The Governors of Michigan
Browse by: All Governors' Papers
Stevens T. Mason (1811-1843)
- Papers, 1827-1842.
- 0.6 linear ft. and 1 oversize folder.
Collection includes correspondence, drafts of letters to Andrew Jackson and to Secretary of State John Forsyth; draft of his inaugural address, 1838, and drafts of nine other messages to the Legislature; membership certificates; business and miscellaneous papers, including material concerning the Toledo War, Indian problems, purchase of books for University of Michigan and his appointment as secretary of the Michigan Territory; and visual materials.
William Woodbridge (1780-1861)
- Papers (Woodbridge Family), 1824-1883.
- ca. 30 items and 1 oversize folder.
This Detroit, Michigan, family collection includes letters of William Woodbridge, Michigan governor and United States senator, his wife Juliana, their son William Leverett, and other family members; includes letters concerning family activities and illnesses, description of fire in Detroit in 1842, education, and daily life.
James Wright Gordon (1809-1853)
- Papers, 1794-1862.
- 0.2 linear ft. and 1 oversize folder.
Whig lieutenant governor, 1840-1841, and governor of Michigan,1841-1842. Collection includes family correspondence, including 104 letters written or received by James Gordon and wife while they lived in Plainfield, Connecticut, and other eastern towns, and letter from James Wright Gordon, their son; letter, 1837, concerning Michigan politics; also a record, 1799, of military supplies and military regulations of the Thirteenth Regiment, New York Militia.
John S. Barry (1802-1870)
- Land patents, 1850-1851.
- 2 oversize items and one photograph.
Alpheus Felch (1804-1896)
- Papers, 1817-1896
- 6 linear ft. and 6 oversize volumes
Felch was a resident of Houlton, Maine, later Monroe and Ann Arbor, Michigan; Michigan state supreme court justice, 1842-1845, Democratic governor, 1846-1847, and United States senator, 1847-1853. Collection includes correspondence and other papers concerning his political and business activities; his work as president of the commission to adjust Spanish and Mexican landclaims in California, 1853-1856; and his law activities and work as University of Michigan law professor; also photographs.
William L. Greenly (1813-1883)
- Docket book, 1859-1865.
- 1 v.
Greenly served as justice of the peace in Lenawee County, Michigan.
Epaphroditus Ransom (1797-1859)
No papers in the Bentley Library.
Robert McClelland (1807-1880)
- Papers, 1829-1870.
- 0.2 linear ft. and 1 oversize item.
McClelland served as Democratic governor of Michigan, U.S.secretary of the interior and regent of the University of Michigan. The collection includes Latin salutatory for the opening of Dickinson College, 1829, biographical sketch, letter, 1861, to Augusta McClelland affirming his strong loyalty to the Union, two notebooks containing campaign speeches and notes on the Civil War; diary, 1870, detailing his travels throughout western Europe, primarily Italy and Germany; and notice of appointment to the University of Michigan Board of Regents in 1837.
Andrew Parsons (1817-1855)
No papers in the Bentley Library.
Kinsley S. Bingham (1808-1861)
- Papers, 1820-1915.
- 1.25 linear ft.
Bingham served as Michigan Democratic congressman, 1847-1851, Republican governor, 1855-1858, and U.S. senator, 1859-1861. Collection includes correspondence and genealogical papers of the Bingham and Warden families of Livingston County, including letters from Kinsley, his wife Mary Warden, his son James (First Lieutenant, Sixteenth Michigan Infantry, who died in 1862), and Robert Warden, Jr.; correspondence concerning family affairs, political and legislative matters, Bingham's inauguration in Lansing,Michigan, in 1857, and the Civil War; letters to Warden from friends in Scotland and Camillus, New York including one from Henry S. Sinn about slavery and the Civil War; and diary, 1862-1863, kept by Mrs. Bingham.
Moses Wisner (1815-1864)
- Papers, 1836-1867.
- 0.4 linear ft. (18 items and 5 v.).
Collection includes Civil War letters written from Kentucky to his wife Angelina and their children; a letter from A.E. Martin; three account books and records of law cases of George W. and Moses Wisner, 1843-1862; one volume of records of the governor's office expenditures and other accounts, 1859-1860; and one volume of Genesee County, Michigan, tax records which he kept and accounts of his estate.
Austin Blair (1818-1894)
- Papers, 1861-1863 and 1882.
- 15 items and 1 v.
Collection includes letters, 1861-1862, concerning political matters; reminiscence, 1862, of a conference of northern governors held at Altoona, Pennsylvania; autobiographical sketch, miscellanea, and photographs.
See also: Austin Blair family papers, 1849-1981 (bulk 1895-1920).
This collection contains a few invitations, a copy of Blair's will, and other items.
Henry H. Crapo (1804-1869)
- Papers (Crapo Family), 1830-1920.
- 12 linear ft.
Collection consists of manuscripts from several generations of the Crapo family of Flint, Michigan and includes correspondence of Governor Crapo concerning land speculations, lumbering, and political activities; correspondence of his son primarily relating to estate and land holdings; speeches, notes and other papers detailing his gubernatorial administration; deeds and other papers concerning land purchases in Ohio, Iowa, and Michigan; newspaper clippings, biographical material and obituaries; journals, diaries,notebooks, letter book, political scrapbook, 1866-1869, executive journal of state of Michigan, 1865-1867, farm records and accounts; and photographs.
Henry P. Baldwin (1814-1892)
No papers in the Bentley Library.
John J. Bagley (1832-1881)
- Papers, 1830, 1847-1900.
- 1 linear ft.
Bagley was a Detroit businessman, Republican governor of Michigan, 1873-1876, and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1881. The collection includes correspondence, speeches, poems, and newspaper clippings concerning politics, his business interests, Isaac P. Christiancy, Zachariah Chandler, the Centennial Exhibit in Philadelphia and the new state capital; and photographs.
Charles M. Croswell (1825-1886)
- Papers, 1851-1884.
- 0.4 linear ft. (1 folder and 5 v.)
Croswell served as Republican state senator from Adrian, Michigan, and governor of Michigan, 1877-1880. Collection includes letters, November 1879, concerning the selection of a successor to Senator Zachariah Chandler (bound in one volume); two letters, 1884 to his son, written from Adrian; a letter, 1855, from Thomas M. Cooley; diary, January to August 1851; notes,1874, for address on retiring from the Legislature; and notes for other addresses.
David H. Jerome (1829-1896)
No papers in the Bentley Library.
Josiah W. Begole (1815-1896)
No papers in the Bentley Library.
Russell A. Alger (1836-1907)
- Papers, 1885-1886.
- 1 folder.
Alger was governor of Michigan, 1885-1886; U.S. Secretary of War, 1887-1897; and U.S. Senator, 1902-1907. The collection consists of pages torn from letterpress volume of copies of outgoing correspondence while Alger was serving as governor of Michigan. The letters concern a railway dispute between the Detroit, Lansing & Northern Railroad and the Toledo, Ann Arbor & North Michigan Railway Company. There are also letters regarding prisons, and the state training schools for young men and women, the development of the Upper Peninsula, etc. Many of the letters are badly faded.
Cyrus G. Luce (1824-1905)
No papers in the Bentley Library.
Edwin B. Winans (1826-1894)
No papers in the Bentley Library.
John T. Rich (1841-1926)
- Papers, 1884-1914.
- 2 linear ft. and 1 oversize folder.
Rich served as Republican governor of Michigan, 1893-1896. Collection includes two letters from Rich and one from A. P. Avery enclosing a letter from J. H. Palmer concerning Michigan political activities; six speeches on various topics, thirty-six volumes of diaries containing comments on the weather, his daily schedule as governor, social events and routine matters of everyday life; receipt books; scrapbooks on his political activities; photographs; and two letterbooks, 1905-1914.
Hazen S. Pingree (1840-1901)
- Papers, 1896 and 1901.
- 3 items.
Pingree served as mayor of Detroit and governor of Michigan.Collection includes mayor's annual report to Detroit Common Council, 1896, and letter to King Edward VII of England, 1901; also includes passport, 1901.
Aaron T. Bliss (1837-1906)
- Proclamation, September 14, 1901.
- 1 oversize item.
Proclamation issued following the assassination of President William McKinley.
Fred M. Warner (1865-1923)
- Papers, 1832-1918.
- 1 linear ft. and 11 oversize items
Warner served as Republican governor of Michigan, 1905-1910. Collection includes account books, and legal and business papers of P. Dean Warner, Oakland County, Michigan, farmer and cheese manufacturer; and political scrapbooks and other papers of his adopted son, Fred M. Warner, largely concerning election campaigns; and photographs.
Chase S. Osborn (1860-1949)
- Papers, 1889-1949.
- 148.5 linear ft. and 3 oversize volumes.
Osborn was an author and newspaper editor at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, University of Michigan regent and Republican governor of Michigan,1911-1912. Collection includes correspondence, diaries, business papers, scrapbooks, addresses, manuscripts of books, and miscellaneous papers concerning Republican politics and business interests; and photographs. Correspondents include most Republican political leaders in Michigan during period andmany prominent Democratic leaders, newspaper men, educators, writers, businessmen and members of his own family; includes letters from every President from McKinley to Franklin D. Roosevelt with those of Theodore Roosevelt of special interest.
Woodbridge N. Ferris (1853-1928)
- Papers, 1878-1940.
- 1 linear ft.
Ferris served as Michigan Democratic governor, 1913-1917, U.S. Senator, 1922-1928, and founder of Ferris Industrial School (later Ferris State University). Collection includes letters to his parents on family affairs, correspondence concerning state and national politics, including copies of letters to Roy C. Vandercook regarding the 1913 Michigan copper strike; scrapbooks of newspaper clippings concerning his political career; and manuscript autobiography; and photographs.
Albert E. Sleeper (1862-1934)
- Correspondence, 1919
- 0.4 linear ft.
Collection includes letters of gratitude written by Belgian children to Governor Sleeper who was president of the Dollar a Month Club For the Relief of Belgian Children.
Alexander J. Groesbeck (1873-1953)
No papers in the Bentley Library.
Fred W. Green (1872-1936)
- Papers, 1881-1939.
- 2.5 linear ft. and 4 volumes.
Green served as Republican governor of Michigan, 1927-1930. Collection includes correspondence, 1899, 1904, and 1919-1936, concerning the Spanish-American War, Republican politics, and personal affairs; and scrapbook, 1881-1927, covering his political career and election campaigns; and photographs.
Wilber M. Brucker (1894-1968)
- Papers, 1877-1968.
- 52 linear ft. and 2 oversize folders
Brucker served as prosecuting attorney of Saginaw County, Michigan, attorney general of Michigan, 1929-1930, governor, 1931-1932, general counsel to the Department of Defense during the Army-McCarthy Hearings, 1954-1955, and secretary of the army, 1955-1961. Collection includes correspondence,speeches, tapes, appointment books, scrapbooks, photograph albums, newspaper clippings, and other materials concerning his political career; also papers relating to the history of the Rainbow Division of which Brucker was a member during the First World War; Masonic papers; miscellanea concerning the history of Saginaw, Michigan, files relating to the struggle over Michigan legislative apportionment, 1963-1964; legal files and miscellaneous papers of Clara H. Brucker, particularly concerning her work with the Detroit School of Government.
William A. Comstock (1877-1949)
- Papers, 1899-1949.
- 16 linear ft., 3 oversize volumes, and 20 oversize items
Comstock, an Alpena, Michigan, businessman, served as University of Michigan regent and Democratic governor of Michigan, 1933-1934. Collection includes correspondence, diaries, business papers, and other items, concerning Democratic party affairs, state and national elections, real estate and financial transactions, University of Michigan and Zeta Psi Fraternity; also diaries, 1902-1912; account books of the Democratic Party, 1924-1928; two scrapbooks; an audit report of the Liquor Control Commission, 1933-1934;and a report on the marketing and supply of natural gas in Michigan in 1934; and photographs.
Frank D. Fitzgerald (1885-1939)
- Papers, 1928-1944.
- 28 linear ft., 4 oversize volumes, 1 outsize folder
Fitzgerald served as Michigan secretary of state, 1931-1934; governor of Michigan, 1935-1936 and 1939; and chairman, 1936, of the Michigan delegation to the Republican National Convention. Collection includes correspondence, speeches, press releases, newspaper clippings, and miscellaneous notebooks and printed materials concerning his political career.
Frank Murphy (1890-1949)
- Papers, 1908-1949.
- 98 linear ft., 7 volumes and 2 oversize folders.
Microfilm copy available.
Murphy served as Detroit Recorders Court judge, mayor of Detroit, governor of Michigan, governor-general of the Philippines, U.S. attorney general, and justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. The collection includes correspondence, reports, speeches, scrapbooks and other papers relating to his personal life and public career, with extensive material on Detroit and Michigan politics, Philippine Islands in the thirties, the Flint sit-down strike of 1937, New Deal politics, and international affairs; and photographs and other visual materials.
Luren D. Dickinson (1859-1943)
No papers in the Bentley Library.
Murray D. Van Wagoner (1898-1986)
- Papers, 1921-1949.
- 4 linear feet and 2 oversize volumes.
Van Wagoner was a construction engineer and Michigan Democratic politician. He served terms as Oakland County drain commissioner, Michigan State Highway commissioner, and as governor, 1941-1942. Collection includes correspondence, scrapbooks, appointment books, photographs; and assorted miscellanea.
Harry F. Kelly (1895-1971)
No papers in the Bentley Library.
Kim Sigler (1894-1953)
- Papers, 1947-1948.
- 2 linear ft.
Sigler served as Republican governor of Michigan, 1947-1948. Collection includes campaign speeches and political memoranda, collected by Roberta Applegate.
G. Mennen Williams (1911-1988)
- Papers, 1883-1988.
- 818 linear ft.
Williams served as Michigan Democratic governor, 1949-1960; assistant secretary of state for African Affairs, 1961-1966; U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, 1967-1969; Michigan Supreme Court justice, 1971-1987.Collection includes official and personal files arranged into four series of papers: gubernatorial papers, 1949-1960 (681 linear ft.); non-gubernatorial papers, 1883-1948 and 1958-1988 (107 linear ft.); visual materials, ca.1911-1988 (ca. 25 linear ft.); and sound recordings, 1950-ca. 1988 (5 linear ft.). Included with the collection are scrapbooks and unmounted clippings covering Williams' career (with some gaps) from 1948 to 1988,and scrapbooks and other personal papers of Nancy Quirk Williams. The gubernatorial series concerns issues of state government, Williams' relationship withthe Republican state legislature, his administration of the state's various boards and commissions, his interest in such public policy issues as civil rights, problems of the aged, labor-management issues, the development of the state's highway system and the construction of the Mackinac Bridge, and matters relating to the environment and the growth of the state's tourist industry.
John B. Swainson (1925-1994)
- Papers, 1943-1975.
- 71.5 linear ft., 1 oversize folder and 1 oversize v.
Swainson served as Michigan state senator, Democratic lieutenantgovernor, Michigan governor, 1961- 1962, and Michigan supreme court justice.Collection includes political and gubernatorial files, judicial papers,and personal papers, including World War II correspondence and papers,1969-1970, reflecting his interest in drug rehabilitation.
George Romney (1907-1995)
- Papers, 1939-1973.
- 598 linear ft.
Romney served as president of American Motors Corporation, governor of Michigan, 1963-1969, candidate for the Republican nomination for president in 1968, and U.S. secretary of housing and urban development,1969-1972. The collection includes gubernatorial papers; HUD cabinet files; papers, 1962-1968, relating to his presidential campaign; personal and family papers; and visual materials. The gubernatorial series (439 linear ft.) relates to such issues as the implementation of the state's new constitution,the reapportionment of the state's congressional districts, the National Guard's alleged misuse of state funds, the Detroit Riot of 1967, and the Detroit newspaper strike of 1967. Continuing areas of concern documented in the papers include the governor's responses to such issues as education, civil rights, housing, labor disputes, environmental protection, highway safety, public welfare, and taxation.
William G. Milliken (1922- )
- Papers, 1961-1982.
- 771 linear ft.
Milliken served as Republican governor of Michigan, 1969-1982. Series in the collection include Administrative/Executive containing staff files, internal memoranda and correspondence, briefing files, legislative bills and analyses, and speeches and press releases; Political files relating to his various campaigns and to his activities with the state and national Republican party. The collection documents the response of the state's executive to such issues as economic development, energy matters, the environment, hazardous waste policy, civil rights, and affirmative action. Also documented is the relationship between the state and federal government on various public policy issues.
James J. Blanchard (1942- )
- Papers, 1982-2002.
- 355 linear feet and 9 oversize volumes.
The collection, which focuses entirely on Blanchard's service as governor, has been arranged into the following series: chief of staff/executive assistants, correspondence office, government relations, issues development, legal, operations, personnel, press office, Upper Peninsula Office, and Washington D.C. Office. The collection documents the Blanchard administration's investment in human capital and education, efforts to promote economic development and create jobs, interest in rebuilding Michigan's infrastructure while preserving and restoring its environmental beauty, and the development of the Michigan Youth Corps.
John Engler (1948- )
- Papers, 1968-2003.
- 435 linear feet and 1 oversize folder
The Engler collection consists primarily of materials created and maintained by Governor Engler and his staff during the period when he was governor, 1991-2003. Other records include papers from his several terms in the Michigan House and the Michigan Senate. The collection includes papers files, photographs, sound recordings, videotapes, memorabilia, and some electronic files. The gubernatorial files are arranged mainly by unit or functional responsibility within the governor's office. These series are Executive Office, Communications Division, Legal Division, State Government Affairs, Legislative Affairs Division, Operations Division, External Affairs, Scheduling, Washington DC Office, and Office of the First Lady. Topics extensively documented include state welfare and school funding reform, reorganization of state boards and commissions, notably the restructuring of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and Republican party politics.
Jennifer M. Granholm (1959- )
- Papers, 2003-2011
- 227 linear feet and 84,236 electronic files (114 gigabytes)
Jennifer Granholm served as Michigan's Attorney General, 1999-2002, and Governor, 2003-2010. The collection focuses entirely on Granholm's gubernatorial service, and includes the following series: Transition, Legal Division, Policy Division, Executive Office, Communications Division, Economic Recovery Office, Northern Michigan Office, Other Divisions, Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Office of the First Gentleman, and Memorabilia. The Granholm papers include paper documents, analog audio-visual materials, and 108 gigabytes of electronic documents and audio-visual materials. The collection documents the Granholm administration's efforts in all areas of state government and is especially strong in the areas of renewable energy and the environment, job creation strategies, the reorganization of state government, homeland security and emergency management, and education. Also documented are the governor's role in the Kwame Kilpatrick removal hearings and the special economic revitalization efforts undertaken by the executive branch after the financial crisis of 2008. Access is restricted.
Finding aid available in library
Rick Snyder (1958- )
Currently serving in office.