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D. R. Fitzpatrick Cartoons

An inventory of his cartoons at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: MD
Date: 4 Dec 2008

Biographical History

Daniel Robert Fitzpatrick (1891-1969), commonly known as D. R. Fitzpatrick, was a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American cartoonist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1913-1958).

Born on March 5, 1891 in Superior, Wisconsin, Fitzpatrick attended the Art Institute of Chicago. Fitzpatrick worked as a staff artist and cartoonist for the Chicago Daily News from 1911 until 1912. Joining the St. Louis Post Dispatch in 1913, Fitzpatrick was the editorial cartoonist there until 1958.

Fitzpatrick won the 1926 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning for the cartoon, "The Laws of Moses and the Laws of Today" that was published in the St. Louis Post Dispatch on April 12th of that year. The cartoon has been interpreted as representing disapproval of the rapid increase of laws and legislation compared to the few laws enacted by Moses. In 1955 he won another Pulitzer for his June 8, 1954 cartoon "How Would Another Mistake Help?" about French and possible U.S. involvement in Indochina.

Washington University presented Fitzpatrick the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters in 1949 and the Sidney Hillman Foundation which honors investigative journalism gave Fitzpatrick with an award in 1955. The University of Missouri recognized Fitzpatrick with a Distinguished Service to Journalism Medal in 1958. However, Fitzpatrick's cartoons and actions often brought criticism. In 1940 the cartoonist along with several other Post Dispatch staff members were cited with contempt of court after they criticized the dismissal of an extortion suit against a State Representative. Fitzpatrick received a ten day sentence and a $100 fine.

During his lifetime, Fitzpatrick's cartoons were exhibited at the St. Louis Art Museum as well as the Moscow Museum of Modern Western Painting. In the spring of 1941 the Associated American Artists Gallery in New York City held its second exhibit of Fitzpatrick's cartoons. Daniel Robert Fitzpatrick died on May 18, 1969.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The D. R. Fitzpatrick Cartoons consist of four pieces of original artwork. Titles and dates are given in the inventory below.

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.

Related Material

A signed, limited edition book, Fitzpatrick Cartoons (Pulitzer Publishing Company: 1947) has been transferred to Rare Books for cataloging.

Special Collections Research Center has collections of over one hundred cartoonists. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.

Subject Headings

Persons

Fitzpatrick, Daniel Robert, 1891-1969.

Corporate Bodies

Pulitzer Publishing Company.

Associated Titles

St. Louis post-dispatch.

Subjects

American wit and humor, Pictorial.
Caricatures and cartoons -- United States.
Cartoonists -- United States.
Editorial cartoons -- United States.
Editorial cartoons -- Missouri.
Political cartoons.
World politics -- 1945-1989 -- Caricatures and cartoons.

Genres and Forms

Editorial cartoons.

Occupations

Cartoonists.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

D. R. Fitzpatrick Cartoons,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of D. R. Fitzpatrick, 1964.

Gift of Daniel W. Pfaff, 2011.

Table of Contents

Cartoons

Inventory