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Fall 2018

This issue also celebrates Ruth Ellis, a pioneering African American LGBTQ leader in Detroit, and spotlights George Forsyth’s global surveys of sacred sites.

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Selected Stories

A selection of stories of this issue. Please download PDF to read all content.

Defending Sirhan Sirhan

by Dan Shine

Abdeen Jabara helped defend the man who assassinated Bobby Kennedy in 1968. Here, he discusses his newly opened papers at the Bentley and more about the context of the case.

Teaching Undergraduates with Archives

In an upcoming fall symposium, the Bentley will explore how evidence from the past impacts today.

Beyond the Bicentennial

by Lara Zielin

Gary D. Krenz, formerly the Executive Director of the University of Michigan Bicentennial Office, has been appointed Director for Post-Bicentennial Planning at the Bentley Historical Library. Here, he talks about what he hopes to achieve in this new role.

On the (Treasure) Hunt

by Lara Zielin and Deb Thompson

Ross J. Wilhelm was an esteemed professor of business economics at the University of Michigan. So why, then, does his collection at the Bentley Historical Library contain folders full of strange symbols and ciphers, complex drawings and codes, and references to an obscure 16th century text?

Soldiers and Warriors

by Katie Vloet

Among the 20,000 American Indians who fought for the Union and the Confederacy during the Civil War, a single company from Michigan was made up almost entirely of indigenous men. A researcher used Bentley archives to trace their history and share the story of the Anishinaabeg of Company K.

Panther by the Tail

by Robert Havey

When three members of the White Panther Party were accused of setting off bombs across Southeast Michigan, their case hinged on a crucial detail: Evidence was acquired through wiretapping without a warrant. The case made it all the way to the Supreme Court and, today, collections at the Bentley document the details of this historic ruling.

Living with Pride

by Katie Vloet

During a time when many people stayed in the closet, Ruth Ellis -- born in 1899 -- forged a path for people in Detroit's LGBTQ community, especially other African Americans, until her death at age 101.

Haber’s Labor: Saving the World

by Terrence J. McDonald, Director, Bentley Historical Library

In 1936, William Haber joined the faculty of the University of Michigan, where he would become a world-famous economist, author of scores of academic publications, chairman of the Economics Department (1962), and Dean of LSA (1963–1968). He would also be a champion for refugees and immigrants.

Interpreted Witness

by Mary Jean Babic

George Forsyth traveled the world documenting sacred sites and undertaking ambitious archaeological surveys, including that of St. Catherine’s Monastery in Egypt. His collection at the Bentley is full of priceless details about holy structures, many of which have already been lost to the ravages of war and time.