Conservation and Environmentalism Movements in Michigan
Outdoor Journalists
Charles, Gordon
- Gordon Charles papers, 1934-2005, bulk 1953-1998.
- 16 linear feet.
Waterfall canoe portage. Folder "Canoeing."
Gordon Charles papers, Box 7.
Syndicated outdoor recreation and travel writer whose column was carried in Michigan newspapers. Charles was located in the Traverse City area and as a result, there is a heavy concentration of published material on the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan.
Journals, publications, articles written for the Traverse City Record-Eagle, and subject files containing photographic slides, articles, and other materials on travel and outdoor activities topics and on northern Michigan and Upper Peninsula, Michigan travel destinations.
Curwood, James Oliver
- James Oliver Curwood papers, 1897-1927.
- 9 linear ft., 1 v. [outsize], and 1 oversize folder.
Curwood was a Michigan adventure author who was also involved in the motion picture industry. In the 1920s, be became active in the conservation movement, and much of the correspondence from 1921-1927 illustrates his involvement with environmental causes.
Correspondence, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, manuscripts of publications, copies of books, and miscellanea; include material concerning his literary activities, the writing and production of motion pictures, his promotion of conservation causes, especially forest fire prevention, deer herd management, and the campaign against water pollution, and his work with the Conservation Commission, particularly his disputes with the Michigan Department of Conservation, Governor Alexander J. Groesbeck, and state director of conservation, John Baird; also photographs; and copies of correspondence collected by Ivan Conger.
East, Ben
- Ben East papers, 1935-1980.
- 13 linear feet.
Aerial photograph of logs awaiting transport Isle
Royale, ca. 1930. Folder "Photographs, Isle Royale."
Ben East papers, Box 3.
Ben East was a Michigan journalist who wrote for Outdoor Life from 1946 until 1972. He was an avid hunter and fisherman, and much of his professional life was spent identifying and communicating prime hunting and fishing spots to readers in the Great Lakes region. He was active in the conservation movement, and advocated for state and national parks. Material in the Ben East collection addresses many of the issues involved with the conservation of Michigan's natural resources during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
Hikers in the Porcupine Mountains, late 1940s. Folder
"Photographs, Porcupine Mountains." Ben East papers,
Box 3.
The Ben East papers focus on East's magazine writing and editing duties with Outdoor Life magazine. The series in the collection include Editorial Copy, Personal Papers, Photographs, Publications, and Topical Files.
Eldridge, Judith A., collector.
- Judith Eldridge collection of James Oliver Curwood material, 1890s-2000s.
- 2 linear feet.
Biographer of American writer James Oliver Curwood.
Research materials accumulated in preparation of her biography of James Oliver Curwood; include photocopies of Curwood stories found in various serial publications, notes on Curwood, his writings, and the movies made from his work.
Frankel, Betty.
- Betty Frankel papers, 1958-1993.
- 5.3 linear feet.
Award-winning writer for the Observer and Detroit Free Press newspapers, where she authored the garden and landscape columns; charter member of the Landscape Critics Council of the Federated Garden Clubs of Michigan.
Gardening and landscape columns written from the 1960s through the 1990s by a Detroit journalist; notebooks and calendar books from the 1970s and 1980s related to stories the author published in the Observer and Free Press newspapers; two books that cover the topics of landscaping and gardening.
Fulton, Douglas
- Douglas Fulton papers, 1950-1999.
- 10.3 linear ft.
Sylvania Tract (Ottawa National Forest).
Douglas Fulton Papers,
Box 9.
As the Ann Arbor News' outdoor writer and photographer from 1962 to 1983, Fulton covered conservation and environmental topics within the state of Michigan, but also nationwide. Boxes 1-6 contain Fulton's Ann Arbor News outdoor and environmental articles, Box 8 contains correspondence related to environmental topics, Boxes 9 and 11-12 contain Fulton's outdoor photographs, and Box 10 contains Fulton's research material, used as the foundation for his published work.
Copies of articles written for the Ann Arbor News, mainly on outdoors and environmental issues, but also including record reviews; personal files consist of correspondence, biographical information, and professional associations; photographs of Michigan parks, forests, and important natural landscapes; and subject files on environmental and miscellaneous topics.
Sharkey, Reginald, 1913-
- Reginald Sharkey papers, 1953-2007, bulk 1967-1991.
- 4.5 linear feet (in 6 boxes) and 1 oversize folder.
Conservationist from Petoskey, Michigan; environmental writer and columnist for northern Michigan newspapers. Sharkey died in 2005.
Transcript of oral history interview, 2004, and other biographical materials; also copies of his newspaper columns and other writings; and photographs; and original drawings and editorial cartoons that accompanied his articles.
Shelley, Howard, 1909-2003.
- Howard Shelley motion pictures, ca. 1960s-ca.1970s.
- 4 linear feet and 17 oversize motion picture reels.
Michigan film maker, producer with Mort Neff of television program "Michigan "Outdoors."
Motion pictures (silent) featuring Michigan wildlife and outdoors activities. Some of the films relate to specific areas of the state, such as Tahquamenon Falls and the Tittabawassee River. There are some sound recordings of narration intended to accompany the films.
Van Coevering, Jack
- Jack Van Coevering papers, 1928-1978.
- 21 linear ft.
Dead loons on the shore of Lake Michigan near Nahma, MI.
Folder "Birds." Jack Van Coevering papers, Box 19.
Jack Van Coevering wrote a outdoor life column for the Detroit Free Press for 35 years. After his retirement, he worked as a research assistant and then as an adjunct professor for the University of Michigan's School of Natural Resources.
Files of Detroit Free Press outdoor pages and conservation articles, clippings, and photographs, correspondence, and notes on Michigan conservation history, pesticides, pollution, plants and animals, hunting and fishing, parks, rivers and lakes, conservation writing, and ecology; also manuscript of history of conservation in Michigan with background information; and materials gathered for intended biographical study of Michigan conservationists including audio-tapes with transcriptions of interviews.
Developed by Rachael Dreyer, Graduate Reference Assistant, June 2009.