James William Ochs collection

Collection

Identifier: UA-10.3.341

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The James William Ochs collection contains six folders of photographs taken by James during his time at Michigan State College (now Michigan State University). The photos show student activities including sports. The sports photos include basketball, both intercollegiate and intramural, football, and boxing. Of particular interest are the photos of the annual Class Rivalry between freshmen and sophomores at the college showing the tug of war and defending the flag. Also included in the collection are photos of entertainers, particularly musicians and singers. Finally, there are groups of people gathered indoors and outdoors, many of them posing for the camera, as well as women participating in an egg toss.

Dates

Creation: circa 1948

Creator

Ochs, James William (Photographer, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from this collection must be obtained from University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.

Biographical Note

James William Ochs was born to Mildred and Harley Ochs on June 1, 1922 in Charlevoix, Michigan. Ochs attended Michigan State College (now Michigan State University) from 1941-1942 and then was drafted into the U. S. Army when the United States formally entered World War II. After basic training, he was sent to photography school in New York City, and then the Army Special Training Program at Princeton University. He became part of the 26th Infantry Division which were some of the first U.S. soldiers to go to France at Utah Beach. Following the war, he returned to MSC from 1946 to 1948 and earned a degree in Business Management. He married Marion Griffin in 1950, and the two were together until her death in 2004. He was employed by the Ford Motor Company for 27 years until his retirement in 1980. James died on December 25, 2015 in Holland, Michigan. (Source: James Ochs obituary in The Holland Sentinel)