The Chair Correspondence series, 1971-1975 (0.5 linear feet), contains material from James B. Griffin's term as chair of the department from 1972 to 1975. A substantial portion of this correspondence is relatively routine, concerning personnel matters or outside information requests, though the correspondence with Frank H.T. Rhodes, the dean of LS&A during this time, does provide a broader overview of the activities of the department.
The Chairman's File series is divided into two subseries. There is a small subseries of departmental records from the period when William A. Hiltner was chairman. There is also a subseries of files relating to the internal and external workings of the Department under Robert P. Kirshner and, later, Douglas O. Richstone in the 1980s. Arranged in reverse chronological order, this subseries includes incoming and outgoing memoranda and correspondence which discuss faculty and doctoral appointments, fund-raising activities, and recommendations.
Chairman's Files is the largest series in the collection. It contains material dealing with the administration of the department. This includes correspondence, curriculum, and faculty information. Most of the material is from A. Kent Christensen's years as chairman. There is, however, scattered correspondence from his predecessors beginning in 1902. Of note is material relating to the creation of a cell biology laboratory and rationale for a departmental name change to Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology in 1981-1982.
The bulk of the records in the Chairman's Topical Files, 1951-1981 date from the chairmanship of John W. Henderson (1968-1978). The records describe programs, facilities, and affiliated clinics and hospitals. Significant programs represented in the records include the External Disease Service, Lens Dispensary, Low Vision Clinic, Michigan Lions Eye Bank, and Parkview-Retina Service.
Materials on the renovation of Parkview and the design of the Turner addition including floor plans are located in the Outpatient Clinic, Parkview Planning (1977-1978) and Parkview Relocation (1973-1978) files.
Records documenting the department's affiliation with various hospitals and regional facilities include Ford Hospital, Milan Federal Prison, Plymouth State Home and Training Center, Veterans Administration Hospital, Wayne County General Hospital, and Ypsilanti Regional Hospital.
An especially rich source for information relating to glaucoma can be found in the research papers of Harold Falls (1955-1972). Additional research related materials are located in the Thursday Morning Conference folder (1972-1977).
The Paul R. Lichter Topical Files, 1978-2003 document Lichter's tenure as chair of the Department of Ophthalmology. It richly details Lichter's involvement with the construction of the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, his chairmanship of the department and touches upon his stint as editor-in -chief of Ophthalmology, the Journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. The Lichter series includes three subseries: Administration, Personal Files, and W.K. Kellogg Eye Center.
The Administration files documents the organization and operations of the Department of Ophthalmology. The files includes annual reports which review the performance of the department and its faculty, meeting minutes from faculty retreats, and departmental review and strategic planning reports.
The Daniel G. Green Retirement Dinner and Book of Remembrances, 2003 folder includes photographs of Green's retirement party as well as a CD with photographs of the party. Green is a Professor Emeritus in the departments of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Engineering. His research interests include retinal physiology of visual adaptation and transgenic mice.
The Photographs folder includes pictures of doctors in the department of ophthalmology as well as architectural proofs of the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center
1 linear foot — 4 oversize folders
This collection includes business papers of the family of Henry Austin Chapin of Niles, Michigan (1813-1898), his son, Charles Augustus Chapin, of Chicago, Illinois, (who died between 1913 and 1915), and the heirs of Charles Augustus Chapin.
The collection includes business papers relating to the family's operations, including leases, reports, and maps of Chapin Mining Company, operators of the Chapin Mine. There are also leases, correspondence and legal papers of Indiana and Michigan Electric Company relating to power dams at Buchanan and Berrien Springs, Michigan. Other portions of the papers include newsletters and related material of the American Manganese Producers Association; and papers relating to the Chapin Memorial (First) Presbyterian Church, Niles, Michigan.
