Blogs

Michael W. Kerwin passed away on July 19, 2021 at the age of 97. A portion of his archival papers are now available for research.

Kerwin was well-known and respected for his activism and long-term involvement in labor, democratic politics, and Irish communities of Detroit. His involvement with the UAW began when he moved to Detroit in 1950 and started a position working at American Metal Products Co. and became a member of the local Education Committee. His interest of participating on the Education Committee lead to a job with the UAW Education Department, where he worked for almost 30 years.  read more »

What we now know as the Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs began in 1958 as the Wayne State University Archives. For the next 34 years, Dr. Philip Parker Mason would serve as its Director. During his tenure in that capacity, he would initiate one of the first archival education programs, establish conferences and professional organizations, publish numerous books and other publications, conduct countless oral histories, serve as president of the Society of American Archivists, and build what would be considered the premier labor archives in the United States. Now an oral history documenting Mason’s life and career is available for review at the Reuther Library.  read more »

The Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs continues to serve your needs as researchers with a focus on safety considerations to keep our staff, researchers, and communities healthy. We are pleased to share our current plan for research operations. Though we are not yet offering walk-in visits at this time, we have developed a plan for limited safe access. Please watch this space and our social media accounts for access updates over the coming months.  read more »

A Detroit without cars is hard to imagine, but like any city predating the automobile, the streets weren’t initially designed for a driving culture. Carved first by foot and then by wooden wheel, the landscape had to be adapted to new demands brought by cars. A visual evolution of Michigan Avenue can be traced in the Reuther’s Virtual Motor City, a collection of Detroit News photographs spanning 1860-1980.  read more »