Collections

William Albright--organist, composer, and University of Michigan faculty member--was born in Indiana in 1944 and died in 1998. Albright earned three music composition degrees from the University of Michigan before becoming a member of the composition faculty at the U. of M. School of Music. Albright is probably best known for his piano and organ performance. He helped to bring about a revival of ragtime, and sought inclusion of ragtime and other types of popular music in many of his compositions. He composed for many single instruments--especially the organ--and ensembles, and for orchestra. He also composed hymns, and was the music director for the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan. He studied composition with Ross Lee Finney, George Rochberg, and Olivier Messiaen, among others, at Michigan and at summer workshops, and organ with Marilyn Mason. The collection includes biographical materials, correspondence, programs, professional files, University of Michigan School of Music files, and scores and recordings of William Albright works (including notes, sketches, and manuscripts) and works by his friends, students, and teachers.

The William Hugh Albright Papers consist of 77 boxes of musical scores, recordings, and textual documents such as correspondence and lecture notes. Albright's extensive collection of scores and recordings by his friends, students, and mentors is also included. His own works are represented by recordings, original handwritten scores and published versions, and by penciled notes and sketches. The William Hugh Albright Papers are divided into ten series: Photographs, Biographical Materials, Correspondence, Programs, Professional Files, School of Music, The Magic City, Scores, Recordings, and Videocassettes.

Ann Arbor architect and faculty member at the University of Michigan's College of Architecture and Urban Planning from 1956 to 1998. Includes correspondence and course materials with an emphasis on structural principles, including load, flexure, and force; administrative files related to Werner's teaching and his role as an undergraduate program advisor; and visual materials utilized for educational purposes.

The William A. Werner papers consist of course materials, topical files, correspondence, and 35 mm slides dating from 1978 to his retirement from the University of Michigan in 1998. The collection is a valuable resource for lecture notes, drawings, and example problems pertaining to courses taught on architectural structures. Administrative files highlight the College's undergraduate program admissions statistics and criteria. The collection consists of two series: Course Materials and Faculty Records and Correspondence.

Detroit, Michigan, attorney, Republican regent of University of Michigan; regent’s files; political materials; and personal miscellanea.

The Cudlip collection contains files relating to his activities as regent of the University of Michigan, 1963-1972, to his work as delegate to Michigan's Constitutional Convention, 1961-1962, and as general counsel for the Michigan Bankers Association, 1932-1953. In addition, there is personal and political correspondence, 1922-1985, detailing in part with his involvement in Republican Party affairs, especially his friendship with Michigan Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg and his support of Vandenberg's candidacy for the Republican nomination for president in1940. Other files include speeches relating mainly to banking during the depression; an essay, entitled, "Pages from the diary of a lumberjack"; and notebooks from his University of Michigan Law School classes, 1923-1926.

William Bolcom (born 1938) is a composer and pianist. Joan Morris (born 1943) is a mezzo-soprano. They were both members of the University of Michigan School of Music faculty. Bolcom and Morris have given numerous performances since 1973. They have also recorded albums of classical and popular songs. Performance files include programs, itineraries, newspaper articles and reviews of each performance, and contracts. There are also files relating to the University of Michigan student production of Mina & Colossus as well as Barnum's Nightingale; original scores to Bolcom's compositions, including McTeague, Casino Paradise, and A View from the Bridge; topical files relating to awards, competitions, and other activities and interests; and physical and digital audiovisual materials.

The papers of William Bolcom and Joan Morris document Bolcom's work as a composer and performer as well as Bolcom's and Morris's collaboration in performing and recording American popular songs and classical music. There is also some material relating to their academic work at the University of Michigan, notably a 1988 production of a student opera, Mina & Colossus. The papers include programs, itineraries, and correspondence relating to performances, manuscript and published scores, topical files, audio and visual material (including sound recordings), and photographs.

Professor of physics at the University of Michigan (1947-1988); director of the cyclotron laboratory, 1962-1977; inventor of method and apparatus for measuring the velocity of a projectile and of an automatic timing and sequence-indicating system used in swimming. Series in the collection relate to cyclotron laboratory and research; department of physics activities, including history; professional organizations; swimming judging and timing system; University of Michigan committee assignments; and photographs.

The William C. Parkinson Papers consist of 5.25 linear feet of documents relating to the professional career of physics professor William C. Parkinson, spanning years 1950 through 1990 with the bulk of the material dating from 1950 to 1980. The papers were received in two major accession in July 1991 and May 2012.

The first accession was broken into five series: Cyclotron, Physics Department, Professional Organizations, Swimming Judging and Timing System, and University Committees. There is also a folder entitled "Biographical/Historical Information" at the beginning of the collection which includes a 1974 vita and a publication on the cyclotron laboratory of which Parkinson was director.

The 2012 Accession included additions to the Cyclotron and Physics Department series and two new series: Consulting and Visual Materials.

Democratic Congressman from Michigan's 15th District, 1964-1994, member of the Labor and Education Committee his entire career - becoming chairman in 1991, also chairman of Post Office and Civil Service Committee; papers include subject files, legislative and committee files, campaign material, photographs and videotapes.

The William D. Ford papers are divided into seven series: Subject Files, Legislative Files, Committee Files, Campaign Material, Public Relations, Photographs, and Audiovisual Material. The collection is primarily an office file which documents Ford's activities as a local representative, federal legislator and politician. Constituents' opinions and concerns are represented as well, particularly in the correspondence and questionnaire response files.

Professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan; head of the Rackham Arthritis Research Unit (RARU) at the university. Papers relating to Robinson's career as doctor and professor of arthritis and rheumatology; includes material on work at the University of Michigan, Vanderbilt University, and the Rockefeller Foundation; correspondence, research projects, lecture materials, reports, meeting minutes, professional activities, awards and honors, papers, and visual materials; also correspondence and other miscellaneous materials relating to Louis Harry Newburgh.

William Dodd Robinson's papers have been arranged into four series: University of Michigan; Research Projects; Professional Activities; and General Materials.

William D. Ratcliff (1941-) was an educator within the Ann Arbor, Mich. Public School system for over 30 years who took an active interest in the education of African-American youth in the Ann Arbor school district. This collection covers the time Ratcliff spent as the Executive Director of the Saturday Academy for African American Students, as well as his time as a guidance counselor within Ann Arbor Public Schools. The collection includes general information about the Ann Arbor Public School district, and information regarding the many organizations and programs that Ratcliff took part in.

William D. Ratcliff (1941-) was a counselor within the Ann Arbor Public School system for over 30 years. This collection documents his time within Ann Arbor Public Schools, as well as his work promoting the achievement of African-American youth in the Ann Arbor educational system. The collection is of value to those interested in collections reflecting community efforts to relieve educational disparities seen among minority students and for documentation on how a successful non-profit organization functions. The collection is divided into six series: the Saturday Academy series (divided into 2 subseries, Administrative and Academics), the African-American and Minority Organizations/Programs series, the Educational Organizations/Programs series, the Ann Arbor Public Schools series, the Newspaper Clippings series, and the Audiovisual materials series.

Conductor of bands and professor of wind instruments at the University of Michigan. The series in the collection include: Biographical/Personal information; Correspondence, 1921-1994; University of Michigan Activities (primarily relating to performances and tours of the Marching Band and the Symphony Band); Other Professional Activities (relating to Band Conductors Conferences and band clinics, and including files of Revelli's writings and musical compositions); Visual Materials; and Sound Recordings.

The William D. Revelli Papers provide unique possibilities for research on the history of teaching at the University of Michigan. The Revelli papers, covering the years 1960-1992, are arranged into six record series: Biographical/Personal; Correspondence; University of Michigan Activities; Other Professional Activities; Visual Materials; and Audio Cassettes.

Professor of electrical engineering at the University of Michigan. Files documenting his scientific research and professional activities, notably his studies of high-frequency power welding, vacuum tube development, gas discharge plasma, microwave electron tubes, use of rockets and satellites in investigations of the upper atmosphere, missile guidance systems, and military electronics; files relating to his involvement with various University of Michigan research centers and institutes; and photographs.

The William G. Dow Papers document his career as a faculty member of the University of Michigan Department of Electrical Engineering, his scientific research, his participation in professional organizations, and his other professional interests and activities. The collection also contains copies of published and unpublished technical and professional papers written by Dow, and two unpublished books. The papers include lecture notes taken by Dow, texts of lectures given by Dow and others, course materials used in Dow's classes, correspondence, minutes, reports, raw data, photographs, and other material relating to Dow's research. The papers are composed of six series: University of Michigan Activities, Research, Professional Organizations, Articles, Books and Talks, Topical Files, Correspondence, and Photographs. There is a great deal of overlap between theses series, as Dow was often engaged in educational, research, publishing, and professional activities simultaneously. Researchers are advised to consult the entire collection. A small group of biographical and bibliographical materials begins the collection.