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Doug MacGregor Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: –
Date: 2005

Biographical History

Douglas MacGregor, professionally known as Doug MacGregor, is an American cartoonist. He received his BFA from Syracuse University in 1979.

Doug MacGregor grew up in Binghamton, New York and began his cartooning career drawing sports cartoons for the Daily Orange newspaper while a student at Syracuse University. He also served as the art director for the Report newspaper and his illustrations appeared on Syracuse Orange basketball programs. After receiving a BFA in Illustration in 1979, he landed a post as an editorial cartoonist for the Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin in 1980 where he drew five cartoons a week. Influenced by Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist, Jim Borgman, MacGregor also credits one of his social studies teachers with getting him interested in current events.

His work received national exposure early-on, appearing occasionally on the opinion page of USA Today and one of his cartoons depicting Ronald Reagan was selected for the cover of the 1982 edition of the Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year. MacGregor's tenure with the Fort Myers (Fla.) News-Press began in 1988. In 1997 he began drawing a local comic strip titled Sunny Side Up which explores life in southwest Florida. MacGregor's cartoons appear through syndication in several other Florida newspapers.

MacGregor is a member of both the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists and the National Cartoonists Society. He has received numerous state and national awards, including multiple Best of Gannett awards. Several published collections of MacGregor's cartoons have appeared including, A Collection of MacGregor Editorial cartoons from the Norwich bulletin (1988) and Doug MacGregor's Cartoons: A Twenty-five Year Retrospective, released in 2005.

Doug MacGregor also draws freelance cartoons, illustrates children's books and self-syndicates his work.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Doug MacGregor Papers are divided into 4 series. The first series, Editorial cartoons offers examples of MacGregor's work as an editorial cartoonist from 1980 to 2004. The cartoons were published in the Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin and the Fort Myers (Fla.) News-Press. Major subjects include U.S. presidents (particularly Bill Clinton), elections, sports, the O.J. Simpson trial, education and foreign relations.

The majority of the cartoons are originals, although several laser prints are included. Most of the cartoons are labeled on the back with stickers listing a letter and a number, reflecting MacGregor's organizational scheme. Items labeled with the "I" prefix include 5 unfinished drawings, including 4 done in color. Several cartoons have stickers on the back with more details about the particular event depicted. Sizes vary, but most are approximately 11 ½" x 14 ½" and many are matted. The majority of the cartoons were drawn with pen and ink and there are several cartoons done in color. See the detailed inventory for more information on the medium.

The second series, Syracuse University cartoons and illustrations contains examples of MacGregor's student work at Syracuse University (1976-1979). Included are 16 original sports cartoons (with one self portrait) drawn for the student newspaper, the Daily Orange and three pieces of color, original artwork used on the cover of Syracuse Orange basketball programs (copies of the programs are included). It is worth nothing that MacGregor's sports cartoons appeared during a time of controversy over the university's Saltine Warrior mascot. Many of MacGregor's cartoons depict the traditional American Indian mascot as well as a newer version of the mascot appearing as a Roman warrior.

Publications contains five complete issues of the Daily Orange (1952, 1977) with cartoons by MacGregor, four issues of the Report newspaper (1978) for which MacGregor was art director and issues of other Syracuse University publications including Syracuse Poems (one issue contains artwork by MacGregor), Syracuse Review and Orange Crush. There are also several published collections of MacGregor's work.

Clippings contains several clippings of MacGregor's sports cartoons from the Daily Orange and an article from the Syracuse Herald Journal about changes to the Syracuse University mascot.

Arrangement of the Collection

Editorial and sports cartoons have been arranged in the order in which they were received using MacGregor's alphanumeric system. Full newspapers and clippings have been arranged in chronological order. Publications are alphabetical by title.

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, published compilation of MacGregor's cartoons, Doug MacGregor's Cartoons: A Twenty-five Year Retrospective (2005) has been removed from the collection and sent to Rare Books.

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

Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946- -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Bush, George, 1924- -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Carter, Jimmy, 1924- -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Clinton, Bill, 1946- -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Hussein, Saddam, 1937-2006 -- Caricatures and cartoons.
MacGregor, Doug.
Perot, H. Ross, 1930- -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Reagan, Ronald -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Simpson, O. J., 1947- -- Caricatures and cartoons.

Associated Titles

Daily orange.
News-press (Fort Myers, Fla.)
Norwich bulletin (Norwich, Conn.)

Subjects

World politics -- 1945-1989 -- Caricatures and cartoons.
World politics -- 1989- -- Caricatures and cartoons.
American wit and humor, Pictorial.
Caricatures and cartoons -- Connecticut.
Caricatures and cartoons -- Florida.
Caricatures and cartoons -- Syracuse (N.Y.)
Caricatures and cartoons -- United States.
Cartoonists -- Connecticut.
Cartoonists -- Florida.
Cartoonists -- United States.
Editorial cartoons -- Connecticut.
Editorial cartoons -- Florida.
Editorial cartoons -- United States.
Indians as mascots.
Persian Gulf War, 1991 -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Sports -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Sports team mascots -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Student newspapers and periodicals.
Syracuse Orange (Basketball team) -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Syracuse Orange (Football team) -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Syracuse University -- Alumni and alumnae.
Syracuse University -- Caricatures and cartoons.

Places

United States -- Politics and government, 1945-1989 -- Caricatures and cartoons.
United States -- Politics and government, 1989- -- Caricatures and cartoons.

Genres and Forms

Black-and-white photographs.
Cartoons (humorous images)
Editorial cartoons.
Magazines (periodicals)
Newspapers.
Periodicals.
Programs (documents)

Occupations

Cartoonists.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Doug MacGregor Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Doug MacGregor, 2005, 2014.

Three unnumbered SU cartoons, transfer from University Archives, 2006.

Box 1, transfer from Unviersity Archives, 2018.

Table of Contents

Editorial cartoons

Syracuse University cartoons and illustrations

Publications

Clippings

Inventory