Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

The Administration records date from 1964 to 1991 and primarily consist of the Administrative records series which include: meeting notes, memos, announcements and flyers, constitution and bylaws, student directories, correspondence (limited), election statements, election forms and results, survey forms and results, annual and presidents reports, and list of resources for incoming students. The Administration Records series is arranged chronologically. There are no records available from 1984-1986.

The Administrative series (2.65 linear feet, 1908-1998) is primarily made of annual reports covering 1908-1973 and 1983-1987. It also contains various department committee records and other documentation that was produced at the administrative level of the department, including departmental reviews in 1969 and 1981 as well as visiting committee reviews. Correspondence sent by the department and Gordon Van Wylen, former dean of the college, is contained in this series, as well.

The Administrative series consists of minutes, memoranda, correspondence and financial documents which relate to the administration of the center, and is arranged alphabetically by topic. The series includes the minutes and other papers of the center's executive committee.

Administrative series documents the organizational structure and annual agricultural offerings of the Community Farm of Ann Arbor. The series contains meeting minutes, budgets, and correspondence.

The Administrative file dates from 1966 to 1999, with the bulk of the material falling into the 1968 to 1994 range. This series contains meeting minutes, departmental correspondence, materials relating to the external and internal departmental reviews, personnel files and information about the programs offered in the department.

The Administrative series (1955-2003) includes annual reports, surveys, correspondence with the Bishop of the Diocese of Western Michigan, and files relating to its planning for, and transition to a "Total Ministry" church.

The Administrative series contains files of the Executive Director, the Board of Trustees, administrative committees, by-laws, budgets, financial reports and statements, strategic planning documentation; materials related to the Michigan Theater restoration: surveys, reports, and plans; materials related to membership campaigns, volunteer recruitment, and staff newsletters. Also included articles and interview notes taken by Russell Collins on the subject of history of Ann Arbor's three theater venues --Hill's Opera House, the Whitney Theater, and Michigan Theater; programs and newspaper advertisements of performances at the Ann Arbor theaters; and Collins' article on the subject of history of American musical theater.

The Administrative series is comprised of two major areas: funding and management matters. An NIH grant application for 1990-1995 comprises the major part of the Funding subseries. Included in the General folders is the report produced for the NIH site visit in 1994, for the renewal of the grant. A small amount of correspondence regarding program expenditures and stipends during the period from 1986 to 1993 is included. A Program Management folder contains job descriptions, a management schedule, and recommendations resulting from an administrative review. These papers provide background for the policy procedures and decisions of the program.

The Administrative series covers the period 1957-2002 and is the largest portion of the record group. In addition to the church's quarterly conference minutes, this series also documents its activities within the Michigan Conference and within the General or national conference. Under "Financial" are formal, detailed, annual and quarterly reports containing information about nearly all of the church's expenditures and receipts. It should be noted that financial information about the status of various church projects can be found scattered throughout this series. Under "Pastors," the researcher will find information about pastors Hilliard and Ardrey. Although most of these files relate to the activities of Pastor Ardrey, files of Bishop Hilliard have been separately donated to the library and may be found cataloged under his name. The Ardrey files reflect his concern for his community and his desire to improve the educational system. Materials from many of the committees that he worked on - including the Property Release Option program, Citizens for Millage, and the Task Force on School/Community Relations - are found in this portion of the Administrative series.

St. Paul A.M.E. Zion Church was also involved in a housing project, 1966-1978, and records from this undertaking are found under the heading "St. Paul Housing Corporation." Designed to be an affordable housing alternative for the elderly and low income families, this project was financed by a federal government loan. Unfortunately, the project never materialized as anticipated because the loan came due before construction was completed.

The Administration series also includes materials on some of the organizations within the church, such as its clubs, the board of stewards and the board of trustees. The researcher will get a sense of the church's membership by examining the funeral notices, many of which contain brief summaries of the lives of deceased members. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by name of member. There are also funeral notices scattered among the most recent Sunday Bulletins.

The Administrative records chronicle the financial and leadership activities of Immanuel U.C.C. from 1912 to 1995, with the bulk falling between 1942 to 1978. The researcher will find a copy of the 1894 church constitution in the Constitution and Bylaws file as well as various later drafts. The first volume of Consistory and Congregational meeting minutes contains the earliest consistent documentation of church decisions and activities, which were recorded in German until mid-1927. Minutes were handwritten until early 1969, after which they were typed, copied, and taped into the journal. The folders in this series include minutes, agendas, and reports that are absent from the bound volumes.

The church's financial activities and membership levels are available from the formal Financial Reports and Year Book Reports to the parent United Church of Christ. More detailed records of disbursements and income are found in several of the Yearly Files. The church's organizations, for example the Consistory, Board of Education, Ladies' Aid Society, and the Pastor, report on their finances and activities in the Annual Reports to the Membership.

The Pastors file is an incomplete collection of ten of Immanuel's twelve (non-interim) pastors' hiring, letters of resignation, and correspondence after departure. It also includes documents for Keith Westphal, who was minister of Christian Education from 1966 to 1967.

Immanuel's self-reflection, as it sought to be responsive to its membership, is evident in the number of surveys it did. In 1961, the church coordinated with their parent organization to do a comprehensive Congregational Analysis. In 1967 and 1973, the leadership conducted surveys of the membership; the responses can be found in the corresponding Yearly Files. The most serious evaluation of the church's relevance came in the late 1970s with the decision whether or not to merge with St. Mark's and Trinity churches (the third, St. Peter's, decided to close rather than merge). The Tri-Church Merger series includes meeting minutes, Immanuel's compiled files pertaining to the three churches (each includes a formal appraisal), and their membership survey and ultimate rejection of the merger.