Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Photos of University of Michigan alumni, faculty and staff collected by the University Alumni Association.

Alumni Association (University of Michigan),Individual Photographs forms part of the larger University of Michigan Alumni Association record group. As a convenience, it is described here in greater detail than in the finding aid for the full record group. The Individual Photographs includes portraits and activity photos of celebrities and other figures associated in some way with the University, including students (especially athletes), alumni, faculty, staff, and prominent visitors (especially honorary degree recipients).

John and Leni Sinclair were leaders of the counterculture movement in Michigan, organizers of radical social, political, and cultural endeavors primarily in the areas of music, poetry, graphic design, and community welfare projects. Papers and photographs (1957-1979) relating to all phases of their careers, including participation in the Artists' Workshop in Detroit, the Rainbow Multi-Media Corporation, the White Panther Party and its offshoot, the Rainbow Peoples Party; also materials concerning the legalization of marijuana, radical politics, and prison reform. Also material, 1979-2000, relating to John Sinclair's work as a writer, performer, radio show host and music promoter.

The John Sinclair papers came to the library in 1979. Jointly donated by John and Leni Sinclair, this initial accession, covering the period 1957-1979, included textual material, sound recordings, and photographs relating to all phases of their careers, including participation in the Artists' Workshop in Detroit, the Rainbow Multi-Media Corporation, the White Panther Party and its offshoot, the Rainbow Peoples Party; also materials concerning the legalization of marijuana, radical politics, prison reform, and rock and jazz music.

The Sinclair papers provide a rich and unique source for the study of America's radical movement in the nineteen sixties and seventies. Beginning with a remarkable series of correspondence that includes letters from Abbie Hoffman, Allen Ginsberg, Timothy Leary, and Jerry Rubin, and continuing on through extensive subject files, the collection details the cultural, political and business activities of a man whose energy and charisma made him a local and national leader of the counterculture. In addition, the collection documents the support and creativity of his wife and partner, who as writer, photographer and publicist helped to showcase the lifestyle which he symbolized.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, John Sinclair added to his papers with materials relating to his career as a writer and performer. In the winter of 2000, he donated a second large accession relating mainly to the period since leaving Detroit for New Orleans.

The Sinclair collection has been divided into four subgroups: Textual Files, Printed Material, Sound Recordings, and Visual Material.

The University of Michigan News and Information Services functions as the university's media relations office. It disseminates information and images about university programs, research, events, and faculty and staff activities. This series of News and Information Services photographs is comprised of portraits of more than ca. 7,000 individual faculty and staff members spanning the years 1946-2006 (bulk 1950-1990).

This series of faculty and staff portraits, commonly known as "Series D", is part of the News and Information Services photographs collection, which consists of several other series often based on format such as the size of the negatives (4x5 or 35mm) or content (general campus photography or aerial photographs). Series D consists of black and white 4x5 inch negatives and 1-1/4 x 2-1/4 inch prints and negatives of faculty and staff (and some student) portraits alphabetically arranged.

The negatives were received in several accessions prior to 2007 totaling 7.5.f linear feet (15 boxes). These accessions were physically interfiled into a single alphabetic run. In 2016 a final accession 5.5 linear feet (15 boxes) of analog negatives were received. These have not been physically interfiled so the collection now consists of two alphabetic runs. However, in the container listing of this finding aid the files are presented in a single alphabet. Based on information supplied on the original negative envelopes, the listing includes faculty/staff name, department or unit (when provided) and date(s) of the portrait. Bentley Library negative numbers are included (if applicable)

The latest accession marks the end of the News and Information Services analog photography. The faculty and staff portrait series is continued in the Bentley Library's Michigan Photography digital photo collection.

Collected papers documenting the role of Michigan in World War I, including the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1919, the "Polar Bear Expedition."

The collection includes diary (1918-1919) of Henry Ahrens, 330th Field Artillery; scrapbook (1916-1936) of Ernest Kaser, 126th and 128th Infantry; papers of Thomas J. McCarthy, 339th Infantry, chiefly relating to disability and insurance; papers of Carl G. Olson, 337th Infantry, including a letter received from relatives; papers of Jesse H. Stage, 160th Depot Brigade, Camp Custer, including letters received from relatives; pamphlets from the YMCA, Red Cross and other publishers; ration cards, artifacts, and photographs.

Photographs and postcards of Camp Custer, Mich.; group photos of members of 32nd Division in the Army of Occupation in Germany, 1919; 160th Depot Brigade, Camp Custer; oversize group portraits of members of 41st Machine Gun Battalion; 107th Supply Battalion; 214th Field Signal Battalion; 330th Field Artillery; Company B, 337th Infantry; 339th Infantry; 2nd Company, Officers' Training School, Camp Custer; and survivors of the troop ship Tuscania; portraits of members of 339th and 340th Infantry; photos of 126th and 128th Infantry in scrapbook of Ernest Kaser; postcard of military parade in Flint, Mich.; 330th Field Artillery pennant.

Summer camp for boys located on Burt lake near Petoskey, Michigan. Records of the camp include medical and other personal information about the campers, the camp counselors, and the other staff members. These files are closed for 100 years from the date of creation.

The Camp Al-Gon-Quian records provide documentation of the campers and staff of this summer camp for boys in northern Michigan beginning in 1925 and continuing to 1967. The files provide personal information about campers and staff. The records are arrange in X series, Camper Files, Staff / Counselor Files and Administrative Files.

Portraits of University of Michigan students, ca. 1860-ca.1950, gathered from a number of sources.

The University of Michigan student portrait collection has been brought together from a variety of sources, including the Alumni Office, the Law School, the College of Pharmacy, the Medical School and the Graduate Library. There are approximately 2000 images (formal portraits for the most part), and they have been arranged alphabetically. The dates of the photographs extend back to the 1850s, but the great bulk of the collection consists of cabinet photographs taken from the period of 1870 to 1900. The photographs consist mainly of graduation portraits, although there are also portraits or snapshots taken some time after the period when the individual attended the university. Photographs of this sort are indicated on the container listing by the notation (alumnus).

The researcher should note that this collection represents only one source of portraits of U-M students. The library has other collections with images of individual students. The researcher should first check the Visual Materials card catalog to ascertain whether or not there might be a more comprehensive collection of materials relating to an individual, such as a public figure. These larger collections are cataloged separately, and often contain portraits of individuals from their U-M days. Second, the library has a collection of class albums (cataloged as University of Michigan Class Albums) containing portraits of individuals from various classes in the 1860s, 1870s and 1880s. Not all class years are represented and not every individual in a given class is included in this collection, however. Third, the library has collections of student photographs found within the files of individual schools and departments, notably the Law School and the Medical School. Fourth, the researcher will find individual student portraits as well as class portraits within the library's photographic vertical file (filed under UBImu/F99), in both the regular (UBImus/F99) and oversize folders (UBImum/F99 and UBImul/F99). Fifth, the researcher should consult the library's file of the Michiganensian for more current photographs of students and for photographs of students as part of student organizations such as athletic teams, special interest clubs, and professional and social fraternities/sororities.

This collection contains sketches, manuscripts, printed music and writings by George Cacioppo, American composer, founder of the ONCE group, and faculty member at the University of Michigan.

The collection contains sketches, manuscripts, printed music and writings by George Cacioppo, as well as correspondence (business and family), press clippings, programs and ONCE Festival memorabilia. The materials were arranged in logical sequence rather than "original order" so that research and performance of the materials would be facilitated. Details of the series arrangement have been provided below. Books and music by others have been removed from the collection, but lists of these materials have been retained. Many of Cacioppo's manuscripts were reproduced in different ways. The term "reproductions" was used in the finding aid to refer to ozalid copies and photocopies. Duplicates of the reproductions were removed.

The Faculty and Staff files contain biographical and background information created and collected by the University of Michigan News and Information Services. News and Information Services is the media relations office of the university. The files represent more than 6,000 individual faculty and staff members. Some files contain photographs.

The Faculty and Staff Files (145 linear feet; 1944-2005) are arranged alphabetically by surname and contain academic and biographical information on nearly 6000 faculty and staff, including many who are inactive, retired or deceased. The files were maintained by the University of Michigan News and Information Service. Early on the files were working files holding ready reference biographical information and copies of press releases. Eventually the files came to include collected information such as copies of local and national newspaper articles where faculty or staff members were mentioned.

The amount of information per individual varies considerably, ranging from a single item to multiple folders. Files dating from around 1960-1995 tend to have more documentation than dates outside of this range, though there are some exceptions. Specific types of information include copies of news releases where the individual is mentioned, pages from Regents' meetings detailing appointments (resignations, faculty appointments, promotions, reassignments, sabbaticals, adoption of memoirs for retirements and deaths, etc.), newspaper clippings, magazine articles, preprints or reprints of publications, curricula vitae or other biographical summaries, and obituaries. In addition, some of the files contain photographs and negatives. (Photograph Series D of the News and Information Services records contains more than 4,000 faculty and staff portraits. A separate finding aid is available for that series.)

Files of University of Michigan presidents such as Alexander Ruthven and Harlan Hatcher are within the collection, as are files of various members of the Board of Regents. Distinguished alumni of the University of Michigan, including Nobel Prize winners Stanley Cohen and Raoul Wallenberg, also have files. The collection is of interest to researchers who desire a greater understanding of the professional interests and activities of faculty members in particular.

The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan was established in 1897 following a consolidation of the Society of Alumni with the alumni societies of the professional schools. The Michigan Alumnus became the association's official organ. As the organization grew, local chapters were established and provided greater structure. The records include files pertaining to the Alumni Association's administrative office and various chapters and interests groups. This includes national and international U-M alumni and alumnae clubs, the Alumnae Council, the Society of Alumni, the University of Michigan Black Alumni (UMBA-formerly the African American Alumni Council (AAC)), and the Reunion of Black Graduates (RBG). The records include but are not limited to correspondence, minutes, reports, and survey responses, audiovisual materials, digital files, photographs, and publications.

The collection spans 1845-2001. The textual records of the Alumni Association (boxes 1-133) are largely unprocessed, and are described in only general terms in this finding aid. Exceptions include files maintained by Marjorie Williams who served as the vice chair and chair of the Alumnae Council from 1960 to 1962, Class Reunion files, and Topical Files.

Additions to the collection (boxes 168-171) incorporate records, audiovisual materials, photographs, and publications pertaining to the University of Michigan Black Alumni (UMBA). To note are materials specifically related to the African American Alumni Council (AAAC)-formerly the UMBA, and the Reunion of Black Graduates (RBG). This includes information about the Dr. Leonard F. Sain Award, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. scholarship and symposium, the Camp Michigania retreat, and annual reunion for black graduates photographs, planning materials, and souvenir books.

The Library Clipping File was a vertical file maintained by the University of Michigan Library Reference Department roughly from the early 1920s to the early 1980s. It largely consists of newspaper clippings on numerous topics relating to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and the State of Michigan, but includes some press releases, pamphlets, and printed ephemera as well.

This collection represents the clipping file as maintained by the Reference Department of the University of Michigan Library. The file was begun around 1920. Compilation of newspaper clippings largely ended by the mid 1970s, although some items date from the early 1980s. The collection consists of Four series of clipping files: University of Michigan, University of Micahign Faculty, Ann Arbor, and the State of Michigan. The clipping file is a useful starting point for information on particular events, individuals, issues, organizations, and subjects. In some instances the clippings supplement material held in the archives and provide detailed background on a variety of subjects as presented by local newspapers. Clippings in the University of Michigan series were tipped into folder often using mounting hinges, thus maintaining a rough chronology within folders. Clippings in the Ann Arbor and State of Michigan series are loose, although some articles have been clipped together with a scrap of paper noting specific chronological periods.

The Ann Arbor series and the State of Michigan series were transferred to the Bentley Library in 2004. These two series include a few items from the late 1970s and early 1980s, and retain scattered pamphlets and other non-newspaper printed material. The folder headings for the two series represent headings used by the Library, with limited cross references added by Bentley staff. However, as in the University of Michigan series, there is significant overlap in the file names for the Ann Arbor and State of Michigan series This is most notable in the State of Michigan series, which includes a large run of subjects under the heading of "Michigan -- ." Researchers looking for Michigan topics in this series should check both under the "Michigan" hierarchy and under the topic name in the overall alphabetical list.