Spring 2026

Animals unleashed! This issue spotlights photographs of animals in the archives, from deer to dogs to cats and more. And as the Voting Rights Act sees increasing news coverage, this issue introduces one of the Act’s original champions, Michigan Senator Philip Hart, who helped secure the Act’s passage through Congress.

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Selected Stories

A selection of stories of this issue. Please download PDF to read all content.

Fur, Feathers, and Photos

by Naomi Yu

Take a “paws” to check out these images of furry and feathered friends in collections across the archives at the Bentley Historical Library.

The Shootout and the Fallout

by Lara Zielin

Two U-M medical students saw Jesse James' gang attempt a bank robbery in 1876. A historical letter alleges that two outlaws' bodies ended up in Ann Arbor.

Scanning the Page

by Lara Zielin

Meet Liz Gadelha, who makes sure that tens of thousands of digital copies of letters, maps, photos, and more, make their way to researchers who need them.

Staying On Track

by Sarah Derouin

How electric trolleys paved the way for interurban travel between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, and beyond, until the popular mode of travel was eventually derailed.

Basketball Breakthrough

by Madeleine Bradford

Archived photos help tell the story of Phyllis Wheatley Waters, the first Black student to play basketball at U-M and earn a letter from the Women’s Athletic Association.

Michigan’s Wartime Japanese

by Lara Zielin

A new database lists the Japanese Americans who were incarcerated during World War II, then recruited to U-M to work. One researcher explores U-M’s role and the legacy of this labor.

Presidential Preservation

by Alexis Antracoli

Director Alexis Antracoli shines a spotlight on the papers of University of Michigan presidents who have shaped the institution and beyond, preserved at the Bentley Historical Library.

Vote of Confidence

by Katie Vloet

Senator Philip Hart of Michigan was the Senate floor manager for the Voting Rights Act in 1965. His papers at the Bentley reveal the vital role he played during this volatile and consequential year.

Rescued from the Rubble

by Gregory Parker

In the 1970s, rumors swirled that U-M was going to raze its historic Detroit Observatory. Margaret and Nicholas Steneck worked to help save it, devoting decades to preserving U-M's past.

Door After Door

by Madeleine Bradford

As the first woman known to have earned a bachelor's degree in architecture at U-M, Bertha Whitman's career was an uphill battle that helped pave the way for future woman architects.