Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University — 5401 Cass Ave, Detroit, MI 48202
Hours of Operations
[Podcast] Oil Can Eddie and the Battle for the Steelworkers’ Union
Posted July 31st, 2025 by teller
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Roger Biles and Mark Rose discuss the legacy of Eddie Sadlowski, a charismatic and progressive Chicago steelworker who, unhappy with the United Steelworker of America’s closed-rank authoritarian leadership and tepid support for rank-and-file members, led a highly visible yet unsuccessful dissident campaign in the contentious election for the USWA’s presidency in 1977. read more »
Stories from the Collections: The last portraits of Jimmy Hoffa
Posted July 30th, 2025 by eclemens
On the morning of July 30, 1975, Tony Spina, the Chief Photographer for the Detroit Free Press, had no idea that a routine assignment would connect him to one of the defining mysteries of the late 20th century: the disappearance of former Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa. read more »
Guest Post: Olivia Barron on Ronald Raven Award, 2025
Posted July 29th, 2025 by slebovitz
Olivia Barron received a 2025 Ronald Raven Annual Award, a scholarship providing a tuition stipend and a 135-hour internship in the Wayne State University Archives. At the end of their internship, Olivia wrote this summary of their experience.
Ronald Raven Award Internship: A Retrospective
When I was a freshman history student at Wayne State University, the History Club went on a tour of the Walter P. Reuther Library to see its collections and the archive’s inner workings. I cannot begin to describe how excited I was by this experience, and how much it impacted the rest of my academic career up to the present. read more »
The Building that Could Have Been
Posted July 14th, 2025 by slebovitz
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This blog post is part of a series celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Reuther Library's building.
“We have, at the present time, one large round table which will, at best, handle four researchers,” writes Dr. Philip Mason, founder of the archives at Wayne State University, as he describes the capacity for scholars in Purdy-Kresge to President William Rea Keast. read more »
