University of Michigan chapter of honorary society for students in the biological sciences. Chapter news taken from "The Biologist;" membership information; banquet programs; and miscellaneous material received from the national office.
The record group consists of one linear foot of membership forms, clippings, business correspondence, and memorabilia. The records cover the period of 1916-1970 with the bulk of the materials in the mid-1950s to early 1960s. Valuable to a researcher interested in the origins of the national society and the local chapter, the various files are also useful for anyone interested in student life and student organizations at both a local and national level. Finally, with its extensive membership files, the records can be used to chart the changing face of the student population.
The largest set of files in the record group relate to Membership. These records, from 1916 to 1970, contain the names and other background information of all the active members of the Beta Chapter. Unfortunately, the records for 1941-1961 are missing as these files would have provided an important backdrop to the changing student population of the 1950s. As the records of the 1960s show there were increasing numbers of women joining the organization and assuming leadership positions.