The Gwendolyn S. Cruzat papers reflect Dr. Cruzat's involvement with several committees dedicated to regulating university athletics and maintaining equality for both men's and women's athletics, notably the Commission for Women; the Advisory Committee on Recreation, Intramurals and Club Sports; the Alumnae Athena Award Committee; and the University Club of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Also included are audiovisual material, biographical material, correspondence, photographs, press releases, and publications that document Dr. Cruzat's professional work, her retirement, and University of Michigan sports.
Gwendolyn S. Cruzat received her B.A. in mathematics from Fisk University (1951), M.S. in library science from Atlanta University (1954), and Ph.D. in higher education/information science from Wayne State University (1976). She joined the University of Michigan in 1970 as a lecturer in the School of Information and Library Studies and had received full professor rank by 1979. She was one of the first Black tenure-track women in the school and her areas of expertise include medical librarianship as well as library and information science education.
During her time at the university, Cruzat served on several committees and organizations, such as the Commission for Women; the Advisory Committee on Recreation, Intramurals and Club Sports; University of Michigan Alumni Association; and the Board in Control of Intercollegiate Athletics. She also represented the university at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Big Ten Conference. She received numerous awards during her tenure, including the University of Michigan's Distinguished Service Award (1977) as well as the Medical Library Association's Janet Doe Lecturer Award (1979). In 1980, she was also named regent of the National Library of Medicine.
Upon her retirement in 1993, Dr. Cruzat was named Professor Emerita.