Vernon J. Ehlers Collection, 1955-2010 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

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Collection Overview

Title: Vernon J. Ehlers Collection, 1955-2010

ID: COLL/525

Primary Creator: Vernon James Ehlers (1934-2017)

Extent: 93.0 Boxes

Arrangement: Folder level description

Abstract

Professor of physics at Calvin College; and a politician (Kent County Board Commissioner, State Representative, State Senator, and Federal Congressman). The collection details Ehlers’ political career including committee service and bills sponsored/co-sponsored, plus his earlier academic career. The collection includes biographical data, resolutions, reports, news releases, memorandums, correspondence, notes, speeches, bills, proclamations, acts, concept papers, house statements, articles, remarks, political campaign material, testimonies, debates, awards, papers, interviews, handouts, studies, appointment books/cards/lists/schedules/sheets, news clippings, videos, cassettes, DVDs, posters, photographs, and artifacts.

Biographical Note

Vernon James Ehlers is the youngest of the four children of Rev. John William Christian and Alice Cornelia (née Doorn) Ehlers, born on 6 Feb 1934 in Pipestone, MN. He suffered from severe asthma as a child and as a consequence was unable to attend school. He was home- and self-schooled and received a diploma from Edgerton (MN) Christian School and did his high school work via correspondence. He attended Calvin College, 1952-1955; and the University of California, Berkeley, from which he received an AB in 1956 and a PhD in 1960; his doctoral dissertation was “The Nuclear Spins and Moments of Several Radioactive Gallium Isotopes.”

He taught and conducted scientific research at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, 1956-1966, and joined the Physics Department of Calvin College in 1966, ultimately serving as department chair. He was a member of the Faculty Organization Study Committee (FOSCO), 1968-1977, that developed a new faculty governance system for the college, whose enrollment had grown from 500 in 1945 to 3,200 when Ehlers joined the faculty. He left the college faculty in 1983 to serve in the Michigan Legislature.

Ehlers was elected to the Kent County Board of Commissioners, 1975-1983; the Michigan House of Representatives, 1983-1985; and the Michigan Senate, 1985-1993. In 1993 he won a special election in Michigan’s 5^th District (later 3^rd), after the death of former fellow faculty member Congress Member Paul B. Henry (Coll. 357) and won a full term in 1994, and subsequent elections, serving until 2011.

Ehlers married Johanna Meulink on 14 Jun 1958; they have four children: Heidi, Brian, Marla, and Todd. The Ehlers were founding members of Faith Fellowship Christian Reformed Church, Walnut Creek, CA, in 1961.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Personal, 1955-2010],
[Series 2: Student Years, 1955-1960],
[Series 3: Post Graduate Correspondence, 1960-1967],
[Series 4: Research, 1962-1968],
[Series 5: Class Lectures, 1967-1979],
[Series 6: Student Evaluations, 1979-1982, n.d.],
[Series 7: Calvin College Faculty, 1963-1983],
[Series 8: Kent County Board of Commissioners, 1878-1982],
[Series 9: Michigan House of Representatives and Senate, 1982-1993],
[Series 10: United States Congress, 1993-2012],
[Series 11: United States Congress, 1993-2012],
[Series 12: Election campaigns],
[Series 13: Legislation],
[Series 14: Reference material],
[Series 15: Invitations],
[Series 16: Awards and Honors],
[Series 17: Subject files],
[Series 18: Photographs],
[Series 19: Media Relations],
[Series 20: Ehlers' Campaigns],
[Series 21: Constituent Gifts],
[Series 22: Aeronautics and Aerospace],
[Series 23: Plaques and Awards],
[Series 24: Certificates],
[Series 25: Photographs],
[Series 26: Republican Party],
[Series 27: Buttons, Decals, Patches, Memorabilia],
[Series 28: Legislation],
[Series 29: Miscellaneous],
[All]

Series 14: Reference material

Box 67

Folder 1: The Republican Science Agenda: Accomplishments, etc. --- undated
Folder 2: Health Care Reform --- undated
Folder 3: Rap Tab Article -"Congressional Republicans See a New Future" --- undated
Folder 4: GVSU Forum -Article on PBS --- undated
Folder 5: George C. Marshall Institute Article -"Scientists, the People, and the 105th Congress" --- undated
Folder 6: Article -"Christians, Politics, and the Environment" --- undated
Folder 7: Dutch International Society Magazine Article -"In the Beginning, God Created the Heavens and the Earth" --- undated
Folder 8: West Michigan Magazine-The Calvin Connection -"Making Room for Politics" --- 1980
Folder 9: AMIS Newsletter Article -"Recycling a Certain Part of Our Future" --- 1990
Folder 10: Article -"Up in Michigan: Lessons for Becoming a Majority" --- 1994
Folder 11: Banner Article -"Walking on the Moon with God" --- Jul-94
Folder 12: Catalyst Journal Article -"Up in Michigan: Lessons for Becoming a Majority" --- 1994
Folder 13: National Journal Article on Team Gingrich --- January 14, 1995
Folder 14: Kent County News and Views Articles --- 1995-1998
Folder 15: Michigan Chamber of Commerce Article -"Approaching an Electronic Democracy" --- 1995
Folder 16: Roll Call Article -"Beyond the Cyberhype" --- Oct-95
Folder 17: Masha Article -"The Need for Reform" --- 1996
Folder 18: Michigan International Lawyer Article -"MFN -An Anachronistic Impediment to Foreign Policy" --- 1996
Folder 19: Editorials and Letters to Editors --- 1997-1998
Folder 20: Journal of College Science Teaching Guest Editorial -"Science Literacy and the US Congress" --- Nov-97
Folder 21: The Future of Science Policy -From Speech at National Academy of Sciences Meeting --- October 1, 1998
Folder 22: Unlocking Our Future (Compiled by VJE) --- 1998
Folder 23: Genetically Modified Foods -Given at British-American Conference --- November 14, 1998
Folder 24: "Your Gas Tax Buys Roads, Not Flowers!" --- 1998
Folder 25: Dana Alliance Member News Article -"Unlocking Our Future- Through Science" --- 1998
Folder 26: Shoreline Business Monthly Article -"Air 21 Means an Investment in Aviation" --- 1999
Folder 27: Hofstra Law Review Article -"The Case Against Human Cloning" --- 1999
Folder 28: FASEB Newsletter Guest Opinion -"Unlocking a New Science Policy" --- Feb-99
Folder 29: Hofstra Law Review -"The Case Against Human Cloning" --- 1999
Folder 30: American Chemical Society Article -"Education for the Future" --- May 25, 2000
Folder 31: Main Street Record -"Preparing Our Students for the 21st Century" --- 2000
Folder 32: Main Street Record -"Defining the Public-Private Partnership for New Century" --- May-00
Folder 33: NATO Parliamentary Assembly Article -"Information Warfare and International Security" (page 121) --- 2000
Folder 34: Bioscience Editorial -"Science Education and Our Nation's Future" (page 731) --- 2000
Folder 35: Chemical and Engineering News Editorial -"Education for the Future" (page 5) --- 2000
Folder 36: Research Corporation Annual Report Article -"Challenges for Undergraduate Science Education" (page 17) --- 2000
Folder 37: NATO Parliamentary Assembly Report -"Safeguarding the Nuclear Complex in Russia and Newly Independent States" --- 2001
Folder 38: Ripon Forum Article -"Creating a Better Curriculum" --- 2002
Folder 39: A See Prism Article -"Tapping into a Larger Talent Pool" (page 52, photo page 42) --- 2002
Folder 40: The Physics Teacher Editorial -"Improving Science Education for All Children" (page 200) --- 2002
Folder 41: Manufacturing and Technology Article --- April 1, 2003
Folder 42: OPN -"At the Crossroads of Science, Religion, and Politics" --- 2005
Folder 43: California Magazine Article on Berkeley Graduates in Congress --- Apr-07
Folder 44: Articles/Editorials --- 2000-2007
Folder 45: Physicist for President? --- Nov-07
Folder 46: APS Capitol Hill Quarterly Article -"A Physicist for President?" --- February 4, 2008
Folder 47: The Hill Article - "Competitiveness Hinges on Skills Students Learn" --- 2010

Box 68

Folder 1-9: Press Releases --- 1994-2004