Franklin M. Kreml (1907-1998) Papers

The Franklin M. Kreml papers consist of 13 boxes spanning the years 1906-1998. The bulk of the papers consist of correspondence and records from Kreml's tenure as Northwestern University Vice President of Planning and Development.

There are five subseries: biographical; Vice President of Planning and Development; correspondence; publications; and awards, certificates and plaques. The bulk of the papers consist of correspondence and records from Kreml's tenure as Northwestern University Vice President of Planning and Development.

Clippings in the biographical files are arranged chronologically. [See the Northwestern Biographical File for Kreml's curriculum vitae.] Box 1 folder 2 is comprised of clippings of Kreml's traffic safety activities and awards as an Evanston Police officer and as head of the Traffic Institute, and Box 1 folder 4 pertains to Kreml's work at Northwestern as head of the Traffic Institute and as Vice President.

Most of the folders in the Vice President of Planning and Development subseries are arranged chronologically. Box 1 folder 10 concerns the Land Trade. As part of the lakefill project, Northwestern University deeded some land to the City of Evanston in exchange for the creation of several acres of landfill. Box 2 folder 1 contains memos, correspondence and public relations material concerning a controversy over the lakefill project. Conservationists were concerned that sand removed for the lakefill from the Indiana Dunes might harm the Dunes. As Northwestern Vice President, Kreml oversaw Northwestern's salute to Evanston in celebration of its 100th anniversary, which entailed gaining corporate sponsorship for the events (Box 2 folder 2). Box 2 folder 3 contains reports, correspondence and programs for Space Age Month, April-May 1963 highlighted by Northwestern's participation in the Third National Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Space. Kreml was in charge of student rules for campus behavior during the 1960s. This period saw movement toward relaxation of rules forbidding student liquor and visiting in dorm rooms by the opposite sex. These issues related to college living or its regulation, known as parietals, generated memos and correspondence from the Northwestern community to which Kreml responded (box 2 folders 4 and 5). Kreml was also involved in the "First Plan for the Seventies," a $180 million fundraising drive to expand Northwestern's facilities and teaching in science, engineering and medicine (Box 2 folder 6).

The campus protests portion of the subseries consists mainly of correspondence from faculty, alumni and the general public, clippings, memos and internal University reports relating to campus unrest, most notably an incident on May 3-4, 1968. The correspondence provides a cross-section view of public attitudes toward campus protest and the student black power movement. These correspondence files (Box 2 folders 11-12, Box 3, and Box 4 folder 1) are designated "pro" or "con" based on whether they are in agreement with the University's handling of the incident. It is also indicated whether or not the correspondence within these folders is in alphabetical or in semi-alphabetical order and if they are indexed by the cards in boxes 12 and 13. This portion also contains correspondence and memos regarding a previous anti-war demonstration at Northwestern on May 4 1967 (Box 2 folder 7) and clippings covering a protest during which 40 students were arrested for disrupting ROTC classes in 1970 (Box 4 folder 3).

Correspondence is arranged chronologically and is comprised mostly of Kreml's correspondence as director of Northwestern's Traffic Institute. The General Correspondence folder contains mainly letters of congratulation and thanks for his service with the President's Task Force on Highway Safety and later appointments after leaving Northwestern (box 4, folder 9). Kreml's military correspondence is mostly biographical material for his retirement and the retirement of his brigade (box 4 folder 8).

The publications subseries contains articles, speeches (including an oral history), and manuscripts of traffic manuals (including a preliminary inventory in Box 5 folder 1). Franklin M. Kreml: A Man and an Industry, a four volume bound set of his work (speeches, statements, press coverage, international programs) was presented to Kreml upon the completion of his term as President of the Automobile Manufacturers Association. The publications of organizations headed by Kreml files consist of works that mention Kreml as leader of the group authoring the reports, but do not specifically name Kreml as an author.

The awards, certificate and plaques subseries is comprised of two folders of awards and certificates (Box 9 folder 1 and Box 10 folder 1), and ten plaques, most of them recognizing for his work in the field of traffic safety.

Boxes 12 and 13 contain color-coded file cards, which index some of the correspondence in the Vice President of Planning and Development subseries (Box 2 folders 11-12 and Box 3 folders 1-3). Keys to the tabs and coding are included in each box.