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Douglas Ross (1942- ) is a Michigan political figure. He has been active in many political organizations and the Democratic party and served as Michigan Director of Commerce and United States Assistant Secretary of Labor. He also ran, unsuccessfully, for governor of Michigan in 1998. Ross' main concerns are economic policy and education. He currently runs a charter school in Detroit, Michigan. The papers cover most of his career, especially as Michigan Senator and at the Department of Labor, and include his notes and articles, correspondence, publications, and videotapes.

Governor of Michigan 1949 to 1960, under-secretary of state for African Affairs from 1961 to 1965, and Michigan Supreme Court justice from 1970 to 1986 and leader in state and national Democratic Party. Papers document his public career and aspects of his personal and family life and include correspondence, subject files, staff files, speeches, press releases and news clippings, photographs, sound recordings, films and videotapes.

The G. Mennen Williams Papers consist of official and personal files arranged into six subgroups: 1) Gubernatorial papers, 1949-1960 (681 linear ft.); 2) Non-gubernatorial papers, 1883-1948 and 1958-1988 (107 linear ft.); 3) Visual materials, ca. 1911-1988 (ca. 25 linear ft.); 4) sound recordings, 1950-ca. 1988 (5 linear ft.) Scrapbooks, 1948-1987 (43 vols.) and State Department Microfilm, 1961-1966 (23 reels).

As part of its own control system, the governor's office maintained a card index to the correspondents in many of the subgroups and series within the gubernatorial papers. This card file is located in the library's reading room. In addition, Nancy Williams and her staff compiled an extensive and detailed run of scrapbooks covering the Williams years. There is a separate inventory to these scrapbooks in a separately bound volume.

Strategy for Use of the Gubernatorial Papers: Although the Williams gubernatorial collection consists of hundreds of linear feet of material, the file arrangement created by the governor's staff is a fairly simple one to understand and to use.

The bulk of the collection falls within specific functional groupings, corresponding to the various activities and responsibilities that Williams performed as governor. Thus, if the researcher is uncertain of what portions of the collection might be relevant to his/her research, he/she is advised to think in terms of gubernatorial function. Does the proposed research concern the workings or area responsibility of a state board? If so, the Boards and Commissions series would be the most likely place in which to find material. The election of 1954? Then Democratic Party/Campaign Papers should be first choice. The passage of a specific piece of legislation? Here, Legislative Files is an obvious choice. The possible choices (called subgroups and series) that the researcher has are listed in the Organization of the Collection section. A description of the contents of each of these subgroups/series is provided below.

If, at first, unsuccessful in finding material on any given topic, the researcher might consider these additional strategies:

1. Refer to the Williams card index (located in the library's reading room). Sometimes, the name of an individual associated with a subject provides the easiest point of access into the collection. This file is arranged alphabetically and lists the dates of letters between an individual and the governor's office. This file only indexes the larger series and subgroups in the collection. It does not index the staff files, or parts of the Democratic Party/Campaign subgroup. Nevertheless it is an invaluable tool, and can uncover important material otherwise buried.

2. Refer to the various series of staff papers. Staff members were often closely involved in a specific subject areas (Jordan Popkin and aging, for example) and thus their files are frequently rich in source material.

3. If only partially successful in locating desired material, the researcher should think of an alternative subgroup or series. The governor's office, for a variety of reasons, often filed related material in different locations depending upon the source of a document. Thus, information relating to a strike might be filed both under the Labor Mediation Board in Boards and Commissions, and Strikes in General Subjects. Furthermore, if the strike influenced a specific piece of legislation, there could be material in the Legislative Files.

This collection consists of records generated by and collected by Hilda I. Green and the PBB Action Committee of Reed City, Michigan, concerning PBB contamination and poisoning in Michigan and its impact on the Green family.

This collection consists of records generated by and collected by Hilda I. Green and the PBB Action Committee of Reed City, Michigan, concerning PBB contamination and poisoning in Michigan and its impact on the Green family. The collection is organized alphabetically by topic and then chronologically. Most of the collection consists of photocopies. The collection includes Green family medical records; herd, farm equipment and meat and dairy test results and forms; letters; court records, transcriptions of hearing testimony, and drafts of a book by Hilda I. Green. Records generated or collected by her and other members of the PBB Action Committee include: published scientific reports and journal articles, unpublished research papers, news clippings, white papers, and government bills and acts; correspondence with politicians, including President Gerald Ford’s office, Governor William Milliken, and Congressmen, officials in the Michigan Farm Bureau Services, the Michigan Departments of Agriculture and Public Health, scientists, physicians and hospitals, laboratories and research facilities, members of the public, and other Michiganders whose families and farms were poisoned by PBB including some medical records or health information; Committee published newsletters, press announcements and articles, forms, and handouts, and petitions supporting legislation to support farmers and more strongly control toxic substances in food products; transcriptions of testimony in trials and multiple special committee hearings; documentation of Michiganders’ purchases of meat and dairy products from multiple Michigan stores via receipts, Committee forms, and test results; partial records and exhibits from cases in multiple Michigan and federal courts.

Allergy Reminder: Parts of the collection have a mildew odor. Researchers with allergies should exercise caution when using the collection.

Court case materials and exhibits (with numbers) in the collection include: Michigan (MI). Circuit Court, Barry County, Floyd E. and Betty J. Jones v. MCC File # 76-232, 1978; MI. Circuit Court, Lake County, Alvin Green et al v. MCC # 76-815-NP, case dismissed August 7, 1979; MI. Circuit Court, Missaukee County, FBS v. Northwest Industries # 74-000530 NZ, 1974-1975; MI. Circuit Court, Newaygo County, Springstead and Jaunese v. Greer and Greer, P.C. # 79-4718-CK, 1980; MI. Circuit Court, Wexford County, Tacoma v. MCC # 76-2933-NZ, 1979; US. Bankruptcy Court for Eastern District MI Tort Cases #82-00651-W, 84-01478.G; US. District Court, Eastern District, US v. Velsicol, Touzeau, and Thorne, MI Criminal No # 79-8070 concealment and conspiracy to defraud government; US. District Court, Eastern District, MI, Northern Division, FBS Chapter 11 Bankruptcy # 82-00651-W; US. District Court, Western District, MI District, S. Division, FBS v. New Hampshire Insurance Co., #G74-372-CAS, 1982; and US. District Court, Western District, SE Division #G7 696 CA, 1966.

Medical records or documentation in the collection:

There is documentation of physical and mental health records for Alvin, Hilda, Doug, Cheroyl, Jederic, and Jim Green in the collection. Of these, in 2022, only Jederic and Jim Green are alive. Jim and Jederic completed permission forms allowing their health records to remain in the collection and be available to the public. Jim and Sallyann completed permission forms allowing health record of their deceased family members to remain in the collection and be available to the public. These forms are found in the relevant folders and noted on the folder labels.

Medical and health issues of the Green, Creighton, and Babett families, as well as other Michiganders, including their children, are publicly discussed and documented in public court cases, hearings, and special committee testimonies and newspaper clippings.

Related collections in the Clarke and other archives:

Researchers may also be interested in other collections in the Clarke that document the MI PBB catastrophe. Additionally, researchers may be interested in related PBB materials in the following collections of the State Archives collections: RG 2017-6 (Department of Agriculture), RG 93-39 (Department of Natural Resources), RG 92-60 (Attorney General), RG 91-412 (Attorney General) and RG 95-94 (Attorney General). The Department of Agriculture was in charge of killing the livestock, and the DNR buried the livestock. The records of Governor Milliken housed mainly in the Bentley Historical Library and in the State Archives may also be of interest.

Processing Notes:

Overall the collection is in good condition, although some of it has a mildew odor. A majority of the collection originally consisted of poor-quality photocopies made using various techniques. Copies made via thermal heat process, materials with rust or mildew damage, faded materials, health records, and newspaper clippings were prioritized for photocopying. The originals and duplicates were withdrawn and the more current, better-quality copies were retained in the collection.

Only a few of Alvin’s medical records had social security numbers in them. The numbers were blackened with a magic marker and then a photocopy was made of the page. The original was shredded and the copy was retained in the collection.

While some of the publications are national in range, such as the Farm bills, or available online, they were retained to show the breadth and depth of materials that the Greens collected for reference on the topic of PBB and related chemical contamination. Often the Greens retained only a page or two of a resource.

Originally the collection included a few examples of medical records and/or letters in which people discussed their medical issues related to PBB exposure. These people were not members of the Green family and either their identity or contact information could not be verified. These materials were shredded.

During processing 1.25 cubic foot of materials was withdrawn. Withdrawn materials consisted mostly of acidic materials, largely newspaper clippings, which were photocopied and the copies retained.

Democratic National Committeewoman from Michigan, Vice-Chair of the Democratic National Committee and Director of Women's Affairs of the Democratic Party. Extensive correspondence, speeches, press releases, political campaign materials, newspaper clippings, agendas, and assorted printed material relating to her work in the Democratic Party; material concerning Democratic politics, 1948-1967, and the activities of the Democratic National Committee and the Michigan State Central Committee.

The collection includes extensive correspondence, speeches, press releases, political campaign materials, newspaper clippings, agendas, and assorted printed material relating to her work in the Democratic Party; material concerning state and national Democratic politics, 1948-1967, and materials accumulated from her service with the Democratic National Committee and the Michigan State Central Committee.

The collection has been arranged into the following series: Correspondence; Press Materials; Speeches; Miscellaneous Materials; Organizational Activities; State and Local Politics; National Politics; Printed Materials; and Photographs.

U. S. Senator from Michigan, 1959-1976, a conscientious supporter of civil rights, consumer protection and environmentalism, Hart served as floor manager of the 1965 civil rights act and 1968 Open Housing Act, introduced legislation to create Sleeping Bear Dunes and Pictured Rock National Lakeshores and sponsored important consumer legislation. Papers include Legislative Files, Staff Files, Press Files, Subject Files, Constituent Correspondence, Office Files, Political Files, Miscellaneous, Sound Recordings, and Visual Materials.

The Philip A. Hart collection consists of those files maintained by Hart and his staff in Washington D.C. while serving as senator from Michigan in the period 1958-1976. A senate office in the 1960s and 1970s could employ as many as thirty staff and clerical workers. In 1975, Hart wrote: "My own office presently consists of 34 full-time people in Washington plus 4 in my Detroit office and one part-time employee each in Grand Rapids and Marquette." Received from Washington, the Hart collection documents the workings of his Capitol office. Excepting for a few files from the 1950s when Hart served in Michigan state government, the Hart papers relate exclusively to Senate activities and detail the variety and bulk of problems crossing the desk of a United States senator and his staff.

In a press release describing his office, Hart stated that the work of a senator falls into three categories: legislative, participating in the discussion and formulation of public policy, and serving as "ambassador" between his constituents and the Federal Government. Beyond the study of legislation, public policy debates, and the relationship between a senator and the people of his state, the Hart collection is a reflection of the times in which Hart served, the sixties and seventies, years of the presidencies of Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford, a time when public figures discussed issues of conscience and of war, matters of human rights and of public morality, areas where Hart's basic integrity and humaneness placed him in the forefront of public debate.

The collection falls into eleven principal series: Personal/Biographical, Legislative Files, Staff Files, Press Files, Subject Files, Constituent Correspondence, Office Files, Political Files, Miscellaneous, Sound Recordings, and Visual Materials. Except for Personal/Biographical and the series of audio-visual materials, the Hart collection is an office file and represents the activities of one senator and a dozen or so of his key staff members. To use the collection, the researcher after examining the "Series Description" (on the following pages) should note that for any topical study, information will usually be found in any number of series within the collection. The series represent functional divisions within the Hart office, legislation, press, or whatever. To study an issue such as consumer protection, therefore, the researcher should be prepared to examine the Hart finding aid under the series that might document that topic from different functional perspectives (Legislative Files, Staff Files, Subject Files, among others). The researcher interested in a narrower, more specific topic should recognize that the following inventory, for the most part, is not a folder-level description and thus specialized kinds of information will be filed first under a more general heading.

One more note: The Hart papers originally consisted of more than 700 linear feet of files. Hart himself and his staff had discarded certain types of files before donating them to the library, notably case files and constituent mail answered by form. In addition, the library discarded files of low research content - thank yous, invitations, and carbons of Hart correspondence duplicated in the other principal series of the collection. Furthermore, files containing similar types of correspondence from constituents have been sampled (the folders have "S" or "Samp" on them). Government publications, easily available in a government documents library, and unless heavily annotated, have been discarded. Researchers on any topic within the Hart collection should familiarize themselves with the standard sources on government documents (the indices to the Congressional Record for example). Topics on which Hart played a key legislative role or about which he was keenly interested have not been sampled. These topics include civil rights, the passage of various consumer legislation, the Sleeping Bear Dunes debate, his committee work, and the debate over the war in Vietnam to list a few.

Michigan congressman and senator, head of the U.S. Office of Price Administration; papers include correspondence, legislative files, speeches, political files, business and legal records, diaries and scrapbooks, visual materials, and sound recordings.

The Prentiss M. Brown Collection is rich and full and offers researchers materials on a variety of local and national topics reflecting the diversity of the man's private and public life. The earliest item in the collection is a letter book dated 1902-04 of James J. Brown, like his son a prominent St. Ignace attorney. The collection then picks up Prentiss M. Brown's entrance to the legal profession in 1917, traces his rise to public office, his work in Congress and with the O.P.A., and then concludes with his later business interests and his crusade upon behalf of the Mackinac Bridge.

The Brown Collection comprises approximately twenty-eight feet of correspondence, letterbooks, scrapbooks, diaries, speeches, topical and legislative files, photographs and phonograph records, and legal case files and business records. Covering the period 1917 to 1973, the papers concentrate most heavily in the years 1932-1942 when Brown was in the U.S. Congress. The greatest gap in the collection is in the period of the 1920s when Brown was making his first bids for political office. Also missing are any extensive files for the time of Brown's O.P.A. directorship. What the collection has on the O.P.A. are largely speeches, scrapbooks, and congratulatory letters.

Democratic US Congressman from the 2nd Michigan Congressional District, 1965-1967. Campaign files, 1964, 1966 and 1968; files documenting his activities as member of the 89th Congress; subject files detailing views of constituents on such subjects as the Vietnam War, civil rights, Lyndon Johnson's anti-poverty program, and other issues of the 1960s; also clippings, photographs, and audio tapes.

The Weston E. Vivian papers document his three campaigns for the US House of Representatives in 1964, 1966, and 1968, and his service in the 89th Congress, 1965-1966. The papers include correspondence, speeches, campaign literature, texts of radio broadcasts and campaign advertisements, press releases and newsletters, newspaper clippings, photographs, and sound and video recordings. Also included in the Vivian papers are three University of Michigan student papers on the 1966 and 1968 Vivian congressional campaigns.

The collection is divided into several distinct series: biographical material, congressional campaigns, congressional service, subject files, clippings, photographs, and sound recordings and motion picture tapes. The additional material received in 1990 is located in boxes 11-12, but has been integrated into the appropriate place in the contents listing.