Youth organizations -- Michigan -- Detroit

Elise Hatt Campbell Papers

drice — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:47:56 -0400

Elise Hatt Campbell was a staff member of the Merrill-Palmer Institute. During her tenure she conducted studies and wrote articles concerning childhood development and education, as well as taught courses at Wayne University. Campbell was also a consultant in the Detroit Council for Youth Service and Chairman of the Committee of the Detroit Council of Social Agencies.

The papers of Elise Hatt Campbell reflect her work within the Merrill-Palmer Institute and as an instructor at Wayne University. Included are notes, outlines and handouts from various speeches and lectures she gave, any correspondence regarding those lectures, and forms, charts, and test data from research completed at Merrill-Palmer. Also included are research for her articles, some published works written by Elise and an unpublished manuscript related to her work at Merrill-Palmer.

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.

Merrill-Palmer Institute: Edna Noble White Records

drice — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:34:05 -0500

Edna Noble White, a pioneer in family life education, served as first director of the Merrill-Palmer Institute from her appointment in 1920 until her retirement in 1947. Under Edna Noble White’s leadership, the Institute expanded its services to include a student program of college level courses in child development, family life, parenting skills, and nursery education as well as the Merrill-Palmer Nursery School, Camps, Farm, Infant Services, and Recreational Clubs.
Ms. White was also very active professionally on a national level and engaged with Detroit youth services agencies.

The records of Edna Noble White contain personal and professional correspondence; minutes from various national, state, and local organizations as well as Merrill-Palmer committees; literature regarding child and parental education; research studies relating to child development, family relations, and immigrant acculturation; and correspondence and literature from a number of federal agencies concerned with child and family welfare.

United Community Services Records

drice — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:27:17 -0400

United Community Services, operated in Detroit since 1878 under various names, was organized by civic leaders to coordinate the work of different charitable institutions in the area, and raise funds for community welfare needs. Gradually, it became a clearinghouse for the investigation and referral of social service cases as well as an advocate for social and health care reform. The records of the UCS reflect the concerns of professional social workers, the plight of the poor in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Detroit, and the community's attempts to improve their condition through the work of public and private social welfare agencies.