Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Hager, Alice Rogers, 1894-1969.
Title:	Alice Rogers Hager Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1801-1968
Quantity:	2.0 linear ft.
Abstract:	Papers of the American author, journalist, writer of young adult fiction. Collection includes correspondence, including family letters, as well as Hager's personal and business letters; articles, book manuscripts, and poems; and memorabilia, including book reviews, clippings, photographs, and press releases.
Language:	English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Alice Rogers Hager (1894-1969) was an American journalist, author and novelist, known for her coverage of aviation news (she traveled to every continent except Antarctica and logged more than a half-million air miles) and books on Brazil.

Born in Peoria, Illinois, she was the daughter of Harry James and Caroline Augusta (Sammis) Rogers. She received her A.B. at Leland, Stanford University in 1915, and did her graduate work at the University of California in 1917. Ms. Hager began her career in 1918 as a special agent for the Business of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor, but left after only a few years to take a position as reporter for the Los Angeles Herald from 1923 to 1924. From 1927-1929 she was Chief of Public Information for the United States Department of Labor, then returned to journalism as a writer for the New York Times and Washington Star (1929-1934). She reported on aviation for the North American Newspaper Alliance (1934 -1940) and served as Chief of Public Information for the Civil Aeronautics Board (1940-1942). In 1944 she served for a year as Washington editor and war correspondent in China-Burma-India theater for Skyways, after which she was appointed Public Affairs Officer for the United States Embassy in Brussels (1948-1952) and served as Foreign Affairs officer for the Department of State (1952-1953) and Area Officer of the United States Information Agency (1953-1957).

In addition to her public relations and newspaper work, Ms Hager authored several award-winning books, both fiction and non-fiction; among them were Brazil, Giant to the South (1945), Wings of the Dragon: The Air War in Asia (1945), Janice, Air Line Hostess (1947), The Canvas Castle (1948), Washington, City of Destiny (1948), Dateline: Paris (1954), The Wonderful Ice Cream Cart (1955), Washington Secretary (1958), and Love's Golden Circle (1962).

Ms Hager was a member of several professional organizations including the American Geographical Society, Academy of Political Science, Childrens' Book Guild, Delta Delta Delta sorority, Episcopalian Clubs, O Versus Press, and the Women's National Press Club (of which she was President, 1946-1947). She was also a charter member of the Aviation and Space Association. In 1945 she received a U.S. War Department Certificate of Merit and theater ribbon, and Avon Gold Medal, for war correspondence and for her book on the air war in Asia, Wings for the Dragon; other awards include the Julia Ellsworth Ford Foundation Award for The Canvas Castle, 1948; Order of the Southern Cross (Brazil) for Brazil: Giant to the South, 1961; and the Order of merit of Santos Dumont for Frontier By Air, 1966.

She and her husband John Mansfield Hager had two children, Carolyn Anne and Helen.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Alice Rogers Hager Papers consists of correspondence, memorabilia relating to her career, works by Ms Hager (i.e., writings), and publicity.

Correspondence contains both outgoing and incoming; much of it is related to Ms. Hager's books. Notable correspondents include Lyndon Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Senator Margaret Chase Smith, and Douglas MacArthur. Also included here are family letters spanning more than eighty years.

Material related to Hager's Career contains documentation for her works (notes, outlines, research material) and personal mementos and souvenirs of travels. The latter includes memorabilia concerning the Avon Gold Medal award she received in 1945, honorary certificates, photographs, and an extensive collection of items relating to the "First Trans-Atlantic Press Flight" in June of 1939.

Works consists of notes, outlines, manuscripts, typescripts, carbon copies, and final proof copies. Books represented include Dateline: Paris, Love's Golden Circle, The Canvas Castle, The Wonderful Ice Cream Cart, and Washington Secretary; there are also articles, interviews, and other pieces.

Publicity consists of printed material (book reviews, press releases, clippings, articles) for Hager's books as well as publicity concerning Hager herself, such as clippings regarding her Avon Gold Medal Award.

1967 additions consist of the manuscript and published version of Cathy Whitney, President's Daughter.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Correspondence consists of general outgoing (arranged chronologically) and general incoming (arranged alphabetically), followed by that from specific individuals or on specific topics (arranged alphabetically). Family letters are at the end of correspondence. The remaining series (Career, Works and Publicity) are arranged alphabetically by topic/title.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Subjects

Genres and Forms

Occupations

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Alice Rogers Hager Papers
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Finding Aid Information

Created by: --
Date: ca. 1962
Revision history: 12 Mar 2007 - converted to EAD (MRC); 16 Jul 2024 - date in inventory corrected (DTF)

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Inventory

	Correspondence
		Outgoing letters
Box 1			1949 The Canvas Castle (1 item)
Box 1			1953 to: Major General C. T. Lanham (1 item)
Box 1			March 19, 1954 re: Dateline: Paris (3 items)
Box 1			1955-1956 re: The Wonderful Ice Cream Cart (34 items)
Box 1			September 5, 1957 re: So High The Hill (1 item)
Box 1			1960-1962 re: Love's Golden Circle (includes "Time Table" resume) (18)
Box 1			January 29, 1964 re; Women's National Press Club Luncheon - includes carbon copy ms poem "A New Profile in Courage," dedicated to Senator Margaret Chase Smith (2 items)
		Incoming
Box 1			A-Z, miscellaneous
				Author's and Writer's Who's Who Bolton, Frances P. (member of U. S. Congress), 2 items Brunelles (Ville De) Instruction Publique Dewpy, Suzette (wife of Ambassador to Brussels) Doolittle, "Joe" Drummond, Mrs. Roscoe Gibson, Daniel Z. (President, Washington College) Lanham, Major General C. T. (U. S. Commanding General first Infantry) MacArthur, Gen. Douglas Peterson's (Assistant Secretary of Labor) Robertson, Major William B. (Robertson Aircraft Corp.) Silvercruys, Baron Robert van Royen, Madame J. H. (wife of Ambassador from the Netherlands) Winters Independent School District Winters, Mrs. L. M. Women's National Press Club Wahl, Rachel (Brazilian Embassy) Wigny, Pierre and Lily (Brussels Minister of Foreign Affairs) , 11 letters
Box 1			re: Braithwaite, William Stanley (Editor, Anthology of Magazine Verse - includes 2 pp. of Anthology critiques by press) (4 items)
Box 1			re: Dateline: Paris (5 items)
Box 1			re: Dateline: Paris - fan mail (2 items)
Box 1			re: fan mail (Miscellaneous) (4 items)
Box 1			re: "First Trans-Atlantic Press Flight" June, 1939 (5 items)
Box 1			re: Frontier By Air: Brazil Takes The Skyroad (5 items)
Box 1			re: Janice, Airline Hostess - fan mail (8 items)
Box 1			re: Love's Golden Circle (24 items)
Box 1			Johnson, Lyndon B. (U. S. Senate) Campaign (2 items)
Box 1			Mesta, Perle (American Minister to Luxembourg) - includes 1 newspaper clipping (3 items)
Box 1			Murphy, Robert (U. S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs) (5 items)
Box 1			Smith, Senator Margaret Chase (3 items)
Box 1			re: So High The Hill (2 items)
Box 1			re: The Canvas Castle - fan mail (19 items)
Box 1			re: The Canvas Castle, Messner Publishers (1 item)
Box 1			The White House, John F. Kennedy - includes 2 newspaper clippings and Senate Report for July 25, 1961 (5 items)
Box 1			The Wonderful Ice Cream Cart - includes 2 pp. explanation by Mrs. Hager of November 23, 1955 letter from Brussels (28 items)
Box 1			The Wonderful Ice Cream Cart - fan mail (5 items)
Box 1			War Correspondent "Relics" (6 items)
Box 1			Washington Secretary (14 items)
Box 1			Wings For The Dragon - fan mail (1 item)
Box 1			Wings Over The Americas - includes 1 p. explanation by Mrs. Hager of letter from Miss Adele Humphrey of April 12, 1941) (23 items)
Box 1			Works 1920-1923 - articles, poems, short stories (12 items)
		Miscellaneous - greeting cards, invitations, postcards, telegrams
Box 1			Greeting cards (8 items)
Box 1			Invitations - includes newspaper clipping and Program of events (10 items)
Box 1			Invitations from The White House - Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Bessie Truman, and Mamie Eisenhower (includes 1 newspaper clipping (7 items)
Box 1			Postcards (outgoing) re: The Wonderful Ice Cream Cart and First Trans-Atlantic Press Flight, June, 1939 (2 items)
Box 1			Blank postcards re: The First Trans-Atlantic Press Flight, June, 1939 (17 items)
Box 1			Telegrams (outgoing) re: The First Trans-Atlantic Press Flight June, 1939 (2 items)
Box 1			Telegrams (incoming) re: The First Trans Atlantic Press Flight, June, 1939 (6 items)
Box 1			Telegrams (incoming) re: War Correspondent "Relics" (6 items)
		Old family letters
Box 1			1801-1821 (3 items)
Box 1			1824-1826 (2 items)
Box 1			1828-1829 (2 items)
Box 1			1831 (3 items)
Box 1			1833 (1 item)
Box 1			1839-1840 (3 items)
Box 1			1841 (1 item)
Box 1			1842 (1 item)
Box 1			1846-1848 (2 items)
Box 1			1849 (3 items)
Box 1			1852 (1 item)
Box 1			1881 (1 item)
Box 1			Undated to Mrs. Lydia Briggs (1 item)
Box 1			Undated to Mr. Walter Briggs (1 item)
Box 1			Undated to Miss Augusta Conant (1 item)
Box 1			Undated to Mrs. John Conant (1 item)
Box 1			Empty Envelopes (18 items)

	Career - documentation for works, personal mementos and souvenirs of travels
Box 2		Alaska Trip January-February, 1937 - map with holograph notations (1 item)
Box 2		Autobiographical and biographical resumes 1940-1941, undated
			Bibliography of books of Mrs. Hager (carbon copy ms with hol. notations), 2 pp. "Biographical Notes" (carbon copy ms with hol notations, personal), 2 pp. Biographical Notes (carbon copy ms professional), 4 pp. Interview on Lisa Sergio's "Column of the Air" October 16, 1940 (carbon copy ms with corrections), 1 p. Messner Publishers "Meet Alice Hager" (published copy with hol. notations), 3 pp. Press Release of U. S. Information Agency: July, 1957 (carbon copy ms with corrections and hol. Notations), pp. 1-20 Who's Who In America ("Current Biographical Reference Service") February 1, 1941
Box 2		Autobiography for book jacket of Love's Golden Circle - carbon copy ms, 2 pp.
Box 2		Avon Gold Medal Award November, 1945 - magazine article and photographs with hol. notations (miscellaneous 1 envelope) (9 items)
Box 2		Big Hoop and Little - photographs (marked for illustration), miscellaneous 1 envelope) (97 items)
Box 2		Family documents 1820-1920
			1926 Walter Briggs appointed First Lieutenant of Cavalry in the Seventh Regiment of Riflemen 1832 Fire and Marine Insurance Company Certificate, 2 pp. Hol. explanation by Mrs. Hager 1840 Land Deed from "Walter Briggs and Others to Robert Briggs," 2 pp. Hol. explanation by Mrs. Hager 1920 Original Writ, Summons, Complaint and Order of Notice, 9 pp. with hol. notations by Mrs. Hager; newspaper clipping (December 27, 1958) about "Wrigley Millions" Miscellaneous, 1 envelope
Box 2		"First Trans-Atlantic Press Flight" June, 1939
			Financial matters, souvenirs - bills, estimates, receipts (19 items)
			List of activities for the American journalists - carbon copy ms with holonotations 1 p.
			News coverage documentation (sources)
				"Christening of the Yankee Clipper" March 3, 1939 Program Crew For Atlantic Clipper; June 17, 1939 (Mimeographed copy, 1 p.) and hol. notations, 2 pp. Luncheon given by French Air Ministry to United States Press Flight Correspondents, June 21, 1939, hol. notes by Mrs. Hager and General Rene Weiss of the French Air Force. Also contains Autographs of French -TOY reporters. Notes (holographic), 5 pp Photographs of Route (maps) with mimeographed descriptions, 4 items Press Release, Pan American Airways: "1,500,500 Miles of Ocean Flying Quality Yankee Clippers Crew For Inaugural Atlantic Mail Flight" (mimeographed) 5 pp. Speech by Col. Le Petit (mimeographed), 2 pp. Time conversion table, Pan American Airways release (mimeographed), 10 items United States correspondent on flight, original hol. List by Mrs. Hager, 2 pp.
Box 2		Frontier By Air: Brazil Takes the Skyroad
			Poster "Somewhere on The Home Front" Radio Transcript (mimeographed Copy), 5 pp. Miscellaneous, 1 envelope
Box 2		Honorary certificates
			The American Geographical Society, nomination as "Fellow of the Society" and brochure of the society "The Empyrean Realm of Jupiter Rex" Membership, August 7, 1936 National Aviation Clinic Commission September, 191i6
Box 2		Photographs with hol. notations - includes 2 notes from Louis Couche and Louis Centex (111 items)
Box 2		Program for Honorary Press Luncheon June 12, 1956
Box 2		So High The Hill documentation (sources) Summer, 1955-Fall, Winter, 1956 - "The National 4-H Foundation" Digests of letters (5 items)
Box 2		The Wonderful Ice Cream Cart documentation - Original hol. translation of the "Legend of Bayard and The Sons of Duc d'Aymon" (miscellaneous 1 envelope), 5 pp.
Box 2		"War Correspondent Relics" (Travels) 1939-1951, undated - official papers (certificates; instructions, receipts, reservations), souvenirs (miscellaneous 1 envelope) (24 items)
Box 2		"War Correspondent Relics" (Travels) 1920-1953, undated - passports, press credit and identification cards (miscellaneous 1 envelope) (20 items)
Box 2		Washington: City of Destiny - book jacket (1 item)
Box 2		Washington Secretary documentation (sources) - form letters and news releases, including applications for employment; Bolton, Frances P., Congress (miscellaneous 2 memoranda) (17 items)
Box 2		Washington Secretary documentation (sources) - form letters and news releases, including applications for employment (23 items)
Box 2		Washington Secretary documentation (sources) - original hol. and typescript notes and outlines, 5pp.
Box 2		Washington Secretary documentation (sources) 1957, undated - newspaper clippings (10 items)
Box 2		Washington Secretary documentation (sources) 1939-1957 - publications (13 items)
			Capitol Guide Career Opportunities with the United States Department of State (1955) Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee No. 1, Rules of Procedure Congressional Record for: July 8, 1943; February 9, 1950; September 18, 1951; May 12. 1955; July 25, 1955 Foreign Service Secretaries (1954) Official Congressional Handbook (1955-1956) Research Institute Guide to the 1956 Elections (1956) So You Want To Be A Politician? (1939) This Week in the Nation's Capitol (August 11, 1957) Miscellaneous (1 Folder)
Box 2		Washington Secretary reception honoring Mrs. Hager- October 14, 1958 - guest lists (miscellaneous 1 envelope), 11 pp.
Box 2		Women's National Press Club Annual Dinner 1946-1947 - program and photographs with hol. notations (11 items)

	Works
Box 3		Dateline: Paris - final carbon copy, typescript with corrections, pp. 1-151 and photograph (for illustration)
Box 3		Exclusive Interview with Frances Perkins (United States Secretary of Labor) "Miss Perkins Talks of the Tasks Ahead," appeared in The New York Times Magazine May 7, 1933
Box 3		"First Trans-Atlantic Press Flight" June, 1939 - typescript and holograph features and articles (to be cabled to the Press)
			"Preview Trip Over Atlantic 1" carbon copy ms with corrections "Atlantic Preview Flight No. 2" carbon copy ms with corrections 1 p. "Commercial Future in Atlantic Flying" carbon copy ms 4 pp. "French No Longer Fear Air War" carbon copy ms with Hol. notations 3 pp. "On Board The Atlantic Clipper" carbon copy ms with corrections 2 pp. "Round Up The Atlantic Clipper Flight" (holographic notes, carbon copy ms) 3 pp. Untitled to Nanaewsal-New York from: 1) Halifax, June 12, orig. typescript, 4 pp; 2) Horta, June 24, orig. typescript with corrections and hol. notations and carbon copy ms 4 pp.; 3) Lisbon, June 1, orig. typescript with corrections and carbon copy ms, 4 pp.; 4) Marseilles, June 19, orig. typescript with corrections and carbon copy ms, 4 pp.; 5) Marseilles, June 19, carbon copy ms, 3 pp. Miscellaneous about: 1) After 2 hours out, hol. note and carbon copy ms with corrections, 2 pp. 2) War situation in Europe, carbon copy ms, 2 pp. 3) Stop in Marseilles, orig. typescript and carbon copy ms, 2 pp. 4) Nine O'Clock New York Time aboard Clipper, orig. typescript with corrections and carbon copy ms, 4 pp.
		Love's Golden Circle
Box 3			Outline of proposed book - carbon copy ms pp. 1-20.
Box 3			Original typescript with corrections - dedication and pp. 1-81, final edited copy
Box 3			Original typescript with corrections - pp. 82-161, final edited copy
Box 3		"Occupations and Earnings of Women in Industry," The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science May, 1929
Box 3		Publications (poems) with 1 p. hol. explanation 1918-1926
			"A Mother's Prayer" (1926) Photograph "On A Japanese No Dance" (June, 1926) The Gypsy: Cincinnati All Poetry Magazine vol. II, no. 2 "Memorial Day, 1925" The Evening Star, Washington, D. C. (May 30, 1925) "The New Flags" Boston Transcript (June 8, 1918) "The Second Line" Boston Transcript (August 24, 1918) "Two Days" Boston Transcript (June 14, 1919) Miscellaneous, 1 envelope
Box 3		"So High The High" - outline and synopsis, typescript carbon copy with corrections, 12 pp.
Box 3		The Canvas Castle serialization in Trails For Juniors October-December, 1949 - marked copies, chapters 1-11
		The Wonderful Ice Cream Cart (originally titled "The Hoof of Bayard")
Box 3			Synopsis - carbon copy ms with corrections pp. 1-12
Box 3			Original typescript with corrections - pp. 1-114, miscellaneous; MacMillan's final edited copy (2 folders)
Box 3			Marked, illustration lithographs (12), miscellaneous (1 envelope)
		Washington Secretary
Box 3			Messner edited manuscript 1958 - original typescript with corrections pp. 1-188 (2 folders)
Box 3			Miscellaneous

	Publicity - printed material
Box 4		Avon Gold Medal Award November, 1945 - clippings (3 items)
Box 4		Big Loop and Little 1937 - newspaper reviews (2 items)
Box 4		Brazil: Giant To The South 1945 - press release, publicity and reviews (3 items)
Box 4		"First Trans-Atlantic Press Flight (June, 1939)" - newspaper clippings: L'Aero (June 16, 1939) pp. 1-12 and Excelsior (June 20, 1939) pp. 1-8 (32 items)
Box 4		Frontier By Air: Brazil Takes The Skyroad 1941 - magazine and newspaper clippings and reviews (7 items)
Box 4		Love's Golden Circle - press release, review (includes list of possibilities for reviews (3 items)
Box 4		The Canvas Castle November 13, 1949 - The New York Times Book Review pp.1-86, review and publicity pp. 24 and 40.
Box 4		The Wonderful Ice Cream Cart 1955 - newspaper clippings and reviews, press release, review (13 items)
Box 4		Washington: City of Destiny 1950 - publicity and reviews (includes 1 p. hol. explanation by Mrs Hager) (2 items)
Box 4		Washington Secretary July 2, 1961, December, 1958 - newspaper review; ; magazine clipping, (2 items)
Box 4		Wings For The Dragon 1945-1946 - magazine and newspaper clippings, previews and reviews (5 items)
		Wings Over The Americas
Box 4			Book news releases 1940 (9 items)
Box 4			Magazine clippings and reviews (previews) 1940-1941 (9 items)
Box 4			Newspaper clippings and reviews (previews) 1940-1941 - includes Arts Club of Washington brochure (27 items)
Box 4		Wings To Wear 1938-1940 - book news release, magazine and newspaper reviews (3 items)
Box 4		"Women At Work Articles" February, 1934 - preview (1 item)
Box 4		Women's National Press Club "Stunt Party" March 20, 1933 - special edition of The New Squeal, pp. 1-6 with hol. notations
Box 4		Newspaper articles about Mrs. Hager June 30, 1941-October 18, 1961 - includes photograph attached to October 1961 clipping (12 items)
Box 4		Clippings and newspapers 1918, 1920, 1941 (7 folders)
		Book reviews and publicity
Box 4			MacMillan Publishers book preview catalogues 1942-1961 (11 items)
Box 4			Julian Messner, Inc. Publishers book preview catalogues 1955, 1964 (9 items)
Box 4			Publisher's Weekly, vol. 156, no. 5. The Canvas Castle publicity and review July 30, 1949

	Additions, 1967
		Manuscript, Cathy Whitney, President's Daughter - chapters I-XII
		Book, Cathy Whitney, President's Daughter

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