ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
3051 UNIVERSITY AVENUE STOP 9000
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202-9000

DONALD C. MacDONALD PAPERS

COLLECTION: OGL #384

DATES: 1892-1969

SIZE: 17.25 linear feet

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION: The Donald C. MacDonald Papers were deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection. The material was separated from the Neil C. Macdonald Papers, OGL Collection #97, in December 1976.

ACCESS: Available for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

RELATED COLLECTION: Neil C. Macdonald Papers, OGL #97

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Donald Chester MacDonald was born on 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 Legionaire. 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 on December 9, 1969, in Grand Forks, and is buried in Hannah.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The Donald C. MacDonald Papers are organized into five series as follows:

Series I: Political Materials
This series contains materials relating to D.C. MacDonald's role in North Dakota politics. It has been further subdivided into four sub-series. Sub-Series A contains political correspondence from 1923 to 1966; when available it has been categorized by correspondent. Sub-Series B is comprised of miscellaneous political and campaign materials from 1932 to 1968. Sub-Series C contains correspondence, reports and miscellaneous material from D.C. MacDonald's role as Deputy Inspector for the Attorney General's office. 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 1, Folder 1 - Box 4, Folder 29

Series II: Personal Materials
Series II contains materials relating to the personal lives and interests of D.C. MacDonald and his family. It has been further subdivided into three sub-series: personal correspondence, materials relating to Neil C. Macdonald, and items pertaining to D.C. MacDonald's interest in chess. Arranged in reverse chronological order within each sub-series, this series covers the years 1892-1969.
Box 5, Folder 1 - Box 9, Folder 8

Series III: Business
This series relates to D.C. MacDonald's career as an insurance agent. Notable items in this series pertain to policies he wrote with the North Dakota State Mill and Elevator, the Grand Forks County Municipal Employees, and Grand Forks Public School Teachers. This series covers the years 1920-1958.
Box 10, Folder 1 - Box 10, Folder 19

Series IV: Newspaper Clippings
Series IV contains newspaper clippings collected by D.C. MacDonald. The clippings deal mainly with items relating to events in North Dakota and to the MacDonald family. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject.
Box 11, Folder 1 - Box 11, Folder 8

Series V: Scrapbooks and Ledgers
This series has been further subdivided into two sub-series: scrapbooks, which contain photographs and other memorabilia, and ledgers, which track the D.C. MacDonald family expenses.

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.

Scrapbooks eight and nine are the family account books and make up the second sub-series. They date from 1932 to 1955 with large chronological gaps in some places.

The scrapbooks and ledgers were placed on the shelves adjacent to the collection, and are not housed in boxes.

BOX AND FOLDER INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder
Series I: Political Materials
Sub-Series A: Political Correspondence

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

Box 2
Folder
Sub-Series B: Political Materials

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

Box 3
Folder
Sub-Series C: Deputy Inspector's Reports and Correspondence

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

Box 4
Folder
Sub-Series D: America First Committee

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

Box 5
Folder
Series II: Personal Materials
Sub-Series A: Personal Correspondence

  1. 1969
  2. 1968
  3. May-December 1967
  4. January-March 1967
  5. 1966
  6. 1965
  7. 1964
  8. January 2-December 18, 1963
  9. April 2-December 13, 1962
  10. January 2-March 30, 1962
  11. September 3, 1961-December 19, 1961
  12. June 5-August 17, 1961
  13. March 1-May 31, 1961
  14. January 10-February 28, 1961
  15. October 2-December 30, 1960
  16. June 1-September 27, 1960
  17. March 2-May 30, 1960
  18. January 6-February 29, 1960
  19. October 1, 1959-December 31, 1959
  20. June 3, 1959-September 29, 1959
  21. January 11-May 28, 1959
  22. January 22-December 22, 1958
  23. January 3-December 27, 1957
  24. Undated

Box 6
Folder

  1. October 4-December 30, 1956
  2. May 1-September 6, 1956
  3. March 3-April 28, 1956
  4. January 2-February 27, 1956
  5. July 5-December 31, 1955
  6. January 4-June 27, 1955
  7. January 3-December 1, 1954
  8. February 18-December 31, 1953
  9. April 6-December 31, 1952
  10. January 1-March 25, 1952
  11. August 2-December 28, 1951
  12. January 3-July 31, 1951
  13. 1950
  14. January 3, 1946-September 26, 1949
  15. April 29, 1943-September 24, 1945
  16. January 28, 1941-December 18, 1942
  17. May 9, 1932-December 7, 1939
  18. 1910-December 31, 1939

Box 7
Folder

  1. 1. 35 mm film - Insurance
  2. 2. Kathrine B. Tiffany, June 1942-April 1949
  3. 3. 1960-1969
  4. 4. 1954-1959
  5. 5. 1950-1953
  6. 6. 1940-1949
  7. 7. 1918-1939
  8. 8. Undated
  9. 9. Personal, medical, September 1941-April 1969
  10. 10. Financial matters, 1936-1942
  11. 11. Insurance and Business, 1940
  12. 12. Income Tax forms, 1945-1968
  13. 13. Rental Dispute, 1944-1952
  14. 14. United Press Stringer, 1938-1942
  15. 15. Xeroxed material
  16. 16. MacDonald family material, relating to Isabella MacDonald and her attempt to keep family farm in 1930s, 1917-1944
  17. 17. MacDonald family material, 1904-1967 18. MacDonald family material, miscellaneous 19. Daily Record Book, 1941-1943 20. Daily Record Book, 1939-1941 21. Daily Record Book, 1937-1938 22. Miscellaneous material

Box 8
Folder
Sub-Series B: Neil C. Macdonald

  1. Correspondence and miscellaneous material, 1899-1926
  2. Correspondence, W.N. Taft incident, 1921
  3. Harvard College material, 1921
  4. Miscellaneous receipts and teachers' contracts 1897-1899, 1904
  5. Normal Exponent, undated
  6. Public School Income, 1908 by N.C. Macdonald
  7. Rural Schools and Rural School Consolidation by N.C. Macdonald
  8. Record of vouchers approved, 1915-1916
  9. Teacher's Register, 1910
  10. Teacher's Register, 1908
  11. Teacher's Register, 1908
  12. Teacher's Register, 1901
  13. Teacher's Register, 1901
  14. Teacher's Register, 1901
  15. Oaths of applicant for liquor, for medicinal use, 1912
  16. Material on D.W. Hines and Farmers R.R., 1892-1897

Box 9
Folder
Sub-Series C: Chess Materials

  1. Correspondence, 1953-1957
  2. Correspondence, 1950-1952
  3. Correspondence, 1944-1949
  4. Correspondence, undated
  5. Miscellaneous, undated
  6. News clippings
  7. Newsletters, publications
  8. Chess Review, 1963

Box 10
Folder
Series III: Business

  1. Insurance Agent, correspondence, 1950-1958
  2. Insurance Agent, correspondence, 1945-1949
  3. Insurance Agent, correspondence, 1944
  4. Insurance Agent, correspondence, 1943
  5. Insurance Agent, correspondence, 1942
  6. Insurance Agent, correspondence, 1940-1941
  7. Insurance Agent, correspondence, 1939
  8. Insurance Agent, correspondence, 1938
  9. Insurance Agent, correspondence, 1930-1937
  10. Insurance Agent, correspondence, 1928-1929
  11. Insurance Agent, correspondence, 1920-1927
  12. Insurance Agent, miscellaneous correspondence, undated
  13. State Mill and Elevator Business, 1930-1945
  14. Insurance business, State Mill and Elevator, miscellaneous
  15. Insurance policies, 1927-1941
  16. Insurance Business, State Mill and Elevator, January 1940-August 1942 and 1955
  17. Insurance Business, State Mill and Elevator, September 1939-December 1939
  18. Insurance Business, State Mill and Elevator, January-August, 1939
  19. Insurance Business, State Mill and Elevator, 1926-1938

Box 11
Folder
Series IV: Newspaper Clippings

  1. Anti-gambling laws, local news
  2. Chess
  3. City and state landmarks, UND news
  4. Family, personal
  5. Politics, abstract of votes, election tabulations
  6. Politics, Burgum, Langer, Nye, Whalen
  7. Politics, editorials
  8. Miscellaneous

Series V: Scrapbooks and Ledgers
Sub-Series A: Scrapbooks
1. Neil C. Macdonald and the MacDonald family, 1896-1965
2. Miscellaneous, 1904-1957
3. D.C. and C.C. MacDonald newspaper clippings, 1918-1924, 1954
4. Miscellaneous, 1911-1964
5. Miscellaneous, 1908-1964
6. Miscellaneous, 1914-1963
7. Miscellaneous, 1903-1969

Sub-Series B: Ledgers
8. Family ledgers, 1932-1943
9. Family ledgers, 1940-1955

The scrapbooks and ledgers were placed on the shelves adjacent to the collection, and are not housed in boxes.

SEPARATIONS RECORD

A total of 344 photographs were separated and placed in the Orin G. Libby Photograph Collection. Most are of the MacDonald family members. Other subjects include campaigning with the Nonpartisan League, chess events, and landscape photographs of northeastern North Dakota.

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