Williams, G. Mennen, 1911-1988

Jerome P. Cavanagh Photographs and Other Material

drice — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 11:06:29 -0400

The Jerome P. Cavanagh Photographs and Other Material consists of numerous photographs, the majority of which were taken during his time in office. These photographs cover events such as the 1968 Olympic Bid, visits from Lyndon B. Johnson, aftermath of the 1967 unrest, and Mayor Cavanagh with various prominent Detroit business people, union members, and politicians. Also included in the collection is memorabilia from his 1966 Senate campaign, 1968 Olympic information, and other various memorabilia during his time in office.

Elvin Davenport Papers

drice — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:36:55 -0400

Elvin Lamoine Davenport (1899-1988) was the first African-American judge elected to the Recorder’s Court for the City of Detroit; he served on the bench for over 20 years. Davenport was born in Folly, Virginia, attended local schools, and received his undergraduate degree from Temple University and his law degree from Howard University Law School in 1929. After graduation he worked as a Pullman porter for the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and completed further graduate studies at McGill University. Davenport moved to Detroit, Michigan where he was appointed to the State Bar in 1931. He became associated with the law firm of Stowers, Bledsoe & Dent, later forming his own practice with Garvin, Osborne, Smith, and Fuller (1931-1945). Like many African-American lawyers practicing at the time, Davenport had difficulty attracting clients; to make a decent living he also sold life insurance. He became heavily involved in civil rights cases, serving as counsel for the NAACP in the Sojourner Truth housing project riots; the 1943 Detroit race riot inquest in police shootings; and the general court martial charges against Lt. Milton R. Henry. He was appointed as the Assistant Wayne County Prosecutor in 1945-1946 and 1948-1956. In 1956, Governor G. Mennen Williams appointed him to the Common Pleas Court for the City of Detroit, making Davenport again the first African-American to be appointed to the position. By 1957, he was elevated to the Recorder’s Court for the City of Detroit. Davenport sat on the bench until his retirement in 1977. Throughout his life, Elvin Davenport was a member of many professional and service organizations. Elvin Davenport died in June of1988.

The papers of Elvin Davenport primarily document his practice as an attorney and judge in the city of Detroit, from 1942-1977. Of particular note are correspondence files that demonstrate the integral role Mr. Davenport played in both the judicial profession and local community service organizations, as well as the relationships he cultivated as a result of his involvement.

Detroit Commission on Community Relations (DCCR) / Human Rights Department Photographs and Other Material

drice — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 16:35:46 -0500

The Commission on Community Relations evolved from the City of Detroit Mayor's Interracial Committee in 1953 and was renamed in 1974 as the Human Rights Department. All three iterations served a common purpose: to make recommendations to improve governmental services affecting racial relations, and to promote understanding between the races.

Collection consists of photographs documenting its efforts to overcome racial discrimination and improve race relations in the Detroit metropolitan area and ephemera related to the “March to Freedom” civil rights demonstration held in Detroit on June 23, 1963.

George C. Edwards, Jr. Papers, Parts 1-4

drice — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:39:40 -0400

George Edwards, Jr., son of George Clifton Edwards, attended Harvard University where he became involved with the Student League for Industrial Democracy. After coming to Detroit in 1936, he became a UAW organizer with Walter Reuther, was appointed director of the Detroit Housing Commission, and served on the Detroit Common Council. After serving in WWII, he went into private practice, followed by judgeships in the Wayne County court system. In 1956, Edwards was appointed to the Michigan State Supreme Court. In 1962 he was invited by Mayor Jerome Cavanagh to the post of Police Commissioner of Detroit where he focused his attention on organized crime and discrimination. After serving two years he was nominated to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals by President John F. Kennedy, and eventually served as a Chief Judge. He retired in 1991 and passed away in 1995.

Parts I-III of his papers reflects his early high school and college days, including correspondence with his father and material from his involvement in several student groups. Edward, Jr.'s various judicial campaigns, particularly his Michigan Supreme Court appointment, as well as his directorship of the Detroit Housing Commission are documented. Personal papers, including wartime correspondence with his wife, are included, as are newspaper clippings dealing with a variety of topics relevant to Detroit politics and events.

Part IV of Edwards, Jr.'s contains personal and career related correspondence from his service in the military through the 1980’s, with much focus on his nomination and confirmation to the Sixth Circuit Court. Included are many speeches and writings, his activities with professional organizations, a photocopy of his manuscript of the biography of his father, Pioneers at Law, and memorial tributes and letters of condolence to his family.

Robert J. Greene Papers

drice — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:13:29 -0500

Robert Greene was active in Michigan politics and a national advocate for Jewish interests. His papers reflect his forty years as a political activist, taken from his manuscript, "Sidebars."

Wade H. McCree, Jr. Papers

drice — Mon, 09 Nov 2015 13:55:18 -0500

Wade Hampton McCree, Jr. began his career as a lawyer in the Detroit law firm of Harold E. Bledsoe and Hobart Taylor. He later served on the state’s Workmen’s Compensation Commission and as a judge in the county and U.S. court system. During his tenure on the bench, McCree took part in a number of school desegregation cases iand as the government’s lawyer, he argued a number of significant cases before the Supreme Court. He resigned in 1977 to accept appointment as U.S. Solicitor General in the Carter administration. In the last few years of his life, McCree taught law at the University of Michigan, and consulted on various cases and served as Special Master for the U.S. Supreme Court in cases in which it exercised original jurisdiction. Judge McCree’s professional, educational, civic and charitable activities were many and he was the recipient of numerous honors and awards.

His papers contain his personal and professional correspondence, speeches and writings, voluminous case files, including his notes and opinions, meeting minutes, publications and other material relating to his service on the bench and as the federal government’s chief lawyer as well as his work on professional committees and his involvement with a wide range of civic, fraternal and charitable organizations.

Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) Records

drice — Wed, 11 May 2011 15:43:34 -0400

SEMCOG grew out of primarily the Detroit Metropolitan Area Regional Planning Commission (DRPC) and the Supervisors Inter-County Committee (SICC) in an effort to consolidate regional planning agencies and avoid duplication of programs and services. SEMCOG has continued its predecessors' work of assisting local planning programs, collecting area planning data, and providing an infrastructure for procurement of federal aid.

Records in Part I document SEMCOG's predecessor, the DRPC, and its transition to and early operation of the Planning Division of SEMCOG, through the office files of Paul Reid, Executive Director at the time of transition. Contained therein are findings of various planning projects and studies conducted by the two entities.

Records in Part II relate primarily to the administration of SEMCOG and the environmental, transportation, and economic issues it dealt with.

Records in Part III related to SEMCOG's work in environment, transportation, and urban planning. Documented are the activities of executive directors John Amberger and Paul Tait, and the Executive and Advisory Council from SEMCOG's inception through 2003. The records of the Metropolitan Affairs Coalition (MAC) a private-sector sister organization to SEMCOG are also included.

UAW Local 157 Records

drice — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:29:22 -0400

United Auto Workers Local 157 was an amalgamated tool and die local on the west side of Detroit, serving numerous shops. The records of the local document it operations and relationships with various companies whose employees they represented.

Mark L. Kahn Papers

cwesterman — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:16:54 -0500

Mark Kahn was professor of economics at Wayne State University in the 1960s and the first Director of the Master of Arts in Industrial Relations. Throughout his academic career and into retirement, Mr. Kahn served as a labor arbitrator. His papers reflect his enduring interest in the arbitration of labor disputes in a wide range of industries, particularly air transportation.

Collection Spotlight: Wade McCree's contribution to Detroit and the nation

ljones — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 09:37:16 -0500

The Walter P. Reuther Library continues to celebrate Black History Month by highlighting the life of Wade McCree and his papers.

In his work as a judge, appointed official, and educator coupled with his sense of civic responsibility, Wade Hampton McCree, Jr. made a unique contribution to the Detroit metropolitan area and beyond. His success in these areas are noteworthy by themselves, but even more so given the barriers to success experienced by African Americans read more »

Wayne State University Photograph Collection - Photo Identification Tips and Tricks

Public Relations Team — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 14:01:53 -0400

This article was written by Audrey Swartz, a recipient of the Ronald Raven award and a student in Wayne State University's SLIS program, during the spring of 2016.

As Wayne State celebrates its sesquicentennial in 2018, there is an effort to increase access to photographs located in the University Archives. With the help of a student intern and the Audio Visual archivists at the Reuther, we have been able to begin this process. Wayne State University’s photography collection, housed in the AV Department at the Reuther Library, ranges from roughly 1945 to 2003. These photographs cover everything from sporting events (did you know WSU once had a rowing team?) to campus ceremonies, life and construction. read more »

(24860) NAACP, Members, Fight for Freedom Dinner, 1960

eclemens — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:46:10 -0400

Members of the NAACP pose for a picture during the Fight for Freedom Dinner at the Latin Quarters, Detroit, Michigan.

Left to right, Front: Dr. Wendall Cox; Harry Golden; Mrs. Marguerite Belefonte; Dr. DeWitt Burton

Left to right, Back: Damon J. Keith; Governor G. Mennen Williams

(11371) Auto Industry, Unemployment, 1956

eclemens — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:35:31 -0400

Members of a "task force" created to combat unemployment in the auto industry, including United Auto Workers union officials and mayors of midwestern cities.

Left to right: Mayor Albert Zack, Hamtramck, Michigan; Mayor Frank Ziedler, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Mayor Ollie Czelusta, Toledo, Ohio; Mayor George Algoe, Flint, Michigan; Walter Reuther, president of the UAW; Governor G. Mennen WIlliams of Michigan; William E. Steiner, Mayor of Muskegon, Michigan; Emil Mazey, secretary-treasurer of the UAW; Leonard Woodcock, vice-president of the UAW. Members not shown include the mayors of South Bend, Indiana; Detroit, Michigan; and Pontiac, Michigan.

(11758) Portrait, G. Mennen Williams, Los Angeles, California, 1960

eclemens — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:02:47 -0400

Close-up of G. Mennen “Soapy” Williams holding a “Michigan” sign with a bow tie on top; his other hand is raised; a crowd is partially visible in the background, Los Angeles, California.

Photographer’s caption: “G. MENNEN (SOAPY) WILLIAMS, 1960. The governor of Michigan holds the Michigan sign topped by his trademark bow tie at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles. Soapy Williams was governor for six two-year terms, 1948 to 1960. During the presidency of John F. Kennedy, he was assistant secretary of state for African affairs. Later, he was elected chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. He died in 1988, just short of his 77th birthday.”

(11759) Portrait, G. Mennen Williams, 1980

eclemens — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 12:58:12 -0400

Close-up of G. Mennen “Soapy” Williams wearing bow tie; Unidentified woman behind him; bookshelf in background.

(11855) AFT Metropolitan Institute

jhelpap — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:29:58 -0400

AFT Metropolitan Institute, Oct. 28, 1954
Speaker: Jack Conway
Commentator: Gov. G. Mennan Willam, Governor of Michigan, Antonia Kalor, President of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, Carl J. Megal, President of AFT, Frank Martel, President of the Detroit Federation of Labor and Senator Patrick McNamera (MI)

(11882) Parades, Labor Day, Detroit, 1952

eclemens — Tue, 04 May 2010 08:58:13 -0400

The Democratic presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson joins Michigan dignitaries during the annual Labor Day parade down Woodward Ave, Detroit, Michigan.

Left to right: Alex Fuller, Executive Vice-president of the AFL-CIO, carries the banner; unidentified; Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams, waving; Adlai Stevenson; Mike Novak, President of the AFL-CIO; U.S. Senator Patrick McNamara, waving; Senator Phil Hart, waving; and two unidentified men.

(11884) Demonstration, Civil Rights, Poor People's Campaign, Detroit, 1968

eclemens — Tue, 04 May 2010 07:34:45 -0400

Protesters and activists march down Woodward Ave. during a Poor People’s Campaign demonstration, Detroit, Michigan. At center is Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams and Congressman Charles Diggs.

(11885) Parades, Labor Day, Detroit, 1964

eclemens — Tue, 04 May 2010 08:45:58 -0400

Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh, Governor George Romney, and Governor G. Mennen Williams at the Labor Day Parade, Detroit, Michigan.

(12025) Presidents, Harry Truman, Detroit's 250th Anniversary, 1951

eclemens — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 15:45:48 -0400

Governor G. Mennen Williams introduces President Harry Truman to the crowds in Cadillac Square during the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of Detroit.

(24862) NAACP, Fight for Freedom Dinner, Awards, 1960

eclemens — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:46:11 -0400

Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams (center) is presented with the NAACP Life Membership plaque by Dr. Wendell Cox (left) and Dr. DeWitt T. Burton (right) during the 1960 Fight for Freedom Dinner. The event was held at the Latin Quarter, Detroit, Michigan.

(24949) Detroit Federation of Teachers, Local 231, AFT

jhelpap — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:44:36 -0400

Detroit Federation of Teachers, Local 231, AFT, (L to R)
Governor G. Mennen Williams (Mich), Mrs. Betty Baxter, President, Detroit Board of Education, Mrs. Jessie Baxter, President of the Michigan Federation of Teachers, Dr. Cylvia A. Sorkin, John Schrier, Mrs. Antonia Kolar, President, Detroit Federation of Teachers

(25415) Civil Rights, Demonstrations, "March on Washington," 1963

eclemens — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 12:44:11 -0400

An estimated crowd of 200,000 braves the heat as they wait for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to deliver his address from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall.

Note: Michigan Governor G. Mennen WIlliam sits in the third row, left of center.

(25501) King, Williams, Mazey, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, 1968

eclemens — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:34:18 -0400

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. chats with Emil Mazey and G. Mennen Williams in the hallway of Grosse Pointe (South) High School in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan. Later that evening King delivered his speech entitled “The Other America” to an audience of 2700 people in the school gymnasium.

(27061) Cavanagh, Organized Labor, 1960s

eclemens — Wed, 07 Feb 2018 12:20:09 -0500

A group photo of Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh with Senator Phil Hart (left), Governor G. Mennen Williams (second left), Governor John Swainson (center left), John Lesunski (center), Walter Reuther (center right), Senator Pat McNamara (second right), Gus Scholle (right), and Myra Wolfgang.

(28533) Robert Kennedy, G. Mennen Williams, Detroit, 1968

eclemens — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 09:09:38 -0400

Candid view of U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy and Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams.

(28660) Politics, Governor G. Mennen Williams, Los Angeles, 1960

eclemens — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:36:11 -0400

Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams speaks at the 1960 Democratic National Convention.

(28661) Politics, Governor G. Mennen Williams, 1955

eclemens — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:38:48 -0400

Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams dances at the Inaugural Ball.

(28662) Governor Williams, Reuther, McNamara, Miriani, Labor Day, 1958

eclemens — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:11:13 -0400

Governor G. Mennen Williams speaks during a Labor Day celebration in Detroit. Walter Reuther, Mayor Louis Miriani, and U.S. Senator Patrick McNamara are also in view. At rear is Old City Hall.

(28663) Governor G. Mennen WIlliams, Cobo Hall, Dedication 1960

eclemens — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:14:10 -0400

Governor G. Mennen Williams and other dignitaries attend the dedication of Cobo Hall.

(28850) Political Campaigns, John Kennedy, G. Mennen Williams, Detroit, 1960

eclemens — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 14:09:53 -0400

Presidential nominee John F. Kennedy and Governor G. Mennen Williams share a laugh at an unidentified event held in Detroit’s Book Cadillac Hotel.

(28871) Presidents, Harry Truman, Albert Cobo, G. Mennen Williams, Detroit, 1955

eclemens — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 08:46:45 -0400

A view of President Truman, Mayor Albert Cobo and Governor G. Mennen Williams as they leave Detroit’s city hall.

(28872) Presidents, Harry Truman, G. Mennen Williams, Detroit, 1950s

eclemens — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 09:17:14 -0400

Photo collage of President Truman during a visit to Detroit.

Photographer's note: “President Harry S. Truman on a visit to Detroit, left the city hall with Gov. Williams minus his hat. As he gets into the limo he realizes he misplaced his hat. He ponders and suddenly someone brings him his misplaced hat, and is delighted when handed to him. Smiling President Truman thanks him and shakes his hand and leaves smiling.”