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A. Alfred Taubman was an entrepreneur, real estate developer and philanthropist. The Taubman collection consists of business and personal records documenting his development of retail and mixed-use real estate projects, his role as a leader in the real estate industry in Michigan and nationally, his transformation of Sotheby's, his investments and business interests, his contributions to the arts, to American educational institutions, and to the city of Detroit.

This collection documents the business and philanthropic activities of A. Alfred Taubman. While this collection is not a comprehensive archive of Taubman's business and personal activities, it offers a rich and abundant resource for researchers interested in the history of commercial real estate development and those interested in Taubman's varied business concerns and philanthropic work. The bulk of the materials date from the early 1960s to the mid-1990s and include both records created by Taubman and a number of staff members of The Taubman Company. The collection is organized into eight series:

1. Shopping Centers/Commercial Development
2. Industry Leadership
3. Detroit Development
4. Business Investments
5. University Endowments
6. Topical
7. Personal
8. Athena Azerbaijan and Russia Development Projects

Organization of Detroit African American business and professional men and women; scattered records of the organization including newsletters, directories, and topical files of some of the group’s presidents.

The record group has been arranged into four series: Background/Informational; President's Files; National Business League, and Wallace Williams File. Included are scattered business and membership directories, newsletters, and annual meeting programs; records of organization presidents Homer D. Waterman, Joseph W. Williams, and Wallace Williams; and files relating to its relations with the National Business League, 1968-1970.

The Borman Family is a prominent Detroit area Jewish-American family and is best known for opening a string of supermarket chains throughout southeastern Michigan. Farmer Jack Market was the most successful venture, but others before it included Food Fair and Savon. Founded by two Russian-born brothers, Borman's Inc. remained a family-run business until 1987 when Farmer Jack was sold to the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P). This collection primarily represents the family business, but also covers the Borman Family's extensive involvement in the Detroit and Jewish-American communities.

The papers of the Borman Family relate primarily to their Detroit area supermarket chains and includes organizational papers related to Borman's Inc. and Farmer Jack. Substantial visual materials are to be found throughout the collection documenting all aspects of the business, but especially public relations activities. This collection also contains materials related to the Borman Family history and the Bormans' lives outside of the supermarket business.

Detroit businessman active in numerous minority business affairs and organizations. Williams was director of the Michigan Division of Minority Business Enterprise within the Michigan Department of Commerce, 1959-1978. Biographical information, correspondence, files relating to his activities on behalf of minority business development, especially with the Minority Technology Council of Michigan; also files relating to involvement with Detroit civic and cultural organizations, and photographs.

The Wallace C. Williams Papers document various professional and personal activities and concerns of Wallace C. Williams, most notably those during his career at the Michigan Department of Commerce, Office of Minority Business Enterprise. The collection is comprised of a wide variety of materials documenting Williams' activities in a number of organizations and occupations concerned primarily with minority business affairs. The collection is divided into four series: Biographical/Personal; Correspondence; Michigan Department of Commerce, Office of Economic Expansion, Minority Business Development; and Miscellaneous/Organizations.

Of particular interest is the Michigan Department of Commerce series which documents Williams' activities during his tenure at the Michigan Department of Commerce, Office of Minority Business Enterprise. The material in that series reflects Williams' activities directly associated with his position in that office, and other projects in which Williams was active.