The News and Information Services Photographs document many aspects of university and community life, particularly activities of the administration, faculty, departments, and students beginning in 1946 and continuing into the early 1980s. Photographs were, for the most part, made by the staff of the News Service (later Information Services and now News and Information Services) for use with university press releases, or upon request of individuals with the university, or for outside media with special interests in university personnel or activities.
The record group presently consists of 10 series (A-J).
The series are comprised primarily of black and white negatives and contact sheets, although Series E includes six linear feet and one oversize box of prints, most of which are 8" x 10" black and white images, and Series H includes color transparencies. There are also prints in Series I, Series J, slides in Series E and I, and a 16 mm film in Series I. Color negatives become more frequent in the late 1980s.
The original order and file headings created by News and Information Services have been retained wherever possible. Thus, the several lettered series reflect various organizational schemes used in the past.
News and Information Services (NIS) is the media relations office of the University of Michigan. NIS disseminates (to internal and external audiences) information about university programs, research, and activities of faculty and staff, primarily through the news media. NIS also responds to media requests for information about the university. Staff is comprised of information officers and editors covering specific university units, a photography unit, and a radio and television unit. This office also publishes The University Record, a weekly newspaper for faculty and staff, and Michigan Today, a quarterly tabloid newspaper sent to U-M alumni (complete sets of these publications are held by the Bentley Library). Some units on campus handle media relations through offices largely independent of NIS. These units include sports information, the Medical Center, the College of Engineering, Law School, and Business School.
News and Information Services has undergone several name and organizational changes, but can trace its roots to 1897, when the Regents requested a plan for to disseminate University news to the State. This original department of information services was primarily responsible for publishing newsletters and frequently struggled to finance its operations. By 1930, the need for a news agency had grown, and following the installation of President Alexander G. Ruthven, the university created a News Dissemination Service (often called the University of Michigan News Service). Led by Wilfred B. Shaw, the Service had two primary functions. First, it was responsible for preparing weekly releases for nearly 800 newspapers throughout the state and beyond. This reporting included news about the Regents, research conducted by professors, affairs of the student body, and all other campus news with the exclusion of athletics. The second function was to send news about individual students to their home town papers. (Michigan Alumnus May 27, 1959).
Originally part of the Bureau of Alumni Relations, in 1942 the University News Service, now led by Donald K. Anderson, became an independent department. In 1946, Arthur L. Brandon was appointed as the Director of Information Services and took over responsibility for the public information services on behalf of the University, services which included the University News Service, news photography, and promotional publications. In 1948, services expanded with the acquisition of the WUOM radio station and continued to adapt to new media with the addition of television.
With the administrative changes resulting from the installment of President Harlan H. Hatcher, Brandon's title was changed to Director of University Relations and the University News Service became part of the Office of University Relations. Other changes followed, with Regents meetings being opened to the press in 1954 and University News Service taking on photographic coverage at athletic events in 1956. In 1957, Brandon resigned from his position and was replaced by Lyle M. Nelson. As Director of University Relations, Nelson combined radio and television under the director of broadcasting. Nelson retired in 1961 and was replaced by Michael Radock. One year later, administrative reorganization created an Information Service.
The Information Service consisted of three divisions, including News Service, News Photography, and Community Relations. Further reorganization in 1963 and 1964 moved the publications and editorial services under the umbrella of Information Services and saw the promotion of Cleland B. Wyllie, who had been with the News Service since the 1940s, to Director of Media Relations.
While the Office of University Relations underwent several changes and reorganizations in the following years, Information Services remained under its jurisdiction until 1998, when the office was divided into three vice presidential posts. One of these new posts was the Vice President for Media Relations, which was responsible for the University's News Service. In 2000, the Media Relations became the Office of the Vice President for Communications, which is where the current News Service resides in the University organization. News Service has continued to expand its media types and now includes podcasts, social media, and other online resources in addition to its print, radio, and television services.
Current information about News and Information Services and on-line versions of the University Record and Michigan Today (with searchable back issues of the Record from September 1992, and Michigan Today from December 1993) is available on the Web at the following URL: http://ns.umich.edu/new/.
