The Bentley Historical Library will be closed on Monday, July 14, 2025.

 

News Stories

  • Ford on the Field

    2024 marked the 50th anniversary of Gerald R. Ford’s presidency. His accomplishments on a national scale make it easy to forget he was also an exceptional U-M football player.

    Complete Story
  • Living with Pride

    Born in 1899, Ruth Ellis was an activist, businesswoman, and one of the oldest “out” people in Detroit. Living to the age of 101, she forged a path for Detroit’s LGBTQ+ community.

    Complete Story
  • A Historic Facility, a New Director

    Meet Gregory Parker, the new director of the Judy and Stanley Frankel Detroit Observatory. His passion for public history and experience with exhibits, programing, and U-M converge in his new role.

    Complete Story
  • Pride & Prejudice

    Learn about Jim Toy, who stood on the front lines of the gay rights movement in its earliest days. His papers showcase years of perseverance that changed Ann Arbor, and beyond.

    Complete Story
  • 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
  • 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 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