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Donald C. Macdonald Papers, 1892-1969
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
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 5: Scrapbooks and Ledgers
The first scrapbook contains newspaper clippings, certificates, membership cards and correspondence regarding the life and premature death of Neil C. Macdonald. This scrapbook also has material regarding D.C. Macdonald's other siblings. It dates from 1896 to 1965.
Scrapbooks 2 and 4-7 are each quite similar in that there is no guiding organizational principle. Each contains newspaper clippings, photographs, correspondence, children's artwork and miscellaneous memorabilia. Topics include Macdonald family members, northeastern North Dakota, and local and national politics. Scrapbook Two contains a page of political buttons including presidential campaign buttons for Dwight D. Eisenhower, Wendell Willkie, and Franklin Roosevelt. Among other items, Scrapbook Four includes photographs of the 1947 Red River flood and also has several articles regarding the Vietnam War. Scrapbook seven has only five pages filled. The date of the materials in these five scrapbooks is from 1903 to 1969.
Scrapbook three contains only newspaper clippings, many of them letters to the editor concerning the Irish Home Rule initiative or the advent of the Nonpartisan League in the Grand Forks area. The letters to the editor were all written by or concern D.C. Macdonald and his brother Colin C. Macdonald. This scrapbook dates from 1918 to 1924, with one exception being an article from Bismarck's Leader dated March 4, 1954.
Ledgers one and two are family account books, dating from 1932 to 1955. There are large chronological gaps in some places.
The scrapbooks and ledgers were placed on the shelves adjacent to the collection
- Scrapbook 1: Neil C. Macdonald and the Macdonald family, 1896-1965
- Scrapbook 2: Miscellaneous, 1904-1957
- Scrapbook 3: D.C. and C.C. Macdonald newspaper clippings, 1918-1924, 1954
- Scrapbook 4: Miscellaneous, 1911-1964
- Scrapbook 5: Miscellaneous, 1908-1964
- Scrapbook 6: Miscellaneous, 1914-1963
- Scrapbook 7: Miscellaneous, 1903-1969
- Ledger 1: Family ledgers, 1932-1943
- Ledger 2: Family ledgers, 1940-1955
- Scrapbook 1: Neil C. Macdonald and the Macdonald family, 1896-1965
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]