2026 Michigan History Conference (Grand Rapids)

Michigan State University Press is excited to announce that we will be attending the 152nd Annual Meeting and Michigan History Conference located in Grand Rapids from September 25-27, 2026. The Press will be showcasing our Michigan-centric books of across genres, including (but not limited to) those in history, poetry, fiction, and science, all of which will be available for sale at a discounted price. We will placing special focus on upcoming and recently released books, alongside our Discovering the Peoples of Michigan series, so check those out below!

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One of MSU Press’s own upcoming authors, Valerie Marvin, will be giving a talk about “Senator Eva McCall Hamilton: Michigan’s First Female Legislator” on Saturday, September 26th from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. The talk, described in the Michigan History Conference Pamphlet on page nine, will discuss how “in 1920, Eva McCall Hamilton was elected to the Michigan Senate by Grand Rapids voters. Learn more about the issues and passions that drove her, and the challenges she faced as Michigan’s ‘Lady Senator.'”

Interested in learning more about Michigan’s firsts? Then be sure to out Valerie Marvin’s upcoming book, In the Charge of a Woman: Harriet Tenney, Michigan’s First Female State Librarian, which is set to release January 1st, 2027. More about the book is below.

In 1869, at a moment when women were largely barred from public life and professional opportunities, Harriet Tenney stepped into Michigan’s State Capitol and made history. As the first woman to hold a full-time position in the State of Michigan’s government, she spent the next twenty-two years reshaping not only Michigan’s libraries, but the nation’s understanding of what women could achieve in public service.

Appointed and reappointed by seven governors from both political parties, Tenney built one of the country’s most respected state libraries. She dramatically expanded its collections, established professional standards that became models for libraries across the country, and mentored a generation of women librarians who followed in her path. She also founded Michigan’s first state museum, ensuring that historical artifacts, portraits, and documents would be preserved for future generations; today, tens of thousands of people each year visit and study the objects she collected and curated.

Tenney’s impact radiated far beyond the Capitol. Under her leadership, the state librarianship itself became recognized as a “woman’s position”—a remarkable shift in an era when women’s work remained largely invisible. In Lansing, she founded the Woman’s Club as well as the Lansing Library and Literary Association, which evolved into the Capital Area District Library system.

In the Charge of a Woman not only tells the story of Tenney’s achievements in expanding the role of women in the workforce; it also illuminates domestic and political life in nineteenth-century Michigan, revealing how one woman navigated, and transformed, a world built to exclude her.

As well, take a peek at another upcoming book, Exploring Michigan’s Ink Trails: Writing Michigan, Reading Michigan, the third installment of the Ink Trails saga by brothers Dave Dempsey, Jack Dempsey and Patrick Dempsey. The book is set to be released November 1st, 2026.

Michigan is renowned for its natural beauty and automotive history, yet its rich literary heritage often goes unrecognized. This engaging and extensively researched book aims to change that by providing vivid portraits of both well-known and overlooked authors. It also offers an enjoyable tour through the state’s libraries and bookstores. The book takes readers on a fascinating journey across the back roads and highways of Michigan writing, showcasing the remarkable diversity of authors who have called the state home as well as those who have found it inspirational. It is perfect for anyone interested in reading, Michigan’s literary heritage, and its culture.

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