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Papers of Thomas M. Farrell, Michigan political journalist, editor, and State public information officer. Farrell started his career as a correspondent for the United Press International, was Congressman John C. Mackie Administrative Assistant (1965-1966), and at different times served as Public Information Officer for the Michigan State Highway Department (1959-1965) and for the Michigan Supreme Court (1985-1993), Public Information Director for the Michigan Department of Transportation (1966-1968) and Department Commerce (1969-1972), Assistant Superintendent for Public Affairs for the Michigan Department of Education (1972-1985), and as Director of Communications for Michigan Catholic Conference (1968-1969). Collection includes correspondence, research material and articles by and about Farrell, as well as material collected by Farrell on subjects of professional and personal interests, mostly related to Michigan politics, government, and political figures; also photographs and VHS videotapes.

The collection is organized into four series: Personal files, Professional files, Subject files, and Audio-Visual material.

Charlevoix, Michigan resident, novelist and historian of Great Lakes shipwrecks, the Mackinac Bridge, folklore, and other subjects; correspondence, manuscripts of books, and research materials.

The William Ratigan collection consists of correspondence, manuscripts of his books, research and reference files on topics of interest to him, and photographs. There are letters in the collection from William B. Eerdmans, Marianne Moore, Milo Quaife, David B. Steinman, and folklorist Ivan Walton.

The photographs in the collection are of shipping and boating at Charlevoix, Michigan, of Charlevoix boat builder, Roy Ranger, of construction of the Mackinac Bridge, of the Sault Sainte Marie Canal, and of other topics related to Ratigan's writing interests.