Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University 5401 Cass Ave, Detroit, MI 48202 313.577.4024 Volume 17 2013 Utah Phillips Papers at the Reuther Library By Louis Jones, Field Archivist In September 2013, the Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs became the home of the Utah Phillips papers. Bruce Duncan “Utah” Phillips (1935-2008) a preeminent storyteller and a Grammy-nominated folksinger, was also a labor organizer, poet, philosopher, pacifist, two-time candidate for political office and anarchist. In each of these roles he Left: Utah Phillips poses on always espoused universal equality, peace in a world plagued the back of a train’s caboose, by conflict and war, and the dignity of the human spirit. undated. Right: Phillips performs at Phillips had an amazing grasp of history and brought clarity to the Winnipeg Folk Festival, complex ideas about oppression and struggle, without circa 1976. patronizing those to whom he was speaking or singing. In song and in spoken word he gave voice to a working class commu- the United States, Canada and Europe, identifying nity and culture that is often misunderstood. In keeping with “Entertainment Workers – I.U. 630/IWW” as the union that his sense of working class unity was his invitation to audience represented him for many years. One could argue that he members to join with him in song. As these were as much their provided more exposure and publicity to the IWW through his songs as his, the arrangement made sense. It also made sense songs, stories and poems than anyone else in recent years. that he could connect with these audiences because he himself was working class and had lived a life similar to theirs. The Reuther Library is the repository for the records of the IWW, and Utah Phillips’ papers will join those of the stalwart Bruce Phillips was born in Cleveland to labor organizers, Wobblies Joe Hill and Frederick W. Thompson. The Reuther served in the army after the Korean War, rode the rails as a also holds the records of the Catholic anarchist Ammon hobo, worked as an archivist for the state of Utah, and ran for Hennacy, and the Joe Hill House, a homeless shelter where Senate on the Peace and Freedom ticket. After 1968 he adopted Bruce Phillips lived for a while after his Army service. the stage name U. Utah Phillips and devoted himself to his life’s work of storytelling and songwriting. His songs were covered Consisting of correspondence, sheet music, contracts for by Tom Waits, Emmylou Harris, and others, and he collaborated performances, reel-to-reel recordings, newsletters, photos, with Ani DiFranco on two of his later albums. Phillips spent flyers and posters announcing concerts, songs, and poetry, the the last decades of his life in Nevada City, California, where he Utah Phillips papers make a unique and meaningful contribu- hosted a syndicated public radio show (“Loafer’s Glory”) and tion to our archival holdings. With the addition of these 32 founded a nonprofit charity to benefit the homeless. boxes of papers to the Reuther Library’s collections, scholars, students, fellow folksingers and others will now have the Until his death in 2008, Phillips was a proud dues-paying opportunity to learn more about Phillips, the people and member of the Industrial Workers of the World. His papers organizations with which he interacted, and his contributions include many contracts for performances he gave throughout to the world in which he lived. n A Letter from the Director Dr. Elizabeth Myers The past year at the Reuther Library was filled with an supervision of the University amazing array of accomplishment and change. Archival work Archivist. This funding helps us rarely appears complete—new collections are always fulfill the mission of the Reuther while at the same time arriving requiring care—and so it is important to recognize helping researchers and students achieve their own goals. and celebrate just how much we’ve done. While this overview only encompasses a fraction of the By processing collections, Reuther staff opened up over 1,000 important work done at the Reuther Library, it does illustrate linear feet of archival records for research. That work helped the expansive and public nature of archival work. Managing to drive researchers to the Reading Room, which welcomed archival collections is really a partnership between researchers, visitors from across the county and abroad, as well as dozens students, staff, and donors—collaboration necessary for our of students from Wayne State and the metropolitan Detroit continued and future success in 2014! n community. Visitors explored labor and urban history from a wide variety of perspectives, from labor strikes to community activism, local politics to Detroit’s music roots. Of particular interest were our records related to the 1963 March on Washington, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. Recent Events at the To complement the ever-growing number of collections Reuther open for research, the Reuther also greatly expanded its web presence. The Library’s website greeted almost 90,000 visitors Representatives of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan who took advantage of the nearly 1,600 new record additions Detroit visited the Reuther Library on August 20. They toured including 25 new audio clips, 30 researched blog posts, and an the facilities and participated in a lively discussion led by astonishing 1,037 images. Some of the new online content Reuther Library Director Beth Myers. The topics of discussion features gems from the Wayne State University Archives included the relationship between the Jewish Community including university publications, commencement programs, Archives and the Reuther Library, the digital future of and yearbooks. The Library also greatly expanded its social archives, and future efforts to collect the records of Detroit’s media presence and continues to look for new and inventive urban and Jewish communities. The Women’s Philanthropy way to promote and improve access to our collections. Board of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit will tour the Reuther Library on October 29, when Michael O. Some of the most significant change at the Reuther Smith will introduce the Jewish Community Archives Library centers on the physical space. Happily, the Library collections. received a new roof, additional shelving, and completed a major off-site move of over 6500 linear feet of collections. The On September 18 and 19, the Executive Board of SEIU off-site move freed up space within the building. At the same Healthcare Michigan held a training session at the Reuther time, the off-site collections are less than a mile away and Library. With over 55,000 members, SEIU Healthcare enjoy a secure and environmentally controlled environment. Michigan is the largest local union in the state of Michigan. The atrium also received a facelift and now features the Alexandra Orchard, SEIU Archivist, presented a brief stunning paintings of UAW artist John Gelsavage, while the introduction to the SEIU resources in the Reuther’s Leonard Woodcock Wing is the showcase for the sponsored collections. six-panel exhibit, “Dance Pioneers: Michigan’s 20th Century Movers.” On September 26, the Reuther Library hosted the Wayne State University Symposium on Scholarly Editing and Archival I cannot let the year pass, however, without recognizing the Research, an interdisciplinary conference inviting new important impact of our donors—both in terms of collections perspectives on current practices in the editing and and supportfor the collections and their use. The Reuther presentation of literary texts in all media. The speakers at the welcomed ten researchers who received travel support as part symposium included Johanna Russ, AFSCME Archivist, and of the Sam Fishman Grant. In addition, 2013 marked the Steven Putt, Social Sciences Librarian, who jointly delivered launch of the inaugural Ronald Raven Annual Award, which the presentation “Physical Materials and their Digital supports one student per semester who works under the Surrogates: The Role of Archivists and Librarians in the Research Process.” Page 2 Art Exhibits at the Reuther Library Highlights from 2013 The year 2013 saw a resurgence in the Reuther Library’s exhibit program: four exhibitions were mounted this year, our first since the fall of 2010. This spring saw the first of these exhibits, a selection of theater posters from Wayne State University’s Bonstelle Theatre. The nine posters in the exhibit date from 1961-1965, a particularly strong period in the history of the University Theatre, and include advertisements for productions of King Lear, Waiting for Godot, Caesar and Cleopatra, and The Member of the Wedding. The posters were on display in the Woodcock Gallery from May until October, and can now be viewed in the image gallery of the Reuther Library’s website. A selection of photographs from the Tony Spina Collection is now on permanent display in the hallway of the Audiovisual Department. Spina, the former Chief Photographer for The Detroit Free Press, donated his collection of 23,000 vintage photoprints and negatives to the Reuther Library in 1993. The prints on display, shot over the six- decade career of the celebrated photojournalist, feature portraits of political, labor, civil rights and business leaders, entertainers, sports figures and ordinary National guardsman Gary Ciko watches for people, historic events, and snipers as buildings burn on Detroit’s Linwood international travel. Of particular Street during the 1967 Civil Unrest. Photo note is his work from the 1967 courtesy the Tony Spina Collection. Civil Disturbances, which helped the Free Press win the Pulitzer Prize for Photography. To view more of Spina’s photography, please visit our online image gallery. In October, the exhibit “Dance Pioneers: Michigan’s 20th Century Movers” opened, showcasing trailblazers in Ballroom, Show Biz, Ballet, and Modern dance styles who have made a significant impact on the American dance scene, and who hailed from or made their careers in Detroit and Michigan.