Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History 

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

62 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 

W

riting a column like this week’s 
Looking Back is a tough exercise. 
On one hand, it is a real pleasure 
and distinct honor to write about an 
accomplished person from Detroit’s Jewish 
community, a person who really made an 
impact with her life. On the 
other hand, it’s a sad affair 
because I’m writing about a 
friend who recently passed 
away. Very sad, indeed.
Sue Marx was one of those 
people that you can honestly 
identify as a “force of nature.” 
And what a force she was.
The first time I met Sue was 
when she swept into the Reading Room 
of the Walter Reuther Library, Wayne 
State University, one day sometime in the 
1980s. I was on duty as reference archivist 
when I first met this human hurricane. Sue 
requested to see — perhaps, commanded? 
— various collections of documents. 
In addition, the library’s audio-visual 
department was showing her a host of 
photos and video footage. Whew! 
At first, I will admit, I was a little bit 
put off by Sue’s rapid-fire requests. She 
was demanding … but not unfriendly or 
abusive. Just in a hurry. Sue’s research time 
was limited, and she had to focus. I soon 
realized I was engaged with and watching a 
real master at work.
Sue was an accomplished filmmaker 
and photographer, largely self-taught, who 
created wonderful records of the lives of 
Metro Detroiters, in all their hues and 
situations, from Detroit Mayor Coleman 
Young (I’m sure he found his match in Sue!) 
and Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer (Sue 
ran his successful campaigns for Michigan 
Supreme Court Justice) to well-remembered 
films for the Detroit Zoo and the 1988 
Oscar-winning film she made with Pam 
Conn — Young at Heart. 

A full description of Sue’s work would 
require a tome. I can tell you, however, that 
she is featured on 232 pages of the JN in 
the William Davidson Digital Archive 
of Detroit Jewish History. For a few 
examples, see “Roll ’Em” (Oct. 16, 1987), 
“Animal House” (Aug. 18, 1994) and 
“Up Close and Personal” (Dec. 3, 2009).
I reconnected with Sue in 2015 when I 
was hired at the Bentley Historical Library 
at the University of Michigan. There, 
my sole mission was to collect historical 
records of the most important people, 
organizations and events in Michigan 
history, important histories to be preserved 
in perpetuity. Sue certainly met that 
standard, and then some. 
Sue introduced me to her basement 
offices and her legacy in film, photos and 
documents. It was a wonderful collection, 
and I gathered 56 boxes of videos, 16mm 
films and 55GB of digital work for the 
Bentley Historical Library. The Sue 
Marx Collection is now preserved and 
open for research, a fitting tribute to 
her important role in Michigan History. 
(bentley.umich.edu/)
The best part of the whole process? 
Eating Sue’s tuna fish sandwiches and 
chips for lunch while we had far-
ranging conversations about Detroit, 
Michigan, politics, society and all the 
prominent people Sue had worked 
with. 
One could always see where Sue’s heart 
lay. Take the moment she received the 
Oscar with Conn on national television. Sue 
yelled, “Hooray for Michigan.” 
Sue Marx passed away on July 17 at the 
age of 92. I will miss her phone calls and 
her tuna fish sandwiches. She was indeed 
forever “Young at Heart.” Hooray for Sue! 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN archives, available 
for free at thejewishnews.com.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

 Sue Marx: 
A Force of Nature 

