Ralph Middleton Munroe (1851-1933) settled in Florida in 1891, drawn by its lush tropical landscapes and beautiful seashores. An avid yachtsman and photographer, the Commodore traveled the South Florida coast capturing images of its pristine wilderness and the early inhabitants. Munroe’s photographs provide a unique visual record of South Florida history before its rapid urbanization. The Ralph M. Munroe Family Papers contain a rich assortment of photographs, albums, postcards, correspondence, clippings and manuscripts that document the frontier life in Coconut Grove.
The contents of the most recent donation in spring of 2025 (Boxes 73-76) can be found in the attached pdf document.
The Bob Simms collection documents the life and activities of Robert H. Simms in the black communities in Coconut Grove and Miami and reflects his work with the Community Relations Board and the Defense Race Relations Institute. The collection also contains campaign materials from Leah Simms, the first African American female judge in the state of Florida, and the "Glory in the Grove" photographs of people and events at the George Washington Carver elementary and high schools in Coconut Grove before desegregation. A final component of the collection includes photographs, correspondence and clippings of General "Chappie" James and his family. General James was the first four star African American General and married Dorothy Watkins.
This collection contains documents compiled by the Metropolitan Dade County Transit Program, including environmental impact reports, site evaluations, programs for transit improvement, and research and documents pertaining to handicapped and elderly passengers.
This collection contains periodicals, memorabilia, correspondence, ephemera, promotional materials, event programs, booklets, reports, photographs, scrapbooks, music sheets, realia, vinyl records, and other materials documenting South Florida history. Most of the materials pertain in particular to Miami Beach and notable figures to its history, such as Hy Gardner, Paul M. Bruun, Albert Pick, and former Miami Beach mayors Kenneth Oka and Herbert Frink. The collection also features photographs and materials from past beauty pageants held in Miami Beach.
A collection of dissertations, research, theses, prints, periodicals, clippings, research, grant awards, correspondence, artists' book materials, and ephemera. Most material is contained within unbound scrapbook pages from scrapbooks that had been compiled by artist Dorothy S. Krause, who works with and studies book arts.
Gareth and Janet Dunleavy were historians of Irish literature and culture. The Gareth and Janet Dunleavy Collection was donated by Gareth and Janet Dunleavy in memory of Bernard Benstock, a colleague who served the University of Miami in many capacities.
The collection contains typescripts and articles by Gareth and Janet Dunleavy, as well as research materials for projects by both authors. Prominently featured are research materials on Mary Lavin, an Irish short story and novella writer who died in 1996. Of special interest among these research materials are copies of Lavin's working manuscripts, obtained by Professor Janet Dunleavy in the 1970s with the permission of Mary Lavin. Janet Dunleavy had planned a critical study of Lavin's work based on these materials, but had abandoned the idea. The collection also contains notes, letters, and other documents assembled during Gareth and Janet Dunleavy's preparation of their Douglas Hyde: A Maker of Modern Ireland (1991) and O'Connor Papers (1977).
The F. Charles Ruegg Papers consists primarily of correspondence, photographs, and notes from Ruegg’s employment with Pan American World Airways from 1940 to 1951. These materials primarily document his experience with Pan Am in Africa (PAA Africa) during World War II.
This collection includes various types of documents pertaining to the historical and cultural production taking place in the Caribbean. Materials include correspondence, diaries, ledgers, property transactions including slave registers, reports, typescripts, from the various islands of the Caribbean such as Antigua, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, St. Christopher, Trinidad and Tobago from the 16th to the present. The collection is further enhanced by the acquisition of antique maps from cartographers such as Linschoten and Sanson.
The Julia P. Herzberg, Ph.D. collection contains artist portfolios, clippings, and visual arts files.
The collection also contains an interview between Julia P. Herzberg and Helena (Holzer) Benitez, former wife of artist Wifredo Lam from 1944 to 1950. The interview took place on February 7, 1990, at 1125 Park Avenue, New York, NY, then home of Julia P. Herzberg. The discussion centers on Helena's memories of Wifredo’s paintings, his practice, their cultural life in Havana, the artist’s family, his relationship with Lydia Cabrera, and his relationship to Afro-Cubanism.
The Dante B. Fascell Congressional Papers contain legislative documents, government administrative records, periodicals, correspondence, photographs, film, video tapes, sound recordings, and memorabilia, all documenting 38 years of his involvement in United States politics. The collection also represents a unique resource for study and research relating to the history of South Florida from 1955-1993. Topics of research include American legislative history, Dante B. Fascell's committee assignments, Florida projects, the growth and development of South Florida, the impact of foreign affairs and international relations on the United States, and United States relations with Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua.
