Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

The Personal series consists of biographical material, a series of autobiographical letters that Kendall wrote to his grandchildren in the 1970s, photographs, and an undated diary (probably from the 1950s) when Kendall was serving in the Eisenhower administration.

The Professional Papers series includes newspaper and journal articles about Osler and his firm from 1958 to 2012, award citations, award submission notebooks, publicity and marketing materials, and brief project summaries. Researchers will note that there are no client business files in this collection. In the Awards sub-series, the Michigan AIA Gold Medal Award (1996) folder includes letters of support from such notable Michigan architects and landscape architects as Gunnar Birkerts, Robert M. Beckley, Balthazar Korab, Charles W. Cares, S. Glen Paulsen, Robert C. Metcalf, Frederick W Mayer and Carl O. Hueter, among many. The high regard of others in Osler's profession is clearly evident in these letters, as they describe the elements of Osler's work, temperament and design, which elevate him for this award. The AIA Michigan Firm Award (2005) folder was prepared by Osler's office and combines his narrative description of seventeen chosen projects with color photographs of interiors and exteriors.

The Publications, divided into several series, contains Allen's collection of books, pamphlets, and periodicals published by the House of David and by Mary's City of David. Also included are works about the House of David and publications by and about Joanna Southcott and the other Messengers preceding Benjamin Purnell in the House of David's understanding. The collection also includes a few other works, mainly dealing with esoteric knowledge, for which the connection to the House of David is unclear. For the ease of researchers, all other works in the Bentley Library's collection relating to the House of David have also been included in this inventory.

Allen kept detailed notes on the sometimes confusing publication history of the House of David and City of David. His notecards are available in the Bentley Library Reading Room card file. Portions of his notes directly relating to editions and printings have been excerpted in this inventory. The cards often include additional information about the significance and meaning of the texts.

The publications series is organized by publisher or subject: Publications of the House of David (sometimes called the Israelite House of David, including both the organization led by Mary and Benjamin Purnell before 1929 and the succeeding organization led by Judge Dewhirst after the split); Publications of Mary's City of David (initially known as the Israelite House of David as reorganized by Mary Purnell); Writings about the House of David and City of David; Publications by and about the six predecessor Messengers, Joanna Southcott, Richard Brothers, George Turner, William Shaw (no publications), John Wroe and the Society of Christian Israelites, and James Jezreel and the New and Latter House of Israel; Publications of Helen Barltrop (and the Panacea Society) and British Israelism (successors to Joanna Southcott not directly related to the House of David); Publications of Richard W. Hill (a follower and interpreter of Benjamin Purnell); Esoteric and other writings of uncertain connection with the House of David or other Southcottian prophets.

Within each category, all titles are arranged in this inventory alphabetically by title. More substantial bound volumes are not located in the manuscript boxes, but should be retrieved by the call numbers listed for them.

The records of Dean Rhoda Russell (1891-1972) have been divided into two series, Committee and Faculty Records (1931-1972) and a Topical File (1891-1972). Committee and Faculty Records have been further divided into two subseries, Committee Records (1931-1972) and Faculty Records (1937-1972).

Committee Records, arranged alphabetically by committee name, are particularly strong for the 1950s. Included in the subseries are annual committee reports (1951-1964/65) and extensive records of the Curriculum Committee and its many sub-committees (1947-1971). Committee documentation for the 1960s is very weak. Faculty Records, arranged alphabetically by subject, are most interesting for an almost complete run of faculty meeting minutes, 1937-1972. As in the committee records, documentation for the 1960s is very limited. For example, there are no faculty minutes for academic years 1962/63 or 1965/66

The largest subgroup in the Medical School record group is the Dean's Records, dating from 1915 to 2008. The Dean's Records have been divided into five series: Committee and Council Records, Executive Committee, Correspondence Files, Departmental Files, and Administrative Records. Filing practices varied over the years with the result that there may be gaps in some series. The Correspondence series, for example, has no material for the years 1960-1989. Presumably, items that had been filed as correspondence were filed under another category for those years.

The Committee and Council Records Series (1930-1996) consists of various committees and councils that reported to the dean, were appointed by the dean, or on which the dean served or held an interest. The subseries is further subdivided by time spans reflecting materials received in various accessions. Records of a particular committee may extend over several of the accessions. Files of individual committees may include minutes correspondence and other material.

The arrangement, established by the Dean's office, of the 1930-1980 subseries (the original accessions) is a complicated one. Committees are arranged alphabetically by the source of their appointment. Thus committee records are divided by those committees appointed solely within the Medical School (Ad Hoc and Standing), committees appointed jointly by the Medical Center (Medical School and University Hospital), committees appointed by senior university administrators, and non-university committees, usually state or national committees in which the Medical School participated. In later accessions the distinguishing categories were abandoned. The records of the Executive Committee constitute a separate subseries.

Among the most informative records in the Committee and Council Series are minutes of the Dean's Advisory Council, filed under the Medical School Standing Committees. The Dean's Advisory Council is composed of the heads of the various departments. Its minutes are generally complete between 1959 and 1977 and are remarkably informative and frank. Other significant committee files include: Building Committee, Interim Review and Promotion Board, 1930-1975; the Bio-Medical Research Council, 1974-1984; the Computer Advisory Committee, 1977-1983; Michigan Association for Regional Medical Planning, 1972-1973; and the Wayne County General Hospital Senior Advisory Group, 1965-1972.

The Dean's Topical files series is the principal administrative file of the school. It includes correspondence, memoranda, reports, minutes of committees, and files relating to academic departments and programs. The series dates from the founding of the school in 1892 through 2010. Dean's Topical have been transferred to the library in multiple accessions and are subdivided into subseries reflecting those accessions. Occasionally an accession represents the files of a single dean, but more frequently a subseries will span the tenure of several deans. There is frequently considerable overlap in the time periods covered by the various subseries. Within each subseries, the files are arranged alphabetically.

The original accession of Dean's Topical Files is divided into two subseries, 1892-1958, and 1958-1985. The year 1958 represents a general point of division between the two files, but not an absolute one. In particular some pre-1958 material can occasionally be found in the subseries 1958-1985. Among the more significant subjects are the budget, Bureau of Government, Early Modern English Dictionary, Executive Board agendas and minutes, Institute for Public and Social Administration, Rackham Building construction, Statistical Research Laboratory, Dissertation Review Committee, Inteflex, and the Michigan Council of Graduate Deans. Another small accession of 1958-1985 was received later.

The Dearborn league files covers the years 1953 to 1978, with most of the papers falling in the period of 1961-1975. Included are minutes of annual meetings and board meetings, correspondence, newsletters, local program files, study committee files, and Voter Service guides and working files. Studies undertaken by the league ranged over a number of topics, including the Dearborn school system, environmental quality, the welfare system, and the relationship between the Michigan courts and the juveniles and children brought before them. The records created after April 20, 1972 are of the merged League of Women Voters of Dearborn-Dearborn Heights.

(The contents of the Deed Books include deed number, name of lot owner, date, price and number of lots purchased, location of lots in the cemetery, any re-conveying of lots back to the cemetery, transfer of lots to another owner)