Bentley Historical Library

News Stories

  • Eva Jessye, a singer who taught at the University of Michigan.

    Eva On the Stage

    Learn how Eva Jessye led a Broadway choir, stood with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and taught at the University of Michigan. Her work changed the arts—and America.

    … Complete Story
  • Men crouched in a circle for a Tuskegee AAF Training Command Briefing in 1943.

    At Freeman Field

    Discover how archived records at the Bentley show that a 1945 protest led by officers on Indiana’s Freeman Field ultimately paved the way for desegregation in the military.

    … Complete Story
  • The Detroit Observatory at the University of Michigan.

    The First Forecast

    Predicting the weather seemed like an impossible dream, until U-M’s Detroit Observatory trained a man who created something revolutionary: the weather forecast.

    … Complete Story
  • A woman student at U-M playing Ice Hockey in the 1990s.

    Frozen Out

    Explore the history of U-M women’s ice hockey, and learn how archived records at the Bentley show that the U-M women’s ice hockey team has repeatedly been iced out.

    … Complete Story
  • Historic photo of a painted mural by C. Popovich.

    Rescuing History

    A collection of black-and-white photos sat dormant for a decade. Then, the owner took a closer look, and wondered if those photos belonged at the Bentley.

    … Complete Story
  • Women athletes posing in front of the Martha Cook dormitory.

    A Sporting Chance

    Women at U-M fought for athletic facilities where they could exercise and play sports. Learn how they carved out spaces for themselves on campus, time and again.

    … Complete Story
  • Ruth Ellis leaning against a car in Detroit.

    Living with Pride

    Ruth Ellis forged a path for people in the LGBTQ community, as one of the oldest “out” lesbians in Detroit, until her death at age 101.

    … Complete Story