Works Progress Administration Scrapbook

Collection

Identifier: 00264

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

he collection consists of a Works Progress Administration scrapbook with clippings and photos about projects in the Lansing, Jackson and Ingham county and surrounding areas. The cover of the scrapbook is titled "WPA Scrapbook sponsored by Fred L. Fulton 5th District, pastepot and scribe Phil Johnson, cartoonist L.E. Tedman,and features a cartoon of Fred Fulton on the cover. The scrapbook includes are newspaper clippings about the projects, cartoons and drawings by L.E. Tedman about Fulton and the WPA, and photographs of the projects, and an issue of the WPA 5th District newsletter, and correspondence. There is also newspaper articles with photos of the local district directors Louis M. Nims, Harry L. Pierson, Floyd Shaw Benjamin, Andrew T. Sweet, Fred L. Fulton, Martin A. Holland, Leo J. Hosman, A.D. MacRae, and Richard A. Lawson. The cover contains the note "Presented to M.S.U. History Department 7-3-91 by Sarah Walters daughter of Fred Fulton, Sr."

The photographs in the scrapbook include: President Roosevelt's Visit to Lansing October 15, 1936; Everett School- Ingham County; Ingham Project #33-5-416 Diagnostic Research Building; Ingham Project #33-5-473 Macklin Field with images of construction of the field, the finished project and image of MSC vs Wayne State football game; 33-5-473 M.S.O.; M.S.C. vs Wayne University; Ingham Project #33-5-521 Mason Grand Stand; Ingham Project #33-5-341 M.S.C. New Tennis Courts- start of construction; Ingham #33-5-441 Michigan State Police Garage and Radio Station; Ingham S102 Renovation Project Rug Loom; Ingham S61 Lansing Sewing Project children's dresses; Ingham Project ##-5-49 MSC Union new entrance; Michigan Avenue Bridge Lansing; A First-Aid Training Course; Women's Baseball Team; 33-5-344 Improving Conservation Facilities at M.S.C. - construction of a building; 33-5-286 Municipal Garage at East Lansing; W.P.A. Band Lansing Centennial Parade; Buildings Under Construction; Looking Glass River; Children on a swing ;38-5-224 Improvements to Grand River Channel in Jackson; 38-5-487 Losey Avenue Bridge in Jackson with old and new bridge; Jackson Project #38-5-38 Jacobs Drain; Project 46-5-467 State Highway Improvements in Lenawee County Sink Hole; Project #46-5-492 Cement Tile Drain Replacing Open Drain at Riga, Michigan; Lenawee Project 46-5-241 Blissfield Police Post; Shiawassee Project 78-5-320 North Elevation Owosso Water Softener; Shiawassee Project #78-5-320 Shiawassee River Beautified; Project #81-5-651 Heat Tunnel for University of Michigan; Project #81-5-880 School Addition in Manchester; Reynolds Field airport Jackson Michigan. There are also some unidentifed images of construction of buildings. There are also a few images of Kentucky including houses, buildings, people, and scenery.

Dates

Creation: 1936-1937, undated

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/Historical

Fred L. Fulton was the Director of the Fifth Works Progress Administration District with headquarters in Lansing. He was born and raised in Lansing, and he attended Lansing Public Schools. He was Ingham County Director in the CWA Program and later became Emergency Relief Administrator. He lived at Lake Lansing during his time as director.

L.E. Tedman was a cartoonist who illustrated the scrapbook and also created several cartoons about Fred L. Fulton.

The WPA was an employment and infrastructure program put into action by President Roosevelt in 1935 as part of his New Deal initiative. It combated the Great Depression by providing work for millions of Americans. The program existed for 8 years, and it employed roughly 8.5 million Americans over that time period. https://www.history.com/topics/works-progress-administration