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 19: Media Relations

Box 74

Item 1: Ehlers on McNeil/Leher News Hour --- September 5, 1995: #1
Item 2: Remembrance Service for 9/11 Victims in Grand Rapids --- September 15, 2001: #4
Item 3: GVSU Convocation --- October 11, 2002: #5
Item 4: Ehlers on WOODTV8 About Possible Dole Running Mates --- August 7, 1996: #6
Item 5: Ehlers on PBS "West Michigan Week" --- October 30, 1998: #8
Item 6: Ehlers Testimony on C-SPAN Flow Control Debate --- 1994: #9
Item 7: WGVU Town Hall Meeting -Voices and Choices --- October 21, 2004: #10
Item 8: "Ehlers on Thursday Night Live" -Baby Boomers Bash --- undated: #29
Item 9: Press Conference -Environmental Groups --- June 13, 1990: #30
Item 10: Ceremonial Swearing in of State Senator Ehlers --- April 16, 1985: #31
Item 11: Diwali Video --- 1997: #32
Item 12: Ehlers Radio 30 Endorsement: #33
Item 13: Ehlers Ruff Mix Radio Spots: #34
Item 14: Economics Club of Grand Rapids --- November 21, 1994: #35
Item 15: "Bio" "Testimonial" "Issues" "RTL": #36
Item 16: "Saturn" "Balanced Budget": #38
Item 17: "The Difference" "Energy": #39
Item 18: Jim Dunn Radio Spot: #40
Item 19: We Parliamentary Debate --- December 1989: #41
Item 20: Agent Orange Press Conference --- Apr-87: #42

Box 75

Folder 1: VJE on HR2086 --- 2000
Folder 2: Codec to Washington, D.C. from Grandville HS --- 1998
Folder 3: VJE on West Michigan Week TV Show --- undated
Folder 4: Podesta Matoon -Interview with VJE --- 2002
Folder 5: Aviation News Today --- 2001
Folder 6: Local Legacies Interview --- 2000
Folder 7: Speech -Energy Efficiency --- 1997
Folder 8: NMSF Leadership Awards --- 2005
Folder 9: Internet Talk Radio Interview
Folder 10: Rockford Town Meeting --- 1995
Folder 11: WKZO Interview --- 1996
Folder 12: WGVU Morning Show -Human Cloning with JVE and H. Bouma --- 1999
Folder 13: Voice of America Interview -Sierra Leone --- 1998
Folder 14: G.R. Ford Museum --- 1995
Folder 15: Speech -Computer Year --- 2000
Folder 16: WOOD TV Interview with Gordon Gould --- 1995
Folder 17: Speech -"Prevention Works!" --- 1994
Folder 18: GVSU Interview --- 1994
Folder 19: WKZO Interview --- 1995
Folder 20: WGRD Community Focus Interview --- 1994
Folder 21: ASME Ward --- 2003
Folder 22: Keel Laying Ceremony -USS G.R. Ford
Folder 23: Speech -"We the People: The US Constitution and You" --- 2006
Folder 24: WGVU West Michigan Week -Rinck and VJE --- 2006
Folder 25: American Family Association Report -Cloning --- 1998
Folder 26: GVSU Radio Show -Local Legacies

Box 76

Item 1: Live at the Loop -Ehlers Bash --- 1990: #2
Item 2: Ehlers Speech at 125th Anniversary of GR Public Library --- June 1, 1996: #3
Item 3: ASA/Calvin Speech --- July 31, 2006: #11
Item 4: ADPA Summit --- 2009: #12
Item 5: Inner Compass Show -Fighting for Life on the Hill --- undated: #13
Item 6: Ehlers Speech -"Physicists and congress -A Weak Interaction" --- undated: #14
Item 7: Ehlers Speech -"Is Capitol Hill Another Planet?" --- March 25, 2005: #15
Item 8: "The Personal Life of VJE" as Told to C. E. Collins, Sr. --- August 23, 2005: #16
Item 9: Town Hall Call Meetings --- 5/22/07, 6/20/07, 9/24/07: #17
Item 10: Ehlers Portrait Unveiling --- 2010: #18
Item 11: Story Corps Interview -Vern Ehler --- October 11, 2009: #19
Item 12: C-Span Washington Journal with Ehlers --- September 28, 2006: #20
Item 13: Ehlers Retirement Celebration --- October 11, 2010: #21
Item 14: American Red Cross Heroes Program --- May 14, 2010: #22
Item 15: WGVU Newsmakers with Ehlers and Fred --- December 13, 2006: #23
Item 16: WGVU Newsmakers with Ehlers and Sanchez --- August 28, 2008: #24
Item 17: Ehlers West Michigan Week Special --- January 6, 2006: #25
Item 18: What Doth the Lord Require of Thee? (recorded to encourage Ehlers): #26
Item 19: Center for Inquiry -Michigan --- November 2007: #27

Box 77

Folder 1: The U.S. Court System and You
Folder 2: VJE on C-SPAN --- 1997
Folder 3: United Airlines Interview with VJE
Folder 4: Your Executive Branch and You
Folder 5: Your Court System and You
Folder 6: Science Odyssey Interview --- 1960
Folder 7: VJE on C-SPAN --- 1994
Folder 8: Aviation New Today Show --- 2001
Folder 9: Swearing in of VJE --- 1994
Folder 10: The U.S. Congress and You
Folder 11: Town Hall Meeting
Folder 12: Science Policy Study Press Conference -1998 --- 1998
Folder 13: University of Michigan Speech
Folder 14-16: Congressional Families PSAs House Statements --- 2007
Folder 17: III --- 2010

Box 78

Folder 1: Clips and Medicare Comments --- 1995
Folder 2: Three Candidates for Paul Henry's Seat
Folder 3: Swearing in of VJE -US House of Representatives --- January 25, 1994
Folder 4: Swearing in of State Senate --- January 1, 1991
Folder 5: Third District Congressional Debate --- November 11, 1993
Folder 6: WKTV Town Hall Debate
Folder 7: VJE News Clips
Folder 8: FHN United Round Table Broadcast --- October 3, 2001
Folder 9: Town Meeting After --- September 11, 2001
Folder 10: WOODTV News -C-SPAN 1992 -JFK School of Government --- October 10, 1994
Folder 11: Calvin College Commencement --- 1986
Folder 12: Ehlers for Congress --- November 9, 1993
Folder 13: Channel 13 -Clinton Sex Scandal --- January 22, 1993
Folder 14: Ehlers for Congress --- November 17, 1993
Folder 15: Interview with Susanne Geha TV8

Box 79

Folder 1: Armey Support Speech on Floor -Interview with Susanne Geha --- 2004
Folder 2: VJE Lincoln Day Video --- February 9, 1995
Folder 3: Channel 8 Report on Comradery in Congress --- June 10, 1993
Folder 4: Inner Compass -"Fighting for Life on the Hill" --- 2004
Folder 5: Westside Library Dedication --- April 4, 1997
Folder 6: WOODTV8 Remembrance and Resolve --- September 15, 2001
Folder 7: Economic Club Speech --- November 21, 1994
Folder 8: Christians and Politics -Zion Reformed Church --- September 14, 1997
Folder 9: Calvin College Commencement --- May 2, 1994
Folder 10: Third District Debate --- January 29, 2016
Folder 11: WGVU West Michigan Week --- October 20, 2000
Folder 12: Loeb Lectures in Physics -Harvard --- October 21, 1996
Folder 13: WGVU West Michigan Week --- January 4, 2002
Folder 14: WOODTV8 -Vern Ehlers --- November 3, 1993
Folder 15: Ehlers Congressional Commercials --- 1993