Democratic Party of Michigan records, 1932-2008 (majority within 1950-1994)

Summary

Creator:

Democratic Party (Mich.)

Abstract:

Files of state chairs, Neil Staebler, John J. Collins, Zolton Ferency, Sander Levin, James McNeely, Morley Winograd, Olivia Maynard, Richard Wiener, F. Thomas LeWand, and Gary Corbin; files of deputy state chair, Billie S. Farnum, vice chairs Adelaide Hart and Olivia Maynard, and vice chair Robert Mitchell; files relating to state constitutional convention, and to state and national political campaigns, since 1950; sound recordings and visual materials.

Extent:

97 linear feet (in 99 boxes)
1 film reel
18.4 GB (online)

Language:

English

Call Number:

85686 Bt 2

Authors:

Finding aid created by Michigan Historical Collections staff

Background

Scope and Content:

The records of the Democratic Party of Michigan have come to the library in several accessions beginning in 1967 and periodically thereafter. The record group is comprised of files mainly from the Lansing office of the Democratic Party of Michigan. The files are of the officers of the party: state chair, vice chair, deputy chair, and secretary among others. As might be expected, the records relate to the day-to-day operation of the party, the management of political campaigns (i.e. selecting candidates, defining issues, raising funds, getting out the vote, etc.). In addition, much of the records concern the state organization's relationship with the National Democratic Party and its participation in the national convention to select a presidential nominee. Because of inconsistencies in how files were maintained and used, the files of one party officer might also include materials of his / her predecessor. Thus the researcher should be examine the entire finding aid for material on any given topic or time period.

The records of the Democratic Party of Michigan has been arranged into the following series: (1) Earlier records, prior to 1965; (2) State Chair, Democratic State Central Committee files; (3) Other Party Officers; (4) Headquarters files; (5) Detroit Office Files; (6) Topical Files; (7) State Central Committee Meeting Minutes; (8) State and National Convention files; (9) Appeals Committee; (10) Publications and miscellaneous; (11) Visual Materials; (12) Sound Recordings.

Biographical / Historical:

The Democratic Party of Michigan is a non-profit organization affiliated with the Democratic National Committee, and its State Chairman is a member of the Association of State Democratic chairs. The group is dedicated to supporting Democratic candidates for public office in the state of Michigan, promoting the party in Michigan, and fielding the concerns of Michigan citizens as part of their effort to affect legislative change.

Although the Democratic Party State Central Committee has been in Michigan since the mid-19th century, it wasn't until the late 1940s that it was rejuvenated and strengthened. Until that time there were only small "paper groups" of isolated Democratic enthusiasts, with the exceptions of Wayne County and the western Upper Peninsula where more substantial committees had organized. At the time, the Democratic Party represented a more liberal perspective, including protest groups, new immigrants, and fledgling unions. With the 1948 election of Democrat G. Mennen Williams, the party began to gain a foothold in Michigan politics, and the Democratic Party State Central Committee (DPSCC) began to develop.

In 1949 the group held its Spring Convention and elected Chairman Hicks Griffiths and Vice Chairman Margaret Cotsikas. Its first major project was the revitalization of the annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner. Attended by 1200 people at the Detroit Masonic Temple, the guest speaker was Senator Hubert Humphrey.

With the success of the "Jeff-Jack" Dinner and a morale boost for the party, the DPSCC adopted the slogan "A candidate for every office, a challenger in every polling place and a worker in every precinct." They followed up the slogan with manuals on challenging and precinct work and through the development of county-level, grassroots organizations. In the early 1950s, the DPSCC set a budget and opened itself to public scrutiny. The group established field representatives, county committees, and sub-committees, and the operation became year-round rather than solely at the time of elections. The group enjoyed increased membership, improved fund-raising, diversified participation, and a reputation for "honest politics." They established financial drives, founded the Young Democrats, worked to further integrate women into the party, and established the monthly publication Michigan Democrat.

In 1965, under the second term of State Chairman Zolton Ferency, the group purchased a building in Lansing for their permanent headquarters. It was dedicated the John F. Kennedy House in October 1965, and the dedication address was given by Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy of Massachusetts.

The Democratic Party of Michigan suffered financial and developmental difficulties in the early 1990s after the surprising defeat of Governor James Blanchard by Republican John Engler. (Some records in the collection hint that the party has followed a similar cycle throughout its history.) As a result, much of 1991 and 1992, under the leadership of State Chairman Gary Corbin, was spent trying to rebuild the party through financial support, increased membership, speaking events, and direct communication via mail with citizens who wrote the party to express their concerns. One of the primary issues of concern for the party and for citizens was Governor Engler's budget for Michigan, including sharp cuts in social services for the poor and elderly and concerns regarding education and taxation.

Acquisition Information:

This record group came from the Lansing headquarters of the Democratic Party of Michigan (donor no. 4474 ) in multiple accessions beginning in 1967.

Accruals:

Periodic additions to the records are expected.

Rules or Conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Related

Alternative Form Available:

Digitization: The Library has undertaken the digitization of a number of sound recordings within this collection. The resulting audio files are available for playback only in the Bentley Library Reading Room. Links to item images and additional information are available within this finding aid. Original sound recordings are only available for staff use.

Subjects

Click on terms below to find any related finding aids on this site.

Subjects:

Elections -- Michigan -- 1952.
Elections -- Michigan -- 1958.
Elections -- Michigan -- 1960.
Elections -- Michigan -- 1962.
Elections -- Michigan -- 1968.
Elections -- Michigan -- 1970.
Elections -- Michigan -- 1972.
Elections -- Michigan -- 1974.
Elections -- Michigan -- 1976.
Elections -- Michigan -- 1980.
Elections -- Michigan -- 1984.
Elections -- Michigan -- 1988.
Presidents -- United States -- Election -- 1968.
Presidents -- United States -- Election -- 1976.
Governors -- Michigan.
African Americans -- Political life.
Parades and processions.
Political conventions.
Political elections.
Seals.
Voting.
Women -- Political life.
Elections -- United States -- 1968.

Formats:

Motion pictures.
Photographs.
Sound recordings.
Videotapes.

Names:

Democratic Party (Mich.)
Democratic Party (Mich.). State Central Committee.
Michigan. Constitutional Convention (1961-1962)
Swainson, John B. (John Burley), 1925-1994.
Williams, G. Mennen, 1911-1988.
Carter, Jimmy, 1924-
Humphrey, Hubert H. (Hubert Horatio), 1911-1978.
Mondale, Walter F., 1928-
Young, Coleman A.
Colburn, Sherwood.
Crandall, Norman.
Dingell, John D.
Downs, Tom, 1916-
Farnum, Billie S. (Billie Sunday), 1916-
Ferency, Zolton A., 1922-1993.
Ford, William D.
Gillis, Joseph A., 1895-
Hare, James M. (James McNeil), 1910-1980.
Harriman, W. Averell (William Averell), 1891-1986.
Hart, Adelaide, 1900-
Hart, Philip A. (Philip Aloysius), 1912-1976.
Jeffrey, Mildred, 1911-2004.
Karoub, James, 1929-1994.
Keith, Damon J. (Damon Jerome), 1922-
McNamara, Patrick Vincent, 1894-1966.
Nathanson, Ben, 1915-
Nedzi, Lucien, 1925-
O'Hara, James G.
Patrick, William.
Rostow, W. W. (Walt Whitman), 1916-2003.
Staebler, Neil, 1905-2000.
Stevens, Roy.
Towner, Charles R., 1927-
Corbin, Gary.
LeWand, F. Thomas.
Wiener, Richard.
Collins, John J. (John Joseph), 1935-
Knox, Patti.
Levin, Sander, 1931-
McNeely, James, 1930-
Maynard, Olivia.
Mitchell, Robert.
Winograd, Morley.

Places:

Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1946-1960.
Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1961-1970.
Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1971-1980.
Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1981-1990.
Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1951-
Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1961-1970.
Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1971-1980.
Michigan -- Politics and government -- 1951-