Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University — 5401 Cass Ave, Detroit, MI 48202
Hours of Operations
Guest Post: Connor Chapman on Ronald Raven Award, 2025
Posted October 22nd, 2025 by slebovitz
Connor Chapman 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 his internship, Connor wrote this summary of his experience.
Raven Award Intern Blog Post
In a way, I feel like the Indiana Jones of the archives. The great Dr. Jones is famed for his roguish demeanor, devilishly good looks, and penchant for historical preservation and is known for jumping into action and delving into ancient ruins to find riches in both gold and history. Meanwhile, I, brandishing, if I dare, similar charm and drive, instead prefer to dive into boxes filled to bursting with peoples’ life’s work. read more »
[Podcast] Union Exemption: Nonprofit Work and the Boundaries of the Commercial Economy, 1951–1976
Posted October 9th, 2025 by teller
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John Miles Branch discusses the National Labor Relations Board’s policy to dismiss union petitions at charitable organizations in the decades following the Second World War, and the policy’s reversal in 1976 when the board acknowledged nonprofit institutions as a “third sector” of the economy linked with the nation’s commercial life. read more »
[Podcast] Talking Archives with AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride
Posted September 25th, 2025 by teller
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In celebration of the Reuther Library’s 50th anniversary, AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride reflects on the role the union’s history and archives play in current and future labor actions and organizing campaigns. 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 »
