of the first. Kossak wrote from James B. McPherson's headquarters until that General's death before Atlanta in July, 1864, after which he was assigned to Sherman's headquarters.

Kossak provides an engineer's perspective on several of the major battles of the Atlanta Campaign, particularly of the Battle of Atlanta itself, and he includes several excellent lists of supplies distributed to troops. Pencil-sketch maps of the area around Ackworth, Ga., appear on pages 3, 5, and 7, and of Kenesaw Mountain on pp. 119-123. At the back of this journal is a section entitled: "Alphabetical list of Pontoncers, Ponton Train, Dept. of the Tennessee."