Past Stories

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.

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.

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.

Whether it’s 150-year-old scrapbooks with decaying binding or collections that might have spent decades in someone’s damp basement, items in the Bentley stacks often need some TLC. Lead conservators Dianna Samuelson and Corinne Robertson explain how the Bentley’s Conservation Lab repairs and preserves items for future generations.

How a history major fell in love with primary source material and, years later, decided to support its digitization.

The Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company, now the Kellogg Company, evolved from a whole-scale effort to return health and vitality to illness-plagued citizens across the country. But a bitter rivalry between brothers John Kellogg and W.K. Kellogg forever altered the business and the nature of their relationship. The Kellogg feud is documented in a new book by U-M Professor Dr. Howard Markel, who relied on the Bentley’s collections in his research.

The University's Detroit Observatory is a physical testament to the ways in which research positively impacts Michigan. Now, this important building is getting a much needed restoration and expansion.

When he founded Broad.side Press in Detroit, Dudley Randall elevated African American voices and changed the face of literature forever.

From an early age, Jane Briggs Hart was fearless and fierce. As a senator’s wife, she bucked convention again and again, eventually using her love of flying to help pave the way for women in the NASA space program.

Join us for a Q&A with Dallas Pillen, the Bentley Archivist for Metadata and Digital Projects, who explains the importance of archiving websites, and how it's done.