.25 cubic foot (in 1 box)
The collection documents the serious attempt to decertify the FA by the Free Faculty organization and how the FA fought back, 1976-1977, in meeting minutes, newspaper clippings (copies), correspondence, and other materials.
Approximately 2 cubic feet (in 4 boxes, 2 Oversized folders)
The collection, 1908-1953, and undated, includes personal and professional papers of a teacher from northern Michigan. The collection includes: a portrait of Roxie Mary Mahoney Higgins complete with vital dates, photographs, diploma from Presque Isle County Normal, final exams, student teaching final exams, student teacher lesson plans, teacher created and collected teaching aids, teacher created activities and worksheets for 1st-7th grade students, and State of Michigan Health Education pamphlets,1912-1945. Magazine clippings (copies) include racist depictions of Native Americans. Also included are various teaching publications such as Educator, Instructor, and Children’s Activities for Home and School, and a single issue of American Observer from December 8, 1941. The publications within this collection are retained due to the completeness of the issues as well as the excellent condition. The collection was organized according to size and alphabetically by topic.
Roxie fits within the trend of young rural female teachers, where she would only teach for a year or two. The County Normal training offered reading, handwriting, spelling, composition, arithmetic, and geography courses for future teachers, but not the full four year curriculum training offered by Normal Schools. For most Michigan County Normal students tuition was waved if the student agreed to teach the next year in the county. (This information from Clarke Historical Library’s web page on One-Room School-teachers https://www.cmich.edu/library/clarke/ResearchResources/Michigan_Material_Statewide/One_Room_Schools/Pages/Teachers.aspx accessed on June 28, 2016).
Within the collection are final examinations in courses beyond those subjects she would teach to the young students, such as Rural Sociology. Roxie’s own coursework in preparation for teaching was of a practical nature where she learned lesson planning and classroom management. Roxie’s student teaching evaluation shows that teachers were graded on everything from comportment to appearance as well as execution of lessons (Box 1, folder 1). Within Roxie’s student teaching materials there is a full page example of shorthand script (Box 1, folder 6). Her visual materials are in excellent condition and offer a sampling of beautiful, popular images from the 1930s-1940s, cut from magazines and mounted on construction paper.
One particular addition to this collection is the attendance records for the year Roxie’s sister, Faith, taught and attended Presque Isle County Normal in 1936. This glimpse into the teaching life of Faith T. Mahoney reveals an additional path for female educators.
Processing Notes: Approximately 1 cubic foot of duplicate and acidic materials was withdrawn from the collection. Issues of four journals were separately catalogued. Some material exhibits a strong flavor of patriotism within American History lessons of the 1940s and racist depictions of Native Americans. Boxes 1-2 are .5 cubic ft. letter-sized boxes, Box 3 is .5 cubic ft. legal-size, and Box 4 is a larger, oversized box.
125 pages
The account book of the barge Berkshire contains records eighteen trips up and down the Hudson River and Erie Canal. Some passengers paid simply for passage, some for passage and board. The diverse cargo included hay, reams of paper, vinegar, cattle, potatoes, books and oats. There is much detail of barge expenses as well, including provisions and the cost of being towed up and down the river by various captains and steamboats. Deposits to the Mercantile and Exchange Bank are also noted. A later possessor of the account book filled thirty one pages at the opposite end of the book with notations on the life and death of many authors, and starts with the witty quote, "Woodsman spare that tree." There are a few pages of manuscript verse, and sadly, several pages of accounts are covered up with poems clipped out of newspapers. Some of these have been removed.
3 cubic feet (in 3 boxes, 2 Oversized folder, 1 Oversized volume)
The collection includes: Biographical Information, consisting of diplomas, family history materials, photographs, newspaper clippings (copies), and related materials, 1930s-2002, undated; Correspondence, General (from students), to parents related to World War II, from two girl friends, Rebecca Reynolds and Verna May, and Dale Williams, a boy in the Boys’ Vocational School in Lansing, 1939-1955, undated, and the Boys’ Republic and student there, Bob Downes, 1948-1951; Photographs, 1922, 2000; Subject Files, including materials related to CMU, Flushing High School, Greeting Cards, Historical Michigan Calendars, Flint Junior College, the University of Michigan, the Boys’ Republic, juvenile delinquency, and other materials, 1935, 2000, undated; Photograph Albums related to his family and CMU, military service, and HOSTS/Mentor Program, 1941, 2000; Photographs of the Flushing High School Senior Class, 1939; and Plaques, for his outstanding work as a school and senior volunteer at West Elementary School, Florida, 1997-1998. The Oversized folders include Historical Landmarks of Brighton, a collection of illustrations of and text about Brighton, Michigan’s landmark buildings and history, undated, and a CMU war years class reunion photograph, 2000.
Because some of the materials in the Boys’ Republic correspondence and notebook contain sensitive, personal information about the students, researchers are asked to not name the individual students who created or are discussed in these materials.
The following materials were removed from the collection and cataloged: Memory Lane Gazette, 1982-2002, the Montrose Historical Association Newsletter, and Fieldbook of Natural History, c. 1949, by E. Laurence Palmer, which includes autographs and souvenir materials from Rufus’ favorite teacher, CMU Biology Dept. Professor Irene Jarae.
.5 cubic ft. (in 1 box)
This collection was researched and compiled by Overton from the much larger body of records in the National Archives designated as Records Group (RG) 217.7.7, Records of the Accounting Officers of the Department of the Treasury, Records of the Second Auditor, Records of the Archives Division, settled Indian accounts and claims, 1795-1894. RG 217.7.7 is also available on Microfilm T135 at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. In 2018 Overton had a digital copy made of annuity records of Indian tribes in Michigan and part of Wisconsin, 1853-1858. Two paper copies were printed from digital copy for the Clarke Historical Library, a user copy which is in the Clarke's reading room for public use, and a master paper archival backup in the stacks. The collection is in its original order, mostly chronological and alphabetical. For some of the bands and tribes in this collection there are no official Library of Congress subject headings.
All the original annuity payment forms were handwritten on paper. Each annuity payment is a multi-page list, approximately 20 pages in length. Each annuity payment includes: the place and date of payment, names of each tribe, band and head of a family who received an annuity, the total number of men, women, children, and members in each family, and the total of money received by each family, tribe, and band. The head of family made an X (their mark) by their name indicating payment received and that they were illiterate. Native American names are spelled phonetically in English. At the end of each annuity payment list, the Indian Agent and other witnesses signed, including missionaries, other agents and military officers. Sometimes payment were late. Upper Peninsula tribes were usually paid during the summer, Lower Peninsula in the fall and early winter, and the more southerly tribes often had to wait until January. Before the Ottawa and Chippewa Treaty of Detroit, 1855, the Grand River Ottawas were paid under two different treaties, two separate payrolls, usually the same day and time (noted here as Part 1 and 2). (This information is from the collection.)
Approx. 42 cubic ft. (processed in 81 boxes, 1 reel of film, 4 quadruplex videotapes, 2 oversized folders, 1 small box of cassettes, 1 small box of videotapes, 1 oversized notebook, 1 oversized album, 1 box of notecards)
The collection, 1927, 2017, and undated, was reprocessed and rehoused in 2017. The original folders were dated and varied in style and completion. totals approximately 42 cubic ft. (in 81 boxes, 1 reel of film, 4 quadruplex videotapes, 2 oversized folders, 1 box of cassettes, 1 box of films, 1 oversized notebook, 1 oversized album, 1 box of notecards).
During reprocessing, the collection was rehoused into two large series of Materials Created, Edited by Kirk (Boxes 1-46 partial) and Materials Created by Others or information Kirk collected for reference or research purposes (Boxes 46 partial-81). Subseries and information within subseries are organized in alphabetical and chronological order. If no journal is listed on the label, it is because one is not identified in the article. Overall the collection is in good physical condition. See note on acidic materials in Processing Note below.
A folder of biographical information about Kirk is in the front of the collection. This includes information about him from several sources. All boxes are .5 letter-size unless otherwise noted.
The series Materials created by Kirk includes: various copies and drafts of manuscripts and typescripts of articles, published articles, book drafts, book reviews, cassettes, college essays and journal articles he wrote or edited, his columns “From the Academy,” 1956-1969, and “To the Point,” 1962-1975, a play, a scrapbook and a binder, both with selections of Kirk's "To the Point", manuscripts and typescripts of speeches, and textbook evaluations.
All letters or personal correspondence in the collection are CLOSED to researchers. Personal Requests to access ANY of the CORRESPONDENCE in the collection must go through the Clarke Historical Library Director (as of February 18, 2016). This is a total of three boxes (1.5 cu.ft.) of letters. Some of the letters are only to Kirk, while others are between Kirk and his correspondent, 1945-1971 (scattered) including, notably: William F. Buckley, Jr., Gerald R. Ford, mostly thank you notes while Ford was a Michigan Representative, Barry Goldwater, and Richard M. Nixon, mostly thank you notes while Nixon was working for a law firm in New York City.
The series Materials created by others includes: scholarly and other articles and other publication reprints, book reviews of Kirk’s books, conference papers, essays, a film, monographs, newsletters, college and university papers, plays, poetry, reading materials, reports, speeches, , statements, studies, theses. Examples of Kirk Center brochures, Permanent Things newsletters and website information are also included. Creators of significant parts of this series include the Taft Institute for Government, National Right to Work Foundation, and the National Right to Work Committee (U.S.).
Four quadruplex two inch videotapes in blue, hard plastic containers are also included. These document an interview program with Kirk entitled “Conversations with a Bohemian Tory,” which was recorded on April 22, 1970 by WCMUTV. Each videotape records about thirty minutes and is black and white. In 2017, the Clarke has no means to play qudruplex videotapes.
While the vast majority of the collection is in English, there is with one article each in French (Box 43), German (Box 55), and Spanish (Box 61).
The last item is a film in a blue film canister. The film was added by the Archivist to a national film inventory, AVCC, in 2017. The film's description is as follows: Film ID Number: 308-1 Format: 16mm, black and white, optical sound. Date: Film edge code date: 1955 Size: 1000ft. Information off of film: Facts Forum / Academic Freedom by Russell Kirk. Overview of scenes: Includes five men in suits, some smoking, behind desks, discussing conservative political thought and Russell Kirk’s new book, Academic Freedom. Men in the film include: Russell Kirk, Prof. Hodges (first name unspecified); William F. Buckley, Jr.; George H. Combs, Jr.; Hardy Burt (commentator). This was one in a series of professionally produced television show funded by H.L. Hunt on conservative political thought. This show was produced by Franka Hernan, Vernon Lewis Productions, NYC. This is a user copy, which generation is unknown. Physical Information: .04 film shrinkage, 0 out of 3 on the AD strip acidity scale – by Jen Bentley, spring 2015.
Books by Kirk are located in both the Park and Clarke Historical libraries.
One cubic foot of duplicates and acidic materials, once copied, were returned to the donor as per the donor agreement. In a few cases there is acidic material in formats difficult to photocopy, such as uncut, folded pages or oversized. The decision was made to leave the material as it is and not copy it. The fact that the contents is acidic is noted in the Box and Folder Listing.
54 pages
This journal describing a train trip through the South and a winter spent in Florida was compiled by R. W. Benson from letters written to her daughter, Miss Clara Benson of Wellesley, Mass. Mrs. Benson might have copied her letters before sending them, but it seems more likely that she borrowed the letters at a later date in order to create a book recording her winter "dropped into a world of orange trees." Mrs. Benson also pasted in the postcards she sent to her daughter, as well as some wildflowers she had enclosed in one letter.
Seven of the cards are picture postcards of places Mrs. Benson visited. She took pains to place herself within the context of the scene depicted: "We circumnavigated the citadel. We walked where you see a man walking," she noted on the front of the postcard of the Tampa Bay Hotel. On two cards illustrating scenes from Havana, R. W. Benson made intriguing allusions to living in or taking an extended visit to Cuba in 1867. Two of the actual letters to Clara are included as well. There is a gap from January 27, the last copied letter, to April 8, the date of the next, and final letter, indicating that this journal does not represent the complete correspondence. Two calling cards, an envelope of pressed wildflowers, and a New Year's greeting are laid in the volume.
Mrs. Benson's letters do not progress in a linear fashion, but often return to and retell the same stories in quite different ways. Some events obviously upset her. When two ladies dawdled in the dressing-room on the train, she was in an "awful flurry" to dress herself and Lydia before the train reached Tampa. She also mulled over losing her pocket-book at the Hotel minutes before departing for Thonotosassa. More pleasant recollections were also repeated in her letters. She was enraptured by the young William Draper, "the 'saving grace' in our 'Old Folk's Concert,'" often mentioning his willingness to help and his broad shoulders.
Delight in the natural world fills her letters, from more traditional observations of the lovely view of the lake to curious descriptions of how the oranges looked "quite social in the nice top-sail breeze" one day and "sullen and belligerent" in the "glimmering sun" of a still day. She described twilight, "which as usual in southern climes is short," as "a mere wave of the hand." When writing about a walk among "frequent cypresses with their mourning moss trailing," she stopped her narrative of the walk to reflect that while "on the other trees the long trailing moss swaying in the wind seems quite a cheerful decoration, on the cypress it seems like mourning."
R. W. Benson also discussed the temperature in great detail, no doubt reveling in the balmy weather she was experiencing. She often mentioned what layers of underwear she had either removed or put on: "I prophesied we would soon discard all underwear, but when I had taken a sponge bath I found I wanted some underclothes, after all."
1 volume
A member of the Sager family of Canada and Vermont created this handmade volume registering the births of children to Frederick and Lydia Sager, along with other family events. While undated, the volume includes content ranging from 1814 to 1840, suggesting it was produced within that timeframe. Most entries list individuals' names and birthdates, written within pen-and-ink heart frames along with geometric patterns and other embellishments. The entry for an unnamed infant who died the same day it was born includes an illustration of a coffin, while other entries include drawings of objects like a quill, manicules, and flowers.
The volume concludes with copies of two Biblical hymns, one carefully written to look like printed type.
The volume has later covers made from an 1896 advertising board for a New York newspaper.
33 photographs in 1 album.
The Saint Lawrence River photo album contains 33 photographs taken during a vacation in northern New York State including views of the Saint Lawrence River, Lake Placid, Lake George, and Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The album (14 x 20 cm) is bound in a black cloth binding. Images of particular interest include views of a steamboat leaving Clayton, New York, the grounds of the Thousand Island House in Alexandria Bay, views of Wilmington Notch in the Adirondack Mountains, and a picnic scene at Big Rock near Elizabethtown, New York.
2 volumes
This class book (34cm x 27cm) belonged to Samuel A. Fitch, who earned a bachelor's degree from Union College in 1860. The volume's cover, bound in a coarse cloth, has a plate with the title "Sam. A. Fitch. 60. Union College" stamped in gold. Each of the 42 pages has an oval coated salted paper print portrait of a faculty member (11 items) or student (31 items), including Union College President Eliphalet Nott, Professor Laurens Perseus Hickok, and student (and future United States ambassador to the Netherlands) Samuel Richard Thayer. With the sole exception of Nott, each man pictured provided an autograph signature; some also wrote brief messages. Professors' photographs often include subjects taught, degree, and the university or school from which he graduated. Students' photographs often include a note about a student's hometown and his career. The remaining ten coated salted paper print photographs (most around 14.5cm x 20cm), comprised of a portrait of Nott and nine views of campus buildings and grounds, are mounted onto large pages (27cm x 35cm), housed separately from the album.