Bentley Historical Library

News Stories

  • Please Join Us for a History Lecture with Director McDonald

    What is exactly is “the liberal arts?” Join us for a lecture by Bentley Director Terry McDonald, who will trace the (surprisingly short) history of the “liberal arts” in America and at the University of Michigan, where the current form emerged only in the early 1930s.

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  • Teaching Undergraduates with Archives

    The Bentley is proud to announce the publication of Teaching Undergraduates with Archives, a book inspired by the conference of the same name. It includes 43 different authors and features evolving practice and academic research on primary sources in the classroom.

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  • Here’s the Story of a Lovely Lady

    When you think of Ann B. Davis, it’s as the center square of a grid, surrounded by loving people who—somehow, as the song said—formed a family. Her collection at the Bentley reveals how she found a real-life family through her Episcopalian faith.

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  • A New Portal for U-M History

    A doorway to the University’s past is wide open with the launch of a new history portal that leads to stories, exhibits, videos and more. The Bentley Historical Library is pleased to share this essential resource for exploring Michigan’s impact throughout the centuries.

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  • A New Lecture Series Exploring U-M History

    The Bentley Historical Library is pleased to announce a new lecture series exploring the history of the University of Michigan. There is an exciting line-up of speakers and topics for the 2019-20 year. The lectures will take place at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library. Please join us!

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  • Writing Aunt Lulu

    During World War II, Lulu Middleton wrote letters to service men and women, sending along advice, cookies, candy and ultimately a connection to home in Michigan. Her five scrapbooks of correspondence, photos, and mementos are preserved at the Bentley Historical Library.

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  • Five Moments that Shaped U-M

    A meeting in fire-razed Detroit. Two physicists on an Ann Arbor lawn. A lone woman in a Greek class in 1866. A protest at the president’s house. The fight for gay rights. Here are five of the moments and movements that altered the course of Michigan history, and the Bentley collections that tell the story.

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