James Orin Murfin papers, 1896-1940

Summary

Creator:

Murfin, James Orin, 1875-1940

Abstract:

Republican politician and regent of University of Michigan. Correspondence, 1901-1940, personal and professional materials, legal briefs and letters relating to William Cook estate and other University of Michigan affairs during his regency, 1918-1937; also correspondence while member of University's Board in Control of Athletics concerning University's departure from and return to Big Nine Conference and college athletics in general.

Extent:

8 linear feet

Language:

English.

Call Number:

8630 Aa 2

Authors:

Finding aid prepared by: Michigan Historical Collections staff.

Background

Scope and Content:

The Murfin papers relate mainly to JOM's activities as regent and as member of the University of Michigan's Board in Control of Athletics. The collection contains information concerning Michigan's departure from and return to the Big Nine Conference and the amateur-professional dilemma in college athletics. The regental material documents such problems as administrative oversight, particularly selection of the president and settlement of the William Cook estate. As member of the Law Club's governing body, Murfin helped to shape the university's case when Cook's bequest was contested by his wife. Although Murfin was influential in Michigan Republican party affairs, he filed his political papers separately and thus they are not included here.

The collection has been divided into two series: Correspondence, 1901-1940 and Topical Files which contain personal information and legal briefs concerning in part the Cook bequest

Biographical / Historical:

James O. Murfin was born January 7, 1875, in Portsmouth, Ohio. He attended the University of Michigan and received literary and law degrees in 1895 and 1896. From 1897 to 1908 Murfin was a member of the law firm of Bowen, Douglas, Whiting and Murfin in Detroit, Michigan. Murfin served as a Republican member of the Michigan state senate (1901-1903); as judge of the Detroit Circuit Court (1908-1912); and as regent of the University of Michigan (1918-1933 and 1934-1937). During World War I, he served as chairman of district board number one for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Acquisition Information:

The collection was the gift of Mrs. James O. Murfin (donor no. 1222 ) and came to the library in August 1940.

Related

Additional Descriptive Data:

Selective Index to Correspondents

Adams, Randolph Greenfield, 1892-1951.	Mar. 26, 1934 and 1938
Angell, James Rowland, 1869-1949.	Feb. 5, 1901, Mar. 19, 1919, April 26, 1919, May 5, 1919, May 8, 1919, June 14, 1919, January 15, 1921, March 12, 1939, May 5, 1931, December 3, 1936.
Atwood, Orville E., 1880-	May 10, 1935.
Avery, Noyes L.	Mar. 10, 1933.
Babst, Earl D., 1870-1967.	Jan. 20, 1923, Mar. 12, 1923, and Dec. 31, 1925.
Baker, Newton Diehl, 1871-1937.	Feb. 20, 1936.
Bartelme, Philip George, 1876-1954.	Jan. 10, 1912 and Mar. 17, 1912.
Bates, Henry Moore, 1869-1949.	Oct. 12, 1918, Jan. 25, 1919, Aug. 10, 1919, Jan. 15, 1921, Jan. 18, 1921, Jan. 14, 1918, Apr. 5, 1918, July 8, 1918, and July 29, 1918.
Beck, James Montgomery, 1861-1936.	Oct. 1, 1934.
Bird, John Everett, 1962-1928.	Apr. 21, 1927.
Brandy, James.	May 20, 1918.
Brucker, Wilber Marion, 1894-1968.	Mar. 31, 1931 and Apr. 8, 1931.
Bursley, Joseph Aldrich, 1877-1950.	Jan. 10, 1911 and Jan. 31, 1911.
Burton, Clarence Monroe, 1853-1932.	Oct. 31, 1927.
Burton, Marion LeRoy, 1974-1925.	Jan. 9, 1922, Feb. 16, 1922, Oct. 3, 1922, Nov. 6, 1922, Mar. 22, 1923, Apr. 7, 1923, Apr. 25, 1923, and Feb. 18, 1925.
Butzel, Henry Magnus, 1871-	Oct. 29, 1929, Sept. 27, 1937, and Jan. 19, 1933.
Campbell, Robert A.	Aug. 11, 1918.
Chapin, Roy Dikeman, 1880-1936.	Mar. 13, 1919, May 6, 1919, Aug. 15, 1919, and Jun. 6, 1924.
Chilson, Elbert V.	Sept. 11, 1919.
Church, F.	Dec. 11, 1920.
Clancey, Thomas.	Jun. 23, 1927.
Clancy, Robert Henry, 1882-1962.	Dec. 2, 1929.
Claude, Georges.	Nov. 12, 1926 and Dec. 3, 1926.
Clements, William Lawrence, 1861-1934.	Aug. 24, 1912, Dec. 5, 1919, and Nov. 1934.
Comstock, William Alfred, 1877-1949.	Dec. 20, 1933.
Cook, William Wilson, 1858-1930.	Dec. 11, 1929.
Cooley, Mortimer Elwyn, 1855-1944.	Nov. 17, 1925, Apr. 8, 1934, Dec. 15, 1910, Apr. 12, 1907, Mar. 31, 1919, Apr. 8, 1919, Jun. 26, 1919, Jun. 14, 1919, Jun. 26, 1919, Nov. 19, 1920, May 5, 1918, Jun. 6, 1918, and Jun. 17, 1918.
Coolidge, Calvin, Pres, U.S., 1872-1933.	Feb. 16, 1925, Apr. 18, 1930, and May 1, 1930.
Copeland, Royal Samuel, 1868-1838.	Sept. 4, 1920, Jan. 15, 1921, and Mar. 22, 1923.
Copley, Almon Ward, 1876-	Feb. 19, 1921.
Couzens, James Joseph, 1872-1936.	Dec. 10, 1926, Dec. 24, 1926, Jan. 14, 1927, and Jan. 19, 1927.
Creighton, Frank W.	Dec. 30, 1927.
Denby, Edwin, 1870-1929.	Oct. 27, 1923.
Eldred, Foss Oscar, 1884-	Mar. 27, 1923.
Eliot, Thomas Stearns, 1888-1965.	July 26, 1928.
Engel, Albert Joseph, 1888-1959.	May 15, 1931.
Farrand, Livingston, 1867-1939.	July 8, 1919.
Fead, Louis H., 1877-1943.	Mar. 20, 1934, Sept. 22, 1937, and 1932.
Fehling, Edward William, 1880-	Nov. 6, 1936 and Nov. 12, 1936.
Fitch, Ferris H.	Dec. 20, 1933.
Fitzgerald, Frank Dwight, 1885-1939.	Apr. 22, 1935.
Fjetland, O.K.	Jan. 3, 1934.
Ford, Worthington Chauncey, 1858-1941.	Oct. 24, 1919.
Foster, Charles W.	Oct. 26, 1927, Dec. 6, 1927, and Feb. 9, 1928.
Fuller, Oramel B., 1858-	July 26, 1919, Oct. 18, 1920. Sept. 20, 1923, Sept. 24, 1923, Jun. 11, 1927, Nov. 1, 1927, and Jun. 3, 1921.
Gay, Edwin Francis, 1867-1946.	Mar. 19, 1925.
Goodrich, Herbert.	July 19, 1930 and Sept. 26, 1930.
Green, Carl M.	Feb. 21, 1912.
Green, Fred Warren, 1972-1936.	Mar. 20, 1929 and Oct. 14, 1929.
Groesbeck, Alexander J., 1873-1953.	Sept. 17, 1923, Apr. 22, 1926, and Sept. 15, 1925.
Hanchett, Benjamin Sawtell, 1868-1933.	Apr. 1, 1929, Apr. 4, 1929, and Sept. 1929.
Harding, Warren Gamaliel, Pres. U.S., 1865-1923.	Oct. 28, 1920.
Haskins, Charles Homer, 1870-1937.	Mar. 6, 1925.
Heath, Homer L.	Sept. 18, 1914.
Herbst, Hartwig Heinrich, 1861-1929.	Nov. 1, 1927 and Nov. 7, 1927.
Hinsdale, Wilber Bartlett, 1851-1944.	July 22, 1918 and Mar. 25, 1919.
Hitchcock, Gilbert Monell, 1859-1934.	Jun. 11, 1919.
Hoffman, Clare Eugene, 1875-1967.	Nov. 18, 1935 and Nov. 23, 1935.
Hughes, Charles Evans, 1862-1948.	Mar. 13, 1925, Sept. 10, 1929, Nov. 5 1929, Nov. 11, 1929, and Summer 1929.
Huston, Rosco Burhans, 1881-	Mar. 28, 1934.
Hutchins, Harry Burns, 1847-1930.	July 25, 1918, Mar. 5, 1919, Mar. 17, 1919, Mar. 18, 1919, Apr. 8, 1919, July 10, 1918, and Dec. 30, 1919.
Jerome, James D., 1875-	Apr. 22, 1919.
Johnson, Axel Petrus, 1878-1952.	Oct. 29, 1920.
Johnson, Thomas Edward, 1883-	Dec 8, 1921 and Mar. 22, 1923.
Keith, B.C.	July 3, 1918.
Kelly, Edward D., bp., d. 1926.	Feb. 22, 1922.
Kline, George Milton, 1878-	Jan. 24, 1921.
LaFollette, Robert Marion, 1855-1925.	Mar. 3, 1925 and Mar. 9, 1925.
Lathrop, Rufus G.	Nov. 8, 1926.
Latting, Raymond.	Mar. 20, 1934.
Lawton, James Frederick, 1888-1969.	Sept. 16, 1936.
Lejeune, John Archer, 1867-1942.	Nov. 30, 1923.
Liebold, Ernest G., 1884-	Sept. 19, 1928.
Little, Clarence Cook, 1888-1971.	July 6, 1925, July 8, 1925, Dec. 1, 1925, Dec. 15, 1925, Jan. 30, 1926, Apr. 23, 1926, Jun. 3, 1926, May 13, 1927, May 18, 1927, May 9, 1928, Dec. 29, 1928, Nov. 18, 1929, and Jan. 21, 1929.
Lorch, Emil, 1870-1963.	Jun. 21, 1921, Feb. 3, 1925, Jan. 4, 1928, July 2, 1930, July 29, 1932, Aug. 2, 1932, Mar. 1, 1933, and Mar. 23, 1934.
McDonald, John Samuel, 1865-	Mar. 1, 1933.
Marston, George A.	Oct. 28, 1930, Nov. 3, 1930, and Mar. 21, 1934.
Millen, George W., 1863-	Feb. 28, 1919.
Miller, Guy Alonzo, 1875-	Oct. 16, 1929.
Miller, Edwin Lillie, 1868-1934.	Apr. 24. 1928.
Miller, John Barnes, 1868-1932.	Nov. 2, 1926 and Nov. 8, 1926.
Moehlman, Arthur Bernard, 1889-	Mar. 10, 1933.
Murphy, Frank, 1890-1949.	May 12, 1931 and May 15, 1931.
New, Harry Stewart, 1858-1937.	Oct. 14, 1925 and Oct. 20, 1925.
Newberry, Truman Handy, 1864-1945.	Oct. 19, 1920, May 10, 1921, May 13, 1918, Oct. 13, 1921, Oct 31, 1921, and Nov. 2, 1921.
North, Walter Harper, 1871-1952.	Jun. 11, 1934 and Sept. 24, 1937.
Osborn, Chase Salmon, 1860-1949.	Jan. 6, 1920, Nov. 19, 1926, Aug. 16, 1929, Jan. 19, 1935, and Mar. 24, 1934.
Pack, Philip Clarkson, 1896-1970.	May, 25, 1933.
Penny, Harvey A., 1866-	Apr. 15, 1919.
Perry, Stuart Hoffman, 1874-1957.	Oct. 29, 1920.
Pond, Irving Kane, 1857-1939.	May 15, 1928 and Apr. 5, 1937.
Potter, William W., 1869-1940.	Jun. 13, 1927 and Oct. 31, 1927.
Pound, Roscoe, 1870-1964.	Mar. 4, 1925.
Rickey, Branch, 1881-	Jan. 18, 1921, Jan. 27, 1921, and July 5, 1921.
Robbins, Frank Egelston, 1884-1963.	Mar. 20, 1923 and Mar. 23, 1923.
Ruthledge, William P., 1869-	Aug. 8, 1929.
Ruthven, Alexander Grant, 1882-1971.	Jun. 19, 1919, Oct. 15, 1919, Dec. 5, 1919, Mar. 7, 1929, Mar. 19, 1929, and Mar. 20, 1929.
Sawyer, Charles, E., 1860-1924.	Dec. 15, 1921.
Schermerhorn, James, 1865-1942.	Nov. 3, 1920.
Sharpe, Nelson, 1858-1935.	Mar. 21, 1927 and Apr. 4, 1931.
Shields, Edmund Claude, 1871-1947.	Feb. 2, 1937 and Apr. 26, 1915.
Shorts, Robert Perry, 1879-	Jan. 26, 1929.
Shurly, Burt Russell, 1871-	Dec. 12, 1930.
Sinclair, Upton, 1878-1968.	July 10, 1923, July 19, 1923, and July 21, 1923.
Sink, Charles Albert, 1879-1972.	Apr. 15, 1921, Mar. 19, 1923, Jan. 28, 1929, and Jan. 30, 1929.
Skillman, W. McKay, 1894-	Nov. 12, 1928.
Sleeper, Albert E., 1862-1932.	Aug. 14, 1916, July 24, 1918, Aug. 1, 1918, Apr. 12, 1919, and Apr. 21, 1919.
Smith, Richard Root, 1869-1940.	May 9, 1931.
Smith, Shirley Wheeler, 1875-1959.	Jun. 18, 1918, July 12, 1918, and Apr. 13, 1923.
Stevens, George Washington, 1886-1926.	Feb. 1, 1927.
Strawn, Silas Hardy, 1866-1946.	May 3, 1928.
Swarthout, Elvin, 1864-1935.	May 3, 1927.
Tapping, Theodore Hawley, 1889-1969.	July 16, 1923.
Telfer, Laueston Oliver, 1893-	Feb. 28, 1931.
Thomason, Samuel Emory, 1883-1944.	Oct. 11, 1929 and Oct. 17, 1929.
Todd, Albert May, 1850-1931.	Apr. 27, 1927.
Townsend, Charles E. (Charles Elroy), 1856-1924.	Mar. 13, 1919.
Townsend, George H., 1865-	Jan. 5, 1922 and Mar. 19, 1923.
Trafford, Bernard Walter, 1871-1941.	Jan. 4, 1915.
Turner, Scott, 1880-1972.	Mar. 28, 1934.
Vandenberg, Arthur Hendrick, 1884-1951.	Nov. 24, 1919, Nov. 26, 1919, Nov. 2, 1925, and Apr. 18, 1932.
Vaughan, Coleman C., 1857-	Apr. 12, 1919 and Aug. 20, 1919.
Vaughan, Henry Frieze, 1889-1979.	Mar. 10, 1925.
Voorhies, Paul Warren, 1875-1952.	Apr. 30, 1931.
Warren, Charles Beecher, 1870-1936.	Jun. 18, 1918.
Watkins, James K., 1887-	Mar. 4, 1933.
Wedemeyer, William Walter, 1873-1913.	Feb. 15, 1909.
Wickersham, George Woodward, 1858-1936.	July 26, 1923 and Oct. 1923.
Wiley, Merlin, 1875-	Mar. 8, 1933, Aug. 17, 1920, Mar. 21, 1919, Mar. 28, 1919, and Apr. 4, 1919.
Wreford, William B.	Apr. 3, 1931 and Apr. 7, 1931.
Yost, Fielding Harris, 1871-1946.	Feb. 26, 1917 and Apr. 24, 1919.
Young, Roy A.	Mar. 19, 1929.

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:

Athletics -- Michigan -- Ann Arbor.

Names:

Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives.
Michigan State Bar Association.
Republican Party (Mich.)
University of Michigan -- Sports.
University of Michigan. Board of Regents.
Clements, William L. (William Lawrence), 1861-1934.
Cook, William W. (William Wilson), 1858-1930.
Coolidge, Calvin, 1872-1933.
Eliot, T. S. (Thomas Stearns), 1888-1965.
Gay, Edwin F. (Edwin Francis), 1867-1946.
Harding, Warren G. (Warren Gamaliel), 1865-1923.
Haskins, Charles Homer, 1870-1937.
Herbst, Hartwig Heinrich, 1861-1929.
Hughes, Charles Evans, 1862-1948.
La Follette, Robert M. (Robert Marion), 1855-1925.
Little, Clarence C. (Clarence Cook), 1888-
Lorch, Emil, 1870-1963.
Murfin, James Orin, 1875-1940.
Pond, Irving K. (Irving Kane), 1857-1939.
Shorts, Robert P. (Robert Perry), 1879-1975.
Sinclair, Upton, 1878-1968.
Todd, Albert May, 1850-1931.
Young, Roy A.
Adams, Randolph Greenfield, 1892-1951.
Angell, James Rowland, 1869-1949.
Atwood, Orville E., 1880-
Avery, Noyes L.
Babst, Earl D., 1870-1967.
Baker, Newton Diehl, 1871-1937.
Bartelme, Philip George, 1876-1954.
Bates, Henry Moore, 1869-1949.
Beck, James M. (James Montgomery), 1861-1936.
Bird, John E. (John Everett), 1862-1928.
Brady, James.
Brucker, Wilber Marion, 1894-1968.
Bursley, Joseph Aldrich, 1877-1950.
Burton, C. M. (Clarence Monroe), 1853-
Burton, Marion Le Roy, 1874-1925.
Butzel, Henry M. (Henry Magnus), 1871-1963.
Campbell, Robert A.
Chapin, Roy D. (Roy Dikeman), 1880-1936.
Chilson, Elbert V.
Church, F. M.
Clancey, Thomas.
Clancy, Robert Henry, 1882-1962.
Claude, Georges, 1870-1960.
Comstock, William Alfred, 1877-1949.
Cooley, Mortimer E. (Mortimer Elwyn), 1855-1944.
Copeland, Royal S. (Royal Samuel), 1868-1938.
Copley, Almon Ward, 1867-
Couzens, James, 1872-1936.
Creighton, Frank W.
Denby, Edwin, 1870-1929.
Eldred, Foss Oscar, 1884-
Engel, Albert Joseph, 1888-1959.
Farrand, Livingston, 1867-1939.
Fead, Louis H., 1877-1943.
Fehling, Edward William, 1880-
Fitch, Ferris H.
Fitzgerald, Frank Dwight, 1885-1939.
Fjetland, O. K.
Ford, Worthington Chauncey, 1858-1941.
Foster, Charles W.
Fuller, Oramel B., 1858-
Goodrich, Herbert Funk, 1889-1962.
Green, Carl M.
Green, Fred W. (Fred Warren), 1872-1936.
Groesbeck, Alexander J. (Alexander Joseph), 1873-1953.
Hanchett, Benjamin Sawtell, 1868-1933.
Heath, Homer L.
Hinsdale, W. B. (Wilbert B.), 1851-1944.
Hitchcock, Gilbert M. (Gilbert Monell), 1859-1934.
Hoffman, Clare Eugene, 1875-1967.
Huston, Roscoe Burhans, 1881-
Hutchins, Harry B. (Harry Burns), 1847-1930.
Jerome, James D., 1875-
Johnson, Axel Petrus, 1878-1952.
Johnson, Thomas Edward, 1883-
Keith, B. C.
Kelly, Edward Dionysius, 1861-1926.
Kline, George Milton, 1878-
Lathrop, Rufus G.
Latting, Raymond.
Lawton, James Frederick, 1888-1969.
Lejeune, John Archer, 1867-1942.
Liebold, Ernest G., 1884-
McDonald, John Samuel, 1865-
Marston, George A.
Millen, George W., 1863-
Miller, Edwin Lillie, 1868-1934.
Miller, Guy Alonzo, 1875-
Miller, John Barnes, 1869-1932.
Moehlman, Arthur B. (Arthur Bernard), 1889-1952.
Murphy, Frank, 1890-1949.
Osborn, Chase S. (Chase Salmon), 1860-
New, Harry S. (Harry Stewart), 1858-1937.
Newberry, Truman Handy, 1864-1945.
North, Walter Harper, 1871-1952.
Pack, Philip Clarkson, 1896-1970.
Penney, Harvey A., 1866-
Perry, Stuart Hoffman, 1874-1957.
Potter, William W., 1869-1940.
Pound, Roscoe, 1870-1964.
Rickey, Branch, 1881-1965.
Robbins, Frank Egleston, 1884-
Ruthledge, William P., 1869-
Ruthven, Alexander Grant, 1882-1971.
Sawyer, Charles E., 1860-1924.
Schermerhorn, James, 1865-1942.
Sharpe, Nelson, 1858-1935.
Shields, Edmund Claude, 1871-1947.
Shurly, Burt Russell, 1871-
Sink, Charles A. (Charles Albert), 1879-1972.
Skillman, W. McKay, 1894-
Sleeper, Albert E., 1862-1934.
Smith, Richard Root, 1869-1940.
Smith, Shirley Wheeler, 1875-1959.
Springer, Durand William, 1866-1943.
Stevens, George Washington, 1866-1926.
Strawn, Silas Hardy, 1866-1946.
Swarthout, Elvin, 1864-1935.
Tapping, Theodore Hawley, 1889-1969.
Telfer, Laueston Oliver, 1893-
Thomason, Samuel Emory, 1883-1944.
Townsend, Charles E. (Charles Elroy), 1856-1924.
Townsend, George H., 1865-
Trafford, Bernard Walton, 1871-1941.
Turner, Scott, 1880-
Vandenberg, Arthur H. (Arthur Hendrick), 1884-1951.
Vaughan, Coleman C., 1857-
Vaughan, Henry F. (Henry Frieze), 1889-1979.
Voorhies, Paul Warren, 1875-1952.
Warren, Charles Beecher, 1870-1936.
Watkins, James K., 1887-
Wedemeyer, William Walter, 1873-1913.
Wickersham, George W. (George Woodward), 1858-1936.
Wiley, Merlin, 1875-
Wreford, William B.
Yost, Fielding Harris, 1871-1946.

Places:

Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1917-1921.
Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1922-1928.
Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1929-1938.
Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1939-1945.
Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1837-1950.