Detroit (Mich.)

AAUW Detroit Records

drice — Mon, 02 Jun 2014 11:34:56 -0400

The American Association of University Women Detroit (AAUW Detroit) is a branch of the AAUW, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower women and improve their lives. Established in 1889, AAUW Detroit is the oldest branch of the AAUW of Michigan. It is also the oldest continuously active women’s organization in Detroit. They advocate for issues related to education, politics and economics, promoting their mission through education, and research. They also maintain leadership development and mentoring programs for local women and girls.

The AAUW Detroit Records are mostly comprised of scrapbooks containing organizational records, correspondence, press clippings, photographs of meetings, and other various items documenting the branch’s history. There are also info packets from conferences hosted by the AAUW Detroit or attended by its members. These packets contain schedules, draft AAUW bylaws, information on event speakers, and other documents. Also scattered throughout the collection are issues of Leader in Action: AAUW National Leadership Magazine, mailers, brochures, and bound organizational records.

Action Coalition of Strikers Records

drice — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:09:15 -0500

The Action Coalition of Strikers (ACOS) was a rank-and-file group of strikers and their families who were active during the Detroit Newspaper Strike. Representing reporters, editors, pressmen, and truck drivers, the coalition opposed the newspaper union leadership and their proposed back-to-work offer and instead pressed forward with a campaign to fight to restore all lost jobs. They sponsored peaceful and disciplined mass demonstrations in support of the strikers, and published the weekly Detroit Sunday Journal from 1995-1999, selling copies throughout metro Detroit. They sought to win the broader labor movement’s participation in their struggle, and did enjoy continued support from other local and regional labor unions.

The records document the coalition’s activities from 1994-2001. Particular focus is given to the strikers' fight against replacement workers in an effort to bring economic, political and moral pressure on the newspaper companies (Gannett and Knight-Ridder) involved in the labor dispute. The records document ACOS strike participation through correspondence, court rulings, evidence of strikers' activities, publications, news clippings, and visual materials such as buttons, stickers, posters, and photographs.

Adam Shakoor Papers

srafferty — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 16:16:36 -0400

Adam Shakoor papers document his career as the Chief Judge to the 36th District Court and as Deputy Mayor of Detroit. His work as a judge included many administrative and policy decisions regarding the operation of the court, inter-office correspondence, security information, as well as docket and case management. In 1989, Shakoor left his position as Chief Judge to begin work as the Deputy Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer of Detroit. In this position, Shakoor focused on reducing substance abuse, crime and violence. He also collaborated with City of Detroit department and division leaders to try and solve various issues facing the city of Detroit.

This collection is part of the Damon J. Keith Law Collection of African American Legal History in partnership with the WSU Law School and the Damon J. Keith Center of Civil Rights.

AFSCME Local 1259: Detroit Public Library Records

jruss — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:11:55 -0400

Local 1259, representing Detroit Public Library (DPL) employees, affiliated in 1949 with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Michigan Council 77. It represented professional librarians, as well as clerical and maintenance employees. A staff association existed for some years before union certification, and failed attempts to unionize were made before 1949. In 1970, the Association of Professional Librarians won the right to represent the professional librarians within the union. Local 1259 continued to be the bargaining unit for the DPL's maintenance and clerical workers. The collection documents the activities of Local 1259 and of the Detroit Public Library during the 1950s and 1960s. Additional information is included on broader topics like Detroit city employees; Michigan AFSCME organizations and events, especially Michigan Council 77; and unionism in libraries. Records include contracts and negotiation material; budgets, proposals, and financial statements; correspondence; meeting minutes; publications; constitutions; salary information; clippings; convention materials; and fliers.

Mel Ravitz Papers

cwesterman — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 15:22:23 -0500

Professor and Detroit community advocate Mel Ravitz held various posts in Detroit politics, including positions such as the Detroit City Plan Commission Director of Community Organization, on the Detroit City Council and as staff director of the Detroit-Wayne County Community Mental Health Services Board. As a professor at Wayne State University, Mr. Ravitz assisted in the formation of the University’s Department of Urban Planning.

Mr. Ravitz’s papers reflect his interests in community organizing and neighborhood revitalization, and serve to document the history of Detroit politics and the social and economic changes that the city faced during the later half of the twentieth century. In addition there are files relating to his activities to 2005.

The collection is in three parts.

Association of Municipal Professional Women Records

drice — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 11:25:45 -0400

Association of Municipal Professional Women (AMPW), organized in 1975, was an
organization open to women who were employed in the city of Detroit and held professional
titles. The organization’s primary purpose was to provide professional women in all departments to meet and network on a citywide basis, as well as to create a forum for common interests and discuss common problems. The organization disbanded in the late 1980s, early 1990s. Records of the AMPW reflect the organization’s administration including by-laws, committees, correspondence and meetings; membership rosters; annual reports; and visual materials documenting outreach practices.

Richard H. Austin Papers

drice — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:42:24 -0400

Mr. Austin, who in 1941 became Michigan's first black certified public accountant, has been active in Detroit, Wayne County, and Michigan Democratic politics and civic clubs for many years. During the period 1961-63, he was a delegate to the Michigan Constitutional Convention; 1963-65, co-chairman of the Michigan Commission on Legislative Apportionment; 1962, elected to the Wayne County Board of Supervisors; 1964, lost the Congressional race against John Conyers, Jr.; 1966, won a seat on the Wayne County Board of Auditors; 1969, defeated by Roman Gribbs in the Detroit mayoralty race; 1970, elected Michigan's Secretary of State. The material in the collection relates to these topics and to numerous civic and professional organizations to which he belonged. Among the correspondents are Jerome P. Cavanagh, John Conyers, Jr., Charles Diggs, Fred Harris, Hubert Humphrey, Mildred Jeffrey, James McNeely, Walter Reuther, and G. Mennen Williams.

Part 2 of the Richard H. Austin Papers contains newspaper clippings about Austin and Roman Gribb’s mayoral campaign, Austin’s professional accomplishments, and Detroit’s political climate in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Additionally, this collection holds documents, speeches, and correspondence about Austin’s bid for mayor, as well as his Secretary of State campaign. This collection also consists of correspondence and meeting minutes from the Wayne County Board of Auditors, United Way of Southeastern Michigan, Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan, and the Luella Hannah Memorial Foundation.

William Beckham Jr. Papers

drice — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 14:03:12 -0400

William J. Beckham (1940-2000) was originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. He was educated at the Detroit Institute of Technology (1959-1960), Wayne State University (1960-1962), American University (1962-1964), and the University of Maryland (1965-1966). During these years he took courses in political science. Beckham went on to pursue a career in politics at both the local and national level. In 1964, Beckham worked on Senator Phillip Hart’s campaign and then joined his staff from 1965-1973. Later in his career he would serve as Deputy Mayor to Coleman A. Young, Assistant Secretary of Treasury, and then Deputy Secretary of the Department of Transportation under President Jimmy Carter. In the private sector, Beckham was Vice President of Unisys Corporation, COO of Envirotest Systems Corp., and President of New Detroit (1995-1999). Towards the end of his life, he became heavily involved in Detroit Public School system reform, leaving New Detroit in 1999 to become President of the Skillman Foundation. Beckham died suddenly in 2000 on the way home from a family vacation.

The Beckham Papers include clippings and programs from meetings, conferences, and award ceremonies that span the length of his career, but focus mainly on his time in the U.S. Department of Transportation and his efforts to reform the Detroit Public School system. During his time in the Department of Transportation, Beckham frequently spoke publicly and at conferences, and the collection includes some of the speeches and remarks he gave during the year 1980. Also included are photographs from his service at the national and local level.

Michigan Dance Archives: Leslie O'Day Benyo Papers

aergas — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 11:10:49 -0400

Leslie O'Day Benyo was the owner and artistic director of the O’Day School of Dance in Detroit from 1982 to 2010. A ballet student and performer from 1958 to 1998, O'Day Benyo has taught at various schools and special events in the Detroit area since 1973. She was also a member of the Cecchetti Council of America, an organization dedicated to teaching standards for ballet.

Benyo's papers include items such as dance programs, photos of ballerinas, newsletters, emails, souvenir booklets, clippings, certificates, and testimonials.

David Clements Papers

mwallace — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 13:29:35 -0500

David Clements was born in Indiana in 1948, grew up in Benton Harbor, Michigan and earned his Bachelors and Masters degrees from Wayne State University in Detroit. He began his professional life as an educator in Detroit, where he was one of the founders of the Detroit Children’s School, an alternative school to public education. At the same time, Clements was also interested in film and photographic arts and was very involved in the Cass City Cinema in Detroit. Clements’ Detroit urban photography is featured in two photographic books. He currently resides in Royal Oak, Michigan. The David Clements Papers consist mostly of posters and advertisements of events, especially musical ones, happening at small venues within the city of Detroit, Michigan spanning the 1970s through the 2000s. Gospel, jazz, R & B, and electronic music shows are represented in the posters. Political Buttons, nostalgic product packaging, and advertisements from local sporting events, and other happenings throughout Detroit are also within the collection.

Ellen Creager Papers

drice — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:40:38 -0500

Ellen Creager (b. 1956), a Detroit Free Press reporter, first joined the press as a copy editor in 1983 after earning her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Michigan State University; ultimately she was promoted to the position of general assignment reporter in the Features Department. The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News employees engaged in a strike against Gannett and Knight-Ridder newspaper chains beginning in July of 1995. Creager was working part-time when the strike began because she had four young children at home. Full-time reporters were called back to work after the strike effectively ended in February of 1997 with the unions' unconditional offer to return, but Creager's part-time position had been eliminated. In early 1998, Creager applied to return as a full-time reporter when a position opened in the Features Department; she returned to work nearly three years after the strike began. As of 2012, Creager continues as a reporter for the Features Department at the Detroit Free Press.

The Ellen Creager Papers document the strike from its beginning on July 13, 1995 until December, 1996, before the unions voted to return to work. Materials include news clippings, strike handbills and flyers, publication copies of The Detroit Sunday Journal and The Alliance, interview notes, correspondence, and hand-made picket signs.

Beulah Groehn Croxford Papers

aergas — Tue, 18 Aug 2020 09:59:49 -0400

From the 1960s to the early 2000s, Beulah Groehn Croxford was a resident of West Canfield Street, located between Second and Third Avenues in Detroit, Michigan. Croxford lived in a historic home, actively working for the preservation of both her block and neighborhood. In 1969, Croxford organized the Canfield West-Wayne Preservation Association, created to enable the restoration and preservation of the block’s homes. Additionally, she succeeded in creating Detroit’s first historic district in 1970, and the West Canfield Historic District was listed on the National Register in 1971. In 1995 the Michigan Historic Preservation Network granted Croxford its President’s Distinguished Service Award for Lifetime Achievement for her preservation efforts.

The Beulah Groehn Croxford Papers contains correspondence, meeting minutes, restoration blueprints and court documents related to the Canfield West-Wayne Preservation Association and to the Historic Preservation Committee. Additionally, this collection holds events information and information about crime statistics and public housing initiatives in the Cass Corridor in the 1970s and 1980s. The papers also include documents from numerous other Detroit neighborhood associations including Cityscape Detroit, Inc., the Historic Sites Committee and Detroit Landmarks, Inc., as well as newspaper clippings pertaining to Detroit crime rates, neighborhood associations, the city government and community institutions.

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.

Hugh M. Davis, Jr. Papers

drice — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:14:08 -0400

Hugh M. “Buck” Davis, Jr. graduated from Harvard Law School in 1968 and went into private practice and became associated with the National Lawyer’s Guild Detroit Chapter. He is a co-founder of the Constitutional Litigation Associates firm in Detroit and practices in civil rights, discrimination, and criminal defense cases. The Davis Papers consist largely of pleadings, briefs, research, and correspondence related to U.S. v. Sinclair, the Keith Case (the 1972 wiretapping case), and a civil action by the defendants in U.S. v. Sinclair against the government and certain of its representatives.

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.

Detroit Latino Records

aorchard — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 14:58:36 -0500

Organizations in this collection include New Detroit, Inc., National Council of La Raza,
Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Additionally, this collection encompasses the work of many organizations involved in the Consortium of Hispanic Agencies, such as the Latin Americans for Social and Economic Development (La Sed), Community Health and Social Services Center (CHASS), Latino Family Services, and SER, Jobs for Progress, Inc.

Finally, this collection includes materials created by Detroit Latino Agenda and Coalition, an organization that was started by the Center for Chicano-Boricua Studies at Wayne State University in 1990. The organization focuses on challenges and opportunities for Detroit’s Latino community and it creates conferences in order to foster discussion and collaboration in the greater Detroit Latino community.

The Detroit Latino Records primarily contains memorandum, meeting minutes, conference materials, and program materials for Latino community organizations within Detroit, as well as résumés and relevant news articles. This collection also includes materials produced by national organizations and academic programs, including programs within Wayne State University and its Center for Chicano-Boricua Studies, as well as the University of Michigan.

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 Industrial Mission Records

drice — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 16:22:18 -0400

The Detroit Industrial Mission (DIM) was an ecumenical organization that was founded on the premise of a need for a better understanding between the worker, management and religion. It aimed to serve all churches and types of industry. The industrial mission, organized by the Rev. Hugh C. White in October 1956, sought to organize independently of the formal structures of any denomination. The mission engaged directly with varying types of industry to explore with managers and their workers the relevance of their work and Christianity; ultimately the goal was to discover the meaning of work. They sought men and women who were eager to pursue the quest for industrial expression of faith and to develop a greater quality of life within industry consistent with the industrial institution. Ultimately, they intended to foster human good between the work experience and theological ideas of men, industry, and the religious tradition. Due to financial constraints, the Detroit Industrial Mission folded in 1978.

Part 1, includes correspondence, reports, project evaluations, and various papers by project members.

Part 2, documents the organization’s development and their activities with emphasis on the 1960s through the early 1970s. The records contain project files and administrative files. DIM project files specifically document the organization’s activities within industry including workshops, interviews, and the mission’s offerings of strategy for the individual industries that sought help. Administrative files collectively document material generated by the mission staff including correspondence, financial records, and subject files used for research. These materials may also be found throughout the entirety of the records.

Detroit Newspaper Strike Collection

dgolodner — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 11:11:17 -0500

The Detroit Newspaper Strike started on July 13, 1995 with six labor unions and around 2,500 workers striking against the Detroit's two primary newspapers, the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press. The strike ended on February 14, 1997 and was finally resolved in court three years later with the federal courts reversing the NLRB ruling that the newspapers had engaged in unfair labor practices. During the strike, there were local boycotts, legal charges of unfair labor practices and violence. The newspapers continued to print papers while the strikers created their own newspaper called the Detroit Sunday Journal. By the end of 1995 those on strike started to cross the picket line and return to work, the newspapers hired replacement workers and began to print their papers in Toledo, away from strikers
blocking the printing facilities. After the strike was called off by the unions, management for the papers said they would not fire the replacement workers and only hired back strikers a few at a time.
This collection contains materials from three different strikers who deposited their materials at the Reuther Library.

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.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall, Inc. Records

drice — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:13:58 -0500

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) grew out of an attempt by a group of ten young women in 1914 to provide Detroit with culture. A permanent home, Orchestra Hall, was built in 1919 by C. Howard Crane. The DSO performs regular subscription and special concerts, as well as provides a number of special events and programs outside of Orchestra Hall. The records of the DSO relate its administration, marketing, and public relations, as well as the orchestra's community outreach, cultural activities, and influence of its music directors.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra: Felix and Fay Ann Resnick Papers

srafferty — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 13:07:59 -0500

The Felix and Fay Ann Resnick Papers primarily provide an extensive collection of DSO programs and overview of the workings of the volunteer organizations that worked to fundraise and host events invaluable to the workings of the orchestra. Additionally, a collection of DSO ephemera and programs, news clippings, and photographs of local orchestras Felix Resnick worked with, are present in the collection. Local orchestras include Birmingham Bloomfield Symphony, Detroit Sinfonietta (Little Symphony of Detroit), Grosse Pointe Symphony, Lyric Chamber Ensemble, and West Bloomfield Orchestra.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra: Program Records

srafferty — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 12:17:57 -0500

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) first performed in 1887 and disbanded in 1910. A second iteration of the DSO then grew out of the efforts of ten women who raised money for a concert season beginning on February 26, 1914. These records consist of program from the variety of Detroit Symphony Orchestra performances over the years, including the first concert in 1914. The DSO not only performs regular subscription concerts and special concerts each year, but also a series of Young People's Concerts, school concerts, Michigan and national tour concerts, free concerts, mid-season festivals, as well as the summer Meadow Brook Music Festival.

Detroit Typographical Union No. 18 Records

drice — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 17:53:55 -0500

Detroit Typographical Union (DTU) No. 18 was established in 1852 in conjunction with the establishment of the National Typographical Union (later known as the International Typographical Union or ITU). Throughout its history the union has represented three major dailies: The Detroit News, The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit Times as well as suburban newspaper publications and non-newsprint publishers of the Detroit metropolitan area.

The DTU records document its administration and activities from the turn of the 19th century, including strikes, grievances, and attempted mergers. The Detroit Mailers Union is also documented.

The portion of the records processed as of January 2024 includes DTU and other union contract booklets; ITU Books of Laws; various publications such as The ITU Review, the Typographical Journal, and the No. 18 Reporter; some materials from the Communications Workers of America (CWA); souvenir books from ITU conventions, 1940s-1980s; a small number of photographs and artifacts; a bound volume of the Detroit Reporter strike newspaper from 1955-1956; a scrapbook of clippings from suburban Detroit newspapers from 1966.

Developing Urban Detroit Area Research Project (Doxiadis) Records

drice — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:01:54 -0500

The Developing Urban Detroit Area Research Project (UDA) began in 1964 with sponsorship from the Detroit Edison Company and Wayne State University to understand the affects of urban growth in the city of Detroit in order to better prepare for future growth. The project was managed for seven years by the international urban planning organization, Doxiadis Associates and produced three volumes of published findings.

The UDA records document Doxiadis and the evolution of this project, consisting of large amounts of written and graphic data, proposed uses of the research, and peripheral related projects.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra: Murray Paterson Papers

aergas — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 10:58:56 -0500

This collection contains one folder and one scrapbook of materials, mostly clippings, collected by Murray G. Paterson (1882-1945), Detroit Symphony Orchestra Manager from 1931 through 1942, and his family. The folder contains documents pertaining to Clara Clemens Gabrilowitsch Samossoud, including clippings re her death in 1962. The scrapbook contains news clippings from the period 1934 to 1936, including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's 12-week residence at the Ford Motor Company Century of Progress Exhibit at the 1934 Chicago World's Fair.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra: Neeme Järvi Papers

aergas — Thu, 06 Jul 2023 10:26:44 -0400

This collection contains materials related to Neeme Järvi, the DSO music director/conductor from 1990 to 2005. It includes certificates of several awards he received, as well as photographs, slides and negatives of Järvi, including headshots, events and other images. One box of slides and negatives has been transferred to the Reuther Library AV Department.

Detroit Symphony Orchestra: Press Clippings

aergas — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 12:20:00 -0400

This collection of files generated by the DSO Public Affairs Office includes original newspaper and magazine clippings, as well as photocopies, of press coverage of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's performances, events, recordings, musicians, and guest artists. It includes articles about DSO tours, the DSO's role in the city and state, funding and staffing issues, education and affirmative action, and the renovation of Orchestra Hall. Most materials are arranged chronologically, from as early as the 1950s to the 2000s, with the bulk from the 1970s to 1990s. There is also a portion arranged by subject.

Nancy E. Dunn Papers

drice — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:41:54 -0500

Nancy E. Dunn, a Detroit Free Press copy editor and journalist, was heavily involved during the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News newspaper strike in the 1990s. Dunn not only participated on the picket line, but also acted as a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Council of Newspaper Unions. The Nancy E. Dunn Papers document the strike/lockout from its inception in July 1995 through December 2000. Documents include administrative and audiovisual materials that reflect the strikers’ activities. These consist of court documents, correspondence, labor issues, status reports, newspaper clippings, and associated labor unions.

Peter Eckstein Papers

drice — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 17:35:27 -0400

Peter Eckstein has been involved with labor unions in the state of Michigan since the 1960s. Eckstein served as the research director for Michigan UAW-CAP; executive director of the Governor’s Commission on Jobs and Economic Development, where he drafted several important pieces of worker’s compensation legislation; and finally as research director of the Michigan AFL-CIO. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Economics and earned his Ph.D. in economics from Harvard. Mr. Eckstein also taught economics at several universities and worked on the political campaigns of Carl Levin, Jennifer Granholm and Howard Wolpe. Eckstein retired in 1999 but is still active in various political causes in
Michigan.

The material in this collection documents Eckstein’s time serving on different government committees, such as those relating to unemployment and worker’s compensation legislation. There is also some material related to his time working for UAW-CAP and on local, state, and national elections. Some of the folder headings were created by Eckstein and contain abbreviations such as WC for worker’s compensation, UC for unemployment commission or VC for venture capital. These abbreviations have been spelled out in full in the finding aid.

Economic Development Corporation of Greater Detroit: Michael Weston Records

drice — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:48:01 -0500

A graduate of Brown University and the University of Michigan Law School, Michael Weston practiced law at Hill, Lewis, Andrews, Adams, Goodrich and Power (now known as Clark Hill), before serving as Secretary (1969), Treasurer (1970) and President (1972) of the Economic Development Corporation (EDC). Developed out of the 1967 riots, the EDC of Greater Detroit was a multi-corporate consortium created as the Detroit business establishment’s vehicle to increase opportunities for African-Americans and Hispanics to grow their own businesses. Weston left the EDC in 1973 to accept a position as a university attorney at Northwestern University. He retired from Northwestern in 2001 as vice president and general counsel. The EDC merged with the Inner City Business Improvement Forum circa 1974.

The records of Michael C. Weston reflect the administrative concerns of the EDC during his tenure there and particularly document his work with the organization.

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.

El Central Hispanic News Records

kschmeling — Fri, 27 Apr 2018 10:32:00 -0400

El Central Hispanic News is Michigan's largest, oldest, and only Hispanic weekly bilingual newspaper, serving the Detroit community for nearly 20 years. Published biweekly, El Central covers topics in both Spanish and English. El Central is located in the heart of Southwest Detroit.

Estelle Wolf Photographs

eclemens — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 10:46:02 -0500

The Estelle Wolf photographs consist of 280 photographs Ms. Wolf took during her tenure as a WPA photographer in Detroit. Under the WPA, her assignments involved taking photos of workers on federally funded projects or of the people who benefited from these projects. The collection was originally housed in three scrapbooks. The photographs have been removed from the books, placed on archival backings, and are numbered by the original order. Some of the photographs in this collection were published within Progress in Michigan, a newsletter issued by the Michigan Works Progress Administration. Copies of Progress in Michigan can be found at the Bentley Historical Library of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Other examples of Wolf’s work can be found within the collections of the New York Public Library and the Library of Congress. For further information on Ms. Wolf's life, please consult her oral history within Grand Valley State University's Digital Collections.

Folklore Archive: Student Field Projects Photographs

drice — Thu, 08 Mar 2018 10:52:13 -0500

The Folklore Archive, established in 1939 by WSU English professors Emlyn Gardner and Thelma James, contains the oldest and largest record of urban folk traditions in the United States. To document these traditions, Wayne State University students conducted field research projects, some of which included photographic records. Collection consists of 71 projects (or aggregations of multiple projects on a single topic) conducted by student interviewer-collectors. Student field research projects cover a broad range of topics, with strengths in cultural object analysis, including quilting, artwork, Slavic eggs, and various handicrafts. There are several images of Edvard Kozak, a Ukrainian artist. The cultural diversity of the Detroit area is expressed in representations of Middle Eastern, Lebanese, Ukrainian, Greek, Italian, French-Canadian, German, Czechoslovakian, and African-American persons and their customs.

Folklore Archive: Studies and Research Projects Records

drice — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:26:58 -0500

The Folklore Archive, established in 1939, contains the oldest and largest record of urban folk traditions in the United States. To document these traditions, Wayne State University students conducted field research projects covering a broad range of topics. The archive is strong in modern industrial and occupational folklore, reflecting the rich ethnic diversity and work-oriented heritage of Detroit and southeastern Michigan. The Folklore Archive: Studies and Research Projects Records contain transcripts and research studies related to Greek-American family life, Southern upland migrant folk culture, traditional medical beliefs and American folk music.

William Hanna Photographs

drice — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 16:11:03 -0500

William Hanna worked for the city of Detroit. During the course of the
work day and on his free time, Hanna would capture events in the city
that he personally found interesting or of importance. The photographs
in his collection consist of black and white snapshots of the building
of the Fort St. County Building and the changing river front and color
snapshots of buildings, streets, and people during the civil unrest in
Detroit in 1967.

Erma Henderson Papers

srafferty — Mon, 09 May 2022 15:05:47 -0400

Erma Henderson first ran for Detroit Common Council in an unsuccessful bid in 1969. However, she was successfully elected in 1972 and served on the Council through 1989. Through her work as a Councilwoman, Henderson was often considered to be one of the most powerful women in Detroit. In addition to her City Council work, Henderson was also very active in a number of organizations that aligned with her interests, particularly municipal government, redlining, civil rights, and advancing the rights and representation of minorities. This collection documents her work for and service to many organizations including Equal Justice Council, National League of Cities, Michigan Statewide Coalition Against Redlining, and the Women's Conference of Concerns. This collection also contains some material from Henderson's tenure on the Council. The material is primarily correspondence based, but also includes daily calendars, news articles, resolutions, among other work documents.

Jack R. Hendrickson Sr. Papers

drice — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:57:08 -0500

Jack Reynold Hendrickson, Sr. was a doctoral student at Wayne State University. His papers contain materials from the Detroit PBS station for his dissertation, "Public Television Management, Programming and Financing at Station WTVS-TV Channel 56, Detroit, 1966-1980."

Merle Henrickson Papers

drice — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:22:40 -0400

Merle Henrickson served as president of United Public Workers Local 275 of Detroit in the late 1940's. From the 1940s through the 1980s, he was involved
with the neighborhood and community councils of Detroit, particularly the Brightmoor
District Council. He was a major figure in the citizen movement to improve public
schools in Detroit and as such, he was deeply involved in school desegregation in the 1970s. His wife, Wilma worked for 15 years in Detroit Public Schools and was active in the same city and community associations as her husband. She was a prolific writer, her works including Detroit Perspectives, a compendium of Detroit history that she edited.

Part 1 of Henrickson's papers include material on the United Public Workers, United Office and Professional Workers, Michigan CIO Council, CIO Political Action Committee, and the Greater Detroit and Wayne County Industrial Union councils.

Parts 2 and 3 reflect both Merle and Wilma's work and activities in Detroit schools and communities.

Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Union Local 24 Records

aorchard — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 15:57:18 -0400

A Detroit-area labor union, Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union (HERE) Local 24 represented people in the service industry from 1916 until 2004 when it became an affiliate for the organization UNITE HERE. The union started modestly in 1916 when a small group of waiters successfully applied for a charter in the AFL-affiliated Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union (also known as HERE, Hotel & Restaurant Employees, along with the Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Workers) and were given the title Local 705. Local 705 endured a tumultuous early history, due to the effects of the Prohibition Era and then the Great Depression. This lasted until the mid-1930s when the union expanded beyond wait staff and bartenders. Between 1937 and 1947, bellmen, doormen, maids, and other hospitality workers helped swell membership from 500 to 11,000. The larger numbers allowed the union to campaign for civil rights in local businesses, notably desegregating wait staff at the Detroit Athletic Club in 1941 and combating sexist policies at the Playboy Club in the 1960s. Myra Wolfgang, former Chief Executive officer of Local 24 and Vice-President of the International Union, came to represent the union’s continued stance for social inclusion in the workplace. Her outspoken and militant push for women’s equality in the service industry made her a national figure and the iconic leader in the local union’s long history. By 1973, Local 705 transformed into HERE Local 24. In 2004, HERE merged with the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees to form UNITE HERE, altering the Detroit union’s name to UNITE HERE Local 24. UNITE HERE Local 24 now represents thousands of employees in Metro Detroit’s hospitality sector.

The Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Union Local 24 Records are comprised of materials from Local 24 and its various incarnations in addition to items regarding affiliated unions. The collection is divided into two series, Organizational Records and Publication Materials, and Audiovisual and Oversize Materials. The membership ledgers and books listing members and dues payments make up the oldest and largest section of the organizational records. Also of note are the meeting minutes from various councils within the HERE chapter and original artwork from their Hotel-Bar-Restaurant Review newspaper

The audiovisual series primarily contains photographic stills. Common topics depicted in the photos are the annual Waiters and Waitresses Race, the Bartenders Mixed Drink Competition, HERE annual conventions, local meetings, union elections, strikes of area businesses, Hotel-Bar-Restaurant Review photographs, and executives Louis Koenig and Myra Wolfgang. Other notable subjects include a prison release party for Jimmy Hoffa and demonstrations against the local Playboy Club. The audiovisual series also contains photographic negatives of many of the stills as well as several artifacts. Oversize materials include larger original artwork from the Hotel-Bar-Restaurant Review, panoramic photographs, and a commemorative scrapbook.

Hutzel Hospital Records

drice — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 16:26:12 -0400

In November, 1868, seven members of the Ladies’ Christian Union opened the Woman’s
Hospital and Foundlings’ Home in a tenement at Cass Avenue and Montcalm Street, a private, non-profit institution and the first facility in Detroit dedicated to providing care and shelter for abandoned, widowed and unwed mothers and their babies. In 1965, Woman’s Hospital changed its name to Hutzel Hospital and continued its devotion to research into the diseases of women. It is now part of the Detroit Medical Center, working with other hospitals and Wayne State University Medical School to provide high quality medical care to the Detroit community.

Parts 1 and 2 of the Hutzel Hospital Collection consists of correspondence, minutes, reports, clippings, publicity,biographical information on various directors and board members and other material documenting the history of women’s health care in Detroit.

Murray E. Jackson Papers

srafferty — Tue, 13 Aug 2019 11:14:10 -0400

The Murray E. Jackson papers document the life and work of an educator, administrator, civic leader, and poet, who lived from 1926-2002. A bulk of the materials range between the late 1960s and late 1990s. Included in this collection are records documenting his involvement at Wayne State University, Wayne County Community College, the University of Michigan, various community organizations, his career as a poet, as well as personal files.

James and Grace Lee Boggs Photographs and Audio-Visual Materials

eclemens — Thu, 09 Jan 2020 12:51:30 -0500

The James and Grace Lee Boggs Photographs and Audio-Visual Materials document the personal and philosophical interests of the couple throughout their respective lives. Featured are audio recordings of lectures, sermons, and interviews by Rev. Albert Cleage (Jaramogi Abebe Agyeman), Malcolm X, Milton Henry, and C.L.R. James, among others, and recordings from entities such as the Freedom NOW Party and the National Grassroots Leadership Conference. Though not as heavily represented, recordings of both James and Grace Lee Boggs offer insight into the evolution of their personal beliefs. Photographs are primarily of a personal nature, and include numerous snapshots. Graphic materials include buttons and stickers pertinent to issues involving Detroit politics and community activism, as well as
a poster advertising a lecture that James Boggs gave in Italy, likely in 1968.

Julie Sabit Papers

aorchard — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 13:43:19 -0500

Julie Sabit is a native of Detroit. She graduated from Southeastern High School in 1950 and received her BA in Sociology from Wayne State University in 1958. Sabit initially began work in the City of Detroit’s Planning Department as a student technical assistant in 1957. Upon her graduation in 1958, she began working as a Social Planning and Development Assistant within the Research Division of the Planning Department, eventually becoming the head of that division. In 1973, Sabit received her Master’s in Sociology from Wayne State University. She became involved with the Association of Municipal Professional Women (AMPW) when it was founded in 1975, and she served on its board from 1975 to 1985. In 1990, she retired from the City of Detroit’s Planning Department. During her retirement, Sabit received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Wayne State University.

The Julie Sabit Papers reflect Sabit’s work within both the City of Detroit Planning Department and the Association of Municipal Professional Women, much of which overlaps. Material includes directories, correspondence, memos, officer rosters, annual reports, policy objectives, organizational timelines, project and events materials, newsletters, and other various publications.

Rachel Boone Keith Papers

drice — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:10:27 -0400

Dr. Rachel Boone Keith came to Detroit from New York City in 1951 after receiving her medical degree from Boston University and was an internist in private practice from that point forward, practicing medicine at several Detroit area hospitals. Dr. Keith served on a number of professional commissions and committees and was active in civic, cultural, and educational organizations, including her work as a lifetime member of the NAACP. Dr. Keith’s papers document her education, professional career, and civic activities as well as containing information on her father’s and mother’s families, the Booths and Tharps, and their service as doctors, missionaries, and religious ministers.

Nettie Kravitz Papers

pneirink — Mon, 09 May 2022 14:31:15 -0400

Nettie Kravitz was a labor organizer, feminist scholar, and long-term member of the Johnson-Forest Tendency and its later forms, Correspondence Publishing Committee and Facing Reality Publishing Committee. The collection contains correspondence and both published and unpublished political writings that thoroughly document the ideological disagreements resulting in each organization. The collection also contains materials related to Kravitz’s scholarship in Women’s Studies and Literature and her political priorities.

John C. Leggett Papers

srafferty — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 15:49:27 -0400

Collection consists of documents related to sociologist John C. Leggett's career. Primarily includes research related to Leggett's book Class, Race, and Labor: Working Class Consciousness in Detroit.

Stephen Lighthill Film Collection

drice — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:54:59 -0500

Stephen Lighthill has been involved in a large number of film productions, including social documentaries, feature films, and television. He has worked as a camera operator, cinematographer, and director. In 1979, he produced and directed a documentary film in Detroit called "Taking Back Detroit." The film features a movement that took an alternative approach to addressing Detroit’s long-term economic difficulties. The primary subjects are Kenneth V. Cockrel, Justin C. “Chuck” Ravitz, Sheila Murphy (Cockrel), and the Detroit Alliance for a Rational Economy (D.A.R.E.).

Lighthill's collection includes raw sound and film footage for "Taking Back Detroit," as well as intermediate materials from the film making process. Box 24 contains three final prints of the complete film. The film highlights the problems facing Detroit in 1979 and gives a short overview of some of the events that created those problems. It details the crumbling industrial, business, and residential infrastructure as well as documents Detroit city council meetings, community meetings, D.A.R.E. meetings, petition drives, and D.A.R.E.’s “City Life in the ‘80s” conference.

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.