Collections : [Central Michigan University Clarke Historical Library]

Collection includes 67 glass-plate negatives of farm families in Fork, Millbrook, and Hinton, Mecosta County, Michigan, as well as the Flint Post Office, Mill Pond, and Hall's Lake. Also documented are patent models of Michigan inventors William M. Hill and Newman G. Denney.

The creator is unknown. The collection is organized by size first. There are 50 glass-plate negatives, each measuring approximately 3.25 inches by 4.25 inches, #5-96 (scattered), in numerical order. Next, there are 17 glass-plate negatives, each measuring approximately 4.25 inches by 6.25 inches, which were not numbered originally, now labeled A-S, filed in alphabetical order.

The collection documents farm families in Fork, Millbrook, and Hinton, Mecosta County, Michigan, as well as the Flint Post Office, Mill Pond, and Hall’s Lake. The automobiles of doctors Franklin and Purdius are identified, as is Newman G. Denney, an inventor from Millbrook, Michigan, and some of his patent models for reels of Air Silk. Also included are front and rear views of dirigible headlights patented by William M. Hill, an inventor from Mount Pleasant, Michigan, on January 1, 1929. Two of the negatives are broken and one is fading.

Papers include biographical materials, correspondence, typed drafts and galley proofs, a photograph, and miscellaneous.

The collection includes De Jong’s typed drafts and galley proofs of many of his books, some correspondence with editors, Elizabeth Nowell (his agent), correspondence with his family, 1933, 1945 and biographical materials, undated. The miscellaneous materials include the Michigan Works Program Administration’s Federal Music Project, 1938-1939, (1 folder) and a photograph of deaf children at the Kalamazoo State School in Lansing, Michigan, undated (1 folder).

Copies of sixteen of De Jong’s books are separately cataloged in the Clarke Historical Library.

The papers one folder of Michael P. Church papers, and organizational records of the Michigan Council for the Arts.

The vast majority of the collection consists of the records of the Michigan Council for the Arts, including reports, budgets, meeting minutes, newsletters, and special reports and project proposals, 1963-1973. There is one folder with some of Church’s correspondence and newspaper articles (copies) about him and various art events with which he was involved, 1949-1981, undated. (Additional collections of Church’s papers and audiovisual materials are housed at the Bentley Historical Library. Additional Michigan Council for the Arts materials are housed at the Library of Michigan.)

The collection documents the history, committees, and activities of the organization in meeting minutes, photographs, and other materials. The collection is ongoing.

The Organizational Records of MAEA document the entire history of the organization, 1949-present. The collection has been organized alphabetically by topic. Within each topic, materials are filed chronologically. Particularly well documented aspects of MAEA are its Awards, the Executive Council, Conferences, the President’s Correspondence, and the [Michigan] Youth Arts Festival.

There is a complete run of Conference Materials, 1949-2006 (approximately 1 cubic foot). The general Conference Materials folders may include: conference agendas, invitations, public relations materials, correspondence, hotel contracts, notes, suggestions, proposals, statistics, reports of committees and individuals, and the general conference report, budgets, and meeting minutes. For later years there are also Conference Bags, Photographs, Negatives, and a Guest Book for the 50th Anniversary Conference in 1999. Conference programs are cataloged separately.

MAEA’s Art Educator of the Year Award and Public Service Award, and other awards processes, nominees, and recipients are well documented with various materials, including photographs, newspaper clippings, dossiers, letters of recommendation, and announcements of award winners (12 folders).

Originally called the Executive Board, the current Executive Council is documented mostly by Meeting Minutes with Attachments, which may include agendas, proposed and accepted budgets, statistics, reports from committees, officers, and conferences, notes, and correspondence, 1949-2003, 2006-2007. There are also unpublished Executive Council Directories/Lists, 1990-1994, and Executive Council and Liaison Workshops/Retreats Materials. (approximately 1 cubic foot).

The President’s Correspondence, 1950-1960, 1962-1983, 1988-1995 (approximately .5 cubic feet) documents each President’s interactions with MAEA officers and members, legislators, and members of other organizations interested in the arts and/or education, issues of interest to MAEA, conference planning, and related arts and education events.

The [Michigan] Youth Arts Festival, Materials, 1963-1995 (Scattered) and undated, include papers, photographs, newspaper clippings, a constitution and bylaws, publicity materials, planning materials, and information about student artists. Slides in Box 5 also document the Youth Arts Festival. (Youth Arts Festival materials total approximately .75 cubic ft.) Youth Arts Festival publications are cataloged separately.

Also documented are various drafts of the MAEA Constitutions and Bylaws, materials of various committees and officers, including the Presidents, Membership Lists/Directories, 1949-1970 (Scattered), Organizational Histories, 1969-1989 (Scattered), Photographs, Policies, Publicity Materials, and various Reports, as well as more miscellaneous materials. The collection is ongoing.

Processing Notes: MAEA publications, including the newsletters, ARTeacher, convention programs, Youth Arts Festival and Art Exhibit materials, brochures, directories, and other publications, as well as publications of other Michigan organizations that were originally part of this collection are separately cataloged. The collection is ongoing.

Newspaper clippings and other extremely fragile, acidic materials were photocopied. The photocopies are in the collection and the originals were returned to MAEA.

All duplicate materials, fragile materials, non-MAEA or non-Michigan publications, miscellaneous notes, (canceled) checks and checkbooks, receipts, and other materials of peripheral value to the collection were removed from the collection.

The collection includes CD recordings of book signings, which is the focus of the collection, WCMU recording and release forms, a list of Michigan authors and their writings, a written calendar of Michigan authors’ book signings, and fliers for book signings.

The collection was kept by the Clarke in a number of folders, which were titled and dated. Materials were processed by format, then in alphabetical and chronological order. Materials covered by the Michigan Authors collection include CD recordings of book signings, which is the focus of the collection, WCMU recording and release forms, a list of Michigan authors and their writings, a written calendar of Michigan authors’ book signings, and fliers for book signings.

Processing Notes: One folder of peripheral material was withdrawn from the collection. Items that were fragile or acidic were copied and their originals withdrawn from the collection.

Organizational records of Michigan Business Education Association (MBEA).

The John M. Trytten Archives of the MBEA date from 1936 and include the Articles of Incorporation, Constitutions, By-Laws, Policies, Meeting Minutes of the Executive Board, General Meetings, and miscellaneous meetings, Correspondence, Financial Records, Treasurer’s Ledgers and Reports, Miscellaneous Materials, Miscellaneous Reports, folders of materials relating to the Annual Convention, Fall Conference, Workshops, and Membership, and various Photographs, among other materials. The Archives is ongoing.

Newsletters of MBEA, including: Business education today in Michigan, MBEA today, and News bulletin, are cataloged separately as periodicals.

The collection documents the organizational history and activities of the MCSA and consists of White House Conference materials, correspondence, reports, programs, syllabi, scrapbooks, newsletters, directories, histories, maps, booklets, photographs, and other materials.

The collection documents all aspects of the history and activities of MCSA, both at the state and local level, from 1920 through 2003. Correspondence, reports, programs, syllabi, scrapbooks, materials of disbanded clubs, newsletters, directories, histories, maps, booklets, and materials of conference, convention, and planning program meetings, as well as White House Conference materials, and miscellaneous items compose the collection. A few earlier items, 1913 and 1917, from MCSA’s parent organization, the Child Conservation League of America, are also included.

Materials are organized alphabetically by type or title and then chronologically within each series. Materials of the Child Conservation League and the MI Federation Child Conservation League precede that of the MCSA.

The larger series within the collection include: Correspondence; Materials of Disbanded Clubs; Executive Committee Materials; History Materials; Programs of Local MCSA Clubs, and Scrapbooks.

Various types of Correspondence, approximately.5 cubic foot, are found in the collection. General correspondence, which was distributed to members and club presidents, 1920-1938, 1952-1992, and 1997; Correspondence before and after the Nov. 1983 Spring Planning Meeting, 1983 (Examples); Correspondence with an Executive Board Members, 1964-1969 (Example); and Correspondence of MCSA Presidents, 1967-1968, 1973-1980, 1982-1989 complete this series.

Materials of Disbanded Clubs, approximately .5 cubic foot, consists mainly of initial letters of inquiry and application to join MCSA, constitutions, lists of charter members, official club charters, and correspondence noting that the club disbanded.

The materials of the Executive Committee, approximately one cubic foot, include meeting agendas, minutes, and reports by officers, including the President, 1st-4th vice presidents, treasurer, secretary, historian, program chairs, etc., 1949-1951 and 1953-1998.

History Materials, approximately .5 cubic foot, include volumes documenting the early history of the MCSA in notes and meeting minutes, with attached programs, clippings, reports, a constitution, and some newsletters, 1928-1962. Two printed anniversary histories of the MCSA, 1920-1970 and 1920-1990, are also included in this series.

The Programs of Local MCSA Clubs is the largest series in the collection, approximately 2 cubic feet, which documents the histories and activities of the local clubs, 1944-1979 and 1986-2003. Prizes were awarded for the most unique and beautiful programs. Some of the programs are quite lovely and unique.

Scrapbooks, 1970-1998, 1.25 cubic feet, include photographs, clippings, notes, publications, and miscellaneous items. Most of the scrapbooks are letter-sized, except for one oversized volume, 1990-1991.

The Syllabi, once a main component of MCSA as both as a work project and educational resource, were used to educate mothers about children and various issues involved with child rearing, education, and development. Different themes or topics were selected for each year’s new syllabus. Clubs and individuals researched and wrote different parts, or units, of each syllabus. Copies of the completed syllabus were mailed to each club. Syllabi in the collection, approximately .5 cubic foot, date from 1945 through 1998.

Two other particularly interesting, although small, series are found in the collection. One of these series documents MCSA’s predecessor organizations. The Child Conservation League of America is documented by its constitution, 1913, two annual programs, 1922 and 1924, and two publications, 1913 and undated. The MI Federation Child Conservation League is documented by Bulletins, 1923-1924; a program, 1922; and two historical volumes of annual convention reports and lists of delegates, 1924-1929; and the Executive Council Meeting Minutes, Reports, Programs, and Clippings, 1921/1922-1928.

The other series of note consists mostly of published materials documenting MCSA’s interests and participation in the White House Conference on Children and Youth. Mrs. Lyle Price of MCSA was officially invited to attend the 1950 conference and created a scrapbook documenting her experience. Related publications, 1950-1951, 1960, and undated, are also included.

Processing Notes: During processing approximately 10 cubic feet of materials was withdrawn from the collection. The majority of these materials were duplicates, particularly of newsletters, officer and annual reports, and Executive Board or other meeting minutes, and massive amounts of generic correspondence, miscellaneous notes, cancelled checks, receipts, and FYI and reading materials from other organizations. A large number of brochures of Michigan hotels and resorts were added to the MI vertical file collection. Also, a 10 volume set of books, Foundation stones of success, was cataloged separately from the collection.

Court records include annulments, chancery cases, chattle mortgages, debt cases, divorces, estate settlements, foreclosures, gas and oil cases, guardianship cases, indentures, injunctions, calendars and proceedings, mortgages, prartnerships, pensions, petitions, poll lists, tally sheets, election returns, school reports, censuses, etc., support cases, tax assessments, other records, a tintype, miscellaneous.

The collection is one of the government records collections that came to the Clarke as part of a regional archives depository agreement with the State Archives. The collection was not processed at the State Archives.

Processing Note: Duplicate printed materials, miscellaneous and illegible items, and those non-permanent records that had far surpassed their records retention schedule were withdrawn from the collection during processing.

The following collection contains Michigan Circuit Court Case No. 4305, Michigan Consolidated Gas Company materials, Michigan Public Service Commission, D3430, Michigan Public Service Commission, Michigan Supreme Court Case No. 46228, and other related materials.

The collection consists of five series:

Michigan Circuit Court (Isabella County), Case No. 4305-transcripts, proceedings, and exhibits, 1948-1952;

MCGC-hearing papers, service rates, correspondence, map of service, and exhibits on Gas Franchise, 1930s-1953;

Michigan Public Service Commission, D3430-evidence, transcripts, petitions, hearing papers, reports, proceedings, applications and authorities to modify gas rates, briefs, testimonies, etc., 1930s-1955;

Michigan Supreme Court, Case No. 46,228-exhibits, papers, brief, notices, records and resolution, 1930s-1954; and

Related materials, mostly correspondence, 1948-1953.

Organizational records include correspondence, list of members, meeting minutes and notes, newspaper clippings (copies), recommendations, and final report.

The collection includes correspondence, lists of members, meeting minutes and notes, newspaper clippings (copies), recommendations, and the final report of the Commission, 1951-1953, undated. S. Joseph Wodka was the Executive Secretary of the Commission.