Collections

This collection consists of records generated by and collected by Hilda I. Green and the PBB Action Committee of Reed City, Michigan, concerning PBB contamination and poisoning in Michigan and its impact on the Green family.

This collection consists of records generated by and collected by Hilda I. Green and the PBB Action Committee of Reed City, Michigan, concerning PBB contamination and poisoning in Michigan and its impact on the Green family. The collection is organized alphabetically by topic and then chronologically. Most of the collection consists of photocopies. The collection includes Green family medical records; herd, farm equipment and meat and dairy test results and forms; letters; court records, transcriptions of hearing testimony, and drafts of a book by Hilda I. Green. Records generated or collected by her and other members of the PBB Action Committee include: published scientific reports and journal articles, unpublished research papers, news clippings, white papers, and government bills and acts; correspondence with politicians, including President Gerald Ford’s office, Governor William Milliken, and Congressmen, officials in the Michigan Farm Bureau Services, the Michigan Departments of Agriculture and Public Health, scientists, physicians and hospitals, laboratories and research facilities, members of the public, and other Michiganders whose families and farms were poisoned by PBB including some medical records or health information; Committee published newsletters, press announcements and articles, forms, and handouts, and petitions supporting legislation to support farmers and more strongly control toxic substances in food products; transcriptions of testimony in trials and multiple special committee hearings; documentation of Michiganders’ purchases of meat and dairy products from multiple Michigan stores via receipts, Committee forms, and test results; partial records and exhibits from cases in multiple Michigan and federal courts.

Allergy Reminder: Parts of the collection have a mildew odor. Researchers with allergies should exercise caution when using the collection.

Court case materials and exhibits (with numbers) in the collection include: Michigan (MI). Circuit Court, Barry County, Floyd E. and Betty J. Jones v. MCC File # 76-232, 1978; MI. Circuit Court, Lake County, Alvin Green et al v. MCC # 76-815-NP, case dismissed August 7, 1979; MI. Circuit Court, Missaukee County, FBS v. Northwest Industries # 74-000530 NZ, 1974-1975; MI. Circuit Court, Newaygo County, Springstead and Jaunese v. Greer and Greer, P.C. # 79-4718-CK, 1980; MI. Circuit Court, Wexford County, Tacoma v. MCC # 76-2933-NZ, 1979; US. Bankruptcy Court for Eastern District MI Tort Cases #82-00651-W, 84-01478.G; US. District Court, Eastern District, US v. Velsicol, Touzeau, and Thorne, MI Criminal No # 79-8070 concealment and conspiracy to defraud government; US. District Court, Eastern District, MI, Northern Division, FBS Chapter 11 Bankruptcy # 82-00651-W; US. District Court, Western District, MI District, S. Division, FBS v. New Hampshire Insurance Co., #G74-372-CAS, 1982; and US. District Court, Western District, SE Division #G7 696 CA, 1966.

Medical records or documentation in the collection:

There is documentation of physical and mental health records for Alvin, Hilda, Doug, Cheroyl, Jederic, and Jim Green in the collection. Of these, in 2022, only Jederic and Jim Green are alive. Jim and Jederic completed permission forms allowing their health records to remain in the collection and be available to the public. Jim and Sallyann completed permission forms allowing health record of their deceased family members to remain in the collection and be available to the public. These forms are found in the relevant folders and noted on the folder labels.

Medical and health issues of the Green, Creighton, and Babett families, as well as other Michiganders, including their children, are publicly discussed and documented in public court cases, hearings, and special committee testimonies and newspaper clippings.

Related collections in the Clarke and other archives:

Researchers may also be interested in other collections in the Clarke that document the MI PBB catastrophe. Additionally, researchers may be interested in related PBB materials in the following collections of the State Archives collections: RG 2017-6 (Department of Agriculture), RG 93-39 (Department of Natural Resources), RG 92-60 (Attorney General), RG 91-412 (Attorney General) and RG 95-94 (Attorney General). The Department of Agriculture was in charge of killing the livestock, and the DNR buried the livestock. The records of Governor Milliken housed mainly in the Bentley Historical Library and in the State Archives may also be of interest.

Processing Notes:

Overall the collection is in good condition, although some of it has a mildew odor. A majority of the collection originally consisted of poor-quality photocopies made using various techniques. Copies made via thermal heat process, materials with rust or mildew damage, faded materials, health records, and newspaper clippings were prioritized for photocopying. The originals and duplicates were withdrawn and the more current, better-quality copies were retained in the collection.

Only a few of Alvin’s medical records had social security numbers in them. The numbers were blackened with a magic marker and then a photocopy was made of the page. The original was shredded and the copy was retained in the collection.

While some of the publications are national in range, such as the Farm bills, or available online, they were retained to show the breadth and depth of materials that the Greens collected for reference on the topic of PBB and related chemical contamination. Often the Greens retained only a page or two of a resource.

Originally the collection included a few examples of medical records and/or letters in which people discussed their medical issues related to PBB exposure. These people were not members of the Green family and either their identity or contact information could not be verified. These materials were shredded.

During processing 1.25 cubic foot of materials was withdrawn. Withdrawn materials consisted mostly of acidic materials, largely newspaper clippings, which were photocopied and the copies retained.

Hiram Bedford kept this pre-printed pocket diary in 1869. In it, he documented his work as a carpenter/skilled laborer in a coal mine owned by Sharpe, Weiss and Co., his experiences at union meetings and union activities, mining accidents and death, and other details relating to his personal life in Eckley, Pennsylvania.

Hiram Bedford kept this pre-printed pocket diary in 1869. In it, he documented his work as a carpenter/skilled laborer in a coal mine owned by Sharpe, Weiss and Co., his experiences at union meetings and union activities, mining accidents and deaths, and other details relating to his personal life in Eckley, Pennsylvania.

Bedford wrote about his work in carpenter and machine shops, his work on various "slopes" and their attendant issues (e.g. broken chutes), and his work producing various items (e.g. notched sills.). He also recorded the injuries and deaths of other workers, nearby forest fires, and the procurement of tools and supplies. Noted are financial transactions, orders, and amounts owed (some with references to wood and wood products like rake handles, oak, etc.). Bedford appears to have been active in a union; he remarked on union meetings, stoppages, negotiations, and several incidents of police presence at job sites.

Some entries are more personal in nature, such as details relating to church (Presbyterians and Catholics), family health, visits and news, weather, and domestic servants. Financial accounts and other notes are in the back of the volume.

University of Michigan professor of nuclear engineering; files relating to his Central American peace interests and to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy; also class notes, personal / biographical information, and visual material.

Nuclear engineer Henry Jacob Gomberg was a faculty member at the University of Michigan from 1946 to 1961 as well as director of the Puerto Rico Nuclear Center. He later worked for nuclear engineering business in the private sector. The Gomberg collection mainly contains materials from his numerous professional ventures in the nuclear energy field. It includes correspondence, personal notes, photographs, publications, and reports.

The Henry J. Gomberg collection, covering the period of 1941 to 1995, is divided into nine series: Central American Peace Interests; Class Notes; International Cooperation Administration (ICA); KMS Industries; Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy; Personal / Biographical; Puerto Rico; University of Michigan, and Visual Material.

The H. Merriman European travel photograph album contains 42 commercially produced views of landmarks in England, France, Germany, and Switzerland as well as six theater tickets, 18 theater programs, 39 tourist attraction or transportation tickets, 26 receipts, and two newspaper clippings.

The H. Merriman European travel photograph album contains 42 views of landmarks in England, France, Germany, and Switzerland as well as six theater tickets, 18 theater programs, 39 tourist attraction or transportation tickets, 26 receipts, and two newspaper clippings.

The album (32 x 24 cm) has marbled paper covers. The majority of photographs in the album consist of commercially produced images of European tourist destinations. In order of appearance the cities represented include London, Brussels, Cologne, Mainz, Frankfort, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, Zurich, Lucerne, Interlochen, Berne, St. Gotthard, Chamonix, Geneva, Lausanne, Paris, Amiens, Canterbury, and Liverpool. Also present throughout the album are theater programs and tickets for a range of performances from the Royal Lyceum's King Henry the Eighth to vaudeville at the Empire Theatre of Varieties. Of additional note are tops of hotel bills and tickets from means of transportation such as the London Underground and Berner Tramway.

Football coach, 1938-1948, and Athletic Director at the University of Michigan, 1941-1968. Papers include correspondence and other papers concerning his career at the University of Chicago, the University of Minnesota, Princeton University, and the University of Michigan; materials concerning his work and association with the National Collegiate Athletic Association rules committee, 1942-1977, the Intercollegiate (Big Ten) Conference, and the University's Board in Control of Intercollegiate Activities; also include materials relating to University of Chicago football coach, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Ralph Young, athletic director at Michigan State University, and the founding and first years of the American Football League; and photographs.

The Crisler papers document Fritz Crisler's career in athletics, 1923-1978, as a student athlete at the University of Chicago, football coach at Minnesota, Princeton and Michigan, as Athletic Director at Michigan and as a member of the NCAA football rules committee, 1942-1977. The collection is composed of several series: General and Topical Correspondence; Speeches and Articles; Football Material; NCAA Football Rules Committee; Intercollegiate Conference [Big Ten]; Clippings and Scrapbooks; Amos Alonzo Stagg; Photographs and films.

Graduate School of the University of Michigan. Records include dean's topical files, 1892-1996; files of associate deans; minutes of the executive board; project and grant files detailing faculty and student research; lists of degrees granted; records of fellowships and awards granted by the graduate school and university; and files relating to academic departments and programs, including reviews of degree programs.

The records of the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies document the administration of the school, its academic programs and research projects and fellowships funded by the school and outside sources. The records include Dean's Files, minutes of the Executive Board and Administrative Council, Academic Unit and Program Evaluation files, and grants administration records.

Records of the Graduate School have been received by the library in numerous accessions, some large others quite small. Some accessions represent continuations or complements to previously received materials. This finding attempts to intellectually integrate continuing or similar record series received in multiple accessions.

The records are organized into a number of series. Among the more significant are:

1. Deans' Topical File
2. Research Records
3. University Units
4. Program Evaluations
5. Faculty Research Grants
6. Degree Lists
7. Faculty Fellowships, Grants and Awards
8. Graduate School Executive Board and Administrative Council

In 2008, the Rackham School of Graduate Studies announced that it would become a 'paperless' office and that future accessions to the Bentley Library would be electronic. The materials from 1990 to 2003 were thus digitized by Rackham staff (from the original paper records) and saved as PDF (Portable Document Format) files. As of 2012, these digital accessions comprise two subseries within the Graduate School Executive Board and Administrative Council series and Program Evaluation series.

Professor of law at University of Michigan, and specialist in corporation law. Correspondence, speeches, newspaper clippings, notes, and manuscripts of books and articles, relating to his professional career, Ann Arbor, Michigan organizations and issues, particularly progressive political movements and prohibition, including the Michigan Anti-Saloon League, the anti-trust movement, and the 1912 Progressive Party; also photographs.

The Horace L. Wilgus papers include correspondence, speeches, clippings, notes, manuscripts of books and articles dealing with his professional career, the many Ann Arbor organizations and issues in which he was interested: particularly progressive political movements and prohibition, including the Michigan Anti-Saloon League, the anti-trust movement, and the 1912 Progressive Party. The collection also includes University of Michigan Law School course materials, family genealogical information, and a small series of photographs, many of them of his home on Washtenaw Ave. in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Papers of Howard Bishop Lewis (1887-1954), professor and chairman of the Department of Biological Chemistry at the University of Michigan (1922-1954), director of the College of Pharmacy at the University of Michigan (1933-1947), a supervisor for the Michigan Memorial-Phoenix Project, and an active participant in many professional organizations and policy committees especially concerning health and nutrition. The series in the collection are: Photographs; Writings; Administrative; Examinations; Lectures; Research Files; Correspondence; and Organizational Activities and Interests.

The personal papers of Howard Bishop Lewis concern his public activities rather than his private life. This includes his roles as educator and administrator at the University, and as a researcher in the fields of health and nutrition. The materials have been divided into eight series: Photographs; Writings; Administrative; Examinations; Lectures; Research Files; Correspondence; and Organizational Activities and Interests.

The Hubble family scrapbooks consist of two volumes containing trade cards, clipped engravings, and other scrapbook materials compiled by members of the Hubble family of Monroe, Michigan.

The Hubble family scrapbooks consist of two volumes containing trade cards, clipped engravings, and other scrapbook materials compiled by members of the Hubble family of Monroe, Michigan.

Volume 1: The first volume (35 x 25.5 cm) was originally a copy of the 1876-77 Autumn and Winter edition of Mme. Demorest’s Illustrated Portfolio of the Fashions and has red cloth covers and gilt embossing work on the front and back. “Monroe Hubble” is inscribed on the volume’s first page, while “Willie Hubble” is written on the inside of the back cover; both inscriptions appear to be written in a child’s hand. Two engravings by Kimmel & Voigt made for Demorest’s Monthly Magazine appear towards the front and were part of the original volume. Subsequent pages also reveal numerous illustrations and descriptions of various articles of clothing listed in Demorest’s fashion catalog, though much of this has been obscured by scrapbook items that were pasted in. Compiled materials mainly include various trade cards and scrapbook decorations, but also include several engravings showing scenic and rural landscapes, women’s fashions, portraits, and performance artists (including Smith’s Swiss Bell Ringers). Of particular note are Uncle Tom’s Cabin-related illustrations and cartoons involving racial caricatures of an African American regiment called “The South 5th Rangers.”

Volume 2: The second volume (25 x 20 cm) has red paper covers with “Scrapbook” and decorative designs embossed in gold on the front. A photomechanical reproduction of a portrait of N. B. Hubble as an adult appears on the inside of the front cover. Subsequent materials mostly include trade cards and scrapbook decorations, several of which also appear in the first volume. Many of the trade cards were produced by the Calvert Lithograph Co. of Detroit. Items of note include Shakespeare-related cartoons; an ad for “Mme. Fontaine’s Bosom Beautifier” that incorporates a portrait of Oscar Wilde; a photographic portrait of a baby made to look like a stamp; and scrapbook cutouts including one of a black man (likely supposed to be a Haitian soldier) wearing one boot and components of a French Army uniform as well as one of two women embracing and kissing.

The Hubert S. Smith Naval Letters and Documents collection is made up of individual manuscripts relating to naval and commercial maritime operations.

The Hubert S. Smith Naval Letters and Documents collection is made up of over 380 manuscript letters and documents relating to maritime military, commercial, financial, and legal subjects from the 15th to the 20th centuries, primarily concerning Great Britain and America. The collection includes materials relating to Continental European wars, the American Revolution, the African slave trade, the Civil War, and exploratory ventures. The collection also reflects day-to-day ship operations and naval employment, diplomacy, marine technology, the purchase and sale of ships, insurance, and publications and books relating to maritime affairs. While primarily focused on English and American navies, the contributors discuss a wide variety of places, including continental Europe, the Baltic region, Russia, Asia, Turkey, South America, and Africa.