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Zoologist, college professor, president of University of Michigan, 1929-1951. Professional files relating to his career with the University Museum and as a professor of zoology, and presidential files containing correspondence, reports, speeches, and other University materials, including budget and legislative files, material relating to changes in University administration, his relationship with faculty, students and alumni, and photographs.

The Alexander Ruthven papers consists of two series of records. The first is the papers of Ruthven as president of the University of Michigan, 1929 to 1951. The second, and smaller, series is the files maintained by Ruthven as a zoologist with the University Museum and as professor of zoology. This latter series dates largely from 1908 to 1929 but also includes collected earlier files from the 1870s.

Collection includes clippings, photographs, brochures, information about famous pilots, planes, flights, plane manufacturers, airlines, general aviation history, Grand Rapids Art Fair and airport information, Heagle's pilot log book and lessons from the Furniture Capital Air School of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The collection includes clippings from newspapers and magazines, photographs, brochures, and other memorabilia on Dr. Hugo, Eckener, Charles Lindberg and his flight to Paris, Admiral Byrd’s flight to the South Pole, women pilots, zeppelins, plane crashes, various companies that manufactured planes or plane parts, including Buhl Aircraft Company, Forker (GM.), Ford Motor Company, Kohler Corporation, and airlines including Detroit–Grand Rapids Airline, Furniture Capital Air Service, and Stout Air Service, Inc., and materials related to the Grand Rapids Air Fair, 1927, and airport, as well as the history of aviation, in general.

Also included are Heagle’s pilot log book, 1927-1931, and lessons from the Furniture Capital Air School, undated.

Professor of Geology at the University of Michigan, also chairman of the Ann Arbor Branch of the National Security League during World War I. His papers contain correspondence and other materials concerning his activities with the National Security League, a dispute over the political views of Charles Lindbergh, polar expeditions, and his work in the fields of geology, seismology, and meteorology. The collection also includes manuscripts of published and unpublished books and articles, biographical material, scrapbooks and notebooks detailing the University of Michigan expeditions to the Pacific and Greenland, and travel notes of trips to the Near East, Spain, the West Indies, Switzerland, and Russia.

The William Herbert Hobbs papers, 1880-1955, is comprised of correspondence, scrapbooks, manuscripts, printed material, and photographs documenting Hobbs' professional, political, and personal activities. Correspondence and other materials concern his activities with the National Security League, a dispute over the political views of Charles Lindbergh, opinions and reviews of his writings and those of other scientists, communications with newspapers and colleagues regarding various expeditions, and his work in the fields of geology, polar exploration, seismology, and meteorology. The collection also includes manuscripts of published and unpublished books and articles, biographical material, scrapbooks and notebooks detailing the University of Michigan expeditions to the Pacific and Greenland, and travel notes of trips to the Near East, Spain, the West Indies, Switzerland, and Russia.