Collections

This collection consists of the administrative records of the Ann Arbor Tenants Union, primarily covering the 1970s-1980s. Materials include correspondence, meeting minutes, reference material, and information about legal cases.

This collection contains the official records of the Ann Arbor Tenants Union, dating primarily from the 1970s to the early 1990s. Along with administrative records, the collection includes reference materials collected by the union's leadership and information about specific actions and legal cases for which the union provided assistance. The material is primarily focused on the Ann Arbor area, but the union also corresponded with, and collected material from, similar organizaitons located across the United States; the research files also contain information about broader subjects such as unionization. A series of newsletters includes mailings from similar organizations located across the country, and a series of housing reports focuses on University of Michigan students and the Ann Arbor area. The newspaper clippings originate from around the country. Overall, the collection presents a history of the specific organization and the broader legal landscape in the Ann Arbor area during the late 20th century.

Ann B. Davis was a television and stage actress best known for her roles as Charmaine "Schultzy" Schultz on The Bob Cummings Show and as Alice Nelson on The Brady Bunch. Born in Schenectady, New York in 1926, Davis attended the University of Michigan and graduated with a degree in drama and speech. She went on to perform in television and stage productions from the 1950s until her death in 2014. The Ann B. Davis papers primarily document Davis' professional life, including photographs, correspondence, playbills, and promotional materials related to her work in television and theatre productions.

The Ann B. Davis papers primarily document Davis' career as a performer in television and theatre productions from the 1950s until 2014. The collection includes photographs, correspondence, and promotional materials documenting Ann Davis' involvement in television shows such as The Bob Cummings Show and The Brady Bunch, numerous theatrical productions, and other professional endeavors including work in advertising. Additionally, the collection includes some materials relating to Davis' personal life, including some biographical files, photographs, and personal correspondence. The collection is arranged into five series: Personal Files, Professional Files, Television, Theatre, and Visual Materials.

Papers of Ann Heler, a resident of Ferndale, Mich., who was a leader of the gay and lesbian community. Heler also participated in the Gay Games, a cultural event for the purpose of unity and identity within the national and international gay and lesbian community.

The collection largely documents Ann Heler's involvement in the Gay Games during the 1990's. The majority of materials related to Games IV 1994 in New York. Materials include correspondence, publicity materials, programs, photographs, articles and clippings, and video recordings; specifically, Team Great Lakes 1994.

The Anthony Wayne family papers contain correspondence, diaries, documents, and accounts relating to several generations of the Wayne family of Pennsylvania. Of particular note is material concerning Anthony Wayne's service in the American Revolution and the Northwest Indian War, and William Wayne's service with the 97th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment in the Civil War. The Manuscripts Division has created a list of the names of the letter-writers in the collection: Wayne Family Papers Contributor List.

The Correspondence and Military Documents series (Volumes 1-17) contains approximately 1,450 items (3.5 linear feet), spanning 1756-1853, and arranged chronologically. The bulk of the series is correspondence, but it also contains various types of documents, including legal materials, military returns, land surveys, and lists.

Anthony Wayne

The 18th-century material in the collection (Volumes 1-10) relates primarily to the career of Anthony Wayne, including his surveying activities; acquisition and maintenance of a plantation near Savannah, Georgia, and the activities of Native Americans in its vicinity; service in the Revolutionary War; and leadership as commander-in-chief of the Legion of the United States during the Northwest Indian War. It includes incoming correspondence from numerous notable government and military officials, as well as a considerable amount of Wayne's outgoing correspondence and memoranda.

A portion of materials in the collection shed light on Wayne's activities and opinions during the American Revolutionary War, in which he served as a brigadier general. On November 22, 1777, Wayne wrote to Thomas Wharton, the "president" (i.e., governor) of Pennsylvania, on the subject of recruitment, arguing that allowing the hiring of substitutes and the paying of an "enormous bounty" would hinder efforts to attract soldiers. He also discussed the importance of uniforms to morale, arguing that they caused "a laudable pride which in a soldier is a substitute for almost every other virtue." Additionally, Wayne exchanged several letters with a friend, Colonel Sharp Delany, in which they discussed various war-related matters. On July 26, 1780, he provided a defense of his raid on Bull's Ferry, which failed and resulted in substantial American casualties. Other letters pertain to Wayne's injury from a musket-ball lodged in his thigh (November 12, 1781), his uniform (May 10, 1783), and the concerns of Savannah merchants who feared the loss of protection after the British evacuation (June 17, 1782). Also of interest is a memorandum spanning the dates June 20, 1777-October 21, 1780, in which Wayne gave his criticisms of the decisions of the Executive Council and of the Continental army in Pennsylvania, and complained of demoralization of the troops, especially the Pennsylvania Line.

A large number of letters and documents, particularly in the late 1780s, pertain to Wayne's rice plantation in the vicinity of Savannah, called Richmond and Kew, which was given to him by the state of Georgia for his wartime service there. Wayne took out large loans in order to revive the estate in 1785, two years after he left it "in a depreciating state" (June 29, 1783) to return to Pennsylvania. Wayne's letters describe his great difficulty in purchasing affordable slaves to work the land, his efforts to produce and sell rice and corn, and the scarcity of currency in Georgia, which compounded his troubles turning a profit. The papers also document Wayne's struggle to repay his loans and his dispute with his creditors, which became particularly intense in 1787, and resulted in his loss of the plantation in 1791. On that subject, he wrote, "I have been in treaty with my Persecutors" (March 1, 1791). His primary correspondents on these matters were William Penman, James Penman, Adam Tunno, Samuel Potts, Sharp Delany, and Richard Wayne.

Several items during this period also refer to the ongoing conflict between white settlers in Georgia and Native Americans there. One letter to Wayne from Benjamin Fishbourn concerns a Creek uprising in Georgia, during which the natives burned homes and absconded with corn and rice ([October 1786]). Although Wayne claimed that "the Indian depredations in this State have been so much exaggerated as to deter any purchasers" (February 20, 1788), he nonetheless kept track of many strife-filled incidents. On October 7, 1788, he wrote, "We are all confusion here on account of the Indians and Spaniards - the first carrying off our Negroes and other property - the latter Countenancing and protecting them!" He also described the imprisonment of his tenants by Native Americans (October 7, 1788), the abandonment of plantations by white settlers out of fear of "depredations" by natives (December 5, 1788), and the arrival of troops in the south to challenge the Creeks (December 5, 1791). On October 21, 1789, he wrote that he and his neighbors expected an "Indian war" at any time. After Wayne left the south permanently, he continued to receive periodic reports on conflicts between natives and white settlers, including an attack on Creeks at "Buzzard Town," during which whites killed and imprisoned many natives, as described in letters dated October 26 and December 17, 1793. Also of interest is a list of settlements in the Upper and Lower Creek Nation, including towns and villages called "The Buzzard Rost," "New Youga," "Swagelas," and "Cowetaws" (July 2, 1793).

The collection also documents several aspects of Anthony Wayne's political career, and includes his notes on the Constitutional Convention, including his assertion that "The Constitution is a Dangerous Machine in the hands of designing men" (filed at the end of 1788). Also of note are his several letters to President George Washington, requesting favors for himself and his friends, and a letter describing Washington's visit to Savannah, during which Wayne escorted him around the city (May 18, 1791). Well-represented is the conflict between Wayne and James Jackson over the election of 1791 for a seat in the 2nd United States Congress to represent the 1st District of Georgia.

A large portion of the collection concerns Wayne's prosecution of the Northwest Indian War as commander-in-chief of the newly created Legion of the United States between 1792 and 1796. Early letters and documents record the Legion's travel across Pennsylvania, gathering recruits en route (June 8, 1792); the smallpox inoculations for the soldiers (July 6, 1792); the arrangement of men into sublegions (July 13, 1792); Secretary of War Henry Knox's decision to delay operations until after the winter (August 7, 1792; August 10, 1792); and the foundation of Legionville, Pennsylvania, the first formal military basic training facility in the United States (November 23, 1792). Numerous letters concern military administration, including provisioning, appointments and promotions, furloughs, and other routine matters. Discipline of the troops was also a frequent concern, and Wayne and his correspondents frequently made references to desertion, disciplinary measures, the distribution of whiskey as a reward for successful target practice, and courts martial. Examples of the latter include the court martial of Captain William Preston, whom Wayne called "a very young Officer-with rather too high an idea of Equality" (June 25, 1795); the case of a private, Timothy Haley, who was convicted but released under pressure from the civil courts (July 1, 1795); and the proceedings against Lieutenant Peter Marks for "ungentleman and unofficer-like conduct" (July 20-21, 1794). A booklet covering July 19-August 2, 1793, contains a number of court martial proceedings, for such offenses as drunkenness while on guard duty and use of abusive language.

The correspondence and documents created during this period also shed some light on various Native American tribes in the Midwest and their encounters with Wayne's forces. In a letter to Wayne, Henry Knox frets over the yet-unknown fate of Colonel John Hardin, who died in an ambush by the Shawnee (August 7, 1792).

• Attack on Fort Jefferson by a Potawatomi force (September 9, 1792)
• Attack on a forage convoy near Fort Hamilton by Native Americans (September 23, 1792)
• Attack on Fort Washington, resulting in the capture of three prisoners by native forces (October 2, 1792)
• Attack on Fort St. Clair by 250 Native Americans under Little Turtle (November 6, 1792)
• Skirmishes with Native Americans in southern Ohio (October 22, 1793) in which "the Indians killed & carried off about 70 officers leaving the waggons & stores standing"

Also of interest is a description by Israel Chapin of a Six Nations council at "Buffaloe Creek," which lists some of the attendants: "the Farmer's Brother, Red Jacket and Capt Billy of the Senkas; the Fish Carrier, head Chief of the Cayugas,; Great Sky head chief of the Onondagas; and Capt Brandt of the Mohawks; and great numbers of inferior Chiefs" (December 11, 1793). On January 21, 1794, Wayne voiced his suspicions concerning peace overtures from "Delaware, Shawanoes and Miami tribes" and accused them of buying time in order to "secure their provisions, and to remove their women and children from pending distruction." Jean-Francois (sometimes known as John Francis) Hamtramck, commandant of Fort Wayne, wrote very informative letters to Wayne, discussing the Native American traders in the area and the possibility of starting a trading house at Fort Wayne (February 3, 1795), the arrival of Potawatomi at the Fort (March 5, 1795), and a meeting with the Le Gris, chief of the Miamis, whom he called a "sensible old fellow, in no ways ignorant of the Cause of the war, for which he Blames the Americans, saying that they were too extravagant in their Demands in their first treaties" (March 27, 1795).

The Battle of Fallen Timbers receives only minor attention in the collection in the form of letters, expressing praise for Wayne's victory, from army paymaster Caleb Swan (October 19, 1794) and Francis Vigo (February 22, 1795). However, efforts to end hostilities are well documented with such items as a copy of the Treaty of Greenville (August 3, 1795), Wayne's account of the signing and its impact on various tribes and their leaders (August 14, 1795), and letters from several civilians requesting help in locating family members captured by Native Americans (June 1, 1795; July 27, 1795).

Isaac and William Wayne

After Anthony Wayne's death in December 1796, the focus of the series shifts to his son, Isaac Wayne, and then to Wayne's great-grandson, William Wayne (née William Wayne Evans); the activities of the two men occupy much of the material in Volumes 11-16. Early letters mainly pertain to the family matters and finances of Isaac Wayne, including the ongoing settlement of his father's estate and various claims against it. Several items relate to his career, including an acceptance of the resignation of a soldier from Erie Light Infantry Company during the War of 1812 (March 27, 1813), and a circular letter urging support for his candidacy for governor of Pennsylvania (October 3, 1814), which was ultimately unsuccessful. Other topics include his refusal of a nomination to Congress (February 1824); requests for information about his father by historians and biographers; the August 1828 death of his son Charles, who served in the navy; and other political and family matters discussed by Wayne. His primary correspondents include William Richardson Atlee, Charles Miner, Callender Irvine, Samuel Hayman, and various members of Evans family, to whom he was related through his sister Margaretta.

The bulk of the letters postdating 1850 relate to William Wayne. Early correspondence concerns his courtship with his future wife, Hannah Zook, in 1852, the death of Isaac Wayne on October 25, 1852, and various social visits and family concerns. On March 14 and 15, 1860, Wayne wrote to his wife about travel through Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Erie to Meadville, Pennsylvania. Though he stayed in the prominent Monongahela House, he described Pittsburgh as a "dirty village," and unfavorably compared the "Western Penitentiary" to its counterpart in Philadelphia, "the Castle on Cherry Hill." He noted that Cleveland "is said to be the handsomest City in the Union," but reserved his opinion on this point.

The collection also contains six letters written by Wayne during his Civil War service with the 97th Pennsylvania Infantry. On June 27, 1862, he wrote to his wife from James Island, South Carolina, concerning his regiment's role in building fortifications and mounting guns. He also commented on General George McClellan and his cautious strategy. Wayne wrote the remainder of the letters from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. On October 13, 1862, three days after the Confederate raid on Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Wayne wrote about rumors concerning "the movements of 'secesh' along our border" in what he suspected was an attempt to interfere with the election of 1862. In another letter, he expressed disappointment that he had arrived at camp too late to accompany a group of new recruits to Washington (November 3, 1862). Of interest are four letters from Wayne's friend, Joseph Lewis, which relate to Wayne's attempt to resign from the army, as well as five items relating to General Galusha Pennypacker. The Pennypacker correspondence includes a sketch of his service, written by Edward R. Eisenbeis (December 24, 1865), and letters concerning his recovery from severe wounds received at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher in 1865. Also of interest are several postwar letters to and from General George A. McCall concerning his meetings with Wayne.

The Manuscripts Division has created a list of the names of the letter-writers in the collection: Wayne Family Papers Contributor List.

The Letter Books series contains three volumes of Anthony Wayne's outgoing military correspondence. The periods covered are June 4, 1792-October 5, 1793 (Volume 30), April 12, 1792-June 21, 1794 (Volume 31), and October 23, 1793-September 20, 1794 (Volume 32). The letters are official and semi-official in nature and pertain to army administration, encounters with Native Americans, troop movements, provisioning, and other topics.

The Land Documents series (Volume 17) contains land indentures, surveys, and deeds relating to several generations of the Wayne family, 1681-1879. This includes numerous documents relating to the Waynesborough estate and illustrating its possession by various family members. The surveys pertain to such matters as the line between Easttown and Willistown in Pennsylvania, several surveys performed for James Claypool in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and a drawing (including several trees) of the land of James Rice. Also included is a vellum land indenture dated October 3, 1732, between Anthony Wayne's father, Isaac, and a widow named Mary Hutton.

• Land in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania (December 15, 1764)
• Wayne property in Easttown and Willistown, Pennsylvania (January 12, 1767)
• Newtown, Chester County, Pennsylvania (January 12, 1767)
• Waynesborough, Chester County, Pennsylvania ([ca. 1784])
• Survey notes on a tract of land reserved by Wayne on the Little Setilla River, Georgia (July 23, 1786)

The Other Legal Documents series (Volume 17) spans 1686-1868 and contains wills, inventories, certificates, financial agreements, and other document types. Included are several documents related to the death of Samuel K. Zook, brother-in-law of William Wayne, at the Battle of Gettysburg on July 2, 1863; certificates related to the Ancient York Masons, Pennsylvania Society of the Cincinnati, and the American Philosophical Society; and several articles of agreement concerning financial transactions between various members of the Wayne family. Also of note are the wills of Anthony Wayne, Mary (Penrose) Wayne, Elizabeth Wayne, William Richardson, and others.

The Diaries and Notebooks series (Volumes 17-20) contains 19 diaries and notebooks written by various members of the Wayne family between 1815 and 1913. Of these, Charles Wayne wrote one volume, an unknown author wrote one, William Wayne wrote ten, and William Wayne, Jr., wrote seven. The books have been assigned letters and arranged in chronological order. The Charles Wayne notebook, labeled "A," covers 1815-1816 and contains algebraic equations and notes from Charles' lessons at Norristown Academy in Pennsylvania. Volume "B," written by an unknown author, dates to about 1820 and contains a number of medicinal cures for ailments such as cholera, snakebite, consumption, jaundice, and dysentery, as well as notes on the weather and references to agriculture and a few daily events.

William Wayne, the great-grandson of Anthony Wayne, wrote volumes "C" through "L," documenting the years 1858 to 1872, with a gap from November 11, 1861-August 13, 1862. The volumes record Wayne's pre-Civil War agricultural pursuits, his service with the 97th Pennsylvania Infantry, and his postwar activities. Of particular interest are the entries that Wayne wrote while posted on Hilton Head Island in August 1862, as well as his brief descriptions of the arrival and processing of recruits at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in October of the same year. He also referenced Pennsylvania politics, the elections of 1863 and 1864, and the reaction of Philadelphians to the news of Lincoln's assassination. Also worth noting are Wayne's accounts of the Confederate cavalry raids on Chambersburg in November 1862, the Gettysburg campaign, and Wayne's attempts to recover the body of his brother-in-law after Gettysburg. Postwar, Wayne wrote on such topics as Reconstruction (August 14, 1866), a cholera outbreak in New York (November 4, 1865), and election fraud and rioting in Philadelphia (October 14, 1868).

William Wayne, Jr., wrote diaries "M" through "S," 1883-1913, with a gap between September 30, 1902, and April 19, 1911. These contain near-daily brief entries on weather, family life, health, and Wayne's interest in politics. Included is a description of an unveiling of a Sons of the Revolution monument (June 19, 1893), the illness of his wife, Mary (Fox) Wayne (February 28, 1884), and Wayne's work during an election (February 19, 1884).

The Account Books series contains 24 volumes, spanning 1769-1856. The earliest volume ("A") covers approximately 1769 to 1780, and contains accounts for unknown transactions, as well as scattered memoranda concerning travel between Ireland and North America and several references to schooling. Volume "B" is Anthony Wayne's military account book for 1793-1794, which lists monthly pay to various members of the Legion of the United States. Volumes "C" through "S" encompass a large amount of financial information for Anthony Wayne's son, Isaac, for the years 1794-1823. Volumes "T" through "X" are overlapping financial account books for William Wayne, covering 1854 through 1877. Also included is an account book recording tannery transactions and activities of the Wayne family in the 18th century (Volume 29), and a book of register warrants drawn by Anthony Wayne on the paymaster general in 1796 (Volume 34)

The Anthony Wayne Portait and Miscellaneous series contains an undated engraved portrait of Wayne by E. Prud'homme from a drawing by James Herring. Also included are various newspaper clippings, genealogical material, and printed matter representing the 19th and 20th centuries.

This collection is comprised of 23 volumes containing manuscript copies of letters, documents, and more relating to New Spain, primarily in the 17th and 18th century. The original sources (dating 1583-1778) were selected, arranged, and copied between 1772 and 1778 under 46th Viceroy Antonio María de Bucareli y Ursúa. The correspondence of the viceroy deals primarily with the administration of New Spain, government revenue, encouragement of agriculture and industry, development and fortification of frontier provinces, church matters, and diplomatic affairs. These volumes also relate to many aspects of social and everyday life in the 17th and 18th centuries, with content on hospitals, prisons, factories, educational institutions, and indigenous peoples of Mexico, California, Florida, and Cuba. Several volumes have ornate and illustrated title pages; the majority bear a printed bookplate of Mateo Seoane.

Please see the box and folder listing for more information about each volume in the collection.

Ardis Press was an independent publishing house in Ann Arbor founded by Carl and Ellendea Proffer in 1971 that was dedicated to the printing of Russian literature. The publishing house was known both for their English translations of previously untranslated works, as well as Russian printings of 20th Century Russian and Soviet authors. Additionally, they would print the works of contemporary Russian authors as well as anthologies and literary criticisms. Ardis operated from 1971-2002 when it was sold to Overlook Press. The majority of the materials in this collection are from the 1970s-1990s. Noteworthy pieces of this collection include the Russian anthology Metropol, the Russian Literature Triquarterly, and correspondence and manuscripts from a variety of Russian authors, including: Lev Kopelev, Vladimir Nabokov, Osip Mandelstam, Marina Tsvetaeva, Joseph Brodsky, and Sasha Sokolov.

Materials have been divided into seven series. 1. Author/Name Files: This series includes correspondence, manuscripts, newspaper articles, contracts, and publishing materials for Russian authors and translators. Materials are arranged by author's last name.

2. Collected Works/Corporate Authors: This series includes correspondence, manuscripts, newspaper articles, and publishing materials from corporate authors or anthologies of works. Materials are arranged by corporate name or anthology name.

3. Business Records: This series includes materials related to the operation of Ardis Press. It will have three sub-series: Publicity, Company Information, and Author Personnel.The Publicity sub-series includes will have three further sub-series: Reviews, Articles/Exhibit Info, and Marketing/Advertising. Reviews are arranged by author's last name, and both Articles/Exhibit Info and Marketing are arranged by subject. The Company Information sub-series includes sales information and records about Ardis. It is arranged by subject. The Author Personnel series includes three further sub-series: Royalties, Contracts, and Rights. The Royalties series has correspondence, invoices, and documentation for author's royalty statements. It is arranged by author's last name. The Contracts series includes contracts and documentation between authors and Ardis and is arranged alphabetically. The Rights series has documentation, invoices and correspondence regarding copyright and use permissions. It is arranged by subject.

4. Media: This series includes photographs, negatives, slides, audio, and visual materials from Ardis and its employees, authors and their families, Russia and the Soviet Union, and various interviews. Materials are arranged into two sub-series: Photographs + Albums, and Video + Audio. Materials are arranged by media type.

5. Artwork: This series includes artwork from Russian artists, some used for book covers. Materials are arranged by artist last name.

6. Carl and Ellendea Proffer Personal Papers: This series includes documentation, correspondence, awards and programs related to Carl and Ellendea Proffer. Materials are arranged by subject.

7. Non-Ardis Materials: This series includes documents, booklets, and posters from Russian sources but that are not related to Ardis. Materials are arranged by subject.

The collection includes papers (series) of Ardith Westie, Charles Westie, combined papers Ardith and Charles Westie, and papers of John E. Westie.

The collection includes papers (series) of Ardith Westie, Charles Westie, combined papers Ardith and Charles Westie, and papers of John E. Westie. The collection is in good condition and is organized by series, size, alphabetically and chronologically.

The first series consists of the papers of Ardith Westie, about 2.5 cubic feet (in 3 boxes) which is split into five sub series: Biographical, Community, Personal Correspondence, College Years, and CMU. The series documents her outstanding high school years, very active college years at CMU, her later career at CMU, her personal friendships, and her social community interests and activities

Ardith’s Biographical materials sub-series, 1933-2000 (scattered), undated, includes photographs of her throughout her life, high school materials.

Her Community papers sub-series documents her activities and interests including mother interest groups and GAP, Mount Pleasant’s Group Action for People, as described in her biographical section.

Her Personal Correspondence sub-series, 1931- 2013 (scattered), undated, includes, in many cases, 70 years of friendship with female college friends, including Jane Yost Stone, who was Ardith’s college roommate for three years, as well as some of their boyfriends and male friends, and with her family. The young men wrote in the 1940s of waiting to be drafted, of training and serving, and missing friends. Elmer White was also associated with the Michigan Press Association. Some v-mail examples are in the men’s war correspondence. The women’s correspondence reflects the evolution from their college interests, through marriage and work, raising and caring for children, to grandchildren, losing spouses, to living as seniors. The baby announcements in the Lucy Booth Bradley and Gladyce Ellis folders are adorable. Most of this correspondence is to Ardith. During her college years she wrote at least weekly to her family, usually her mother, but also to her twin sisters, Carmen and Janice, and received an equal amount of mail in return. They sent mostly letters and postcards, as well as holiday and birthday cards. Ardith wrote about her classes, expenses ($6 was sufficient for her to survive for two weeks with money to spare), clothing needs, friends, her CMLife work, and of her feelings. After she and Chuck married, he sometimes wrote or typed within her letters to her family. Her mother and sisters wrote about the family’s health, social and farm activities, finances, her sisters’ classes and social life, church events, and news of extended family and friends. The few references to World War II mainly concern men being drafted or dying. One of the interesting letters is in April 1942 where Ardith notes she was studying for exams when Chuck burst in and announced he had to report for the draft on April 30.

Within the Family Correspondence are two examples of commercially produced greeting cards with racist depictions of African American children. The first is on a January 4, 1940 New Year’s card, and features a naked black child inside a barrel. The second is on a February 19, 1942 birthday card and has a black girl hanging laundry, bent over, showing her patched underwear.

Ardith also corresponded less frequently with friend and fellow War Years alum, Senator Robert P. Griffin with clippings (copies) documenting the visit of President Gerald R. Ford to CMU to inaugurate the Robert P. Griffin Endowed Chair.

Ardith’s College Years sub-series, 1938-1942, document her very involved life as a CMU college student, as a member of multiple groups, including Kappa Delta Pi and Masquers (the CMU dramatic club), her homework, notes, and essays, clippings, accounts, dance books with pencils, diaries, some correspondence, and her 1942 valedictorian address. Her commencement program is in her Personal Correspondence to/from Family.

Her CMU sub-series, 1945-1993, and undated, documents Ardith’s work and leadership with the CMU Alumni Association, Housing Committee, Summerfest, CMU 75th and Centennial celebration including history and awards, and the creation and dedication of the Peace Grove, 1995.

The Ardith and Chuck Westie Papers, approximately .5 cubic foot, include personal and CMU materials, including CMU projects and other projects they worked on together, and people with whom they both corresponded, 1940s-2015, and undated, including the CMU War Years Gatherings or Reunions and the CMU Peace Grove Memorial in honor of the CMU students who died while serving their nation in World War I and II. Lists of these students are in the related correspondence. They corresponded with many friends including fellow CMU alums Norm Johnston, a prison history author, and Robert E. McCabe, the architect of the Detroit Renaissance Center. Both Westies researched and documented the history of the First United Methodist Church of Mount Pleasant, of which they were members.

Charles “Chuck” Westie’s Papers, approximately 3 cubic feet, are divided into the sub-series of Biographical materials, College Years, and CMU materials from when he was a professor at CMU

His Biographical Materials sub-series, 1937-1981 (scattered) and undated, includes photographs of Charles, 1937-1993, undated, while a student and professor, and his Personal Correspondence, from family and friends, 1937-1940s, undated. There are examples of his correspondence to Ardith and her family in her Personal Correspondence to/from Family folders 1940 and forward. Charles strongly questioned the WWII before he was drafted. He later wrote letters of support for men seeking conscientious objector status, 1969-1972. Charles wrote powerfully about his attitude about war in an untitled [anti-Viet Nam] article, 1969, referring to his experience at Normandy and how he witnessed many American soldiers and friends die. There is a letter and poem to Ardith about his thoughts about the death of his dear friend John Evans after viewing John’s wedding photographs, July 1944. Related to this is 1946 correspondence to/from Ed Slavinsky’s family. Ed and Charles met in the Percy Jones Hospital when Charles was recovering from losing his leg and Ed was suffering from “battle fatigue,” later called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

His College Years sub-series, 1937-1943, include: Charles’ Central Michigan College of Education B.S. degree and commencement materials, 1945; his academic transcript, 1943, his commencement invitations, and program, 1945; English papers, plays and poems he wrote or participated in; correspondence to friends, mainly his then girlfriend, Lillian Hunt, Masquers (dramatic club) materials, and photographs of his college buddies and girlfriends; a CSTC (Central State Teachers College) pennant and Chippewa Pledge. An oversized photograph album with wooden covers, with a front cover carved by Chuck with an image of an Indigenous man and pinecone, includes images before and during his college years. Photographs which became loose from the volume are in a large envelop boxed with the album.

The majority of Charles’ CMU materials sub-series focuses on his academic career, committee work, and interests while at CMU. Well documented in his papers are his efforts to form and the early years of the CMU Faculty Association (FA). which began as the Mount Pleasant Chapter of the American Association of University Professors. There are correspondence, memos, reports and newsletters, and oversized reports of Committee Z, which investigated and reported on CMU faculty salary compensation compared to faculty nationally. This subseries documents the hostility between the faculty and the administration, and evidence of faculty who were fired or whose tenure, promotions, and salary increases were delayed or denied in retaliation for their complaints and union activity by the administration. Charles communicated with administrators, faculty, professors, Michigan and national union officials, and politicians, including Senator Guy Vander Jagt.

His papers document the Sociology Department and its successor, the Sociology and Anthropology Department, with meeting minutes, memos, reports, and examples of Charles’ tests. There is documentation of committees or topical projects or CMU units he helped create or in which he actively participated. The major projects and committees in his papers include: the CMU Centennial, Art Gallery, the Honors Program, the Museum, the Peace Grove, Veit Woodland, Lem Tucker scholarship, Indigenous education, and the all Ojibwa Boy Scout Troop 606, handicapped and non-traditional CMU students, foster children, and Korean orphans supported by CMU.

Also documented in his papers are CMU student protests and related activities including Jane Fonda speaking at CMU, 1970; President Boyd’s reaction to the community at CMU, and the suspension of CMU African American students in 1970.

Ardith and Chuck corresponded with or documented significant CMU people including presidents Abel, Anspach, Boyd, and Foust, Norval Bovee, D. Louise Sharp, Rolland H. Maybee, and Senator Robert P. Griffin.

There is one box of legal-size materials of Charles’ related to his CMU career and interests, There is also one Oversized folder which includes: a Bicentennial Declaration of Human Rights for Handicapped Persons, by the CMU Office of Career Development for Handicapped Persons [1976]; a poem about Sigma Kappa, undated; and a handmade poster advertising the 1969-1970 classics film schedule.

The Papers of John E. Westie, 1957-1973, undated, .5 cubic foot (in 1 box) is the last series in the collection. With the exception of his C.P. [College Preparatory] high school English papers, 1964-1965, and two brief notes (copies) from President Anspach, 1957, 1960, his papers focus on his successful fight to have the government classify him as a conscientious objector during the Viet Nam War. His correspondence and paperwork with the Isabella County draft board, Selective Service, his lawyer, and between he and his wife, Sandy, and his parents, demonstrate his efforts and the difficulties he overcame. This series includes publications from or by the government about the selective service process, and more from or by religious organizations that advocated for conscientious objectors, the Central Mennonite Committee and the United Methodist Church, the Midwest Committee for Draft Counseling and its Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors, and the National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors. Newspaper clippings (copies) about the draft or conscientious objectors, 1965-1972, undated, complete the series.

Researchers may also be interested in other collections in the Clarke documenting the history of CMU, the Faculty Association, Mount Pleasant, and other topics in this collection. Charles’ World War II material is in the state Archives of Michigan.

Processing Note: 31 cubic feet of duplicate publications, miscellaneous materials, most envelopes, blank forms, drafts, vitas, information with social security numbers, and peripheral materials were withdrawn from the collection. Very acidic materials and poor-quality photocopies were photocopied and only the new copies were retained in the collection. 68 Michigan postcards were added to the Clarke’s Michigan Postcard Collection. 20 monographs and 10 issues of magazines re: CMU history and conscientious objectors were separately cataloged. Envelopes were retained if that was the only way to identify the address of the sender. The postal date from the envelope was added in pencil to undated correspondence. Whenever possible, undated correspondence without envelopes was dated from the letter’s contents and context.

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.

The Armenian Studies Program began in 1976 and was firmly established in 1981 when the Alex Manoogian Chair in Modern Armenian History was created. The record group documents the development and activities of the program from 1983 to 2003.

The records of the Armenian Studies Program document the history of the program from 1983 to 2003. The records are divided into two series: Administrative and Events and Publications.

Papers of Arnold Weinstein, American poet, playwright, librettist, and translator. Material in both paper and digital formats includes manuscript drafts and final versions of libretti, music scores with Weinstein's lyrics, manuscript and published literary works; research and background material related to individual works and projects, as well as programs, publicity material and reviews of shows. Also commercially produced and non-commercial audio and video recordings.

The Papers of Arnold Weinstein collection documents the work of the American librettist, playwright and poet between the late 1950s through the 2000s.