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Departmental records includes correspondence with students and faculty, course syllabi and exams, minutes of meetings, publications and photographs.

The records of the Philosophy Department of the University of Michigan measure 2.5 linear feet and 3 oversize folders, and date from 1907 to 1987 with many of the records dating from 1947 to 1961, coinciding with William Frankena's tenure as department chair. The record group has been arranged alphabetically by topic or type of material. Photographs of Department of Philosophy graduate students and faculty dating from 1907 to 1932 are available both within the collection and in an oversized folder.

The Correspondence files include information regarding personnel searches, scheduling, and various departmental business. Also included are letters between William Frankena and various acting department chairs who were serving during his sabbatical years. The Course Materials files consist of a sampling of exams and syllabi for several of the department's courses during the years 1947 to 1961 and 1984. Although this material is by no means inclusive of the department's offerings or representative of how the courses were taught over the years, it does provide some insight as to the department's expectations of the students.

The Student Placement files demonstrate the lengths to which the department as a whole went to secure positions for their graduating doctoral students. Correspondence regarding the special circumstances of several students are foldered separately and further show the support one could expect as a graduate of this department. An additional point of interest is the file of Michael Davis which illustrates the department's attitude towards censorship and the governing bodies of higher educational institutions.

The remaining files contain department minutes, personnel information, financial information, statistics, records related to the University of Michigan Tanner Philosophy Library and various other bits of information that could help the researcher construct a picture of the department as it evolved during the 1950's to early 1980s time period.

The Photographs series consists of group prints (some outsize) of philosophy students and faculty.

The Faculty and Staff files contain biographical and background information created and collected by the University of Michigan News and Information Services. News and Information Services is the media relations office of the university. The files represent more than 6,000 individual faculty and staff members. Some files contain photographs.

The Faculty and Staff Files (145 linear feet; 1944-2005) are arranged alphabetically by surname and contain academic and biographical information on nearly 6000 faculty and staff, including many who are inactive, retired or deceased. The files were maintained by the University of Michigan News and Information Service. Early on the files were working files holding ready reference biographical information and copies of press releases. Eventually the files came to include collected information such as copies of local and national newspaper articles where faculty or staff members were mentioned.

The amount of information per individual varies considerably, ranging from a single item to multiple folders. Files dating from around 1960-1995 tend to have more documentation than dates outside of this range, though there are some exceptions. Specific types of information include copies of news releases where the individual is mentioned, pages from Regents' meetings detailing appointments (resignations, faculty appointments, promotions, reassignments, sabbaticals, adoption of memoirs for retirements and deaths, etc.), newspaper clippings, magazine articles, preprints or reprints of publications, curricula vitae or other biographical summaries, and obituaries. In addition, some of the files contain photographs and negatives. (Photograph Series D of the News and Information Services records contains more than 4,000 faculty and staff portraits. A separate finding aid is available for that series.)

Files of University of Michigan presidents such as Alexander Ruthven and Harlan Hatcher are within the collection, as are files of various members of the Board of Regents. Distinguished alumni of the University of Michigan, including Nobel Prize winners Stanley Cohen and Raoul Wallenberg, also have files. The collection is of interest to researchers who desire a greater understanding of the professional interests and activities of faculty members in particular.

The University of Michigan News and Information Services functions as the university's media relations office. It disseminates information and images about university programs, research, events, and faculty and staff activities. This series of News and Information Services photographs is comprised of portraits of more than ca. 7,000 individual faculty and staff members spanning the years 1946-2006 (bulk 1950-1990).

This series of faculty and staff portraits, commonly known as "Series D", is part of the News and Information Services photographs collection, which consists of several other series often based on format such as the size of the negatives (4x5 or 35mm) or content (general campus photography or aerial photographs). Series D consists of black and white 4x5 inch negatives and 1-1/4 x 2-1/4 inch prints and negatives of faculty and staff (and some student) portraits alphabetically arranged.

The negatives were received in several accessions prior to 2007 totaling 7.5.f linear feet (15 boxes). These accessions were physically interfiled into a single alphabetic run. In 2016 a final accession 5.5 linear feet (15 boxes) of analog negatives were received. These have not been physically interfiled so the collection now consists of two alphabetic runs. However, in the container listing of this finding aid the files are presented in a single alphabet. Based on information supplied on the original negative envelopes, the listing includes faculty/staff name, department or unit (when provided) and date(s) of the portrait. Bentley Library negative numbers are included (if applicable)

The latest accession marks the end of the News and Information Services analog photography. The faculty and staff portrait series is continued in the Bentley Library's Michigan Photography digital photo collection.

Professor of philosophy at the University of Michigan, scholar and writer on moral philosophy, ethics, and philosophy of education. Collection includes philosophy papers written as a student at Calvin College, the University of Michigan, and Harvard; lecture notes and course materials, mainly from his teaching career at the University of Michigan; research articles and other manuscripts; formal lectures and conference papers; topical and background files on philosophy topics; correspondence; and files detailing University of Michigan departmental and committee responsibilities.

The William Frankena papers document the development of a major philosopher and ethicist through his undergraduate and graduate school papers, published and unpublished articles, correspondence and curricular material. This collection (14 linear feet; 1927-1991) is organized into eight series which are based mainly upon the various professional activities of William Frankena. The series are: Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Studies, Teaching, Articles and Manuscripts, Lectures and Papers, Topical, Correspondence, and University of Michigan Activities.