Collections : [University of Michigan Bentley Historical Library]

The Correspondence Files are arranged alphabetically. Some papers are arranged according to the sender, some according to the receiver, some by the subject and some by the sending or receiving agency. Therefore if a researcher is looking for correspondence between Engstrom and a given individual, it may be necessary to look in several places. For example, letters to and from Charles Anspach, president of Central Michigan University can be found filed under both 'A' for Anspach and 'C' for Central Michigan. In addition, although this is a correspondence series, certain non-correspondence material may be found among the papers.

The Correspondence series documents Eskimo Art's activities through its personal and business relationship with James and Alma Houston, with dealers, sales representative and Canadian suppliers.

The CORRESPONDENCE series (11 linear feet, 1900-1903, 1929-1959) is arranged in four subseries: Correspondence, 1900-1903, 1929-1943; Director's Correspondence, 1946-1951; Editor's Correspondence, 1946-1951; and Director of University Relations Correspondence, 1950-1959. Most correspondence is with newspapers, magazine publishers, other universities, and radio and television broadcasting firms and associations.

The earliest correspondence, 1900-1903, includes letters written to Ralph Ellsworth relating to inquiries asking other universities about their information dissemination activities. Correspondence from 1929 to 1943 is chronologically arranged material sent and received by Roger Morrisey and Wilfred B. Shaw and reflects some of the alumni information activities once handled by the office as well as contact with press agencies and newspapers throughout Michigan and the nation

Director's Correspondence, 1946-1951, and Editor's Correspondence, 1946-1951, are similar in content. These two alphabetically arranged subseries comprise the correspondence of Arthur L. Brandon and Cleland B. Wyllie along with some other staff members. Wyllie served as editor but also handled other responsibilities within the office.

The most substantial subseries is the Director of University Relations Correspondence, 1950-1959, arranged alphabetically by topic. It is primarily the correspondence of Arthur L. Brandon. Topics include academic freedom and anti-communism activities (filed under "subversive activities"), the 250th anniversary of Detroit's founding, Harlan Hatcher's inauguration as president, controversy surrounding the renaming of Michigan State University, atomic research sponsored by the Phoenix Project, the 1955 Salk Polio vaccine testing and announcement, and radio and television broadcasting. General information on university activities and programs appears throughout the files, which also include scattered press releases, articles, and clippings in addition to the correspondence. Newspapers and magazines doing stories on the university, such as Life, are well represented within this subseries.

The Van Tyne correspondence files were received in two separate accessions. The first includes material from 1885 to 1930 while the second spans the years 1901-1931.