City of Detroit

Jerome P. Cavanagh Papers

drice — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:06:22 -0400

The papers of Mr. Cavanagh, mayor of Detroit from 1962 to 1970. They include correspondence, reports, studies, speeches, minutes, and other materials of the mayor's office and commissions and departments of the city. Efforts, both local and national, in improving economic and racial conditions in Detroit are recorded in the collection. Subjects of interest include 1967 Detroit riot; Detroit Police Dept.; urban redevelopment programs; Detroit and Michigan politics; New Detroit, Inc.; poverty programs; housing; civil disorders and police problems; and all aspects of the urban complex. Smaller groups within the collection are the files of James L. Trainor, Fred Romanoff, Richard Strichartz, Jack Casey, and Sandra McClure, all members of the mayor's staff. Correspondents are government officials on every level: U .S. presidents, vice presidents, senators, congressmen, state officials, mayors of other cities, and other prominent public figures.

Robert E. DeMascio Papers

srafferty — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 09:04:46 -0500

Robert E. DeMascio, a Detroit lawyer, was appointed to the U.S. District Court Eastern Michigan District in 1971. He served as a U.S. District Judge from this time, until his death in 1999. During his tenure as a Judge he worked with bankruptcy law, including serving multiple committees relating to bankruptcy legislation and the Judicial Conference's Committee on the Administration of the Bankruptcy System. Notably, Judge DeMascio was assigned the Bradley v. Milliken case on school desegregation in Detroit Public Schools. DeMascio worked on this case from 1975 until 1980, creating court ordered improvements to the school system. He also established the Monitoring Commission, to audit the implementation of court ordered changes to the schools.

Democratic Socialists of America Records

drice — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:12:31 -0400

The Papers of the Democratic Socialists of America were placed in the Archives
of Labor and Urban Affairs in January of 1984 and were opened for research in
April of 1990.

The Democratic Socialists of America, also known as DSA, received its name in
1982 after the merger of the Democratic Socialists Organizing Committee, also
known as DSOC, and the New American Movement, also known as NAM. The
1982 merger was not without debate, and resolution among members of DSOC.

The collection is indicative of the mandate of the DSA, as well as their stand on
social issues and labor issues, and reflects the general workings of the Detroit local
before, during, and after the merger, which shows the evolution of the group.
The collection also reflects, to a lesser degree, the views of the volunteers working
within the DSA at both the National and Local levels.

Subjects include: Poletown; City of Detroit Task Force on Room and Board Homes

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.

Detroit Commission on Community Relations (DCCR) / Human Rights Department Records

drice — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:47:48 -0400

Topics covered include affirmative action, the Coordinating Council on Human Relations, discrimination in housing, health care, the 1943 & 1967 race riots, southern migration into Detroit, police-community relations, welfare, and school redistricting.

This Finding Aid was revised in July 2019, citations attributed before this date may no longer match current folder locations/numbers. If you need help locating a folder from an old citation, please ask an archivist for assistance.

Detroit Public Schools Community Relations Division Records

drice — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:36:52 -0500

Dr. Freeman Flynn served on the Detroit School Board for many years. His personal interests led him to focus upon human relations, and the problems associated with inter-cultural and
inter-racial education. During the period 1965 through 1976, when the city sought to
implement plans for the desegregation of its schools, Dr. Flynn served as the Director of
the Division of School-Community Relations.

The files of the Community Relations Division reflect the effort of the Detroit School
Board and key administrative staff, such as Dr. Flynn, to confront and deal with issues
involved in achieving school desegregation and improved relations between the city's
blacks and whites. The early records, 1943-1969, document the initial voluntary programs
aimed at inter-racial understanding. The later records, 1970-1977, relate to the School
Boards plans for compliance with court ordered desegregation and school busing as
required by Judge Stephen Roth in Bradley v. Mil-liken, 1970.

Detroit Public Schools Decentralization Study Committee Records

drice — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:37:56 -0500

On 17 December 1976, the Detroit Central Board of Education had officially requested "a management audit" of the decentralized school system from its establishment in 1970. An outline of a proposed "task force" was discussed on 7 March 1977. Three weeks later, State Representative Stopczynski introduced House Bills 4401 and 4466 respectively proposing greater parental control over school curricula and abolition of the Detroit Regional School Boards.

Subjects include: Community participation in city government, Detroit politics, Urban education and Women in education administration and community affairs.

Detroit Recreation Department Dance Program: Shirley Harbin Records

drice — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 16:59:08 -0400

The Detroit Recreation Department has had a long and storied history of mergers, re-naming, re-organizing, and re-structuring. Growing out of once separate Parks and Recreation Commissions, its history has long included a Recreation Division which administered a dance program as part of its Special Activities Unit. Shirley Harbin was hired in 1963 as a Senior Recreation Instructor in Drama, and by 1971, she was the Senior Recreation Instructor in Dramatics and Music. At the time Harbin was with the department, Eleanor Cattron was the Senior Recreation Instructor of Dance.

The Records encompass more than just Harbin's tenure. They capture Recreation Dancing in Detroit though the administration, performances, scripts and plans of the Dance Program, along with references to other dance studios and initiatives in the metro area including the Harbinger Dance Company, the Mme. Cadillac Dance Theatre, the Jewish Community Center, and the Detroit Metropolitan Dance Project. Of special research value is the large collection of original choreographed dances dating to 1924 that were performed by the students in classes and performances. The choreographed dances include ballet, tap, modern and folk dancing, often indicating the particular musical score to which the counts and measures have been assigned.

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.

Charles K. Hyde Papers

drice — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:17:46 -0500

Historical surveys of Detroit engineering projects and industrial structures, including Dodge Main, Chrysler Jefferson Avenue, UAW Local 7 Hall, Davison Freeway, and Willow Run Expressway Bridges

Arthur F. Lederle Papers

drice — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 16:40:37 -0500

Arthur Lederle taught in Detroit Public Schools before entering a legal career, culminating in his tenure as Judge of the Federal District Court for Eastern Michigan. He continued to be involved with education throughout his career. His papers reflect his position in Democratic Party affairs, his interest in court administration and civil procedure, the major case over which he presided and his educational activities.

Maryann Mahaffey Papers

srafferty — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 09:34:02 -0500

Maryann Mahaffey was born on January 18, 1925 in Burlington, Iowa to Kent and Margaret ‘Nell’ [Widener] Mahaffey. Mahaffey’s older brother was also named Kent. While she was attending Cornell College, she decided to spend the summer of 1945 working as a Recreation Director at Poston Internment Camp in Arizona. This work had a profound effect on Mahaffey in regard to fighting against discrimination and helping people in need.
After obtaining masters degrees in social work from the University of Southern California, Mahaffey and her husband moved briefly in Indianapolis before moving to Detroit. Mahaffey worked with organizations like Young Woman's Christian Association (YWCA), Girl Scouts of America, Merrill Palmer Institute, and Brightmoor Community Center before becoming involved in local politics.
After working as a consultant to the Mayor of Detroit on parks, recreation, and social services, Mahaffey initiated and chaired the Mayor's Task Force on Malnutrition and Hunger before running for Wayne County Commissioner in 1970. Though she did not win the election for this position, she did win a Michigan Supreme Court case setting a legal precedent for married women running for public office with their maiden name. In 1973, Mahaffey ran for Detroit City Council and won, she served on the city council until 2005.
Active outside of her council work, Mahaffey also taught as a Professor at Wayne State University School of Social Work as well as participating in many social work and positive social force organizations. She played important roles in the Michigan Social Work Council, National Association of Social Workers (NASW) including being their first elected female President, and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW). Mahaffey also focused heavily on organization promoting peace, women in politics, health, and equality.
Mahaffey was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2005 and passed away on July 27, 2006 due to health complications.

This collection contains materials with a heavy emphasis on the city of Detroit, as well as social work and social service organizations.
From Mahaffey's numerous decades on the Detroit City Council, there are detailed notes, correspondence, and reports relating to the daily work was involved in including city budget, casinos, an anti-surveillance ordinance, housing, and many other subjects of focus. This collection also contains materials related to her teaching at Wayne State University including detailed information on social service organizations in Metro Detroit. Other important elements of this collection relate to her experience working at Poston, the many organizations Mahaffey played an active role in running and organizing, and the speeches, testimony, and writing she did covering the broad range of her experience and interests.

Maurice Kelman Papers

kschmeling — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 13:38:59 -0400

Attorney Maurice Kelman taught at Wayne State University Law School and served as Special Counsel to Mayor Jerome Cavanagh.

Part 1 of Mr. Kelman’s papers, which reflect his career as an attorney and arbitrator, primarily relate his work as Special Counsel to Mayor Cavanagh. Part 2 of the Collection spans the years of 1943 to 2012, including materials from Kelman's early life attending Durfee Intermediate and Cass Technical High Schools, further education at the University of Michigan, Wayne State University, and Harvard Law School, up through his entire professional career. This Collection contains his numerous publications, work concerning Elected Officeholder Expense Funds, Ray Girardin interview transcripts, and features his passion for drawing and cartoons. Important subjects include: Kwame Kilpatrick, Coleman A. Young, Jerome P. Cavanagh, Ray Girardin, and Wade H. McCree Jr. Collection includes a 1971 interview recording and transcript with Ray Girardin who served as Detroit police commissioner for five years under Mayor Jerome Cavanagh. Prior to his police career he was a crime reporter. Girardin talks about his career as a crime reporter with and as Detroit police commissioner during the 1967 civil unrest, which he describes in detail over its unfolding, from his perspective as a law officer.

John Musial Papers

drice — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:16:56 -0400

John J. Musial was a student at University of Michigan who later worked for the city of Detroit. He served on the Commission on Community Relations as the Research Director in 1963. Musial wrote articles related to programs and projects in the city of Detroit.

The John Musial Papers consist of reports and other published materials created by or regarding the development of the city of Detroit. As Research Director of the Commission on Community Relations, he authored some of the reports. The reports are related to housing, population, income, and community projects in Detroit during the administration of Jerome Cavanagh until the beginning of the Coleman Young administration.

Fay O'Hare Papers

srafferty — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 09:20:44 -0500

Fay O'Hare was a Detroit attorney who was heavily involved in Detroit education from the late 1960s through the 1980s. Her involvement included work with the High School Study Commission, Coalition for Peaceful Integration, Detroit Education Task Force, and Coleman Young's Mayor-elect Task Force. In addition to this, she worked on the Monitoring Commission, established to audit the court ordered changes and improvements to Detroit Public Schools as a result of the Bradley v Milliken case. These papers contain meeting agendas, notes, reference materials and publications relevant O'Hare's work, as well as a small amount of material on women's issues and equality.

George O'Kon Scrapbook

drice — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:29:58 -0500

George O'Kon was an employee of the Detroit Department of Street Railways. His scrapbook reflects his interest in the history of public transportation, particularly in regards to his employer.

James G. Pyrros Papers

drice — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 11:10:32 -0500

James Pyrros had an active career in local, state, and national Democratic politics. He worked on many state congressional campaigns and staffs, for the Detroit Housing Commission, and in the Michigan attorney general's office. His papers reflect his political endeavors and document Michigan Democratic Party politic as well as state and national elections.

Remus Robinson Papers

drice — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:28:15 -0500

Dr. Robinson was the second black physician to receive advanced residency training in Detroit, and the first elected to the Detroit Board of Education (1955). He was prominent in the struggle for social justice in Detroit's public schools and hospitals. The bulk of the collection comprises correspondence, minutes, and a variety of printed material relating to his years on the Detroit Board of Education. Also included are correspondence and some campaign literature on his unsuccessful bid for a seat on the Board of Education in 1953 and the successful attempt in 1955. Major correspondents are Charles Diggs, Jr., Clarence Hilberry, Frank J. Kelly, and Roy Reuther. Subjects include: desegregation; Northern High School Incident of 1966; Sherrill School Parents vs. Board of Education

George Shenkar Papers

drice — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:44:31 -0500

George Shenkar was an engineer with the Detroit Water Board from 1947-1950, whose controversial dismissal led to a city charter amendment requiring all city employees to take a loyalty oath to the U.S. His papers reflect his interest in socialism and document the circumstances surrounding his dismissal from the Board.

St. Anthony Community Council Records

srafferty — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 12:41:13 -0400

The St. Anthony Community Council was established in the summer of 1961 as a coalition of block clubs in the neighborhood encompassed by Gratiot to the north, Palmer to the south, East Grand Boulevard to the west and Van Dyke to the east. Their group pursued the overarching goals of promoting community cooperation and maintaining and encouraging high standards of community as well as developing individual obligation toward these goals. Their initiatives focused on the issues of housing, urban development, crime, and neighborhood beautification. The group dissolved at the end of 1969. The group received recognition from Michigan legislatures and the Detroit Police Department for their efforts toward community improvement.

Detroit Board of Education Detroit Public Schools Records

cwesterman — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:08:53 -0400

The Detroit Board of Education/Detroit Public Schools Collection documents the administration, fiscal operation, personnel, publications, activities, programs and services of Detroit schools. To a lesser degree it documents professional organizations and citizens committees concerned with the Detroit Schools.

Coleman Young Papers

drice — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:14:06 -0400

With a background in labor activities and civil rights, Coleman Young captured a Michigan State Senate seat in 1964, representing an east side Detroit district, and rose quickly to leadership posts in the Lansing legislature. Michigan Democrats elected him in 1968 to become the first black member ever to serve on the Democratic National Committee. In 1973, pledging to restore peace between the people and police of Detroit, Coleman Young announced as a candidate for Mayor of Detroit. He defeated the City's former police chief, John Nichols, in a bitter election contest in January 1974 and was re-elected in 1977,
1981, 1985 and 1989. He was one of the first African-Americans to be elected mayor of
a major U.S. city and served a total of twenty years. He was considered by many of his
constituents as a champion of the disadvantaged and disenfranchised. During Young’s
mayoral years, the city of Detroit faced numerous economic, political and social
challenges.

The papers in Part I of this collection reflect the years of Young's state senatorial service. The materials in Part II of this collection represent a portion of Coleman A. Young’s
correspondence and other documents from his tenure as mayor of Detroit, 1973-1993.

Collections Spotlight: Mel Ravitz Papers

Public Relations Team — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 14:50:17 -0500

The Reuther Library is proud to announce the opening of an addition to our Mel Ravitz Papers. The new materials include documents related to Ravitz’s work and research in urban planning and its impact on communities, ranging from 1945-2009. Notably, the collection includes some of Mr. Ravitz’s personal journals from the early 1960s. The addition to this collection may prove particularly valuable to researchers with an interest in the causes and effects of Detroit’s 1967 civil unrest. read more »

Detroit's Olympic Bid

gstrassel — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 16:52:55 -0500

As PyeongChang prepares to light the torch for the 2018 Olympics, we are reminded of when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) almost passed the baton to the city of Detroit. The story of Detroit’s persuasive and nearly successful endeavor to bring the 1968 Olympic games to the Motor City is told through the documents of the Jerome Cavanagh Papers at the Walter P. Reuther Library. Detroit, thanks to postwar economic growth, had previously been suggested as the United States’ pick as Olympic candidate city. read more »

Guest Post: History of Detroit's Virginia Park Neighborhood

Public Relations Team — Fri, 24 May 2019 10:30:41 -0400

Virginia Park, now officially a historic neighborhood in Detroit, was at the heart of the 1967 Rebellion. The district sits along Virginia Park Boulevard between Woodward and John R. and is now considered part of the New Center area. The neighborhood was the location of the Algiers Motel incident read more »

Guest Post: Karen Turk - Working in Time of Global Pandemic

Public Relations Team — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 16:23:40 -0400

On March 8th, I left Detroit for Alternative Spring Break (ASB) at the Maryland State Archives. At the time, my plan was to return from ASB to the Reuther Library and finish my practicum by mid-April. I had my hesitations about traveling, but I put my concerns aside read more »

Recent additions: Black perspectives at the Reuther Library

srafferty — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 18:06:22 -0400

Detroit’s Black citizens have faced a long, complicated history of struggle and perseverance. While the voices of Black individuals are generally underrepresented in archives, Reuther Library has a number of collections that help document this history in varied formats and perspectives, and we've added more in recent years. Here are descriptions of just a few of these notable collections: read more »

Subject focus: Jewish Detroit Experience

wlefevre — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:52:44 -0400

The Reuther Library celebrates the Jewish holiday of Passover with a look at some of the significant collections housed in the library that deal with the Jewish experience in Metropolitan Detroit.

As the repository for the Jewish Community Archives (JCA), the Reuther Library has a wealth of information on the Jewish community in Detroit and surrounding environs. The JCA holdings include, but are not limited to, the papers of: read more »

The Popular Crimetown Podcast Digs into Detroit Crime by Digging into the Reuther Library’s Collections

mwallace — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 14:22:50 -0400

The new season of the hit podcast Crimetown will use material from various collections at the Walter P. Reuther Library. Each season of Crimetown examines the “culture of crime” in a different American city. This upcoming season they are focusing on Detroit and using film, video, and sound from the Reuther’s collections. read more »

WWJ / WDIV Film, Video, and Teleprompter Script Collection Now Open

mwallace — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 14:26:07 -0400

The Reuther library is proud to announce the opening of the WWJ / WDIV Film, Video, and Teleprompter Script collection. The collection spans close to 100 years and is the largest archival collection of news-related moving images in metropolitan Detroit. read more »

Max M. Fisher and Gerald R. Ford

Public Relations Team — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 09:55:39 -0400

Max M. Fisher, with President Gerald R. Ford, in the Oval Office, circa 1975.

(37635) Proposed Olympic stadium

gstrassel — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 16:11:19 -0500

A diagram of the proposed Olympic Stadium designed for Detroit’s bid for the 1968 summer Olympics. From the official ‘Facilities’ booklet given to the International Olympic Committee by the Detroit’s Olympic Games Authority, detailing the city’s sports and cultural venues.

(37636) Proposed Olympic stadium

gstrassel — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 16:10:09 -0500

(37638) Proposed Olympic village

gstrassel — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 16:08:20 -0500

From the “Olympiad XVIII 1964” official booklet given to the International Olympic Committee by Detroit’s Olympic Games Authority. Page on the Olympic village, the housing for the the athletes, which would have been built on the campus of Wayne State University.

(37639) Olympic bid prototype logos

gstrassel — Tue, 06 Feb 2018 16:06:37 -0500

Early designs for the official logo for Detroit’s bid for the 1968 Olympic games. The eventual logo was placed in the official booklet and other literature given to the IOC.

Action Magazine

kchinery — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:38:24 -0400

Processed. Vol. 15:8. Jerome P. Cavanagh Library Collection.

Detroiter

kchinery — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:36:16 -0400

Processed. Vols. 53:13-19, 21-22, 24-27, 29-39, 42-43, 48; 54:3, 5, 19, 26-27, 38, 43, 45-47; 55:1, 4, 7, 11, 13-16, 18-19, 21-23, 25, 27-30, 33, 35-36, 38-42, 46, 48-51; 56:2, 4- 6, 8-12; 58:13, 21, 23-24, 28, 30, 32, 37-38, 40, 44, 47, 49; 59:1, 5-8, 10, 13-22, 25-26, 28, 30-31, 33, 35-42, 48, 50, 52; 60:5, 10, 15. Jerome P. Cavanagh Library Collection.

Mayor's Youth Employment Project (MYEP) Reports

kchinery — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 15:15:39 -0400

Processed. Titles: Consultant’s Report, 1964; Progress Reports, 1965-1966; Summer Program Project Evaluation, 1966; Special Report, Shiffman Building. Jerome P. Cavanagh Library Collection.

Planning and Route Location Study: Interstate 96, City of Detroit: A Brief Summary

kchinery — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:59:23 -0400

Processed. Jerome P. Cavanagh Library Collection.

Renewal and Housing Review

kchinery — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:28:04 -0400

Processed. Vol. 1:1-4. Jerome P. Cavanagh Library Collection.

The Detroit Jaycee

kchinery — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 14:40:30 -0400

Processed. Vols. 3:11; 4:3, 5-6. Jerome P. Cavanagh Library Collection.

University of Detroit Law Journal

kchinery — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 15:11:21 -0400

Processed. Vol. 43:4. Jerome P. Cavanagh Library Collection.