Schwartz' unbound World War II era leather scrapbook has a silver embossed image of a WWII aircraft on the front cover. It contains University of Michigan dance, identification, registration, and report cards, as well as organizational membership cards to the Michigan Union and the B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation. The scrapbook also contains commencement exercise and event programs including one from the University Musical Society advertising a solo performance by Marian Anderson; invitation(s) to join the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity (ZBT) and to attend their functions, as well as tickets, schedules, and programs pertaining to U-M football games. Of particular note are ZBT ephemera including a grey wool cap (possibly from Cap Night festivities) and a ZBT house key. Also to note are items pertaining to Schwartz's time spent in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), such as his 1942 training certificate, and ROTC insignia. In addition to these items is an August 1, 1943 WWII Food Rations Chart with point values for meat, fish, dairy, and fat; a page of humorous air raid instructions; and news clippings and newspapers, mostly focusing on WWII related events.
The scrapbook also contains issues of publications including The Michigan Daily, The East Wind, the Garg, The Baby Gargoyle, The Phi-Losopher , The Foo-Losopher of 1941, Phi Junior, and a ZBT newsletter that served as a substitute publication for The Phi-Losopher during the war. Other publications to note include Controversy: A Quarterly of Ethical, Philosophical, and Religious Opinion, and a Michiganetiquette handbook on how to conduct oneself socially on campus.
Included within the scrapbook are photographs of student organization groups such as the Student Religious Association (SRA) (each photograph includes an image of an African American member), Zeta Beta Tau fraternity brothers, various formal dances, and Angell Hall. The collection also contains several loose World War II era Michigan Daily newspapers;Garg magazines; and two football programs: Michigan vs. Ohio State andMichigan vs. Northwestern.
Born in Waukegan, Illinois Norman D. Schwartz (1922-2014) was a Business Administration major in the University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (Class of 1943). From 1940 to 1943, Schwartz was active in numerous organizations and activities. He was a member of the U-M Marching Band and the Michigan Union. He served as the chapter treasurer and then president of Zeta Beta Tau (Phi chapter), the world's first and largest Jewish fraternity. Schwartz also served as an affiliate member of the University of Michigan's B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundation and as a student member on the Board of Governors for the Student Religious Association (SRA).
From 1940 to 1942, Schwartz was a member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) where he received training as a Sergeant. This training ultimately prepared him to serve as a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy during World War II. After the war, Schwartz worked as an accountant with the Florsheim Shoe Company (Chicago, Ill.) and after spending a number of years as a bachelor, he met and married Moselle nee Aison Mintz (preceded him in death) with whom he raised two-step children, Marjorie and Daniel. In later years, Schwartz took an active interest in Chicago's Jewish history. In 1977, he was among the founders of the Chicago Jewish Historical Society and served as its president (1984-1988) and a Board member. During his tenure with the Society, Schwartz authored, co-authored, and edited numerous texts on the history and artifactual symbolism of Jewish Synagogues of Chicago. Schwartz remained an active member of the Society until his death on November 28, 2014 at the age of 92.
