Donald C. Macdonald Papers, 1892-1969

Donald C. Macdonald Papers

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Collection Overview

Title: Donald C. Macdonald Papers, 1892-1969

ID: OGLMC384

Primary Creator: Macdonald, Donald C. (1891-1969)

Extent: 17.5 Linear Feet

Arrangement:

The Donald C. Macdonald Papers are organized into five series.

Series I: Political Materials

Series II: Personal Materials

Series III: Business

Series IV: Newspaper Clippings

Series V: Scrapbooks and Ledgers

Date Acquired: 00/00/1976

Subjects: Politics and Government - Nonpartisan League (NPL), Politics and Government - Republican Party, University of North Dakota - Alumni

Languages: English

Abstract

1891-1969; Active in both the Nonpartisan League and the Republican Party in Grand Forks County

Collection Historical Note

Donald Chester Macdonald was born July 26, 1891, to Neil and Isabelle (McLeod) Macdonald, in Hannah, North Dakota. He was inducted into the army at Roundup, Montana, on October 3, 1917, and served during World War I. He was discharged at Camp Lewis, Washington, on April 6, 1918, as a private. He graduated from the University of North Dakota with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education in 1926.

Macdonald became active in politics after his return from the war and following the development of the Nonpartisan League in 1916. He was a candidate for the State Legislature in 1924 and for Congress in 1926. He was secretary of the Grand Forks County NPL from 1928 to 1938 and was chairman of William Langer's successful campaign for governor in 1932. In 1933, he was appointed a member of the Republican State Central Committee, serving through 1936. From 1936 to 1938, Macdonald was Grand Forks County Republican chairman. Prior to United States entry in World War II, he organized the North Dakota chapter of America First, a political group against U.S. involvement in the war.

Macdonald was an insurance agent in Grand Forks from 1925 through 1943 and reportedly wrote the first group hospital insurance program in the country in 1926. He was also a correspondent for the United Press for northern Minnesota and North Dakota from 1922 until 1940. From 1933 through 1936, he was district inspector for the State Regulatory Department and in 1951 was district inspector for the Attorney General's Licensing Department.

Macdonald was a Mason, Shriner, and an American Legionnaire. He was president of the Grand Forks Chess Club and from 1949 until the early 1960s was on the board of directors for the U.S. Chess Federation.

On September 25, 1928, Macdonald married Evelyn Salt. They had three children. He died December 9, 1969, in Grand Forks, and is buried in Hannah.

Subject/Index Terms

Politics and Government - Nonpartisan League (NPL)
Politics and Government - Republican Party
University of North Dakota - Alumni

Administrative Information

Repository: Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections

Access Restrictions: Open for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections.

Acquisition Method: Donation; The material was separated and transferred from the Neil C. Macdonald Papers, OGLMC 97, in December 1976.

Separated Materials: A total of 344 photographs were separated and placed in the Photograph File Cabinets. While most of the photographs depict Macdonald family members, other subjects include campaigning with the Nonpartisan League, chess events, and landscape photographs of northeastern North Dakota.

Related Materials: Neil C. Macdonald Papers: OGLMC 97

Preferred Citation: (Description of Item). Donald C. Macdonald Papers. OGLMC 384, Box #, Folder #. Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, Chester Fritz Library, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid migrated to Archon in May 2014.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Political Materials],
[Series 2: Personal Materials],
[Series 3: Business Materials],
[Series 4: Newspaper Clippings],
[Series 5: Scrapbooks and Ledgers],
[All]

Series 1: Political Materials

This series contains materials relating to D.C. Macdonald's role in North Dakota politics.

Sub-Series A: Political Correspondence

Sub-Series A contains political correspondence from 1923 to 1966; when available it has been categorized by correspondent.

Box 1

Folder 1: January 12, 1952-November 10, 1966
Folder 2: January 8, 1949-July 20, 1951
Folder 3: January 6, 1945-April 14, 1948
Folder 4: January 4, 1944-December 4, 1944
Folder 5: October 6, 1942-August 31, 1943
Folder 6: January 5, 1942-September 21, 1942
Folder 7: January 16, 1941-November 16, 1941
Folder 8: January 5, 1940-December 16, 1940
Folder 9: January 26, 1939-December 30, 1939
Folder 10: January 18, 1938-December 21, 1938
Folder 11: September 11, 1936-October 22, 1936
Folder 12: March 31, 1935-August 22, 1936
Folder 13: May 2, 1933-November 23, 1934
Folder 14: January 26, 1924-April 24, 1933
Folder 15: Quentin N. Burdick, October 14, 1942-January 6, 1961
Folder 16: Lynn J. Frazier, February 4, 1939-February 1, 1941
Folder 17: Lynn J. Frazier, October 16, 1923-April 21, 1938
Folder 18: William Langer, April 1, 1955-August 31 1959
Folder 19: William Langer, June 30, 1941-August 26, 1954
Folder 20: William Langer, January 1, 1933-November 14, 1940
Folder 21: William Langer, May 2, 1932-December 20, 1932
Folder 22: William Lemke, July 29, 1932-December 26, 1945
Folder 23: Nonpartisan League, February 24, 1932-November 19, 1937
Folder 24: Gerald P. Nye, August 30, 1944-February 1, 1946
Folder 25: Gerald P. Nye, January 18, 1944-June 26, 1944
Folder 26: Gerald P. Nye, January 14, 1943-December 31, 1943
Folder 27: Gerald P. Nye, January 14, 1942-December 21, 1942
Folder 28: Gerald P. Nye, July 7, 1932-December 16, 1943
Folder 29: John Nystul, June 11, 1932-December 10, 1932
Folder 30: Republican Organizing Committee, August 2, 1944-June 8, 1952
Folder 31: Charles Robertson, April 4, 1940-October 21, 1942
Folder 32: James Sinclair, January 29, 1932-January 25, 1934
Folder 33: Milton R. Young, October 7, 1940-June 25, 1959
Folder 34: Political Correspondence, undated

Sub-Series B: Political Materials

Sub-Series B is comprised of miscellaneous political and campaign materials from 1932 to 1968.

Box 2

Folder 1: Name Lists, June 16, 1944-1964
Folder 2: Name Lists, 1938-1942
Folder 3: Name Lists, 1934-July 9, 1936
Folder 4: Name Lists, undated
Folder 5: Political material, November 15, 1947-1958
Folder 6: Political material, 1944-July 8, 1946
Folder 7: Political material, June 9, 1942-May 1943
Folder 8: Political material, February 18, 1941-October 27, 1941
Folder 9: Political material, February 7, 1939-November 30, 1940
Folder 10: Political material, February 15, 1936-November 8, 1938
Folder 11: Political material, March 15, 1933-November 15, 1934
Folder 12: Political material, undated
Folder 13: Political Campaign material, 1932-1938
Folder 14: Political Campaign material, 1940-1942
Folder 15: Political Campaign material, 1944-1946
Folder 16: Political Campaign material, 1948-1950
Folder 17: Political Campaign material, 1951-1952
Folder 18: Political Campaign material, 1958-1968
Folder 19: Miscellaneous material

Sub-Series C: Deputy Inspector's Reports and Correspondence

Sub-Series C contains correspondence, reports and miscellaneous material from D.C. Macdonald's role as Deputy Inspector for the Attorney General's office.

Box 3

Folder 1: Deputy Inspector correspondence, January 9, 1968-May 15, 1969
Folder 2: Deputy Inspector correspondence, January 7, 1966-December, 22, 1967
Folder 3: Deputy Inspector correspondence, January 26, 1965-December 12, 1965
Folder 4: Deputy Inspector correspondence, January 24, 1964-November 27, 1964
Folder 5: Deputy Inspector correspondence, January 7, 1963-December 10, 1963
Folder 6: Deputy Inspector correspondence, January 17, 1962-December 20, 1962
Folder 7: Deputy Inspector correspondence, January 21, 1961-December 7, 1961
Folder 8: Deputy Inspector correspondence, February 3, 1952-November 26, 1960
Folder 9: Deputy Inspector correspondence, March 6, 1956-December 30, 1957
Folder 10: Deputy Inspector correspondence, February 17, 1948-December 21, 1955
Folder 11: Deputy Inspector correspondence, March 15, 1933-May 1, 1936
Folder 12: Deputy Inspector correspondence, undated
Folder 13: Deputy Inspector lists, 1954-June 30, 1968
Folder 14: Deputy Inspector lists, undated
Folder 15: Licensing Dept. Inspector's Reports, January 2, 1965-December, 3, 1966
Folder 16: Licensing Dept. Inspector's Reports, February 9, 1957-December 19, 1964
Folder 17: Licensing Dept. Inspector's Reports, January 7, 1955-December 1, 1956
Folder 18: Licensing Dept. Inspector's Reports, January 3, 1953-December 31, 1954
Folder 19: Licensing Dept. Inspector's Reports, April 28, 1951-December 20, 1952
Folder 20: Licensing Dept. Inspector's Reports, undated
Folder 21: Licensing Dept. miscellaneous, November 12, 1964-May 14, 1969
Folder 22: Licensing Dept. miscellaneous, January 3, 1964-May 28, 1964
Folder 23: Licensing Dept. miscellaneous, 1948-February 11, 1964
Folder 24: Licensing Dept. miscellaneous, undated

Sub-Series D: America First Committee

Sub-Series D is comprised of material from the America First Committee around the beginning of World War II. Arranged in reverse chronological order within each sub-series, this series covers the years 1923-1969.

Box 4

Folder 1: America First Committee "Did You Hear" and "Did You Know," July 5-September 23, 1941
Folder 2: America First Committee "Did You Hear" and "Did You Know," October 13-November 7, 1941
Folder 3: America First Committee, correspondence Grand Forks Chapter, December 6, 1941-January 20, 1942
Folder 4: America First Committee, correspondence Grand Forks Chapter, April 19-July 28, 1941
Folder 5: America First Committee, Grand Forks Chapter, undated
Folder 6: America First Committee, List of members and contributors for North Dakota and Minnesota, September 2, 1941
Folder 7: America First Committee, reproductions of flyers and advertisements
Folder 8: List of Political expenditures including America First Committee, 1936-1944
Folder 9: Bulletins 14 - 97, January 21-March 5, 1941
Folder 10: Bulletins 104 - 196, March 5-April 14, 1941
Folder 11: Bulletins 202 - 249, April 16-May 9, 1941
Folder 12: Bulletins 250 - 296, May 12-June 5, 1941
Folder 13: Bulletins 301 - 349, June 7-23, 1941
Folder 14: Bulletins 353 - 399, June 24-July 8, 1941
Folder 15: Bulletins 400 - 449, July 9-30, 1941
Folder 16: Bulletins 450 - 499, July 30-August 18, 1941
Folder 17: Bulletins 501 - 549, August 19-September 1, 1941
Folder 18: Bulletins 551 - 598, September 11-October 4, 1941
Folder 19: Bulletins 600 - 649, October 4-22, 1941
Folder 20: Bulletins 650 - 700, October 23-December 4, 1941
Folder 21: America First Committee, National Office Material, January 5-June 23, 1941
Folder 22: America First Committee, National Office Material, July 12-September 15, 1941
Folder 23: America First Committee, National Office Material, October 6-December 1, 1941
Folder 24: America First Committee, National Office Material, undated
Folder 25: Newspaper articles, January-July 1942
Folder 26: Newspaper articles, September-December 1941
Folder 27: Newspaper articles, January-August 1941
Folder 28: Newspaper articles, 1936-40
Folder 29: Newspaper articles, undated

Department of Special Collections
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