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