Automotive History Subject Guide

Automotive History
Table of Contents
Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 2
Early Inventors ............................................................................................................................ 2
Consumers................................................................................................................................... 2
Motor City, Michigan ................................................................................................................. 2
World War I and the 1920s ......................................................................................................... 3
The Auto Industry and Organized Labor .................................................................................... 5
Post-WWII .................................................................................................................................. 5
About this guide .......................................................................................................................... 6
Executives and Management .......................................................................................................... 8
Automobile Workers and Labor Relations ................................................................................... 15
Consumers and Marketing ............................................................................................................ 19
Research and Development........................................................................................................... 23
Automobile Travel and Hobbyists ................................................................................................ 28
Journalists ..................................................................................................................................... 30
Other Relevant Collections ........................................................................................................... 33
Published Primary Sources ........................................................................................................... 37
Books ........................................................................................................................................ 37
Serials ........................................................................................................................................ 37
Audio......................................................................................................................................... 38
Visual Materials ............................................................................................................................ 39
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Return to Table of Contents
Overview
Early inventors
Michigan automotive history starts in the 1890s, when inventors tinkered the idea of self-
propelled vehicles. The bicycle, which had acquired wide-spread popularity in the 1880s,
inspired auto inventors to explore the concept of self-conveying vehicles. As a result, the earliest,
successful auto parts companies had previous experience with bicycle components, rather than
wagon and carriage parts.
The desire for mobility led to two early successes. In 1891, a man named William Morrison,
constructed an electric carriage that he drove through Des Moines, Iowa. Two years later, 1893,
in Springfield, Massachusetts, Frank Duryea exhibited a motorized truck, using an internal
combustion engine. Duryea would later manufacture internal combustion vehicles--13 in his first
year of operation. 1893 was also the year in which the U.S. Office of Road Inquiry was
established (due to pressure from bicyclists) to study the condition of American roads and make
recommendations for improvement. Americans were feeling exploratory, fascinated with the idea
of traveling about the country on independent schedules. The climate was ripe for inventors and
tinkerers; it was a matter of "who" and "when" would build a horseless carriage, not "if."
Consumers
The first companies to produce automobiles for the public market emerged in 1896. Surprisingly,
these early auto manufacturers built more electric than gas-powered vehicles.
However, when gas-powered internal combustion engines no longer needed the help of a hand
crank to start, then the electric automobile lost ground. The 1912 Cadillac was the first vehicle to
have an effective self-starting engine.
Consumers materialized and marketing attempts began almost as soon as manufacturers knew
that they had a product to sell. In 1898, William Metzger became the country's first automobile
dealer not in the direct employ of a manufacturer with the establishment of his Detroit
dealership. Two years later, in 1900, the first National Automobile Show was held in New York
City at Madison Square Garden. Approximately 48,000 people visited the 51 exhibitors,
consisting of automobile manufacturers and parts supply companies, and saw 300 different
models.
Motor City, Michigan
Though Detroit built its wealth and reputation on the automotive industry, Michigan didn't start
out as the auto industry capital of the world. Rather, New England was the birthplace of many of
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the early auto companies. However, by 1905, Michigan had solidified its claim as the central
location of the industry. Circumstantial coincidences tied Michigan to the emerging auto
industry. The state's plentiful natural resources (timber, copper, and iron) had been harvested and
depleted, but not before creating fortunes for timber and mining interests.
These capitalists had excess funds for which they were looking for more profitable investment
opportunities at the time that Ransom E. Olds needed capital for his fledgling automobile
company. Two of these wealthy Michiganders, Edward W. Sparrow and Samuel L. Smith,
forged a partnership with Ransom Olds, creating the Olds Motor Works. Another Michigan
resident also helped to make Detroit the Motor City: Henry Ford. His tenacity and innovation in
the new industry ensured the success of his product. If Olds and Ford had been less successful,
the title of Motor City may well have gone to some other city. Ransom Olds and Henry Ford
were able to capture the auto market and secure Michigan's central role because of their
profitable business philosophy of "low cost, high volume."
In other to maintain low production costs, both Olds and Ford introduced the production line.
Henry Ford took the concept of the production line further, refining the actual process used to
assemble vehicles. The moving assembly line is one example of his innovations. These
improvements were able to increase the cost-effectiveness of vehicle assembly so that the
company could reduce the actual retail cost of the car.
Since 1896, it is estimated that over 1,500 automobile makers have operated in the U.S. The
sheer number of competitors has resulted in power struggles. Consequently, larger, more
powerful companies bought up smaller companies with little market share.
World War I and the 1920s
World War I forced the auto industry to slow its production; it was cut in half in order to devote
factories to war production. When WW I ended, anticipating a sudden increase in demand,
automakers flooded the market with new cars. While the surge in demand remained high for two
years, an economic slump in 1920 distressed the industry because of the excess supply and low
demand. As history demonstrates, the automobile industry has always been sensitive to economic
conditions, like a canary in the coal mine.
Regardless of a slow market, 1920 was a pivotal year for U.S. auto companies. By 1920,
automakers were no longer experimenting with design; placing the engine under the hood
became standard, as did cable brake systems, steering wheels (as opposed to steering rudders),
and combustion engines. At this point in history, most people had at least seen an automobile,
even if they did not own one themselves. Cars had become culturally accepted and moreover,
American culture began to change to accommodate these new machines.
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In 1923, Alfred P. Sloan was appointed president of General Motors, after serving as the
company's vice president. Sloan's leadership was largely responsible for GM's decades of
success; he introduced marketing techniques that auto companies continue to use. Sloan realized
that because more Americans were becoming car owners, the market for first-time buyers was
shrinking; cars were no longer novelty items. Dealers needed to persuade buyers that they
needed another car. The annual model was one of Sloan's marketing techniques--by changing the
cosmetic appearance of the car (and sometimes the technical features), consumers had incentives
to buy newer models, to trade up, or add a second car to the family's garage. He expressed his
strategy with the catch phrase "a car for every purse and purpose."
Price structure was another of Sloan's innovations; Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and
Cadillac are the various GM brands, from least to most expensive. In each brand, the top of the
line of one brand costs just a little bit less than the lowest priced model of the next expensive
line. With this pricing structure, consumers could be convinced to spend a little more to purchase
a more prestigious brand of vehicle.
In the mid-twenties, Ford dropped from the nation's top automaker to second place behind
General Motors. Ford Motor Company continued to hold its second place ranking until Henry
Ford retired in 1945. In 1927, Ford's Model A was introduced to consumers. In 1928, Chrysler
acquired Dodge. By 1929, GM, Ford, and Chrysler comprised 75% of annual auto sales in the
United States.
American culture experienced extreme and irrevocable change as a result of the automobile's
entrance into modern life, beginning in the 1920s. Rural families were no longer isolated from
larger communities, which had implications on education, commerce, and agriculture. Urban
Americans used their newfound mobility to escape the dirt, noise, and congestion of city life, at
least temporarily. Outdoor pursuits, such as camping, hunting, and fishing gained popularity as
leisure activities. Indebtedness became an acceptable part of life, both due to the installment
buying that had been introduced during the early days of the industry and later through the credit
cards issued by gasoline companies.
The growth of suburban communities was another change that American culture experienced; as
the suburbs grew and Americans began to commute by car, the electric railways and interurban
trains became obsolete. As more Americans began to commute, city congestion and scarce
downtown parking meant that businesses moved to city outskirts, where parking lots could be
built and congestion was not a concern. Road repairs and improvements became a larger
responsibility for local governments; ultimately, a gas tax was levied in order to raise the
necessary funds to maintain roads. Tourism developed as a result of the auto industry--camp sites
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and motor lodges, restaurants, and tourist attractions all waited to feed, clothe, and entertain the
passing motorist.
The Auto Industry and Organized Labor
The Great Depression divested the automobile industry; the many Detroit-area workers
employed by the Big Three lost their job security and stability. During the Depression, the city of
Detroit added 300 families to the relief rolls each day; a significant number of these families had
previously been supported by the relatively high auto industry wages. The auto industry's
response to the Depression varied by company, but typically involved wage cuts, layoffs, and
increased production speed. In response to these Depression-era measures that many auto parts
suppliers instituted, strikes and walk-outs grew more frequent.
The automotive industry and the labor movement share an intertwined history. Small
tradesmen’s' unions were involved in the industry from its inception, but for unskilled auto
workers, it would not be until the mid-thirties that a widespread industrial union would take hold.
The industrial labor union movement in Detroit owes much of its later success to the earlier
presence of the Carriage, Wagon and Automobile Workers and Industrial Workers of the World
(IWW). These two union pioneers tried a new approach with automotive workers. While the
trade unions already operating united skilled craftsmen, the IWW and the Carriage, Wagon and
Automobile Workers were the first to attempt to organize the industry, creating a union that was
open to all workers, regardless of trade or skill level. In 1936, the newly organized United
Automobile Workers with the Congress of Industrial Organizations enforced a sit-down strike at
GM plants in Flint, MI.
By February 1937, GM recognized the UAW as the bargaining agent for its workers. Chrysler
recognized UAW shortly after GM did. However, at Ford, the UAW and other unions were not
able to organize until 1941.
Post-WWII
World War II affected the auto industry much like the First World War; auto production slowed
and stopped in order to provide factory space and ensure adequate materials for war production.
But after the war, from 1945 to 1950, the industry enjoyed a healthy period. Models moved
quickly out of showrooms. Even until the 1980s, the Big Three experienced steady growth and
healthy profits. Starting in the 1950s, environmental concerns developed a more forceful voice,
and vehicle emissions legislation was passed by Congress. Safety concerns also led to the
passage of seatbelt laws.
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1966 witnessed the passage of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, the Highway
Safety Act, as well as the creation of the Department of Transportation. During the 1960s, the
industry rediscovered its electric origins, toying with the idea of electric vehicles. General
Motors developed protoypes of two electric vehicles, the Electrovan and the Electrovair II, an
electric version of the Corvair. American Motors Company, a decade later, would market electric
Jeep vehicles, the Electruck, to the U.S. Postal Service.
During the 1975 fuel crisis, Congress passed the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) bill
which required automakers to increase the fuel efficiency of their passenger car fleet.
Consequently, the Big Three began to make smaller cars for sale in the U.S. during the 1980s.
The 1980s also saw the growth of the import market; instead of merely competing against each
other, the Big Three now had to contend with fuel-efficient vehicles from Germany and Japan.
Imports sold surprisingly well. Toyota emerged as the foreign leader, harnessing the majority of
the import market share.
As more and more members of the American public purchased vehicles, second-car ownership
became common. Increasingly, each individual owned a car, in contrast to the earlier trend of the
"family car." In some homes, there could be as many cars as there were licensed drivers.
The invention and re-invention of the automobile industry has impacted American society like
nothing else. As the industry continues to evolve during dark economic times, research into the
origins and past directions of the auto industry takes on an added significance.
About this guide
Arranged topically, this subject guide aims to help researchers identify collections useful for
their research interests. The topical categories contain a combination of manuscript collections
and organizational records. This subject guide represents the bulk of the Bentley Historical
Library's automotive history holdings and includes the most content-heavy collections.
Additional materials with small portions of relevant items may be discovered with a Mirlyn
Catalog search.
Executives and Management includes collections from automobile industry executives,

management personnel, as well as several motor companies' administrative records.
Workers and Labor Relations directs researchers to collections that document the auto
worker's experience, labor regulatory bodies, and individuals and organizations that studied
and/or supported auto industry workers.
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Consumers and Marketing contains collections that document the buying and selling of
automobiles, with trade catalogs and the personal papers of Michigan auto dealers.
Research and Development identifies collections that pertain to auto industry research and
analysis activities, as well as the development of new technologies.
Automobile Travel and Hobbyists includes manuscript documentation of cross-country auto

travel, as well as Michigan automobile clubs.
Other Relevant Collections consists of collections that contain related material, but are not
strictly within to the automobile industry. The papers of politicians who worked to pass vehicle
emissions and safety standards, journalists, as well as architects and city planners who designed
parking lots and structures are among the collections represented in this area of the subject guide.
Published Primary Sources includes a selection of books, serials, and audio recordings that
date from the first few decades of the industry. For additional published materials, please
conduct a Mirlyn Catalog search.
Visual materials contains photo collections and motion picture films that document some aspect
of the auto industry, including gas stations, auto accidents, and early automobile models.
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Executives and Management
Avery, Clarence Willard
 C. W. Avery papers, 1927-1949.
 1 linear ft. and 1 oversize folder.
Corporation executive of Detroit, Michigan, associated with Ford Motor Company and
Murray Corporation of America, and member of the board of Federal Reserve Bank of
Chicago.
Correspondence, speeches, citations, and newspaper clippings, relating to personal
affairs, labor-management relations, and Avery's activities during World War II.
Correspondents include Edsel B. Ford.
Mirlyn Catalog Record
Budd Company.
 Budd Company records, 1912-1951, bulk 1920-1923.
 1.25 linear feet in 2 boxes and 3 outsize volumes.
Stainless steel and automobile components fabrication company. Founded in
Philadelphia, Penn., in 1912, purchased a plant in Detroit, Mich. in 1925, and moved its
headquarters to Troy, Mich., in 1972.
Administrative files including manuals and contracts. Also a 1913-1914 credit and cash
book, including payroll, for a Budd Detroit factory; a credit and cash book for 1913-
1914, and a general ledger dated 1920-1923.
Finding aid .
Chapin, Roy Dikeman

 Roy Dikeman Chapin papers, 1886-1937.
 32 linear ft. and 7 v. [outsize].
President of Hudson Motor Car Company and U.S. Secretary of Commerce, 1932-1933.
Correspondence, speeches, articles, interviews, business papers, receipts, scrapbooks,
photographs, and miscellaneous items of Chapin, his wife, and his biographer, John C.
Long, concerning family matters, highway transportation, the automobile industry,
general economic conditions, foreign trade, World War I, national defense, state and
national politics, the Republican Party, and the University of Michigan; also extensive
papers concerning the Hudson Motor Car Company, including information on
management policies, production, and labor organizing. Correspondents include:
Frederick M. Alger, Bernard Baruch, Henry M. Bates, Frederick O. Bezner, Wilber M.
Brucker, William L. Clements, James J. Couzens, John D. Dingell, Woodbridge N.
Ferris, Harvey S. Firestone, Carl G. Fisher, Arthur Fleming, Edsel B. Ford, Samuel
Gompers, Warren G. Harding, Paul G. Hoffman, Herbert Hoover, Joseph L. Hudson,
Cordell Hull, Harry B. Hutchins, Pyke Johnson, Henry B. Joy, Frank Knox, Albert D.
Lasker, Henry M. Leland, Clarence C. Little, James O. Murfin, Truman H. Newberry,
Chase S. Osborn, George P. Putnam, Alfred L. Reeves, Edward V. Rickenbacker, John
D. Rockefeller, Jr., George W. Romney, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Alfred P. Sloan, Lewis L.
Strauss, Julian L. Street, Arthur H. Vandenberg, Albert E. White, Leonard Wood,
William H. Woodin, Fielding H. Yost.
Finding aid
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Chapin, Roy D., Jr.
 Roy D. Chapin, Jr., papers, 1942-1978.
 21 linear ft.
Papers of Roy D. Chapin, Jr., chairman of the board of American Motors Corporation.
Personal correspondence, speeches, papers relating to international business operations of
AMC and its divisions, and photographs.
Finding aid
Cocks, J. Fraser
 J. Fraser Cocks papers, 1953 and 1972.
 .2 linear ft.
Comptroller of the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation.
Reports and memos relating to the company's automobile and air craft operations at
Willow Run, Michigan, in 1953; history of the corporation from 1945 to 1953; and
miscellaneous.
Cross, Richard E.
 Richard E. Cross papers, 1936-1975.
 .1 linear ft.
Born in Wisconsin in 1910, Richard E. Cross, businessman and lawyer, was a director at
American Motors Corporation and Packer Corporation. He was CEO of AMC from 1962
to 1965. Cross participated in many civic activities, including serving as chairman of
Detroit Commission on Community Relations from 1958 to 1964.
The papers contain transcripts of several speeches given by Cross, including one given to
AMC and two when he filled in on the Lou Gordon radio show. Also included are some
correspondence, and a diary from Cross's first trip to Europe in 1949.
Dodge Brothers
 Dodge Brothers contract, 1903.
 1 item
Business partnership of John and Horace Dodge, automobile supply manufacturers.
Typescript copy of an agreement between Dodge Brothers and the Ford Motor Company
for the manufacture of automobile motors.
Donner, Frederic G.
 Frederic G. Donner papers, 1921-1983.
 .75 linear ft. and 1 oversize folder.
Chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the General Motors Corporation.
Addresses given, annual reports, letters to stockholders, biography, and photographs.
Finding aid
Dort Motor Car Company
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 Dort Motor Car Company record books, 1914-1922.
 3 v. in 1 box
Flint automobile company, founded by J. Dallas Dort.
Minutes of directors' meetings and annual stockholders' meetings.
Finding aid
Dreyfuss, Allan L., 1919-2011.

 Allan L. Dreyfuss papers, 1948-1991.
 4.5 linear feet.
Foreign correspondent for Reuters stationed in Germany after World War II; speech-
writer for New York mayor Robert F. Wagner and for executives of the Ford Motor
Company; member of the Public Affairs staff of the New Detroit Committee.
The Allan Dreyfuss collection has been arranged into the following series: Career (prior
to 1963); Articles/Speeches written; New Detroit Committee; Ford Motor Company; and
Political. The bulk of the papers relate to his work after 1963 when he came to work with
the Ford Motor Company as a speech writer for the company's top executives: Henry
Ford II, Alex Trotman, Donald Petersen, H. A. Poling, among others. There are also
subject files, reports, and notes of meetings relating to the work of New Detroit.
Finding aid
General Motors Corporation.

 Our share holders invest in tomorrow, ca. 1955.
 1 film reel (ca. 20 min.):
In late 1953 GM makes an agreement with 330 banking firms to help make an investment
in GM. This is an inside look at how stock was offered to GM's stockholders in January
of 1954. By March 7, 1954 $325+ million in stock had been issued -- the greatest
financial stock sale in history. By the end of 1954 approximately $1.5 billion had been
invested. Concludes with President (?) of GM relaying how GM's expansion program
will benefit company.
General Motors Corporation. Dept. of Public Relations.

 General Motors Corporation, Dept. of Public Relations records, 1941-1952 and 1955.
 4 linear ft.
Minutes of the Public Relations Planning Committee, and of the Public Relations Policy
Committee; also manual, 1955, of the Manpower Planning Program.
Finding aid
Gerstenberg, Richard C.
 Richard Charles Gerstenberg papers, 1932-1988.
 .8 linear ft.
Automobile executive, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of General
Motors Corporation, 1972-1974.
Speeches and transcripts of radio commentaries, 1968-1976; published articles; articles
and clippings about him; scattered correspondence; and photographs.
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Gossett, William T.
 William T. Gossett papers, 1925-1987.
 19 linear ft.
Lawyer with the Bendix Corporation and the Ford Motor Company, and member of
numerous legal and public service organizations.
Speeches, articles and public statements; material relating to his activities with the
American Bar Association, the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and other
legal groups concerning his interest in such topics as business ethics, campus government
and student dissent in the 1960s, electoral college reform, and legal education; and
material detailing his involvement in public service organizations concerned largely with
civil rights and education; contracts, agreements, and other documentation relating to
reorganization of Wesco Corporation (later National Theatres Corporation), 1933-1936;
and reorganization of Fox Film Corporation and Twentieth Century Pictures, July-August
1935; also papers of Elizabeth Gossett relating to her public activities; and photographs.
Finding aid
Hopkins, Spencer D.
 Spencer D. Hopkins papers, ca. 1950-1974.
Spencer D. Hopkins was head of sales for General Motors and in charge of Motorama,
General Motors' traveling auto show, and Powerama, a 1955 diesel power show. Hopkins
retired in 1957.
Autobiography and papers and photographs relating to Motorama and Powerama (mainly
photocopies); also an audio cassette of two radio interviews (1955 and 1956) relating to
Powerama.
Hudson Motor Car Company

 Hudson Motor Car Company records, 1910-1943.
 .2 linear ft.
Detroit, Mich. automobile company.
Minutes, 1910-1911, of production, sales, engineering and executive committees; general
order file, 1910-1913, detailing company policies and decisions; and other scattered
records, including articles of incorporation, stockholders reports, and employee contracts.
Joy, Henry Bourne.

 Henry Bourne Joy papers, 1883-1937.
 19 linear ft., 2 oversize folders, and 2 oversize v.
President of the Packard Motor Company.
Correspondence concerning his business activities in Detroit, Michigan, his support of
the Lincoln Highway Association, his campaign against the Eighteenth Amendment
(Prohibition), and his interest in the Federal Council of Churches; also business letter
books, 1888-1892, and 1902-1903; photograph album, 1915, concerning automobile trip
from Detroit to San Francisco; scrapbooks, 1883-1937, containing newspaper clippings
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and articles relating to the development of the automobile industry, national economic
affairs and Republican politics; and collection of printed pamphlets and newsletters,
1927-1936, of conservative individuals and organizations, including the American
Coalition, American Liberty League, the Vigilant Intelligence Federation, the Daughters
of the American Revolution, Elizabeth Dilling, Robert E. Edmonson, the Industrial
Defense Association, the National Civic Federation, and the Union League of Michigan.
Correspondents include: James J. Couzens, Elizabeth Dilling, Warren G. Harding,
Charles E. Hughes, Edward Hunter, Harry A. Jung, Alfred M. Landon, Andrew W.
Mellon, Truman H. Newberry, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, Elihu Root,
William H. Slayton, and William H. Taft.
Finding aid
Kaiser-Frazer Corp.
 Kaiser-Frazer scrapbook, 1946.
 1 volume
Michigan automobile company, established 1945; result of a partnership between Joseph
Frazier and Henry Kaiser.
Newspaper clippings relating to the activities of Kaiser and Frazer automobile
distributors.
Marr, Walter L. (Walter Lorenzo), 1865-1941.

 Walter L. Marr papers, [19--].
 1 folder.
Engineer with Buick Motor Company.
Biographical sketch and copies of family photographs.
Mott, Charles Stewart

 Charles S. Mott papers, 1896-1973.
 40 microfilm reels
Executive with the General Motors Corporation, and Flint civic leader and philanthropist.
Materials relating to his business career and his charitable and philanthropic activities.
Price, Hickman
 Hickman Price papers, 1918-1968.
 13 linear ft.
Hickman Price, Jr., executive with the Kaiser-Frazer Corp., later with Willys Motor Inc
Corporate correspondence, including files concerning his work with Willys-Overland in
Brazil; also materials relating to his interest in Latin America, including summary reports
prepared for President-elect Kennedy in 1960; miscellaneous correspondence with Adlai
Stevenson; and photographs.
Finding aid
Romney, George W.
12
 George W. Romney pre-gubernatorial subgroup, 1939-1962.
 21 linear ft.
President of American Motors, governor of Michigan.
Subgroup includes biographical information; personal, family, and church
correspondence; speeches and articles; files from his service with Nash-Kelvinator and
American Motors; and subject files detailing civic involvement with Citizens for
Michigan, revision of the Michigan constitution, and his gubernatorial campaign in 1962.
Finding aid
Sackett, Ray Carleton

 Ray Carleton Sackett papers, 1896-1966.
 2.2 linear ft. and 3 v. [outsize].
Detroit, Michigan automobile executive.
Correspondence, 1927-1966, autobiographical sketch, 1965, and assorted newspaper
clippings and miscellanea; also scrapbooks, 1896-1958, containing newspaper clippings,
correspondence, photographs, and memorabilia relating to University of Michigan and
the automobile industry.
Schwab, Fred E.
 Fred E. Schwab papers, 1930-2009.
 2 linear feet and 1 oversize folder.
Fred E. Schwab was an influential member of the plastics manufacturing community in
the Detroit area. A German immigrant, he opened and ran several plastics manufacturing
businesses and was a founding member of the Society of Plastics Engineers.
The collection contains personal materials, most notably files relating to Schwab's
emigration from Germany prior to World War II and correspondence (mostly in German)
with attorney Hugo Emmerich regarding property claims against Germany. The
collection also includes files pertaining to Schwab's plastics manufacturing business,
Schwab & Frank and Schwab Plastics, in addition to advertising materials for both
companies.
Finding aid
Stempel, Robert C. (Robert Carl), 1933-2011.

 Robert C. Stempel papers, 1965-2007.
 56 linear feet, 1 oversize folder, and 2 motion picture reels.
Designer and automotive engineer with the General Motors Corporation; he later
assumed increasing responsibilities within the company as president and chief operating
officer and then chairman and chief executive officer. After leaving GM, he became
chairman of Energy Conversion Devices (ECD).
The Stempel collection documents his work with GMC and ECD and includes minutes of
meetings, company memoranda and correspondence, speeches and other various
presentations, publications, and photographs and other visual materials. Files from the
1970s concern the development of the catalytic converter and the study of automotive
emissions and air polution. Subsequent files document his rise within the company and
the period when he was chief executive officer. The ECD files relate to the development
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of the company, electric vehicles and other technological innovations, and to Stempel's
association with Stanford Ovshinsky. Portions of the collection detail other business and
public service affiliations, including Stempel's association with the National Commission
Against Drunk Driving, the Council of Great Lakes Industries, the Oakland County
Business Roundtable, the Great Lakes Alliance, and as a member of Presidential Business
Delegation to Asia and the Pacific (1991-1992).
Finding aid
Townsend, Lynn Alfred

 Lynn A. Townsend papers, 1959-1978.
 2 linear feet and 2 oversize volumes.
Chrysler Corporation executive.
Speeches, clippings, photographs and articles by or about Townsend and the Chrysler
Corporation.
Finding aid
Wilcox, Jack H.
 Jack H. Wilcox papers, 1947-1951.
 5 linear in.
Staff member in the Job Analysis and Evaluation Section, Lincoln-Mercury Division,
Ford Motor Company.
Job descriptions; reports relating to proposed salaried union program; and progress
reports of Industrial Relations Department.
14
Automobile Workers and Labor Relations
Automobile Labor Board
 Automobile Labor Board records, 1934-1935.
 5.5 linear ft.
U.S. automotive labor industry regulating body
Stenographic reports of hearings before the Board.
Downs, Tom
 Tom Downs papers, 1947-2007.
 18 linear ft.
Legal advisor to the Michigan A.F.L.-C.I.O. and the Democratic State Central
Committee; vice chairman of the Michigan Constitutional Convention, 1961-1962; and
member of the Michigan Employment Security Commission, 1949-1965.
Correspondence, minutes, reports and newspaper clippings concerning the
administrations of Michigan governors G. Mennen Williams and John B. Swainson, the
problems of employment and unemployment, and the recount of the 1962 gubernatorial
election in Minnesota won by Karl Rolvaag. Visual materials series includes
photographs, 1961-62, and three videotapes (VHS) interviews, 1995, with UAW
president Douglas Fraser and vice president Irving Bluestone regarding their activities
within the UAW, and interview with state Democratic party official Adelaide Hart
regarding her career. The series also includes audiotape cassettes and transcripts of the
three interviews.
Finding aid
Employment Transition Program (University of Michigan)

 Employment Transition Program (University of Michigan) records. 1979-1998.
 7 linear ft.
The Employment Transition Program (ETP) was an applied and experimental program
focusing on employment relationships, particularly in the automobile industry. ETP was
one of the initial grant-funded studies and came to serve as an umbrella title for several
subsequent grants including studies involving the United Auto Workers and Ford Motor
Company. ETP was established by Jeanne P. Gordus.
ETP records include grant proposals (funded and non-funded), training manuals,
publications, and project development files relating to studies on unemployment and
intervention training programs for displaced auto workers, including life education
planning programs and life education advisors.
Finding aid
Frank, Arlene J.
 The Women's Department of the United Auto Workers, 1977.
 1 item
Student in the Women's Studies Program at the University of Michigan.
Student term paper.
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Grant, Robert
 Robert Grant interview, July 30, 1963.
 16 p.
Machinist with the early autombile companies.
Reminiscences and critical commentary on the activities of Henry Ford and James
Couzens and the growth of the Ford Motor Company.
Griffith, Gregory A.
 The Ford Motor Company bomber plant at Willow Run: A wartime experience, 1980.
 30 pages
Unpublished manuscript.
Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations (University of Michigan-Wayne State

University): Unionism in the Automobile Industry Project
 Unionism in the Automobile Industry Project interviews, 1959-1963.
 130 vol.
Transcripts of interviews conducted with Michigan labor leaders by staff of University of
Michigan and Wayne State University Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations.
Concerns activities of the U.A.W., its organizing efforts, sit-down strikes of the 1930's,
and policies of the Union during World War II. Include interviews with: George F.
Addes, Louis H. Adkins, John W. Anderson, Kenneth F. Bannon, John Bartee, Charles K.
Beckman, Jack A. Beni, Raymond H. Berndt, Mrs. Dorothy H. Bishop, Merlin D.
Bishop, Stanley W. Brams, Norman W. Bully, George Burt, Ed Carey, Arthur R. Case,
James M. Cleveland, Richard Coleman, Charles T. Conway, Jack T. Conway, Alexander
Cook, James G. Couser, Harold A. Cranefield, Lawrence S. Davidow, Len DeCaux, Nick
Digaetano, Joseph B. Ditzel, James F. Doherty, Tracy M. Doll, Dominic Dornetto, John
Eldon, Frank Fagen, Jess Ferrazza, Joseph Ferris, Bert Foster, Everett Francis, Richard T.
Frankensteen, Elmer Freitag, Mort Furay, Daniel M. Gallagher, Nat Ganley, Catherine
Gelles, William L. Genske, Adolph F. Germer, Josephine Gomon, Murvel Grant, Pat
Greathouse, Stanley J. Gregory, Carl Haessler, Fred V. Haggard, Edward Hall, Matthew
B. Hammond, Richard E. Harris, Joseph Hattley, Arthur Hughes, William Humphreys,
Jack R. Hurst, R. C. Ingram, Forrest L. Innes, Martin Jensen, Clayton E. Johnson, Lester
Johnson, Robert Kanter, Harvey Kitzman, Tom Klasey, Leonard E. Klue, Theodore
LaDuke, Russell Leach, Ed Lee, Al Leggat, Elizabeth McCracken, John K. McDaniel,
John McGill, Frank Manfred, Michael J. Manning, Frank Marquart, Norman R.
Matthews, Joseph Mattson, Russell J. Merrill, George Merrelli, Lewis H. Michener.
Include interviews with: Paul E. Miley, Andrew Montgomery, Ken Morris, Wyndham
Mortimer, Stanley Nowak, James Oddie, Clayton O'Donohue, Cyril O'Halloran, William
H. Oliver, Patrick J. O'Malley, Joseph F. Pagano, F. R. Palmer, John Panzner, William
Payne, Orrin H. Peppler, Joseph Piconke, Leon Pody, Adam Poplawksi, Gene Prato,
Edward Purdy, Walter H. Quillico, Philip Raymond, May Reuther, Victor G. Reuther,
Herbert H. Richardson, John F. Ringwald, Arthur E. Rohan, James A. Roland, Harry
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Ross, Paul Russo, Samuel Sage, Frank J. Sahorkse, Walter Schilling, Leo D. Shaffer, Bud
Simons, Samuel D. Smith, Harry Southwell, Roy H. Speth, William Stevenson, Carl A.
Swanson, Shelton Tappes, I. Paul Taylor, R. J. Thomas, Hugh Thompson, Frank B.
Tuttle, Art Vega, Ray Vess, Frank Wallemann, Jack Wilse, Leonard Woodcock, Charles
E. Yaeger, Elmer Yenney, Lawrence Yost, and John A. Zaremba.
Finding aid
McCord, Carey Pratt

 Carey P. McCord papers, 1913-1978.
 5.5 linear ft.
Industrial hygienist, consultant and lecturer in environmental and industrial health in the
School of Public Health of the University of Michigan.
Logs of daily activities, 1936-1961, correspondence relating to consulting projects,
speech and lecture material, and research files on lead poisoning and the effects of air
conditioning on workers; history of occupational health at the University of Michigan,
1873-1970, history of the American Academy of Occupational Medicine, 1946-1956;
study of automobile body industry in Detroit, 1936; and related photographs.
Finding aid
Second Baptist Church (Detroit, Mich.)

 Second Baptist Church records, 1911-1989
 14 microfilm reels, 1 folder
Oldest Black church in Michigan.
Annual reports, financial records, histories, minutes of advisory board meetings, pastoral
correspondence, annual and quarterly publications, and weekly bulletins; include files of
pastors Robert L. Bradby, Sr. and Allan A. Banks, Jr. detailing in part their efforts in
finding employment for members of Detroit's black community, especially with the Ford
Motor Company; and photographs.
Finding aid
Shafer, Hartley Clifton

 Hartley Clifton Shafer papers, 1968-1970 and undated.
 .25 linear ft.
Resident of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Reminiscences of his experiences working as a machinist in the early automobile industry
in Detroit and as an inspector during World War I; also notes on the Shafer family and
photographs
Tessmer, Raymond.
 Proceedings of the trial of the People vs. Raymond Tessmer, 1939.
Raymond Tessmer, member of the United Auto Workers and supporter of former union
president Homer Martin. Tessmer was accused of criminal libel by Maurice Sugar, the
union's general counsel under president R. J. Thomas. Tessmer was represented by Larry
Davidow, a union attorney identified with Martin. The case revolved around issues of
17
Communism in the UAW. The trial took place in Detroit Recorder's Court, before Judge
Thomas M. Cotter.
Trial transcript. The transcript is incomplete, ending at p. 236 and lacking a portion of the
judge's charge to the jury.
A photocopy of the transcript is available for research use. The original is in the vault.
This original transcript has apparently been retyped from another copy with different
page divisions.
UAW-Ford University
 UAW-Ford University records, 1995-2001.
 1.5 linear ft.
An outgrowth of education counseling programs developed by the University of
Michigan School of Social Work aimed at UAW members in Ford plants, UAW-Ford
University offers a university-style approach to workplace education and training through
distance education and internet technologies. Program includes involvement with
Dearborn campus.
Records detail the development of plant-based educational counseling and training
programs, negotiations with UAW and Ford, plant-level studies, reports, and samples of
educational resources and course content, including seven CD-ROMs containing multi-
media course material.
Finding aid
18
Consumers and Marketing
Catalogs of Michigan-based automobile companies
 5 boxes
 Trade catalogs from the following companies: Aerocar Company of Detroit, Alden
Sampson Manufacturing Company, Alpena Motor Car Company, American Voiturette
Company, Anderson Electric Car Company, Anhut Motor Car Company, C.H.
Blomstrom Motor Company, Briggs-Detroiter Company, Buick Motor Company,
Cadillac Motor Car Company, Chalmers-Detroit Motor Company, Chevrolet Motor Car
Company, Chrysler Corporation, Church Manufacturing Company, Cole Motor Car
Company, Colonial Automobile Company, Commerce Motor Car Company, Courier Car
Company, Day Automobile Company, Demotcar Sales Company, Detroit-Dearborn
Motor Car Company, Dort Motor Car Company, Durant Motors, Inc., E-M-F Company,
Flint Motor Company, Dodge Brothers, Ford Motor Company, H. H. Franklin
Manufacturing Company, General Motors Corporation (Buick Motor Division, Cadillac
Motor Car Division, Chevrolet Motor Division, Oldsmobile Division, Pontiac Motor
Division), Graham-Paige Motors Corporation, Harrison Wagon Company, Herreshoff
Motor Company, Huber Automobile Company, Hudson Motor Car Company, Hupp
Motor Car Company, Jackson Automobile Company, Johnson Service Company, Kaiser
Frazer Corp., King Motor Car Company, Kissel Motor Car Company, K-R-I-T Motor Car
Company, LeBaron, Inc., Lewis Spring & Axle Company, Lincoln Motor Company
(Detroit, Mich.), Lion Motor Car Company, Metzger Motor Car Company, Michigan
Automobile Company, Michigan Motor Car Manufacturing Company, Munson
Company, Nash Motors Company, National Motor Vehicle Company, Oakland Motor
Car Company, Olds Motor Works, Packard Motor Car Company, Paige-Detroit Motor
Car Company, W.A. Paterson Company, Reo Motor Car Company, Saxon Motor Car
Company, Springfield Body Company, Studebaker Corporation, E.R. Thomas Detroit
Company, Warren Motor Car Company, Welch Motor Car Company, Willys-Overland
Motors, Inc., Winton Motor Carriage Company.
 Finding aid
Catalogs of Michigan-based motor truck companies

 1 box
 Trade catalogs from the following truck manufacturers: Chevrolet Motor Car Company,
Chrysler Corporation, Dodge Brothers, Durant Motors, Inc., Electric Truck Company,
Fargo Motor Corporation, Federal Motor Truck Company, Ford Motor Company,
General Motors Corporation, General Motors Truck Company, Geneva Wagon
Company, Grabowsky Power Wagon Company, Graham Brothers, Holson Motor Patents
Company, Hudson Motor Car Company, International Harvester Company, J.L. Clark
Manufacturing Co., Martin-Parry Corporation, Metropolitan Body Company, Motor
Wagon Company, Packard Motor Car Company, Rapid Motor Vehicle Company,
Reliance Motor Truck Company, Reo Motor Car Company.
 Finding aid
Chrysler Group LLC.
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 Chrysler Eminem Super Bowl commercial collection [electronic resource], 2011.
 2 CD-ROMs.
 Downloaded copy (MPEG4) of Chrysler commercial aired during the 2011 Super Bowl
titled either "Imported from Detroit" or "Born of Fire." The commercial features views of
Detroit, Eminem, and the Selected of God Choir. The commercial advertises the Chrysler
200. The collection also includes stills from the commercial (TIFF) and creative credits.
 Mirlyn Catalog Record
Dalgleish family.
 Dalgleish family business records, 1929-2013, bulk 1950s-1990s.
 1.3 linear feet (in 2 boxes including outsize)
 The Dalgleish family owned automobile dealership businesses in Detroit, Mich. since the
1920s. The first dealership, Charlie's Nash. was the oldest Nash dealership in Detroit, one
of the two oldest Nash dealerships in Michigan, and at one point the largest Nash
dealership in the world. Other businesses owned by the family include Charlie's
Oldsmobile, Dalgleish Cadillac Oldsmobile, Dalgleish Peugeot. Dalgleish Cadillac
closed its doors in 2010, the last Cadillac dealership in Detroit.
 Records of automobile dealerships owned by the Dalgleish family: advertising and
customer care correspondence, business correspondence, newspaper clippings and
articles, photographs, and artifacts.
 Finding aid .
Henry, Charles Roswell

 Charles Roswell Henry papers, 1905-1906.
 75 items and 1 v.
 Alpena, Michigan, attorney.
 Letterbook, Aug.-Dec. 1905, and miscellaneous correspondence and other materials,
1905-1906, relating to his law practice and personal affairs, especially the maintenance of
a new Model C Winton automobile.
Hopkins, Spencer D.
 Spencer D. Hopkins papers, ca. 1950-1974.
 Spencer D. Hopkins was head of sales for General Motors and in charge of Motorama,
General Motors' traveling auto show, and Powerama, a 1955 diesel power show. Hopkins
retired in 1957.
 Autobiography and papers and photographs relating to Motorama and Powerama (mainly
photocopies); also an audio cassette of two radio interviews (1955 and 1956) relating to
Powerama.
Millspaugh, J. L.
 J. L. Millspaugh papers, 1918.
 1 folder
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 Battle Creek and Chelsea, Michigan, businessman, dealer of the Hollier automobile for
western Michigan.
 Correspondence from C. J. McCarty concerning debt owed by McCarty, a Muskegon,
Michigan, dealer, with comments on the Hollier automobile and Millspaugh's dealership.
Newton, Charles Tyley

 Charles T. Newton papers, 1907-1947.
 4 linear ft.
 Ypsilanti, Michigan automobile salesman, antique collector for Greenfield Village, and
real estate agent for the Ford Motor Company.
 Correspondence, newspaper clippings, and pamphlet material concerning his work for
Ford Motor Company, and his interest in William H. McGuffey and Stephen Foster; and
photographs.
 Finding aid
Staebler, Edward William

 Edward William Staebler papers, 1906-1952
 4 linear ft.
 Ann Arbor, Michigan businessman and Democratic mayor of the city, 1927-1931.
 Mayoralty files; papers, 1922-1926, concerning the Ann Arbor Board of Education; also
papers, 1922-1952, of Staebler and Son, automobile dealership; also photographs.
 Finding aid
Staebler, Michael
 Michael Staebler papers, 1872-1934.
 13.5 linear ft.
 Ann Arbor, Michigan businessman, dealer in coal, farm machinery, bicycles, and
automobiles.
 Correspondence, letterbooks, and various record books of Ann Arbor business enterprises
owned and established by Michael Staebler and his family including Staebler and Elmer,
Michael Staebler and Son, and Staebler and Sons. Records include coal sales to Ann
Arbor residents, 1890-1903, record books of bicycle and automobile sales, 1890s-1930s,
papers relating to the Michigan and Indiana Retail Coal Association, and miscellaneous
papers of E. W. Staebler relating to his interest in cycling and the League of American
Wheelman.
 Finding aid
Staebler and Sons (Ann Arbor, Mich.)

 Staebler and Sons records, 1914-1974..
 0.5 linear feet and 1 oversize volume.
 Corporation established by Staebler family members in Ann Arbor, Mich., to sell and
repair automobiles, bicycles, and other vehicles. The purpose of the firm was later
broadened to include the buying, selling, and renting of real estate. The firm was
dissolved in 1973.
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 Minutes of meetings of stockholders, 1914-1973; financial records; various Staebler
family warranty deeds.
Woody, Woodrow W.
 Woodrow W. and Ann Woody papers, 1931-1998..
 0.6 linear feet and 1 oversize folder.
 Arab American automobile dealer in Hamtramck, Mich., active in the Republican Party
and Arab American organizations.
 Letters between Woody and various public figures (presidents, senators, etc.), primarily
thank yous and form and courtesy responses; also a speech, scrapbooks containing
clippings, photographs, and other materials relating to the Hillcrest Wolverine Open golf
tournament, newspaper clippings and photographs.
 Finding aid
22
Research and Development
Cole, David E.
 David E. Cole papers, 1951-2003.
 48 linear ft.
Chairman of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR); formerly director of the
University of Michigan's Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation (OSAT) and
professor of Mechanical Engineering; fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers
(SAE) who served on the Board of Directors; chairman of the Automotive Hall of Fame;
Management Partner of Altarum; served on the Energy Engineering Board of the
National Research Council, the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Pact Select Panel and the NASA
Space Systems and Technical Advisory Committee; an automotive consultant interested
in manufacturer-supplier relations, vehicle design, internal combustion engines and
strategic automotive industry issues.
Professional files relating to his activities as the director of the Office for the Study of
Automotive Transportation (OSAT) and his consulting work. The collection is arranged
in nine series: University of Michigan; Associations and Government; Company Files;
Correspondence; Research; Speaking Engagements; Publications, Papers and Clippings;
Topical Files; and Audio-Visual Materials. Of particular interest are the Company Files
and Association and Government series, which document Cole's consulting activities for
various companies and organizations such as General Motors, Johnson Controls and
Ernst & Young, and his involvement in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The
University of Michigan series documents Cole's involvement in the Traverse City
Management Briefing Seminar and the Joint U.S.-Japan Automotive Study. The
collection includes Cole's correspondence during his role as the Director of OSAT and
materials from his various speaking engagements. The Research series contains materials
describing Cole's research on the Wankel engine and his consulting work for Bendix.
Finding aid
Cole, Robert E.
 Robert E. Cole papers, 1982-1984.
 2 linear ft.
Director of the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Michigan; co-head with
Keiichi Oshima of the Joint United States and Japan Automotive Study.
Background files; reports; and records relating to meetings, surveys, and fieldwork of the
joint study.
Finding aid
Hook, Ira Thomas, 1887-1976.

 Ira T. Hook ledger, 1914-1917.
Graduate of the University of Michigan College of Engineering, class of 1913. After
graduation, Hook worked as an experimental engineer for General Motors.
Ledger volume containing various metallurgical tests undertaken at General Motors,
including tensile properties summaries.
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Huebner, George J.
 George J. Huebner papers, 1954-1976.
 1 linear ft.
Papers of George J. Huebner, Jr., Chief of Engineering Research at the Chrysler
Corporation, promoter of gas turbine engine research in the automobile industry.
Jouppi, Arvid
 Arvid Jouppi papers, 1940-1987
 24 linear ft.
Detroit, Michigan, businessman, researcher and analyst of the automotive and related
industry.
Collection includes correspondence, topical files, and other papers documenting his Wall
Street career and his management of Arvid Jouppi Associates; subgroups in the collection
include: Personal; Chronological; Early Career; Hayden, Stone; William C. Roney and
Company; Delafield Childs, Inc.; Arvid Jouppi Associates; and Writings.
Finding aid
Kent, Charles Edwin.

 Charles Edwin Kent papers, 1944-1990, bulk 1957-1980.
 7.5 linear feet (in 8 boxes including outsize).
Resident of Ann Arbor, Mich., graduate of the University of Michigan College of
Engineering and employee of Bendix Corporation and Strand Engineering Corporation,
who worked on automotive, communications, weaponry, and space research, including
the first APOLLO Lunar Surface Mission.
Personal files include material related to his wife Nancy L. Kent, his studies at the
University of Michigan (course materials, printed items, his and Nancy's scrapbooks), as
well as his resumes and professional biographical sketches. Professional files consist of
material related to Kent's tenure at Strand Engineering and Bendix, and include research
files, administrative files, memoranda, and bound reports.
Finding aid
Lay, Walter Edwin

 Walter E. Lay papers, ca. 1889-1993
 2 linear ft. and 2 outsized v.
Professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan, a founder of the
Automotive Engineering Laboratory (now the Walter E. Lay Auto Laboratory).
Collection includes examinations; lecture notes; problem sets; research files; files relating
to the building and expansion of the department of mechanical engineering and the
Automotive Engineering Laboratory; and visual materials.
Finding aid
Marks, Craig.
 Craig Marks papers, 1951-2008.
 2 linear ft.
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Chief engineer for General Motors Corporation; instrumental in the development of the
hydrogen fuel cell and GMC's electric vehicles, the Electrovan and the Electrovair.
Files relate to his work on the National Research Council's report on Corporate Average
Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards and his work with the National Academy of
Engineering's intelligent vehicle initiative; also files pertaining to the General Motors and
its electric vehicle program.
Finding aid
Marr, Walter L. (Walter Lorenzo), 1865-1941.

 Walter L. Marr papers, [19--].
 1 folder.
Engineer with Buick Motor Company.
Biographical sketch and copies of family photographs.
Parsons, Carl Berger.

 Carl B. Parsons papers, 1914-1975 (scattered dates).
 9 items.
Typescript and photocopies of papers of Carl B. Parsons (originally spelled Persson),
automotive engineer of Chicago, Illinois and Detroit, Michigan.
Undated reminiscence of his life with comments on his childhood in Sweden, his
emigration to the United States in 1901, and his career in the carriage and automobile
industries; copy of letter to his daughter, 1931, also describing his emigration; and poetry,
photograph, and miscellaneous.
Reason, Walter M.
 Walter M. Reason papers, 1909-1914.
 1 linear ft.
Court reporter for 6th Circuit Court in Pontiac, Michigan.
Correspondence concerning his invention of a puncture proof inner tube for automobile
tires.
Reynolds, Robert Albert

 Robert Albert Reynolds papers, 1934 and undated.
 10 items.
Detroit, Michigan automotive engineer and inventor.
Blueprints of inventions, patent applications, and printed material relating to Reynolds
Motor Company of Detroit, Michigan.
Ridgeway, Joseph W.
 Joseph W. Ridgeway papers, [ca. 1930]-1955.
 30 items
Automotive engineer with Cadillac Motor Car Company.
25
Notebooks concerning engine tests made in the 1930s, miscellaneous drawings, notes and
correspondence relating to development of propeller type flowmeter.
Smith, Donald N.
 Donald N. Smith papers, 1956-2001.
Donald N. Smith was Associate Director of the Office for the Study of Automotive
Transportation in the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. Smith
was interested in the technological innovations of numerical controls in manufacturing
and the machine tool industry.
Contains a chronicle of numeric control developments and a compilation of resources and
documents relating to the development and growth of the field including Smith's guide
"Numerical Control Innovation and Revolution: An Archival Research Aid," and an
autobiography of pioneer John T. Parsons.
Stockton, Thomas R.
 Thomas R. Stockton papers, 1917-2013, bulk 1950s-1990s.
 7.3 linear feet (including outsize).
Thomas R. Stockton (1921-2012) was the manager of Ford Powertrain and Driveline
research at Ford Motor Company in Michigan for 37 years.
Content includes Stockton's work papers and diagrams relating to turbine and rotary
engine research, Ford documents (ex. service manuals, project plans, in company
communications, etc.), his patents and invention disclosures, as well as documents and
photographs relating to his time as an officer of the Early Engine Club and a member of
the North American Model Engineering Society.
Finding aid
Tjaarda, Tom.
 Autobiography / by S. Thompson Tjaarda.
 [1977?]
 3, 227, 14, 6 pages : ms., photocopy ; 28 cm.
Tom Tjaarda is an American automobile designer working in Italy, 1958 graduate of the
University of Michigan.
Autobiography written in sections from 1958 to 1975, reflecting on his early years in the
auto industry, especially working with Ghia, Fiat, and Ford, along with his family life.
Removed from the David E. Davis papers, the document includes a transmittal note
addressed to Davis.
University of Michigan. Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation

 Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation (University of Michigan) records,
1981-1987.
 1 linear ft.
26
Research department exploring new developments in motor vehicle safety, transportation
policy, and sustainable automotive and transportation business strategies.
Correspondence, newsletters and other published materials, subject files, and other
records relating to the automotive industry of the United States, especially to its
competition with Japan.
Finding aid
University of Michigan. Solar Car Team.

 Solar Car Team (University of Michigan) records, 1985-[ongoing].
 13 linear ft.
Team of University of Michigan students who designed and built a solar-powered
automobile, and who raced it in various competitions.
Videos and photograph album detailing the building and racing of the "Sunrunner" car;
group reports; topical files; and binders containing newsletters and bulletins, and
administrative and technical information for the cars "Sunrunner" and "Maize and Blue."
Finding aid
Van den Broek, John Abraham

 John Abraham Van den Broek papers, 1905-1955.
 .5 linear ft.
Professor of mechanical engineering at University of Michigan.
Correspondence concerning University and departmental business, World War II research
projects, the American Society of Civil Engineering, and research projects of the
Hamilton Watch Company and Hayes Wheel Company.
Finding aid
27
Automobile Travel and Hobbyists
Arnold, Jennie Waterman.

 Jennie Waterman Arnold papers, 1913, 1964-1968, and undated.
 7 items
Traverse City, Michigan, resident.
Reminiscences of her life as a teacher in northern Michigan and her remembrance of
Woodbridge N. Ferris and Ferris Institute around 1914; reminiscences of the Hartwell
Waterman family; and miscellaneous historical writings; and typescript of letters (1913)
describing automobile trip from East Jordan Michigan to New York with comments on
scenery, roads, and the cars of that period.
Bayliss Public Library (Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.)

 Sault Sainte Marie collection, ca. 1802-1930.
 19 microfilm reels
Records, 1802-1884, of the American Fur Company at Mackinac Island; records of the
collector of customs; records concerning history of Mackinac Island, Sault Ste. Marie,
Chippewa County, and Mackinac County, including marriage records for Chippewa
County, 1824-1870, minutes of Chippewa County Automobile Association, 1917-1930,
and miscellaneous personal diaries.
Finding aid
Connable, Ralph
 Ralph Connable papers, 1900-1932.
 .2 linear ft. and 1 outsize folder.
Petoskey, Michigan, resident, later executive with Woolworths of Canada.
Correspondence, newsletters, speeches and other materials relating to his activities with
Woolworths, with the Victory Bond drive in Canada during World War I, and as an
advocate of a national purchasing board for Canada; also photographs and miscellanea
relating to his motor caravan; and family and genealogical materials.
Fink, William L.
 William L. Fink sound recording collection, 1976 September.
 1 audio cassette tape.
William L. Fink (1896-1992) was a 1921 engineering graduate of the University of
Michigan (Ph.D. 1926). He began working at the Aluminum Company of America
(Alcoa) in 1925, and became Chief of the Physical Metallurgy Division in 1943.
The collection consists of an oral history interview with William L. Fink conducted by
Carolyn Felton. The interview relates to growing up in Indiana. The Fink family were
very interested in automobiles and Fink talks about an early auto that was built by his
grandfather and some of the early road practices of operating an automobile. He learned
to drive when he was six years old and attended the first Indianapolis 500. He also tells of
watching Wilbur and Orville Wright demonstrate an airplane.
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Morrison, Minnie T.
 Minnie T. Morrison papers, 1920-1957.
 .5 linear ft.
Resident of Detroit, Michigan.
Scattered correspondence, three scrapbooks, reminiscences of Redford, and Detroit,
Michigan, histories of the Automobile Club of Michigan, various Detroit organizations,
especially women's clubs and St. Paul's and St. Christopher's Episcopal churches, and an
autograph book; and photographs.
Perkins, Marjorie Kedzie

 Flashlights from our Ford, [ca. 1922]
 1 item
Resident of Grand Rapids, Mich.
Journal of an automobile camping trip from Grand Rapids to New Mexico.
Schmidt, Carl Ernest

 Carl Ernest Schmidt scrapbooks, 1892-1935.
 3 linear ft. and 1 outsize v.
Detroit, Michigan, German-American businessman.
Newspaper clippings, printed articles, photographs, ink drawings,and handwritten
sections concerning his role on the Detroit Board of Police Commissioners, 1892-1894,
the State Board of Arbitration and Mediation, 1897-1898, and the State Forest Inquiry
Commission, 1907-1908; also material concerning travel to, and activities at, his Iosco
County, Michigan, retreat, Walhalla, and his experimental farm and recreation resort also
in Iosco County; and material concerning German-American social activities and
pacifism in World War I; the forest fire in Au Sable and Oscoda in 1911; and manuscript
written by Joseph Labadie on a 1909 trip taken with Carl Schmidt.
Finding aid
Schoening, Robert W., b. 1878.

 Robert W. Schoening papers, 1921-1923 and undated.
Resident of Saginaw, Mich., a saw filer at Saginaw Manufacturing Company; later shop
foreman, factory superintendent, and traveling salesman.
Article drafts describing a cross-country family trip in a Buick, 1919; manuscript of a
novel about business ethics titled "Red Biz;" letter to James Oliver Curwood; and other
writings.
Finding aid .
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Journalists
Boudette, Neal.
 Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor Morning Edition presents Neal Boudette, 2012 January 18.
 1 DVD (30 min.)
Neal Boudette is Detroit Bureau Chief for the Wall Street Journal.
Video of a presentation in which Boudette describes his experiences covering the
automobile industry.
Davis, David E., 1930-2011.

 David E. Davis papers, 1960-2009.
 20 linear feet (in 21 boxes including outsize) and 5 outsize film reels (16 mm and 35
mm).
David E. Davis was the editor and publisher of "Car and Driver" and the founder of
"Automobile Magazine." Davis got his start in the industry working in advertising at
"Road & Track" from 1957 to 1960. From 1960 to 1985, his career alternated between
Campbell-Ewald, a marketing and advertising agency (1960-1962 and 1967-1976), and
the magazine "Car and Driver" (1962-1967 and 1976-1985). In 1985 he found his own
publication, "Automobile Magazine," which remained under his leadership until the year
2000. Davis lived much of his life in Ann Arbor, Mich. and received an honorary
doctorate from the University of Michigan in 2004.
Correspondence, business files, text of speeches, collected clippings, photographs, floppy
and zip disks of speeches and other material; bound issues of "Automobile Magazine,"
and other materials related to Davis's professional and personal life. Also an oversize
watercolor painting of Davis.
Finding aid .
Dunne, Jim, 1931-

 Jim Dunne papers, 1969-2011, bulk 1974-1996.
 2 linear feet (in 4 boxes).
Jim Dunne is an automotive spy photographer and journalist. Throughout his forty-year
career he was writer and editor for several publications including Popular Science,
Popular Mechanics, and Road and Track magazines. He was also involved in automotive
track testing, and his methods are still used in national publications. He is mostly known
for his work taking and publishing photos of automobile models before their intended
public introduction. Because of his world-famous spy photography he has received
several awards and recognitions, such as the Road and Travel Magazine Lifetime
Achievement Award.
Articles and book written by Dunne; magazines and a digital slideshow featuring his
photographic work; photographs, slides, and negatives of various sizes feature the
hightlights from Jim Dunne's forty-year career. There are series of miscellaneous
materials including a press release from the Auto Writer's League of Detroit, a GM
proving grounds trespass statement, a letter regarding a profile written on Dunne, several
magazine photo clippings credited to Dunne, and a first issue reproduction of The
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Horseless Age. Also included in the collection are several publications that pay tribute to
Dunne's life and achievements.
Finding aid .
Gorman, Michael Arthur

 Michael Arthur Gorman papers, 1920-1958.
 2 linear ft.
Editor of the Flint (Mich.) Journal.
Correspondence and topical files concerning his newspaper career in Flint, the role of the
Flint Journal in the development of the city, the General Motors sit-down strike of 1937,
and the position of automobile industry to Flint; and photographs. Correspondents
include: Fred Allen, Albert E. Cobo, H. H. Curtice, Thomas E. Dewey, Dwight D.
Eisenhower, Frank D. Fitzgerald, Gerald R. Ford, E. P. Forrestal, Daniel F. Gerber,
Arthur Godfrey, Tom Harmon, Harlan Hatcher, Herbert Hoover, Helen Keller, William
S. Knudsen, Ann Landers, Charles A. Lindbergh, George Montgomery, Charles S. Mott,
Richard Nixon, Norman Rockwell, Dinah Shore, Kim Sigler, Lowell Thomas, Arthur
Vandenberg, and G. Mennen Williams.
Finding aid
Harbour, James E.
 James E. Harbour papers, 1977-2009.
 3 linear feet.
Automotive industry analyst; founder of The Harbour Report which was an analysis of
manufacturing performance in the automotive industry.
The Harbour collection concerns his work as an analyst of the automobile indurstry. In
addition to copies of The Harbour Report, the collection includes newspaper and
magazine articles written by Harbour or containing references to him, and files pertaining
to his participation at automobile related conferences. Also of interest are various
promotional and related materials surrounding the publication of his book Factory Man.
Finding aid .
Krebs, M. (Michelle)
 Michelle Krebs papers, 1984-2009..
 9.3 linear feet and 2 oversized items.
Michelle Krebs is an authority on the automotive industry, writes regularly for numerous
automotive publications, and is an adjunct professor at Detroit's College for Creative
Studies.
The collection includes her writings on the automobile industry, research materials
collected as part of her work, and promotional materials received from automobile
companies about new car models, mainly in the form of photographs, CDs, DVDs, and
videotapes.
Finding aid
Moody, Blair
 Blair Moody papers, 1928-1954 and undated.
 31 linear ft.
31
Detroit newspaperman and United States Senator from Michigan.
Correspondence chiefly with his wife, mother and other family members, concerning his
1952 senatorial campaign and his newspaper work in the United States and abroad during
World War II; also include Moody's record of voting in the Senate; appointment books;
scrapbooks of newspaper articles written by Moody and published for the most part in the
Detroit News and Barron's Weekly [34 vols.]; tape recordings; films; addresses; notes;
and miscellaneous newspaper articles and other materials; extensive correspondents; and
photographs.
Finding aid
32
Other Relevant Collections
Bennett, Wells Ira
 Wells I. Bennett papers, 1916-1965.
 3.4 linear ft. and 1 outsize folder.
Architect, professor and dean of the College of Architecture and Design of the University
of Michigan.
Professional papers, notebooks, sketches and architectural plans, and files on specific
building projects, including work on the Flint campus of the University of Michigan,
automobile parking structures, and miscellaneous Ann Arbor and University of Michigan
buildings; also records of various state and national architectural accreditation and
registration boards, especially the Michigan State Board of Registration for Architects,
Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors; and photographs
Finding aid
Brazer, Marjorie Cahn.

 Marjorie Cahn Brazer papers, 1955-1992.
 2 linear ft.
Secretary of the Ann Arbor (Mich.) Transportation Authority (AATA).
Minutes, 1969-1973, financial statements, reports, and photographs of the AATA largely
concerning the problems of mass transportation and the development of the "Dial-a-Ride"
system; also papers concerning the development of streets and automobile parking
facilities in the city.
Finding aid
Brown, William Ellis

 William E. Brown papers, 1923-1972.
 11 linear ft. and 3 v.
Republican mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1945-1957.
Correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings, and miscellanea concerning the off-street
system of parking, housing, the new city charter, the new Veterans Administration
Hospital, attempts to build a new city hall, his political campaigns, and his support of
Albert E. Cobo for governor of Michigan in 1956; also scrapbooks, 1945-1962,
containing newspaper clippings and other materials relating to his mayoralty; records of
his various Ann Arbor-based business firms, notably in real estate and automobile sales,
and photographs.
Finding aid
Carton, John Jay

 John J. Carton papers, 1883-1921.
 17 linear ft. and 3 v.
Flint, Michigan, attorney and Republican state representative.
Correspondence concerning the automotive industry, particularly the founding of General
Motors, state politics, and the Constitutional Convention of 1907-1908; also docket
books, 1883-1921, with record of cases handled by Carton and his partners.
Correspondents include: Frederick M. Alger, Russell A. Alger, James B. Angell, Albert J.
33
Beveridge, Aaron T. Bliss, John W. Blodgett, Everett L. Bray, Buick Motor Company,
Julius C. Burrows, Clarence M. Burton, Augustus C. Carton, Chevrolet Motor Company,
Walter P. Chrysler, Edwin Denby, Detroit United Railway, Luren D. Dickinson, Gerrit J.
Diekema, Dort Motor Car Company, Herbert H. Dow, William C. Durant, Durant-Dort
Carriage Co., Grant Fellows, Flint Gas Company, General Motors Corporation, Genesee
County War Board, Alexander J. Groesbeck, Lawton T. Hemans, Harry B. Hutchins,
Patrick H. Kelley, Paul H. King, Frank Knox, Thomas R. Marshall, Michigan
Manufacturers Association, Michigan Railroad Commission, Michigan State Bar
Association, Michigan War Preparedness Board, Charles S. Mott, Newspaper
Cartoonist?s Association of Michigan, Chase S. Osborn, Pere Marquette Railroad
Company, Miles Poindexter, William C. Procter, John T. Rich, Albert E. Sleeper, Henry
C. Smith, Samuel W. Smith, William Alden Smith, State League of Republican Clubs of
Michigan, Justis S. Stearns, Tawas Sugar Company, Charles E. Townsend, Arthur H.
Vandenberg, and Fred M. Warner.
Finding aid
Conard, Alfred Fletcher

 Alfred Fletcher Conard papers, 1959-1971.
 5 linear ft.
Professor of Law at the University of Michigan.
Records of his activities as president of the Association of American Law Schools,
including executive committee minutes, committee files, and other materials; also
research materials concerning automobile injury litigation. Boxes 4-5 contain files on
auto injury litigation.
Fine, Sidney, collector

 Sidney Fine collected research materials, ca. 1900-ca. 1970 (scattered).
 13 linear ft.
Professor of history at the University of Michigan.
Collected materials pertaining to his research interests; include materials relating to
automobile code of the N.R.A., including correspondence, memoranda, testimony,
minutes of the meetings of mediation and negotiation with the auto industry, and
decisions of the Automobile Labor Board; and copies of FBI and Justice Department files
relating to the 1967 Detroit riot.
Finding aid
Griffith, Walter T.
 Walter T. Griffith papers, undated.
 26 items
Resident of Detroit, Michigan.
Drawing of scenes of late nineteenth century Detroit, Michigan, together with attached
explanatory notes; also six manuscripts containing his reminiscences of Detroit and the
surrounding area and of the early automobile industry.
34
Hart, Philip A.
 Philip A. Hart papers, 1948-1976.
 281 linear ft., 3 oversize volumes and 2 oversize folders.
U.S. Senator from Michigan, 1959-1976.
Legislative, staff, and Press files; other records relating to operation of Hart office;
speeches and press releases; political materials detailing Democratic Party activities and
his election campaigns in 1964 and 1970; and photographs and films; include materials
documenting the legislative issues of the 1960s and 1970s, especially civil rights,
environmental protection, and the Vietnam War.
Finding aid
Kennedy, George Donald

 G. Donald Kennedy papers, 1928-1968.
 6 linear ft.
Civil engineer, Michigan state highway commissioner, and president of the Portland
Cement Company in Chicago.
Correspondence, speeches, scrapbooks, photographs, and reports relating to his
professional career; contain files relating to his work as municipal engineer in Pontiac,
with the Mackinac Straits Bridge Authority, the American Association of State Highway
Officials, the Automotive Safety Foundation, and the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan
Authority; include papers relating to highway and airport construction, to economic
mobilization during World War II, the Willow Run Bomber Plant, Democratic Party
politics, and the campaign visit of Franklin Roosevelt to Michigan in 1936.
Correspondents include: Prentiss M. Brown, Richard E. Byrd, Albert E. Cobo, Frederick
Delano, James A. Farley, Edward Jefferies, Edward H. Litchfield, Thomas H. McDonald,
Rodolfo Michelf, Frank Murphy, Chase Osborn, George Romney, Charles Sorenson,
Murray D. Van Wagoner, Henry A. Wallace, and G. Mennen Williams.
Finding aid
Littmann, David L.
 David L. Littmann papers, 1964-2006.
 13 linear feet and 1 oversized folder.
Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Comerica Bank, author of the bank's
monthly business brochure and numerous editorials, oft-quoted commentator.
The collection contains seven series: Biographical, Correspondence, Manuscripts,
Publications, Press, Speeches, and Audio Visual materials, relating to Michigan and the
national economy, tax policy, and the automobile industry.
Finding aid
May, George S.
 George S. May papers, 1946-1947, 1950-1951, and 1987-1999.
 2.2 linear ft.
Historian.
Files relating to his research on the history of the automobile in Michigan, including
tapes and transcripts of interviews with individuals about early history of the automobile.
Finding aid
35
Pound, Arthur
 Arthur Pound papers, 1928-1968
 1 linear ft.
Historical writer.
Correspondence, drafts of works, research materials, and copies of articles; include draft
of book on Lake Ontario, research materials on the RCA corporation and radio
broadcasting, research materials on the history of General Motors; manuscript on the
state of American society probably 1941, written by California Senator Sheridan
Downey.
Finding aid
Welch, Kenneth Curtis

 Kenneth Curtis Welch papers, 1915-1972.
 13.6 linear ft.
Grand Rapids, Michigan, architect and planner.
Correspondence, writings, working files, and photographs for out-of-state and Michigan
projects, primarily in Grand Rapids, Lansing, Flint, and East Lansing; professional
materials relating to problems of urban planning, the design of department stores and
shopping centers, his general interest in lighting designs, traffic patterns, and parking
areas, and to his work with the Lake Michigan Region Planning Committee, the
American Institute of Architects and the Michigan Society of Architects; also Welch
family materials, including record, 1915-1925, of the Welch Manufacturing Company of
Grand Rapids, Michigan. Of interest to the automotive history researcher: Welch's
parking plans.
Finding aid
36
Published Primary Sources
Books
 The auto illustrated buyer's guide to the cars of 1912. London: Auto Illustrated, 1912.
 Automotive Council for War Production The Job is being done: The automotive industry
reports to the nation--its only customer today. Detroit: Automotive Council for War
Production, 1942.
 American Motors Corporation. American Motors family album. Detroit: American
Motors Corporation, 1969.
 Automobile Manufacturers Association. 100 million motor vehicles. Detroit: Automobile
Manufacturers Association, 1948.
 Beckman, Francis J. L. Letter on labor and strikes. Royal Oak: Chas. E. Coughlin, 1939.
 Eaton Manufacturing Company. A chronicle of the automotive industry in America.
Cleveland: Eaton Mfg. Co., 1936.
 Forbes, Bertie Charles. Automotive giants of America: Men who are making our motor
industry. New York: B. C. Forbes, 1926.
 General Motors Corporation. Buick Motor Division. Buick's first half-century. Detroit:
General Motors, 1952.
 General Motors Corporation. Dept. of Public Relations. Adventures of the inquiring
mind: Some General Motors scientific and engineering contributions of the last half
century. Detroit: General Motors Public Relations, 1957.
 Merz, Charles. And then came Ford. Garden City: Doubleday, Doran, 1929.
 Murdock, J. M. A family tour from ocean to ocean: Being an account of the first amateur
motor car journey from the Pacific to the Atlantic, whereby J.M. Murdock and family, in
their 1908 Packard "Thirty" touring car, incidentally broke the transcontinental record.
Detroit: Packard Motor Car Co., 1908.
 Nash-Kelvinator Corporation. 1902--Nash--1946. Detroit: Nash-Kelvinator Corporation,
1956.
 Rae, John Bell. American automobile manufacturers: The first forty years. Philadelphia:
Chilton Co. Book Division, 1959.
Serials
 Fisher Body Local No. 156, United Auto Workers. The Flint auto worker. Flint: Local
No. 156, United Auto Workers.
 Fisher Body Local No. 156, United Auto Workers. Lansing auto worker. Lansing: Local
No. 182, United Auto Workers.
 Packard Motor Car Company. Annual report. Detroit: Packard Motor Car Company.
The Bentley Historical Library also has a number of microfilmed copies of labor newspapers. To
find them, you can type "automobile industry and labor union periodicals" into the basic search
field in Mirlyn.
37
Audio
 Beebe, Hank. American Motors 1966 automotive announcement show Detroit: American
Motors Corp., 1966.
 Ford Motor Company. The '57 Ford theme song: The '57 Ford story. Wilding Picture
Productions, Inc., 1956.
 Romney, George W. George W. Romney sound recordings subgroup. 1952-1969.
38
Visual Materials
Note: Several of these visual collections are already listed in other sections of this subject guide,
as part of the larger manuscript collections to which they belong.
Aldrich, Robert D., collector

 Robert D. Aldrich photograph series.
 4 linear ft. and 1 outsize folder
Photographs and films collected by Robert D. Aldrich relating to the people and
institutions of Concord, Michigan; include portraits, photos of family and organization
activities, photos of homes, businesses, and other buildings; photos of schools and
classes, and miscellaneous other photos.
Finding aid
Angelo, Frank
 Frank Angelo visual materials series.
 .5 linear ft.
Managing editor of the Detroit Free Press, president of the Michigan Press Association
(1969).
Portraits, photos of Angelo receiving awards and as participant at various meetings;
photos of North Vietnam taken during the 1960s either by or for Felix Greene; copyprints
and original photographs accumulated for use in Angelo's illustrated histories of Detroit
and Michigan; and videotape of tribute to Judd Arnett including speeches by Detroit
political and newspaper personalities.
Finding aid
Beach, William Edward

 William Edward Beach photograph collection.
 1.4 linear ft.
Howell, Michigan photographer.
Photonegatives of buildings, monuments, people, and events in Howell and numerous
other Michigan cities.
Chapin, Roy Dikeman

 Roy D. Chapin photograph series.
 .3 linear ft. and 7 oversize v.
President of Hudson Motor Car Company and U.S. Secretary of Commerce, 1932-1933.
Portraits, photos of conferences and other meetings attended, promotional photos of
Hudson automobiles; and photos of Amelia Earhart, Orville Wright, Herbert Hoover,
Mark Twain, and automobile industry figures.
Finding aid
Chapin, Roy D., Jr.

 Roy D. Chapin, Jr., visual material series.
39
 .4 linear ft.
Chairman of the board of American Motors Corporation.
Photos, 1961-1962, of plant opening ceremonies and plant operations of AMC plants in
Canada and Argentina, including many photos of George Romney; also promotional film,
1950s, for Nash-Hudson automobiles.
Finding aid
Cromwell, Percy W.
 Percy W. Cromwell cartoon collection.
 6 outsize boxes
Artist for the Detroit Times.
Editorial cartoons and sketches relating to local political and social issues.
Finding aid
Cross, Richard E.
 Richard E. Cross photographs.
 7 items
Born in Wisconsin in 1910, Richard E. Cross, businessman and lawyer, was a director at
American Motors Corporation and Packer Corporation. He was CEO of AMC from 1962
to 1965. Cross participated in many civic activities, including serving as chairman of
Detroit Commission on Community Relations from 1958 to 1964.
As part of the Richard E. Cross papers, the photographs depict Cross's time at the
University of Michigan in the late 1930's (including one of Kappa Alpha Theta House)
and several of Cross receiving awards and talking to reporters, which date from the mid-
1960's. Photos of Cross receiving Steering Wheel Award from the Automobile Club of
Michigan also picture other prominent businessmen in the trade.
Darling, Robert B.
 Robert B. Darling photograph series.
 4 envelopes
Chauffeur to Michigan governor Chase S. Osborn, 1911-1912.
Photos of Osborn's car, some showing the car decorated with patriotic bunting; photos of
the car on an Upper Peninsula road, Darling's Grosse Pointe Garage, and the ushers in the
lobby of a Lansing theatre; also photoprints of international balloon race held in Detroit,
1927 or 1928.
Flint, Michigan, photograph collection.

 1 envelope
Photograph of the interior of Buick Motor Company, plant no. 1 in Flint, Michigan.
Ford Motor Company

 Ford Motor Company photograph collection.
 1 envelope and 1 v.
40
Photographs of construction of a Ford plant, 1911; photos of automobile production,
showing machinery, assembly lines, and factory interiors and exteriors; and photos of the
Ford Rotunda; also photograph album, 1931-1932, produced or distributed by Ford, with
photos of the construction of the Ford Dam on the Huron River near Ypsilanti, Michigan.
Ivory Photo
 Ivory Photo photograph collection.
 31 linear ft.
Ann Arbor, Michigan, photography firm.
Photonegatives, and some photoprints, of images largely relating to Ann Arbor and the
University of Michigan, but including Ypsilanti and other Michigan cities: buildings,
businesses, houses, street scenes, community activities, and organizations; also photos of
automobiles, storm damage, etc. taken to support insurance claims.
Finding aid
Kausch, Jack
 Jack Kausch collection.
 4 linear feet, 1 oversize folder, and 1 oversize motion picture reel.
Jack Kausch was a photographer specializing in family portraits and historical subjects.
He was the producer of commercial videos on Detroit and Michigan historical topics.
The collection includes photographs, photographic slides, videotapes, and motion picture
films. Topics covered include Detroit and the automobile industry, Detroit landmark
businesses, the construction of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, and churches and other
buildings designed by architect Gordon W. Lloyd.
Finding aid
Lewis, Ralph William

 Ralph W. Lewis photograph collection.
 1 envelope.
Professor of natural science at Michigan State University.
Photos of general strike demonstration, organized by the United Auto Workers, June 7,
1937, at the Michigan State Capitol, Lansing.
Michigan Bell Telephone Company

 Michigan Bell Telephone Company photograph collection.
 63 linear ft.
Photographs (positive and negative), slides, and transparencies taken by the company's
photographers to document company activities, products, services, employees at work
and at leisure, company exhibits and commemorations, and the response of the company
to natural disasters and civil disturbances.
Finding aid
Michigan Historical Collections topical photograph collection

 .4 linear ft. and 1 outsize box.
41
Photographs, from various sources, of transportation, including carriages, automobiles,
Great Lakes shipping, railroads, and mass transit, including street railroads; of the
mining, forestry, and lumber industries, mostly in the Upper Peninsula; of various ethnic
groups and their societies; of Native Americans (1870s-1930s) of the Manistee and
Ludington, Michigan, areas; of dwellings, clothing styles and social customs (1860s-
1920s); and of Michigan units in the Spanish-American War and the Polar Bear
Expedition (1919); also photos of bookplates.
Correspondence concerning the automotive industry, particularly the founding of General
Motors, state politics, and the Constitutional Convention of 1907-1908; also docket
books, 1883-1921, with record of cases handled by Carton and his partners.
Correspondents include: Frederick M. Alger, Russell A. Alger, James B. Angell, Albert J.
Beveridge, Aaron T. Bliss, John W. Blodgett, Everett L. Bray, Buick Motor Company,
Julius C. Burrows, Clarence M. Burton, Augustus C. Carton, Chevrolet Motor Company,
Walter P. Chrysler, Edwin Denby, Detroit United Railway, Luren D. Dickinson, Gerrit J.
Diekema, Dort Motor Car Company, Herbert H. Dow, William C. Durant, Durant-Dort
Carriage Co., Grant Fellows, Flint Gas Company, General Motors Corporation, Genesee
County War Board, Alexander J. Groesbeck, Lawton T. Hemans, Harry B. Hutchins,
Patrick H. Kelley, Paul H. King, Frank Knox, Thomas R. Marshall, Michigan
Manufacturers Association, Michigan Railroad Commission, Michigan State Bar
Association, Michigan War Preparedness Board, Charles S. Mott, Newspaper
Cartoonist?s Association of Michigan, Chase S. Osborn, Pere Marquette Railroad
Company, Miles Poindexter, William C. Procter, John T. Rich, Albert E. Sleeper, Henry
C. Smith, Samuel W. Smith, William Alden Smith, State League of Republican Clubs of
Michigan, Justis S. Stearns, Tawas Sugar Company, Charles E. Townsend, Arthur H.
Vandenberg, and Fred M. Warner.
Finding aid
Moody, Blair
 Blair Moody visual materials series.
 3.4 linear ft.
Detroit newspaperman and United States Senator from Michigan.
Photos and films relating to Moody's career as a foreign correspondent and politician;
also family photos of the Moody and Downey families, including portraits of Civil War
soldiers.
Finding aid
Newton, Charles Tyley

 Charles Tyley Newton photograph series.
 .75 linear ft.
Ypsilanti, Michigan automobile salesman, antique collector for Greenfield Village, and
real estate agent for the Ford Motor Company.
Collected photos relating to Newton's historical investigations and business dealings for
Greenfield Village and Ford Motor Company, arranged by subject and place name
(Originals and copy prints).
Finding aid
42
Oakland Motor Car Corp.
 The new Oakland eight: General Motors' lowest price eight: New--yet sixteen years old.
 1 print
1930 Advertisement for Oakland Motor Car Company's Oakland Eight vehicle.
Oakland Motor Car Corp.

 New series Pontiac big six: Now an even finer car bears this name.
 1 print
1930 Advertisement for Pontiac automobile
Parsons, John.
 John Parsons photographs, 1920.
 1 folder.
Graduate of the Michigan State Auto School, Detroit, Michigan.
Panoramic photograph of the class members of the Michigan State Auto School, 1920.
Price, Hickman
 Hickman Price photograph series.
 .4 linear ft.
Executive with the Kaiser-Frazer Corp., later with Willys Motor Inc.
Portraits and family photos; photographs related to the production of the Jeep in Brazil.
Finding aid
Proctor, Hazel, collector

 Hazel Proctor photograph collection.
 ca. 200 photonegatives and 1 v.
Photographs collected for book, Old Jackson Town; includes copy negatives (filed in
negative file) and a copy of the book annotated with negative numbers (filed in printed
collection).
Sackett, Ray Carleton

 Ray Carleton Sackett photograph series.
 .2 linear ft.
Detroit, Michigan automobile executive.
Portraits of Sackett; informal photos of Sackett with friends and family members, of
family activities, and of the Sackett home in Saginaw, Michigan; photos relating to
Sackett's experience as student at the University of Michigan, and to Sackett's
professional activities in the automobile industry; also views of Ann Arbor, Michigan and
other Michigan locales.
Schroeder, Diane, collector.
43
 Diane Schroeder photograph album, 1919-1920.
 1 volume.
Album of construction progress photographs of large factory complex, unidentified, but
possibly a Ford Motor auto plant in Michigan.
Ungermann, Charles William

 Charles William Ungermann photograph series.
 .2 linear ft., 1 v., and 2 outsize folders.
Detroit, Michigan, police officer.
Photographs of Detroit, Michigan buildings, streets, people, and activities, especially as
they relate to the work of the Detroit Police Department; group and individual portraits
and photographs of Detroit Police, and photos of police training; photos of war bond
drives and other war work during World War II; and photos of WJR radio broadcasting
during the 1930s.
Finding aid
U. S. World Peace Commission

 Work camp [1939].
 1 16mm motion picture.
Documents a summer work camp in Flint, Michigan; includes views of auto plants, auto
workers, and other Flint scenes, and the building of a playground in a Black
neighborhood.
Welch. A.R.
 A. R. Welch photograph collection.
 1 envelope and 1 outsize folder.
Founder of Welch Motor Car Company, Pontiac, Michigan.
Portrait; photos of company building and employees, and of Welch and others in
automobile; photo of automobile, presumably a Welch product; and group portrait of
automobile industry leaders.
Welch, Kenneth Curtis

 Kenneth C. Welch photograph series.
 1.6 linear ft.
Grand Rapids, Michigan, architect and planner.
Photographs of Welch's architectural projects throughout the United States, especially
shopping centers, including Northland (Southfield, Michigan) and Breton Village (Grand
Rapids, Michigan); also a variety of projects in Grand Rapids, Michigan, including
photos of downtown buildings and streets and Fountain Street Church; photographic
studies of downtown and shopping center businesses in various cities; and aerial photos
of several Michigan localities.
Finding aid
44
Z.T. Gerganoff (Architectural firm, Ypsilanti, MI.)
 Z.T. Gerganoff architectural drawings, 1928-1977.
 28 folders and 1 linear ft.
Architectural drawings of the firm of Z.T. Gerganoff, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, (and
predecessor firms of R.S. Gerganoff and S.T. Gerganoff).
Drawings and specifications for various area churches, service stations and auto
dealerships, the Washtenaw County Building, the Ypsi-Ann Building, and miscellaneous
businesses and private residences.
Finding aid
45

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Automotive History

Motor City, Michigan

World War I and the 1920s

The Auto Industry and Organized Labor

About this guide

Executives and Management includes collections from automobile industry executives,

Automobile Travel and Hobbyists includes manuscript documentation of cross-country auto

Chapin, Roy Dikeman

Dort Motor Car Company

Dreyfuss, Allan L., 1919-2011.

General Motors Corporation.

General Motors Corporation. Dept. of Public Relations.

Hudson Motor Car Company

Joy, Henry Bourne.

Marr, Walter L. (Walter Lorenzo), 1865-1941.

Mott, Charles Stewart

Sackett, Ray Carleton

Stempel, Robert C. (Robert Carl), 1933-2011.

Townsend, Lynn Alfred

Employment Transition Program (University of Michigan)

Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations (University of Michigan-Wayne State

McCord, Carey Pratt

Second Baptist Church (Detroit, Mich.)

Shafer, Hartley Clifton

Catalogs of Michigan-based motor truck companies

Chrysler Group LLC.

Henry, Charles Roswell

Newton, Charles Tyley

Staebler, Edward William

Staebler and Sons (Ann Arbor, Mich.)

Hook, Ira Thomas, 1887-1976.

Kent, Charles Edwin.

Lay, Walter Edwin

Marr, Walter L. (Walter Lorenzo), 1865-1941.

Parsons, Carl Berger.

Reynolds, Robert Albert

University of Michigan. Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation

University of Michigan. Solar Car Team.

Van den Broek, John Abraham

Arnold, Jennie Waterman.

Bayliss Public Library (Sault Sainte Marie, Mich.)

Perkins, Marjorie Kedzie

Schmidt, Carl Ernest

Schoening, Robert W., b. 1878.

Davis, David E., 1930-2011.

Dunne, Jim, 1931-

Gorman, Michael Arthur

Brazer, Marjorie Cahn.

Brown, William Ellis

Carton, John Jay

Conard, Alfred Fletcher

Fine, Sidney, collector

Kennedy, George Donald

Welch, Kenneth Curtis

Aldrich, Robert D., collector

Beach, William Edward

Chapin, Roy Dikeman

Chapin, Roy D., Jr.

Flint, Michigan, photograph collection.