Alan Naldrett

As a college student, Alan Naldrett started one of the nation’s first used record stores on the campus of Michigan State University, where he received his BA degree.

Moving to California, Alan was an insurance agent in the San Francisco Bay Area. From his office in Fremont, California, he sold Farmers Insurance, Metropolitan Insurance, and the insurance of other companies. But when his main topic of conversation became actuarial tables and all his friends had more than adequate insurance coverage, he decided it was time for a change.

Relocating back to Michigan, he owned a comic book store and acquired a couple of Master’s Degrees in Library and Information and Archival Science from Wayne State University. He was first a medical librarian and then was an academic librarian at Baker College of Auburn Hills for over ten years.

Upon retirement he continued writing books, a practice he started while a reference librarian. He has now written over ten books, including the Lost Towns of Eastern Michigan, the Lost Car Companies of Detroit.

Alan Naldrett also does archival organization. He has arranged historical files for Baker College, Chesterfield Township, the Wills Sainte Claire Museum, the First Congregational Church of New Baltimore, the Chesterfield and New Baltimore Historical Societies, the Green School, and more, usually on a volunteer basis.

Although claiming to know little about vice, Alan is the former Vice-Chairman of the Macomb County Historical Commission and presently, Vice-President of the Chesterfield Library Board of Trustees.

A member of the Michigan Historical Society, he has written research articles for the Michigan History and Michigan Chronicle magazines. A life member of the Chesterfield and New Baltimore Historical Societies, he has conducted many programs and presentations for them, and in libraries, auditoriums, and history events all over Michigan.

He is also a member of the F Street Blues, a blues band, and J Street Jazz, a jazz band. He can be reached for band bookings, or book presentations at alannaldrett@gmail.com .