Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

Included in the Governing and Oversight Bodies series is material from the Regents (1919-1945), minutes of the organization's executive body (1920-1964) and files of the Vice President for Research (1957-1964). The Regent's material consists of excerpts from the official proceedings regarding research at the university, and communications sent to the regents by DRDA and its predecessors. The minutes of the executive body (which has various names under DRDA's predecessors) represents an apparently complete set of records from 1920 until 1964. The files of the Vice President for Research are those of Ralph A. Sawyer, first individual to hold that office. They are arranged alphabetically and are particularly interesting for information about the Great Lakes Research Institute (1956-1963) and the Institute of Science and Technology (1957-1964). There is also information about funding for the Aerospace Building, obtained through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and a proposed missile range on Michigan's Keweenaw peninsula.

The paper files (Collected materials regarding Word of God Community) have been arranged alphabetically by topic and include papers generated by the community itself or its members. Some of the files warrant special mention. As the Word of God community (at least during the period covered by these records) was governed by Coordinators, the Coordinator's notebooks are a valuable source of information regarding the workings of the community. These notebooks include meeting materials, decisions of the coordinators, and outlines and current policies adopted by the coordinators.

Another excellent source is the "Word of God Archives Documents Book." This volume of documents, now in file folders and numbered, was probably used by Roberta Keene in her thesis "Formal Organization and Charisma in a Catholic Pentecostal Community" (1974). Documents in these files include summary of meetings, planning documents, reports, various statements, and memoranda.

The Fall Conference files relate to the annual weekend gathering of the entire community. Its purpose is to allow the members to express their collective will. General Community Gatherings referred to in the files are prayer meetings held for the entire community. District Gatherings are prayer meetings of Word of God members living in a specific geographic area. Prophecies were generally given by Word of God members at prayer meetings. Within the community they were usually regarded as being divinely inspired. In recording these prophecies, Yoder relied upon the notes of others, his own notes, and audio tape recordings to reconstitute the prophecies.

Other files include the Word of God newsletter, Community Bulletin, files relating to the Community's relationship with churches and with associated groups, such as Catholic Charismatic Renewal and the Sword of the Spirit.

The Research series (1952-1999, 3.8 linear feet) is divided into three subseries: Canadian Legal Documents, Human Rights Research, and European Law Paperwork. Each subseries contain photocopies of research conducted by Hathaway. These materials contain annotations, memos, and other notes written by or sent to Hathaway.

The Houck Family series, 1858-1971 (0.2 linear feet plus folder in oversize box), organized topically, consists of correspondence, financial materials, photographs, and other materials primarily concerning Isaac Harvey, Lydia Ella, and Anna (Annie) Ellen Houck.

The Unit Publications series contains printed material published specifically by the Museum of Art (UMMA). These publications are defined as being widely distributed and may be published at regular intervals. They are arranged by genre of the publication.

The Unit Publications series (4 linear feet) includes annual reports documenting the period from 1946 to 1985 and 1992 through 2002. Reports from 1946 to 1985 were submitted for inclusion in the President's Report (call no. Fimu, B3). The Bulletin is a scholarly publications first published by the by the museum in 1950. The Bentley Library holds an incomplete run of this publication (1950-1956, vol. 1, no. 1-7) and its successors the Bulletin, New Series (1965-1977, vol. 1-8), and Bulletin: Museums of Art and Archaeology (1978-1992, vol. 1-10 and 2000-2003, vol. 13-14). The museum also published several calendars announcing the exhibits to be shown in the various galleries of the museum. These include Insight (1999-present), a small magazine format publication with color photographs of artwork displayed in the various highlighted exhibitions. This bi-monthly publication also describes lectures and colloquiums sponsored by the museum, new acquisitions, major gifts or grants, spotlights staff members and docents, and announces new exhibitions. The catalogs feature the prominent works of art at the museum including The Mr. and Mrs. Henry Jewett Greene Memorial Collection of Far Eastern Ceramics which was published in 1971. A second catalog, also in black and white, is entitled Eighty Works in the University of Michigan Museum of Art: A Handbook published in 1974. This catalogue describes, in short essays, notable works of art in the museum. These catalogues describe how the various works came to the university, their provenance, and their significance to the collection. Found under the heading "Manuals" is a series of children's guides to the University of Michigan Museum of Art collections entitled A Child's Walk Through Many Lands at the UMMA. There are separate manuals for Asian art, twentieth century American painting and sculpture, and African art. These guides, published from 1984 to 1987, are filled with puzzles, games, and quizzes designed to help children better appreciate art. Researchers will also find three outsize posters advertising both the museum and the museum website. There is also a significant run of press releases, beginning in 1947 to the present, describing new acquisitions, exhibits, staff changes, and other significant events in the life of the Museum of Art.

The Jennings-Van Akin-Burd series contains material related to Melvin Van Akin Burd, especially his genealogical research, correspondence, and a memoir of his World War II military service. It also contains miscellaneous news clippings related to the Jennings family, and newsletters of the Van Aken/Van Auken family in the United States.