Whitney-Ville.
Series Description
(1) SCHOOL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE. 1930, 1938-1988, 1990, undated [1962-1975]. 6.33 cubic feet
Reports, memoranda, correspondence, notes, publications and extraneous materials relating to the function and activities of the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice. Topics range in breadth from University and student/classroom-related activities to areas of interest beyond campus boarders. Typical of these topics include: School of Criminal Justice work with the Detroit Study of 1967, Faculty Advisory Committee materials, office/school administrative forms, School or Criminal Justice History, 50th Anniversary planning materials, Law Enforcement Training Program/Law Enforcement Institute and general school program materials.
Arranged alphabetically (largely).
(2) CURRICULUM MATERIALS. 1959-1966, 1970, 1972-1977, undated. 1.0 cubic feet.
Materials in this series are closely related to those materials found in series #1. Types of materials include correspondence, reports, memoranda, notes and publications. While the focus is more concerned with university-wide curriculum development, materials reflect changes to curriculum within the School of Criminal Justice.
Arranged alphabetically.
(3) COURSE MATERIALS. 1927, 1936, 1940, 1943, 1946-1951, 1951-1956, 1958-1959, 1981, undated. [1965-1979]. 4.67 cubic feet
This series ties in with series #1 and #2, but, its primary emphasis lies in the documentation of courses taught in the School of Criminal Justice. Primary types of materials include syllabi, lecture notes, tests, quizzes, class lists, roll sheets, class outlines, handbooks, questionnaires, thesis guidelines, memoranda, surveys and reports. Included as well are materials related to the development of Criminal Justice courses and curriculum. Of note are Turner’s course materials for “Alcohol - A Social Dilemma.” This series reflects course work done by Turner, but includes materials gathered and presented by colleagues as well.
Arranged largely alphabetically. Syllabi are arranged in ascending order by course number.
(4) SHORT COURSES WITH LAWRENCE BARIL. 1944, 1948, 1950-1972, undated. [1958-1969]. 4.5 cubic feet
Short courses through the School of Criminal Justice and Lifelong Education largely served law enforcement personnel throughout the state of Michigan. Lawrence Baril, an instructor in policing administration and public safety, was very involved in the short course programs. A considerable amount of materials in this series reflect his work. These courses focused on a wide range of subjects including accident investigation, basic police patrol, traffic management, policing juveniles and command officer training, field service and law enforcement training. Their audience served the range of officers, from the rural small town beat cop to state police administrators. Courses lasted anywhere from one to three months. This series relates to materials found in series #1, most notably the files on Law Enforcement Training Program.
This short course series contains correspondence, publication, reports, memoranda, course syllabi and outlines, lecture notes, class rosters, case studies and related educational materials.
Arranged alphabetically.
(5) LONDON COURSE IN COMPARATIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE. 1967, 1969-1978, 1980-1984, undated. 1.75 cubic feet.
Materials in this series relate specifically to study abroad programs in Comparative Criminal Justice in London. Types of materials found here include correspondence, syllabi, course materials, lecture notes, reports, case materials and publications. Correspondence includes that between members of the School of Criminal Justice, the University, and London individuals involved with the collaborative teaching project.
Arranged largely alphabetically.
(6) MSU POLICE ADMINISTRATION GERMAN PROGRAM (PAGP). 1949-1953 [1950-1951]. 1.25 cubic feet.
Materials in this series reflect the work of Turner, as well as others in the School of Criminal Justice, with the Police Administration Program established by Michigan State University. The vast majority of the materials in this series are correspondence. This correspondence is between program participants and coordinators and includes the staff and administration of Michigan State University, the U.S. State Department, the German government and police officials.
Arranged alphabetically.
(7) CORRESPONDENCE. 1949-1994, undated. 9.5 cubic feet.
Although correspondence is found in nearly every series in the collection, the correspondence set aside in this series was kept as such (separate from other materials) by the creator. The creator, Turner, labeled most of the correspondence as “personal” although much professional correspondence is mixed within letters to and from family and friends. Correspondence with police and legal officials regarding expert witness and consulting work, state and government administrators (including J. Edgar Hoover of the FBI), foreign dignitaries, mystery writer Erle Stanley Gardner, and U.S. presidents.
Arranged alphabetically and then chronologically within each letter.
(8) VIETNAM PROJECT. 1955-1971, 1981, undated. [1955-1960]. 6.0 cubic feet.
Materials in this series reflect Turner’s involvement in the MSU Advisory Group (MSUG) in Vietnam. Turner’s collection of papers on this project reflect largely the formal workings of the MSUG, and consequently consist largely of reports, publications, articles, briefing information, case studies, meeting minutes, notes, drafts of formal materials, and some correspondence.
It is suggested that the researcher consult the series of correspondence for the time period Turner spent in Vietnam as Chief Police Advisor to the Police and Security Service of South Vietnam as part of the MSUG. Please also refer to collection UA 2.9.5.5 (Vietnam Project) and UA 17.95 (Wesley R. Fishel Papers) for a more detailed record of MSU’s involvement in Vietnam. This project was established under contract through the Vietnamese Government and the U.S. Operations Mission.
Arranged largely alphabetically.
(9) RESEARCH PROJECTS. 1939-1980, 1982-1987, undated. [1966-1974]. 3.0 cubic feet.
This series reflects the work done on six different projects, but emphasize two: alcohol research and voice print identification.
Arranged alphabetically by research topic, and then alphabetically within that topic.
(10) FORENSIC SCIENCE. 1947, 1951, 1955-1966, undated. 1.0 cubic feet.
This series contains equipment catalogs for use in the field of Forensic Science investigation work.
Arranged alphabetically by catalog title.
(11) FORENSIC SCIENCE WITH C. W. MUEHLBERGER. 1899, 1901, 1913, 1920-1938, 1940, undated. [1923-1933]. 2.5 cubic feet.
C. W. Muehlberger was the director of Michigan State University’s Department of Health. He was also head of the scientific crime detection laboratory under the State of Michigan Department of Health. He was a pioneer forensic technologist, much respected by Turner.
These papers of Muehlberger were kept by Turner. For more information on Muehlberger and his relation with the School of Criminal Justice, see the School of Criminal Justice, series #1, “C.W. Muehlberger Fund,” Box 1666, Folder 28.
Arranged alphabetically.
(12) FULBRIGHT LECTURE PAPERS. 1960-1968, 1970-1972, 1992, undated. 0.75 cubic feet.
Materials relating to Turner’s appointment as a Fulbright Lecturer. For more and related materials see the correspondence (under dates of his Fulbright tenure), series #7, as well as the General Subject Files series #13 and the Miscellaneous series #17.
Arranged alphabetically.
(13) GENERAL SUBJECT FILES. 1920, 1924, 1927, 1929, 1934-1999, undated. [1960-1975]. 8.75 cubic feet.
A diverse assortment of materials interrelated to one another as well as to other series in the collection, the General Subject files reflect both the work and private life activities of Turner throughout the bulk of his life. Many of the professional organizations in which he was a member are represented in this series, including: Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, Alcohol Education Committee, Forensic Sciences Foundation, International Association of Police Professors, Michigan Association of the Chiefs of Police. Both his alcohol and voice print identification projects have ties to materials found in this section.
Also included are the materials he collected during his participation in the Sherlock Holmes Society of London (Baker Street Irregulars) and during his involvement with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
(14) CASE FILES. 1903-1905, 1909-1911, 1914, 1918, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1949-1992, undated. [1973-1988]. 5.25 cubic feet.
Documents maintained by Turner on cases on which he was a consultant or expert witness. Some of the files represent consultant work done by colleagues and mentors of Turner. Some cases have long histories. Types of materials within include: legal briefings, testimony, photographs, correspondence, reports, forensic and ballistics reports.
Arranged according to case number.
(15) AMERICAN ACADEMY OF FORENSIC SCIENCE. 1945-1984, 1987-1988, 1992-1994, undated. 2.25 cubic feet.
Turner was a founding member of the American Academy of Forensic Science. Materials in this series reflect his involvement. Additional related materials can be found in the Miscellaneous and Correspondence series. Membership Rosters, by-laws and membership requirements and meeting proceedings can be found here. Other materials include correspondence, publications, meeting materials, programs, committee minutes, publications and abstracts.
Arranged chronologically during early years of organization development, then alphabetically by subject.
(16) NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL. 1947-1958, 1961-1977, undated. 1.25 cubic feet. pp.
The National Safety Council supported and founded much of Turner’s alcohol research project. See the “alcohol” section of the Research Projects series for related materials. Materials in this series relates specifically to the alcohol and drugs section within the National Safety Council. Types of materials include publications, reports, correspondence, and working papers of committees and sub-committees.
Arranged largely chronologically.
(17) MISCELLANEOUS. 1930-1931, 1935-1944, 1946-1947, 1949-1975, undated. 3.25 cubic feet.
An archivist-created series of materials left unorganized by the creator and coming from various donors and labeled “miscellaneous.” Materials in this series may reflect groupings of materials located within other series.
Arranged largely alphabetically.
(18) RESTRICTED FILES. 2.0 cubic feet.
Personnel and student records, police reports, donor records, human subject research records, and correspondence relating to job searches, which are considered confidential by University policy.
Arranged by series and thereunder alphabetically by subject.
(19) FIREARMS ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS. 16.0 cubic feet.
Thousands of photographs, photographic prints, negatives and illustrations of firearms and firearm parts. These items are part of the J. H Matthews Collection kept by Turner. A mentor of Turner, J. H. Matthews was chairman of the Chemistry Department at the University of Wisconsin and was noted for his work with ballistic forensics.
Items in this series are arranged in a variety of ways. Individual photographs and corresponding negatives, along with handwritten information have been preserved in 4x5 inch envelopes within 5x7 inch envelopes. Other illustrations mounted on scrapbook pages have remained preserved this way - in the order in which they were found - but separated into acid free folders.
They are arranged both alphabetically and according to caliber.
(20) AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS. 20 cubic feet. Postcards, lantern slides.
Materials in addition to the Firearms Illustrations and Photographs Series. These are items separate from the general body of the collection and placed in the Archives’ audio recording, film and video, postcard and photograph collections.
The lantern slides in this series belonged to J. H. Matthews. There are two sets. A general set on forensic science collected by Matthews are miscellaneous in nature on the subjects of ballistics, poison, and laboratory scenes. The second set are slides used by Matthews in teaching courses at Wisconsin c.1930s. Topics for this second set include the history of criminology, miscellany, alcohol detection, blood stains, explosions, polygraph charts, type writing, charred documents, stab wounds, physical chemistry, optical instruments, hair, vegetable fibers, starches, hit and run, polygraph, blood identification, spectography, ballistics, gunshot wounds, ultraviolet, infrared, x-rays, molding and casts, glass fractures, mud and dusts, bones and teeth, the crime problem, circumstantial v. eye witness evidence, restoration of serial numbers, finger prints, restoration by chemical means, watermarks, wounds, burns, skulls and faces.
Items are grouped according to media and listed thereunder.
(21) OVERSIZED MATERIALS.
Items too large for acid free folder and envelope arrangement. Numerous maps - London, the Middle East, Vietnam, China and the United States. Also ephemera relating to MSUG activities, ballistics and Baker Street Irregulars materials.
Dates
- Creation: 1899 - 1999
Creator
- From the Record Group: Turner, Ralph F. (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open for research. Series 18 (2 cubic feet) is restricted.
Extent
From the Series: 16 Cubic Feet
Language of Materials
From the Record Group: English
Repository Details
Part of the University Archives and Historical Collections Repository
Conrad Hall
943 Conrad Road, Room 101
East Lansing MI 48824 US
517-355-2330
archives@msu.edu