Collections : [University of Michigan Special Collections Research Center]

The Ammon Hennacy Papers were acquired from the family of Hendrik Anderson, who had stored them for many years after Hennacy's Southwest sojourn. In the course of the years the papers were re-arranged, and in some cases mixed with Anderson's own papers. The bulk of the collection ranges from 1936-1944, although many items are undated.

These papers are particularly significant in their documentation of Hennacy's early years of study, his prison experiences, and his relationships with his family and various close friends, including Dorothy Day. Hennacy's notes and manuscripts document his attentive reading and study habits, while his handwritten "Gospel in Brief" includes his own cross-references (including to Tolstoy) and interpretations of the New Testament (a second volume of this project may be found in the University of Wyoming's American Heritage Center). Hennacy's letters are filled with political and social arguments; they document his constant effort to convince other people of his views.

In his personal papers, the notes on travels with Selma Melms in 1921-1925 are rich in detailed descriptions of places visited, people met, and miles traveled. Some of these latter notes appear to be written by Melms.

The Hennacy Papers are divided into seven series: Correspondence, Manuscripts, Printed Materials, Notes and Book Reviews, Personal files, Subject files and Hendrik Anderson papers.

Correspondence comprises roughly 1/3 of a linear foot. Of particular note are letters from Ralph Borsodi, Holley Cantine, Dorothy Day, Theodore Debs, Mohandas K. Gandhi, E. Haldeman-Julius, Hippolyte Havel, Thomas Keall, Lucy Parsons, Maximillian Olay, Boris Yelensky, and the Sunrise Farm Cooperative Community. The correspondence from Day, most of which is undated, is intimate in tone, touching on daily events as well as spiritual matters. Day coaches Hennacy through his conversion, complains lightly about people who hang around her but are "not really concerned in our point of view" (in a letter dated only "Saturday"), and frequently expresses worry about his health and safety. In one letter, Day indirectly addresses the physical attraction between them, and asserts her celibacy.

The letter from Gandhi is apparently not written in his hand, but appears to be signed by him. The signature, in different ink than the letter itself, matches Gandhi's as reproduced in published letters. The letter is marked "Yerawa Central Prison 3rd April," and includes a blue symbol, perhaps a censor's mark, at the top margin. Since Gandhi was in the Yeravda (or Yerawa or Yeravada) Central Prison (in Poona or Pune, Maharashtra, India) from March 1922 until February 1924, it is most likely that this letter dates from 1923. In response to a letter from Hennacy, Gandhi gently rejects Christian Science, and asserts his belief in God "...not in the hope that He will heal me, but in order to submit entirely to His will, and to share the fate of millions who, even though they wished to, can have no Scientific medical help." Gandhi adds that he often fails to carry this belief into practice.

Hennacy's outgoing correspondence is arranged chronologically. It includes his letters to Dorothy Day, to his family, the Fuller Brush Company (1923 to "Dad Fuller" and 1929 to Mr. Eckman), Upton Sinclair (1924, 1932, 1935), Gandhi (1933), President Roosevelt (1934), Emma Goldman (1936) and many others. While nearly all are dated, many are addressed only with the correspondent's first name. The letters are preserved as typed carbon copies in most cases, usually not signed by hand. They cover a wide range of topics, from personal relations to political and religious concerns, to the pragmatics of publication, travel and meetings.

The Manuscripts series contains both typed and handwritten manuscripts by Hennacy, including chapter drafts from his book on Christian Anarchism. The "Prison Writings" folder contains letters and statements produced by Hennacy during his imprisonment in 1919. These include detailed descriptions of prison conditions and Hennacy's own classification of prisoners according to their crime, background, ethnicity and honesty ("rat," "professional rat" and "potential rat").

Printed Materials contains Hennacy's clipping files, as well as articles published by Hennacy. It is not clear whether Hendrik Anderson might have added clippings to some of these files in later years.

The fourth series,Notes and Book Reviews, consists of three original Hennacy folders ("Anarchism Book Reviews," "Anarchism Notes and Articles," and "Extra Copies of Notes"), and a varied sample of Hennacy's research notes that have been re-foldered. Most of these are undated, although the dates may be extrapolated from the publication dates and sometimes from the home address Hennacy included. Hennacy's own inventory for his notes in 1938 are in the folder "Index to Notes."

Personal files and Subject files are both very small series, comprising a miscellany of materials. Of particular interest are the photographs, many of which are inscribed and a few of which are dated, and the "Honeymoon Hiking Adventure," a set of notes concerning Hennacy's travels around the country with his bride Selma Melms in 1921-1925.

The Anderson Papers, roughly 1⁄2 linear foot, date primarily from 1942-1944. They comprise leaflets, publications, and a negligible amount of correspondence. Most of the material concerns Anderson's efforts in pacifism and the Socialist Party in California and other western states.

This collection contains materials about the gay communities of Ann Arbor and San Francisco, primarily in the 1970s and early 1980s. The materials were collected by Lionel Biron, who as a graduate student in Ann Arbor was instrumental in the founding of the Graduate Employees Organization and the Gay Community Services Center. The bulk of this collection relates to gay and artistic life and political activity in Ann Arbor, but San Francisco is also represented. The final series includes Biron's books of photography.

The bulk of the material deals with Biron's political and artistic activities in Ann Arbor. These include documents and correspondence related to the founding of the Gay Community Services Center (GCS), as well as flyers (many designed by Biron) for events and handouts from consciousness-raising sessions. The Ann Arbor series also includes folders related to Tristain Tzara (about whom Biron curated an exhibit in Hatcher Graduate Library) and Fernando Arrabal (whom Biron interviewed in Ann Arbor). The San Francisco series consists primarily of posters and flyers for events. Another highlight is a folder of materials related to the magazine Gay Sunshine, including correspondence between Biron and Winston Leyland. Although some of the collection dates from the early 80s, there is no material related to HIV/AIDS. Biron's own books of photography, and some of his work published elsewhere, comprise the last series.

The Ari J. Kane Papers (1976-2016) document the activities of the sex and gender studies therapist, educator, and advocate Ari J. Kane, who founded Fantasia Fair and the Outreach Institute for Gender Studies (OIGS). The collection contains personal materials such as correspondence, research materials, educational presentations created by Kane, and other miscellaneous materials from Kane's involvement in the LGBT community. Included in the collection are organizational correspondence and records relating to the Outreach Institute of Gender Studies and the Educational Institute for Sex and Gender Diversity. Also included are event programs, planning information, workshop materials, member lists, and correspondence from events and programs such as Fantasia Fair, the Gender Attitude Reassessment Program, GAYLA, and various professional organizations' annual meetings. The collection contains photographs from Kane's participation in events, parties, and travels around the United States.

This collection documents the activities of Ari J. Kane, who founded Fantasia Fair and the Outreach Institute for Gender Studies (OIGS), and was a sex and gender studies therapist and educator. The collection contains personal materials such as correspondence, research materials, educational presentations created by Kane, and other miscellaneous materials from Kane's involvement in the LGBT community.

It also contains materials documenting the OIGS, such as organizational correspondence; financial records; board of directors meeting minutes; endeavors with organizational support such as the Gender Attitude Reassessment Program (GARP), Fantasia Fair, and the Journal of Gender Studies; publications created by and collected by the OIGS; and miscellaneous promotional materials and flyers. Gender Attitude Reassessment Program materials consist of drafts; research materials; workshop proposals, exercise handouts, and transparencies; correspondence; and a completed manuscript. Fantasia Fair materials consist of event programs, member lists, correspondence, planning notes, newsletters, and flyers. Journal of Gender Studies materials consist of issue proofs, submissions and content to be published, flyers, and mailing lists.

The Educational Institute for Sex and Gender Diversity (EISGD) is also documented in the collection. The EISGD is an offshoot of the Outreach Institute for Gender Studies that formed around 2001-2002. These materials contain organizational correspondence and records such as meeting minutes, expense reports, brochures, and flyers.

The Conferences and Events series contains materials relating to events that Kane was a part of, as well as conferences she presented at or attended. The GAYLA subseries consists of event programs, correspondence, photographs, newsletters, member lists, and planning notes. GAYLA is an annual summer event for gay men held at Ferry Beach, Maine. The American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) subseries contains conference event programs, presentation proposals and submissions, correspondence, workshop materials, research articles, and AASECT publications. Most of the materials in this subseries relate to Dave Prok, a longtime board member of OIGS and EISGD and professor at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio. Prok served as a conference proposal abstract reviewer for AASECT. The Easton Mountain subseries contains brochures, event programs, notes, newsletters, and materials relating to Gay Spirit Camp and the Maturing Gay Man series of workshops. Easton Mountain is a retreat in upstate New York. Ari J. Kane and Dave Prok collaborated on a workshop for aging gay men called the Maturing Gay Man that they presented at Easton Mountain. The Various Conferences subseries contains event programs, invitations, correspondence, proposals, and presentations from many different events.

The Photographs series consists of photographic prints and photograph albums. The photograph albums depict Fantasia Fair and GAYLA events. The photographic prints depict various events such as Fantasia Fair; GAYLA; Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality and American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists conferences; parties and celebrations; and various travels around the United States. People depicted in the photographs include Ari J. Kane, Jane Peabody, Carole Mayfield aka Dick Arms, Bob Cowart, Winnie Brant, Ron Roy, and Candy Scott, among others. The photographs remain in original order.

The Audiovisual Material series consists of VHS tapes, cassette tapes, floppy disks, and compact discs containing media from Fantasia Fair 1994 and 1996, The Sissy Show, the Gender Attitude Reassessment Program.

F. M. Goodhue was an early member of Commonwealth Colony in New Llano, Louisiana, and an official of Commonwealth College, a cooperative, democratic labor school in Mena, Arkansas, founded in 1923 by Kate Richards O'Hare and William E. Zeuch. The papers include correspondence, articles, newspaper clippings, and an extensive typescript by Goodhue on the history of the Colony and the College. They document the early years of the College, dissension among the faculty over the sexual conduct of students, a student strike, and dissolution and sale of the College in 1940-41.

The F.M. Goodhue collection consists of one letter, typescripts, and notes by F.M. Goodhue; one letter by Lucien Koch, and clippings. The materials concern the history of Commonwealth Colony, New Llano, La., and Commonwealth College, Mena, Ark, the schism between the two, the conditions at the College, and the leadership of the College.

These materials were collected during American writer Kay Boyle's time in Cambodia from 1966-1980, reporting on the impact of the Vietnam War.

The papers in the Kay Boyle collection cover the following areas: typed drafts with corrections of her Cambodia assignment for the Progressive. Photos taken during her trip to Cambodia in late July 1966. The first of two folders containing photos reflects various aspects of a public gathering where Boyle can be seen seated in front along with members of Americans Want to Know. The second folder contains photos of war damage shot by the delegation during their tour in the countryside. Other materials include private letters to Boyle from friends, including a friendly letter from Joan Baez (postmarked November 1989), writing about her writing and her visits to Redwood City volunteering in an AIDS clinic, among other things. Also included are institutions and newspaper clippings on Boyle's long time friend, Frances Steloff including black and white photographs of Steloff. Steloff is the founder of Manhattan's Gotham Book Mart and patron of alternative authors such as Henry Miller, Marianne Moore and Kenneth Patchen. Other than a letter from the managing editor of the New York Times, in which the Cambodia trip is mentioned, these items have no connection to the Cambodia assignment. The papers are placed in one box containing six folders. The photos provide a glimpse of cultural and political life at the time. They capture considerable Buddhist presence including rituals in which Prince Sihanuk is a participant. The photos also document public opulence associated with a royal procession, as well as intimate interaction between the Prince and his civilian and military constituency. In the countryside, the photos provide images of rural life and the collateral damage resulting from US bombing. The Cambodia photos, and photos of Frances Steloff at her centennial, are the heart of this collection. However, they are not unique, for similar photos permeate the public record. Similarly, the drafts of Boyle's assignment contain scant corrections that add little to the discourse on Boyle's style. The drafts resemble the article published in the Progressive. The archival value of this collection is limited to the black and white photos.

The Aubrey Haan Papers consist of three series, and include correspondence, research materials, and two book manuscripts for Haan's work on a biography of Joe Hill, neither of which was ever published. Hill was a cartoonist and song writer for the Industrial Workers of the World union, and was executed for murder in 1915, following a controversial trial. Materials range from 1909-1951, and primarily cover Haan's research on Hill and the trial. Included is a transcript of the Hill trial, as well as several newspaper articles and other trial materials. The collection consists of three series: Correspondence; Research Materials; and Manuscripts.

Papers accumulated by Aubrey Haan regarding the life and execution of Joe Hill, a folk-singer and labor union representative who was killed in Utah in 1915. Materials include correspondence, book manuscripts, and trial materials from Hill's trial.

The Correspondence Series spans 1940-1951, and much of Haan's general correspondence is with his wife, as well as with publishers regarding Haan's attempts to publish his Joe Hill manuscripts. Other correspondents include Constantine and Virginia Filigno, with whom Haan spoke regarding Hill's trial and execution. Constantine was a leader of the Industrial Workers of the World during the 1940s, while Virginia was a strong advocate for Hill's innocence. Also included are several letters with Agnes Inglis of the University of Michigan Labadie Collection.

The Research Materials Series includes materials used by Haan for his biography on Hill. Included are copies of news articles about Hill and his execution, obituaries, and trial proceeding documents, including a trial transcript.

The Manuscripts Series contains two book manuscripts one for Haan's "Pie in the Sky," and another untitled. The "Pie in the Sky" manuscript includes handwritten notes and edits.

This collection includes recordings of interviews conducted by Cecil D. Eby for his book Hungary at War: Civilians and Soldiers in World War IIas well as photographic transparencies 3.5 in floppy disks with book files, and copy of the book.

The collection comprises 44 audiocassette tapes with recordings of interviews conducted by Cecil D. Eby for his book Hungary at War: Civilians and Soldiers in World War II, published by the Pennsylvania State University Press in 1998. Most interviews are in Hungarian, some are in English. The interviews are accompanied by an alphabetical list of names of interviewees and dates, which can be matched with the index at the end of Eby's book. A copy of the book is also included in the collection, along with 5 floppy disks with data relating to the project, and transparencies featuring photos dating from the war appearing in Eby's monograph.

Cassette tapes in Box 1 have been reformatted, and CD access copies are available.

This collection consists of one folder. With the exception of one manuscript dated 1948, and some undated materials, the contents date from 1979 to 1983. All the items in the collection are letters sent to Goodfriend, or written materials collected by her. None of her own writing is included. There are two postcards and a letter from Molly Steimer to Audrey Goodfriend, and a letter from Proudhon Carbo reporting Steimer's death, all sent from Mexico; the letter from Steimer discusses Goodfriend's separation with David Koven. The 1948 manuscript is a carbon copy of a memorial message for "Comrade Pece" written by Jules Scarceriaux. A photocopy of an unsigned memorial for Dora Stoller Keyser, and some miscellaneous flyers and writings round out the collection.

Babyfish was a radical political zine published by Detroit-based poet, anarchist, and pansexual advocate Andy Smith, also known as Sunfrog, between 1988 and 1996.

The Babyfish papers consist of a variety of zines, most with a radical, anarchist and pansexual base. The actual zine Babyfish consisted of six issues; this collection includes the latter five. Each of these issues are of varying lengths and themes, but for the most part they address radical topics concerning urban living, with a particular emphasis on the decay of inner-city Detroit. Other papers in the collection include additional radical zines, some of which were created exclusively by Sunfrog, others being collaborative efforts. The collection also includes financial receipts which have to do with the printing of Babyfish.

The title zine is rich in anarchist commentary on social, political, and economic issues that affected the United States government from the spring of 1988 until the final issue was published in the winter of 1994. The Detroit "journey" of Sunfrog is made more palatable by the collaborative efforts of regular guest artists, musicians, poets and those involved with the radical politics of the city.

"With the dynamic skills of Pat Medicine working overtime, the 'fish organized itself into thematic sections which honed recurring motifs. 'Radical Sexuality' (feminism, US Out Of My Uterus, homocore, The Radical Faeries) & 'Earth vs. The Machine' (ecological, anti-nuke, anti-car & anti-incinerator raves) appeared alongside poetry, interviews & reviews which featured such local musical talents as: Only A Mother, Yeastie Girlz, Sleep, Gories, Viv Akauldren, Roger Manning, John Bartles, The Blanks & more." (Sunfrog, Babyfish, Issue #6, p.7)

Babyfish's radical nature "clearly articulated a response to Helms-era censorship hysteria by its use of wild graphics and explicit words, encouraging cultural debate & never compromising the ethic of a "free-form" journal." (ibid.) Sunfrog clearly recognized that his efforts at expression were not definitive. In his final editorial he passes on the radical torch by saying "As we put raps on the final issue of Babyfish, it is clear that there is still an enormous amount of unpublished work which the community deserve a chance to see…this is our final entry in a prolific Cass Corridor journey." (ibid.)

This collection contains correspondence, news clippings, writings, manuscripts, and ephemera related to Barbara Murphy's involvement in student protest movements at the University of Michigan in the 1960s. Also included are reports, manuscripts, administrative materials, and correspondence generated during her subsequent career at the University of Michigan, primarily concerning her work to advance women's rights at the university.

This collection contains correspondence, news clippings, writings, manuscripts, and ephemera related to Barbara Murphy's involvement in student protest movements at the University of Michigan in the 1960s. Also included are reports, manuscripts, administrative materials, and correspondence generated during her subsequent career at the University of Michigan, primarily concerning her work to advance women's rights at the university.

The correspondence largely consists of mailings sent to Murphy from former SDS members coordinating reunions, particularly the 1977 reunion. It also includes mail sent between other SDS members (not Murphy herself), including Alan Haber, the organization's first president. Notable is the correspondence concerning the 1965 anti-Vietnam War Teach-In, the first of a number of such events across the country in which professors cancelled classes and gave antiwar seminars for 12 hours. Additionally, there is a small number of interdepartmental letters from Murphy's career at the University, as well as information and appeals concerning various social causes.

Before her passing, Murphy had begun to organize her files herself. The files she pulled together have been maintained in their original order with their original titles transcribed. Most of these folders concern Murphy's professional career.

The Administrative records subseries is grouped by relevant organization or institution. Materials within folders are organized chronologically. Papers include organizational agendas and minutes, funding proposals, reunion planning, and policy guidelines. Most are related to Murphy's career at the University.

The Printed Materials series is grouped by type of printed material. Materials within folders are organized chronologically. The journals, newsletters, manuscripts and essays largely consist of writings by SDS members or other members of the New Left. Ephemera comprises a variety of pamphlets, broadsides, flyers, and stickers distributed by student activist organizations. Most relate to antiwar and anti-draft activism, particularly the 1965 teach-in. The majority of research reports and surveys were generated by researchers at the University of Michigan and concern gender equality on campus. The news clippings concern both SDS and academic women's issues.

Finally, the SDS files folder contains a handful of SDS papers that did not easily fit into other folders, including a booklet of protest songs, a biographical booklet about former SDS president Paul Potter, and a copy of an FBI memorandum regarding surveillance of the New Left in Ann Arbor.