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Governor of Michigan 1949 to 1960, under-secretary of state for African Affairs from 1961 to 1965, and Michigan Supreme Court justice from 1970 to 1986 and leader in state and national Democratic Party. Papers document his public career and aspects of his personal and family life and include correspondence, subject files, staff files, speeches, press releases and news clippings, photographs, sound recordings, films and videotapes.

The G. Mennen Williams Papers consist of official and personal files arranged into six subgroups: 1) Gubernatorial papers, 1949-1960 (681 linear ft.); 2) Non-gubernatorial papers, 1883-1948 and 1958-1988 (107 linear ft.); 3) Visual materials, ca. 1911-1988 (ca. 25 linear ft.); 4) sound recordings, 1950-ca. 1988 (5 linear ft.) Scrapbooks, 1948-1987 (43 vols.) and State Department Microfilm, 1961-1966 (23 reels).

As part of its own control system, the governor's office maintained a card index to the correspondents in many of the subgroups and series within the gubernatorial papers. This card file is located in the library's reading room. In addition, Nancy Williams and her staff compiled an extensive and detailed run of scrapbooks covering the Williams years. There is a separate inventory to these scrapbooks in a separately bound volume.

Strategy for Use of the Gubernatorial Papers: Although the Williams gubernatorial collection consists of hundreds of linear feet of material, the file arrangement created by the governor's staff is a fairly simple one to understand and to use.

The bulk of the collection falls within specific functional groupings, corresponding to the various activities and responsibilities that Williams performed as governor. Thus, if the researcher is uncertain of what portions of the collection might be relevant to his/her research, he/she is advised to think in terms of gubernatorial function. Does the proposed research concern the workings or area responsibility of a state board? If so, the Boards and Commissions series would be the most likely place in which to find material. The election of 1954? Then Democratic Party/Campaign Papers should be first choice. The passage of a specific piece of legislation? Here, Legislative Files is an obvious choice. The possible choices (called subgroups and series) that the researcher has are listed in the Organization of the Collection section. A description of the contents of each of these subgroups/series is provided below.

If, at first, unsuccessful in finding material on any given topic, the researcher might consider these additional strategies:

1. Refer to the Williams card index (located in the library's reading room). Sometimes, the name of an individual associated with a subject provides the easiest point of access into the collection. This file is arranged alphabetically and lists the dates of letters between an individual and the governor's office. This file only indexes the larger series and subgroups in the collection. It does not index the staff files, or parts of the Democratic Party/Campaign subgroup. Nevertheless it is an invaluable tool, and can uncover important material otherwise buried.

2. Refer to the various series of staff papers. Staff members were often closely involved in a specific subject areas (Jordan Popkin and aging, for example) and thus their files are frequently rich in source material.

3. If only partially successful in locating desired material, the researcher should think of an alternative subgroup or series. The governor's office, for a variety of reasons, often filed related material in different locations depending upon the source of a document. Thus, information relating to a strike might be filed both under the Labor Mediation Board in Boards and Commissions, and Strikes in General Subjects. Furthermore, if the strike influenced a specific piece of legislation, there could be material in the Legislative Files.

Soldier from Copemish, Mich., member of 339th U.S. Infantry who served in the Allied intervention in Russia, 1918-1920, the "Polar Bear Expedition." Collection includes letter (Nov.13, 1918) to his parents (censored); photocopies of his military records and newspaper articles about him; photocopy of photograph of flowers and flag at his funeral; and photograph of his gravestone.

Letter (Nov. 13, 1918) to his parents (censored); photocopies of his military records and newspaper articles about him; photocopy of photograph of flowers and flag at his funeral; and photograph of his gravestone.

Gordon Charles wrote syndicated columns on travel and outdoor activities for local Michigan newspapers. His collection contains his journals, copies and clippings of his articles, his books, subject files, slides, photographs, and correspondence.

The Gordon Charles papers contain his journals, copies and clippings of his articles, his books, subject files, slides, photographs, and correspondence related to his work as travel and outdoor activities writer for local Michigan newspapers. The papers are divided up into three series: Personal, Articles, and Subject Files.

Author, writer for radio and television programs, and advertising executive; collection includes scripts for radio and television programs, "The Firefighters," "Reflections," and "I Remember Mama"; materials relating to his work in opposition to the Vietnam War; correspondence, speeches, and manuscripts and copies of novels; also photographs and films.

The Webber papers, dating from 1936-1986, are organized into four series: Personal/Biographical, Writings, Anti-Vietnam War Activism, and Audio-visual Materials. The collection displays the broad creative nature of Webber's life and career, documenting his involvement in both radio and television broadcasting and advertising, his experience as a novelist and writer, as a sailor in World War II, and his activism against the Vietnam War in the early 1970's. As such, they also contain a wealth of information on the advertising industry itself and its response to the Vietnam War, the experience of American novelists in the 20th century, and support research on 20th century American literature. Correspondence can be found scattered throughout the collection: organized chronologically in the Personal/Biographical series, and associated with relevant projects in the Writings and Anti-War series.

Chelsea and Dexter, Michigan family. Letters of Nellie Gorman with her husband James, 1886-1892, while he served in the Michigan State Senate (1887-1891), and the U. S. House of Representatives (1891-1985); family letters; miscellanea relating to Gorman's estate; papers of son Galbraith Gorman, Dexter, Michigan, funeral home director; and photographs.

The collection begins with a genealogical chart of the Gorman family compiled by Mrs. M.L. Sias of Chelsea. The correspondence is largely that of Nellie Gorman with her children, but letters from 1886 to 1892 between James and Nellie Gorman give interesting details of James' term in the House of Representatives. The collection also includes papers pertaining to the disposition of Gorman's estate and cursory records of the cases apparently handled by Galbraith Gorman's funeral home between 1953 and 1961. The collection includes photographs of James and Agnes Gorman, members of the Bingham family, and some unidentified.

Professor of anatomy and dean of the Graduate School at University of Michigan. Professional and personal correspondence largely relating to his activities in the medical school and graduate school; also diaries and University of Michigan student notebooks.

The Huber collection consists of professional and personal correspondence largely relating to his activities in the medical school and graduate school. Most the letters written before 1900 are of a personal nature between Huber and his wife Lucy Parker Huber, including letters of her family. Worthy of mention are the letters Huber wrote while studying in Berlin, 1891-1892. Correspondence from later years is with professors and doctors in the United States and abroad and reflects Huber's professional interest in medicine and scholarly writings. Other materials in the collection are diaries, medical notebooks, and photographs. Huber's notebooks as a student are from classes taught by Edward S. Dunster, Alonzo B. Palmer, Volney M. Spalding, Joseph B. Steere, and Victor C. Vaughan.

The Grace A. Fry photograph collection contains photographs primarily of Saginaw, Michigan businesses.

Grace H. Miller was a school teacher in the Philippines during the 1920s. Her brother, James M. Miller, was a U.S. Army physician in Manila during the same period. The collection includes Grace H. Miller's diaries about life in the Philippines and her travel accounts; and correspondence of James M. Miller describing his life and work in Manila. Visual materials include photographs and an untitled oil painting depicting three indigenous Filipino women. The painting was attributed to Fernando Amorsolo by Ana Maria Theresa P. Labrador in 2022.

Diaries of Grace H. Miller (1921-1922) describing life in the Philippines and travel in China, South Asia, and Europe; correspondence of James M. Miller (1924-1926) describing life in the Philippines; and one letter (1938) from Miller's wife Bess describing life in the Canal Zone; and visual materials. Photographs of hospital and hospital staff, the Philippine people, and local and scenery.

The collection includes an untitled oil painting on wood panel that depicts three indigenous Filipino women in Baguio. The painting is signed and dated 1925. In 2022, the painting was attributed to Fernando Amorsolo (1892-1972). To learn more about the attribution, see Processing Information.

This record group contains original artwork, administrative materials, and audiovisual materials produced by the University of Michigan Graduate Program of Medical and Biological Illustration. The records represent the work of approximately 35 medical illustrators spanning the years 1902-1991. The material documents the work of the faculty of the program and other prominent illustrators.

The records are arranged in to two basic categories: 2 general series concerning program administration, and 17 series related to specific illustrators. The 19 series are as follows: General/Background, Gerald P. Hodge Illustrations, Alfred P. Teoli Illustrations, Evelyn Erickson Sullivan Illustrations, Max Brödel Illustrations, Emily Perry Illustrations, Elton E. Hoff Illustrations, Ralph Sweet Illustrations, Jeanette Young Illustrations, Neil Hardy Illustrations, J. McLaughlin Illustrations, Mary Lou Cummings Illustrations, Rictor S. Lew Illustrations, Grant S. Lashbrook Illustrations, Stephen G. Gilbert Illustrations, Denis Lee Records and Illustrations, Miscellaneous Illustrations, Unidentified Illustrators, and Audiovisual Materials. A small selection of illustrations displaying a variety of artists' work, techniques, and subjects has been digitized. The materials in each artist's series are predominantly arranged as received from the donor.

The Grand Hotel records comprise documents, photographs, audio and videographic material collected about the hotel by its management. The strength of the collection is in its documentation of the guest experience at the hotel, and the evolution of amenities offered by the hotel during the mid-to-late 20th century. A small number of items also provide a glimpse of the hotel's earliest days as a summer resort.

The Grand Hotel records are arranged in six series: Printed Material, Miscellaneous, Press Clippings and Publications, Photographic Material, Audio Material, and Videographic Material.