Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

The Correspondence series includes letters from Karpinski to his parents (1901-1903) written from Europe while he was a student there. In addition, there is professional correspondence relating to his scholarly interests in mathematics, the history of science, cartography, and the collecting of historical manuscripts and rare books. Correspondents include: Randolph G. Adams, Charles A. Beard, James H. Breasted, George L. Burr, Florian Cajori, W. J. Cameron, William L. Clements, J. Fulton, Charles H. Haskins, Francis W. Kelsey, Ashley Montague, Alexander Pogo, R. L. Poole, George Sarton, Richard Shryock, Charles Singer, Dorothea Waley Singer, David E. Smith, Michael Straight, Arthur H. Sulzberger, Lynn Thorndike, J. Uspensky, and Henry A. Wallace.

Correspondence is the largest and most important series within the collection providing documentation of White's entire career, his teaching and research, his interaction with colleagues and other notable anthropologists, and his mentoring of students and young anthropologists. The files, with some slight exceptions are in the order maintained by White. The earliest correspondence (1921 to 1944) is arranged chronologically by day. Correspondence thereafter is arranged by academic year and then alphabetically. With some individuals, White maintained separate named files. Notable among these correspondents were Harry Elmer Barnes, H. L. Mencken, Robert Carneiro, Edward Norbeck, and Elsie Clews Parsons. It should be noted that these were by no means the only individuals that White corresponded with on a regular basis. The dated files include significant exchanges with many anthropologists and academicians. Appended to this finding aid is a selected list of Leslie White's correspondents.

The Correspondence series includes files letters, personal and professional, received and sent, in the period of 1891-1952. This series also includes letterbooks of copies of outgoing letters written while Bishop was at the Library of Congress as the Superintendent of the Reading Room. The dates of the letterbooks are 1907 to 1915.

Much of the Correspondence revolves around the discussion of historic controversies concerning the Straits region. Smith's historical investigations often brought him into conflict with the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, headed by W. S. Woodfill, owner of the Grand Hotel, who he believed to be fabricating history to serve the economic interests of Mackinac Island.

Also included in the Correspondence series are communications with Harry Dever, a self-proclaimed authority on native languages and customs, who served as an ally in Mr. Smith's fight for accurate portrayal of local history.