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

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.

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

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.