University of Michigan-Flint’s Genesee Historical Collections Center Team: Callum Carr-Marquis – Archivist, Margaret Collins, Cameron Whalen, and Kylie Miller, win 2026 RUSA John Sessions Memorial Award
“As a strong supporter of labor organizations and a proud union member, I am honored to receive this recognition on behalf of our team. This award will help us continue the work we do to highlight the work of everyday people and workers in Flint and elevate the history and contributions of the labor movement in the United States. Thank you to the RUSA Achievement Awards and Grants Committee and the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO for this award.” – Callum Carr-Marquis
“RUSA proudly congratulates the Genesee Historical Collections Center as the 2026 John Sessions Memorial Award recipient. GHCC’s dedicated work preserving and expanding access to Flint’s labor history exemplifies the excellence this award honors. RUSA celebrates their contributions and the lasting impact they bring to the labor community and the profession..” – Award Committee statement
The Genesee Historical Collections Center (GHCC) team, led by archivist Callum Carr-Marquis, has focused on outreach and accessibility, building relationships with the local community and archival partners throughout the University of Michigan, and prioritizing projects that focus on access for all. Notable labor collections include:
- The United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America. Local 599 (Flint, Mich.) collection, which includes photographs and papers from Flint’s UAW 599, the largest UAW chapter in history and a participant in the General Motors Corporation Sit-Down Strike in the winter of 1936-1937; and
- The digital collection University of Michigan-Flint’s Labor History Project, featuring oral history interviews with Sit-Down Strike organizers and leaders.
With their focus on accessibility, the GHCC team has elevated the history of workers and labor organizations through partnerships and opportunities for research. Team members have strong ties to the labor community in Flint, throughout the University of Michigan system, and in Michigan.
The John Sessions Memorial Award, sponsored by the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO, consists of a certificate and recognizes a library or library system which has made a significant effort to work with the labor community and by doing so has brought recognition to the history and contribution of the labor movement to the development of the United States.
The RUSA Achievement Awards and Grants selection committee was chaired by Rachel Drake.