The collection consists mostly of Dain’s materials relating to the Children of the Chippewa… versus the Regents of the UM trial, 1971-1980, including briefs, transcripts, orders, exhibits, depositions, his sworn statement, 1978, other legal documents, and newspaper clippings (copies); materials for county or city events he collected or helped create; papers of students or other people related to Michigan history; biographical materials; and some miscellaneous maps (copies). Other materials relating to the trial may be found in the Elmer White papers and in cataloged materials.
Biography:
Floyd Russell Dain was born on November 20, 1910. He earned an A.B. and a M.A., both in history and both from Wayne State University (WSU).
During World War II, Dain served as a communications officer in the U.S. Navy.
For 29 years, Dain taught as a Detroit Public Schools teacher. He also taught as a special instructor at WSU for 15 years.
On September 5, 1966 Dain was hired as an administrative assistant at the Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University. He later took a part-time assistant professor position at CMU. In March 1970 he was promoted in rank to associate professor, and in 1973, to full professor. Remembered as a fascinating lecturer, Dain was very popular with students. He retired from CMU in 1981. In 1996 Dain received an honorary doctorate from CMU in recognition for his many contributions to CMU.
Dain testified in the Children of the Chippewa, Ottawa, and Pottawatomie versus the Regents of the University of Michigan (UM) trial in 1979 because he was an expert on the history of early Michigan educational efforts and agreements with the Chippewa. After the trial and before the case went to Circuit Court, the UM agreed to give scholarships to members of the Chippewa tribe. The tribe had wanted the UM to provide education free of charge to its members.
Dain wrote a number of books, many of which are in the CMU libraries. He received an Award of Merit from the American Association of Local History for his book entitled, “Every house a frontier,” and an American History Teacher Award in 1980 for his book entitled, “Daughters of colonial wars.”
He was a member of the American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, the American Association for State and Local History, the Detroit Historical Society, and the Michigan Historical Society.
Floyd Dain died on October 24, 1996 in Fayetteville, New York, where he had lived for a few years with his daughter, Kathleen Dain. He was survived by his daughter, brothers-in-law, and several nieces and nephews. (This information is from the collection.)
