Collection inventory

Summary
Creator:	Mackenzie, DeWitt.
Title:	DeWitt Mackenzie Papers
Dates:	1917-1959
Size:	9 boxes (8.5 linear feet)
Abstract:	The DeWitt Mackenzie Papers include war dispatches, correspondence, newspaper columns, photographs, unpublished memoirs, books and other files that document his life as an Associated Press correspondent.
Language:	English
Repository:	University Archives, Special Collections Research Center Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Ave., Suite 600 Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center/university-archives

Biography

DeWitt Talmadge Mackenzie (1884-1962), class of 1907, was an notable AP correspondent with a long and distinguished career. His column appeared in more than 800 newspapers around the world and was read by millions. A world traveler, he witnessed many events that shaped the history of the twentieth century, including both world wars, and recorded them as a well-trained and objective reporter for his and future generations.

Mackenzie, known as "Mack" to his closest friends, was born on August 13, 1884, in West Burke, Vermont, to Reverend Robert C. T. and Agnes M. Shores Mackenzie. He received a diploma from the Black River Academy in Ludlow, Vermont, and graduated from Syracuse University in 1907. Mackenzie married twice, first to Maud V. Bloomingdale in 1911 (died 1921) and then to Marjorie Louise Rumford in 1924 (died 1962), with whom he fathered a son, Kent Robert, and a daughter, Marjorie Carol.

In 1907, Mackenzie obtained a job with The Post Standard in Syracuse, New York, to help pay for college. After taking an instant liking to the profession, he soon left Syracuse University to pursue a full-time career in journalism. He only worked a short time in Syracuse before transferring downstate to the Schenectady Gazette as sports editor between 1909 and 1910. Mackenzie then joined the Associated Press (AP), with which he would remain for the next 41 years.

Mackenzie led an interesting and active life as a correspondent. On his first assignment abroad, he was almost shot by an execution squad during the Irish Rebellion and extricated himself with some quick talking. Soon after, Mackenzie was off to the World War I front where, during one German barrage, a shell landed in the crater where he was holed up (fortunately it was a dud). Although usually less lethal, these types of adventures characterized Mackenzie's life as a correspondent.

Mackenzie’s list of accomplishments is impressive. He was one of only seven World War I correspondents attached to the British High Command and the first correspondent permitted into Egypt in 1916 to report on the fighting around the Suez Canal. He was present at the Versailles Treaty signing in 1919. Mackenzie’s articles and columns featured in over 800 newspapers. He obtained a rare interview with J. P. Morgan and met numerous heads of states and other notable figures. He visited and reported on the French penal colony, Devil's Island. He reported on nearly all the monumental world events in the first half of the 20th century.

Mackenzie had several hobbies and interests worthy of mention. He was an avid fly fisherman and took many trips with friends and notables, such as Irish officials. In addition to writing his daily columns, Mackenzie still found time to write a number of books and articles, including a fiction book, The Girl in the Mask; books on India; and books and articles related to the AP.

In 1951, after four decades dedicated to reporting on world events, Mackenzie retired. He continued to live in Westport, Connecticut, worked on memoirs and provided the occasional public opinion. After his second wife's passing, Mackenzie moved to Glendale, California, to be near to family. On August 16, 1962, DeWitt Mackenzie passed away at the age of 78.

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Scope and Content Note

The DeWitt Mackenzie Papers primarily document his life as a correspondent for the Associated Press (AP). The bulk of the collection consists of Mackenzie's correspondence, photographs, World War I dispatches from the front lines, telegrams and columns from 1930-1951, unpublished memoirs, manuscripts, memorabilia, and authored books. The collection is an excellent historical resource for both World Wars and the post-World War II (1945-51) era.

The Mackenzie Papers has been arranged into four series: Subject Files, Columns and Dispatches, Memorabilia and Photographs, and Printed Material. The Subject Files series contains correspondence, articles, and files on countries and other subjects. Columns and Dispatches consist of the cables of articles written for AP (1917-1918 and 1939-1951) in chronological order. Images of Mackenzie, his family and fellow correspondents as well as medals, awards and other items can be found in the Memorabilia and Photographs series. The Printed Material series includes books, magazines, and other published items.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Please note that the collection is housed off-site, and advance notice is required to allow time to have the materials brought to the Reading Room on campus.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

The unpublished memoirs of DeWitt T. Mackenzie may not be published without permission of the donor, Mrs. Marjorie Mackenzie Heimer, or her heirs. However, no more than three paragraphs may be quoted without specific permission. Longer quotes require the donor's permission.

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Related Material

An issue of the Daily Orange was removed and added to the Archives' Daily Orange Collection.

DeWitt T. Mackenzie wrote several dozen articles about the renowned Yugoslavian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic, the clippings of which can be found in the Printed Material series in the Mestrovic Collection.

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Selected Search Terms

Names

Subjects

Types of material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

DeWitt Mackenzie Papers,
University Archives,
Special Collections Research Center
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

DeWitt Mackenzie's daughter, Mrs. Marjorie Mackenzie Heimer, donated the papers on December 10, 1984.

Processing Information

All the materials in the Mackenzie Papers were placed in acid-free housing. Original folder headings were kept when provided, and a perpetual calendar was used to in providing complete dates for the news cables. All staples and paperclips were removed and replaced with stainless-steel. In most cases, duplicate documents were removed and destroyed.

Photocopies were made of materials in poor condition and where loss of information was threatened. In certain instances, when the original item was deemed of value, it was kept with its facsimile; otherwise the original was destroyed after it was photocopied. A number of whole and partial newspapers were included in the collection; the relevant articles were photocopied and the originals destroyed.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: Eric Rode
Date: 1998
Revision history: 2011 - converted to EAD

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Inventory

	Subject Files
Box 1		AP's Feature Service (Articles)
Box 1		Articles about DeWitt T. Mackenzie (2 folders)
Box 1		Articles by DeWitt T. Mackenzie in AP's Feature Service
Box 1		Articles by DeWitt T. Mackenzie in other newspapers
Box 1		Articles about DeWitt T. Mackenzie with attached letters
Box 1		Articles by DeWitt T. Mackenzie with attached letters
Box 1		Articles written for AP's Feature Service (3 folders)
Box 1		Assorted correspondences - T.P. O'Connor, Anthony Hawkins, Sir Frank Branqwyn
Box 1		Book - Not Passed by the Censor (3 folders)
Box 1		Book reviews of DeWitt T. Mackenzie's Hell's Kitchen and The Girl in the Mask
Box 1		Cables from Sinn Fein (Revolution - Ireland)
Box 1		Charlie (Charles) Chaplin
Box 1		Complete and Partial Speeches
Box 1		Correspondence and original drawings (Henrik Vanloon)
Box 1		Correspondence and Picture - President Sean T. O'Kelly (President of Ireland 1945-59)
Box 1		Correspondence - Europe and other
Box 1		Correspondence from Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Conan Doyle
Box 1		Correspondence - Sir Philip Gibbs
Box 1		Correspondence with attached pictures and stories
Box 1		Death (Reverend Mackenzie - D.M.'s father and DeWitt T. Mackenzie)
Box 1		Devil's Island (articles)
Box 1		Devil's Island correspondence - Includes book written and illustrated by prisoner
Box 1		Draft of Memoirs - "Over the Hill"
Box 1		Family Letters (envelope)
Box 1		Fishing stories (articles)
Box 1		George Arents Award - Syracuse University
			Award located in Box 7
Box 1		Honorary Doctorate and Speech - Morris Harvey College
Box 1		India - Correspondence
Box 1		Introduction to DeWitt T. Mackenzie
Box 1		Introduction to book Awakening of India - handwritten by Francis Younghusband, well-known British Explorer and Author
Box 1		John Mackenzie's Notebook
Box 1		Letter - Cordell Hull, Picture - Amelia Earhart (autographed), Letters - Field Marshal Allenby
Box 1		Letters with several articles 1940-1945
Box 1		Letters (various)
Box 2		Miscellaneous
Box 2		Miscellaneous Articles
Box 2		Miscellaneous - stories, poems, songs, and letters (2 folders)
Box 2		"My Boy Sam"
Box 2		Old Stories
Box 2		Pamphlet to the troops - B. L. Montgomery (Lieutenant-General) October 23, 1942
Box 2		Personal Memorabilia (3 envelopes)
Box 2		Post war politics (articles)
Box 2		Public forums (guest speakings)
Box 2		Retirement (DeWitt T. Mackenzie)
Box 2		Short Stories
Box 2		Speeches and correspondences (2 folders)
Box 2		Speech on Journalism (envelope)
Box 2		Notes for Speeches (envelope)
Box 2		Speech - on Russia February, 1948 (envelope)
Box 2		Speech 1941
Box 2		Stories by Hennessey in the Indian Police
Box 2		Stories written on last trip to India
Box 2		Syracuse related materials
Box 2		War Gazette from the Ardennes (WWI)
Box 2		War predictions -DeWitt T. Mackenzie
Box 2		WWI related articles
Box 2		Albania
Box 2		America
Box 2		Anglo-America
Box 2		Arabians
Box 2		Austria
Box 2		Balkan Entente
Box 2		Belgium
Box 2		Brazil
Box 2		Britain (5 folders)
Box 3		Britain (6 folders)
Box 3		Britain - Edward's abdication
Box 3		British Monarchy
Box 3		Bulgaria
Box 3		Canada
Box 3		China
Box 3		Chino-Jap (2 folders)
Box 3		Czechoslovakia
Box 3		Danzig
Box 3		Egypt
Box 3		France
Box 3		Franco-Italian
Box 3		Germany (5 folders)
Box 3		Greece
Box 3		Holland
Box 3		Hungary
Box 3		India (5 folders)
Box 3		Ireland
Box 3		Italo-German Relations
Box 3		Italy
Box 3		Japan
Box 3		Democracies and the 'isms' - Dictator-Democracy Clash - General relations
Box 3		"Kent Cooper"
Box 3		League of Nations
Box 3		Letters
Box 3		Little Entente
Box 3		Mexico
Box 3		Miscellaneous (2 folders)
Box 3		Morocco
Box 3		MRA
Box 3		Notes, miscellaneous
Box 3		Palestine
Box 3		Pan-America
Box 3		Peru
Box 3		Poland
Box 3		Portugal
Box 3		Royal Mounted
Box 3		Rumania
Box 3		Russia
Box 3		Social Credit (2 folders)
Box 3		Spain
Box 3		Speeches
Box 3		Spies
Box 3		Switzerland
Box 3		Syria
Box 3		Tibet
Box 3		Venezuela
Box 3		Trips abroad
Box 3		Turkey
Box 3		West Indies
Box 3		World - War
Box 3		Yugoslavia

	Columns and Dispatches
Box 1		Personal Expense Account November, 1917-November, 1918
Box 1		Uncertain or [n.d.] "Dispatches," "The War Today," and "Column"
		War Dispatches
Box 4			July, 1917
Box 4			August, 1917
Box 4			September, 1917
Box 4			October, 1917
Box 4			November, 1917
Box 4			December, 1917
Box 4			Drafts July, 1917
Box 4			Drafts August, 1917
Box 4			Drafts September, 1917
Box 4			Drafts October, 1917
Box 4			Drafts November, 1917
Box 4			Drafts December, 1917
Box 4			January-February, 1918
Box 4			March, 1918
Box 4			April, 1918 (2 folders)
Box 4			May, 1918
Box 4			June, 1918
Box 4			July, 1918
Box 4			August, 1918
Box 4			September, 1918
Box 4			October, 1918
Box 4			November, 1918
Box 4			December, 1918
Box 4			Drafts March, 1918
Box 4			Drafts April, 1918
Box 4			Drafts May, 1918
Box 4			Drafts June, 1918
Box 4			Drafts July, 1918
Box 4			Drafts September, 1918
Box 4			Drafts October, 1918
Box 4			Drafts November, 1918
		The War Today
Box 4			September 3-29, 1939
Box 4			October 2-27, 1939
Box 4			October 30-November 23, 1939
Box 4			November 24-December 22, 1939
Box 4			December 26, 1939-January 24, 1940
Box 4			January 25-February 21, 1940
Box 4			February 22 -March 25, 1940
Box 4			March 26-April 23, 1940
Box 4			April 25-May 28, 1940
Box 4			April 8, 1940
Box 5			May 29-June 21,1940
Box 5			June 26-July 18, 1940
Box 5			July 19-August 23, 1940
Box 5			August 24-September 21,1940
Box 5			September 23-October 15, 1940
Box 5			October 16-November 26, 1940
Box 5			November 27-December 21, 1940
Box 5			December 23, 1940-January 18, 1941
Box 5			January 20-February 13, 1941
Box 5			February 14-March 11, 1941
Box 5			March 13-April 9, 1941
Box 5			April 10-May 10, 1941
Box 5			May 12-July 8, 1941
Box 5			July 10-August 4, 1941
Box 5			August 5-August 29, 1941
Box 5			August 30-October 3, 1941
Box 5			October 6-November 24, 1941
Box 5			November 25-December 26, 1941
Box 5			December 29, 1941-January 19, 1942
Box 5			January 28-February 27, 1942
Box 5			March 2-30, 1942
Box 5			March 30-April 24, 1942
Box 5			April 27-June 6, 1942
Box 5			June 8-July 4, 1942
Box 5			July 6-August 1, 1942
Box 5			August 3-September 8, 1942
Box 5			September 9-October 16, 1942
Box 5			October 19-December 17, 1942
Box 5			December 19, 1942-February 24, 1943
Box 5			March 5-April 1, 1943
Box 5			April 2-29, 1943
Box 5			April 30-May 27, 1943
Box 5			May 28-June 11, 1943
Box 5			June 29-July 27, 1943
Box 5			July 28-August 27, 1943
Box 5			August 28-September 24, 1943
Box 5			September 25-October 21, 1943
Box 5			October 22-November 20, 1943
Box 5			November 22, 1943-January 7, 1944
Box 5			January 8-February 4, 1944
Box 5			February 5-March 3, 1944
Box 5			March 4-31, 1944
Box 6			April 1-28, 1944
Box 6			April 29-May 25, 1944
Box 6			May 27-July 8, 1944
Box 6			July 10-August 5, 1944
Box 6			August 7-September 2, 1944
Box 6			September 4-October 16, 1944
Box 6			October 17-November 16, 1944
Box 6			November 17-December 14, 1944
Box 6			December 15, 1944-January 11, 1945
Box 6			January 12-February 12, 1945
Box 6			February 13-March 12, 1945
Box 6			March 13-April 9, 1945
Box 6			April 10-May 11, 1945
Box 6			May 12-June 30, 1945
Box 6			July 2-28, 1945
Box 6			July 30-August 22, 1945
Box 6			August 23-September 15, 1945
		Column
Box 6			September 16-October 8, 1945
Box 6			October 9-November 2, 1945
Box 6			November 3-27, 1945
Box 6			November 28-December 22, 1945
Box 6			December 23, 1945-January 18, 1946
Box 6			January 19-February 9, 1946
Box 6			February 9-March 6, 1946
Box 6			March 7-29, 1946
Box 6			April, 1946
Box 6			May, 1946
Box 6			June, 1946
Box 6			August, 1946
Box 6			September, 1946
Box 6			October, 1946
Box 6			November, 1946
Box 6			December, 1946
Box 6			January, 1947
Box 6			February, 1947
Box 6			March, 1947
Box 6			April, 1947
Box 6			May, 1947
Box 6			June, 1947
Box 6			July, 1947
Box 6			August, 1947
Box 6			September 1-27, 1947
Box 6			September 29-October 23, 1947
Box 6			October 24-31, 1947
Box 6			November, 1947
Box 6			December, 1947
Box 6			January, 1948
Box 6			February, 1948
Box 6			March, 1948
Box 6			April 1-24, 1948
Box 6			April 25-May 20, 1948
Box 6			May 21-June 12, 1948
Box 6			June 21-July 14, 1948
Box 6			July 8-31, 1948
Box 6			August 3-24, 1948
Box 6			August 25-September 18, 1948
Box 6			September 19-October 11, 1948
Box 6			October 12-19, 27
Box 6			November, 1948
Box 7			December, 1948
Box 7			January, 1949
Box 7			February, 1949
Box 7			March, 1949
Box 7			April, 1949
Box 7			May, 1949
Box 7			June, 1949
Box 7			July, 1949
Box 7			August 1-September 9, 1949
Box 7			September 9-September 30, 1949
Box 7			October, 1949
Box 7			November, 1949
Box 7			December, 1949
Box 7			January, 1950
Box 7			February, 1950
Box 7			March, 1950
Box 7			April, 1950
Box 7			May, 1950
Box 7			July, 1950
Box 7			August, 1950
Box 7			September, 1950
Box 7			October, 1950
Box 7			November, 1950
Box 7			December, 1950
Box 7			January, 1951
Box 7			February, 1951
Box 7			March, 1951
Box 7			April, 1951
Box 7			May, 1951
Box 7			June, 1951

	Memorabilia and Photographs
Box 7		Arents Award (boxed)
Box 7		Assorted patches sewn on wool sack
Box 7		Bullets, rounded (boxed)
Box 7		Disk, corroded metal (boxed)
Box 7		Iron Cross (boxed)
Box 7		Photographs - family, associates (AP and other correspondents), DeWitt T. Mackenzie, Barcelona, World War One (Europe), portrait while at Syracuse University, miscellaneous (envelope)
Box 7		Shrapnel with note denoting origin (boxed)
Box 7		Wallet containing 2 business cards and a blank notepad
Box 7		Wood fragment, "splinter from tree in Garden of Eden"
Box 7		World War I commemorative medal (British)
Box 7		World War I commemorative medal (United States)
Box 7		World War I correspondent medals
Box 7		World War I medals (2 envelopes)

	Printed Material
		Authored Books
Box 8			The Associated Press News Annual: 1946. Volume II. 1947 (hard cover)
Box 8			The Awakening of India. Introduction by Lieut.-Colonel Sir Francis Younghusband. 1917 (hard cover)
Box 8			The Girl in the Mask. June, 1951 (hard cover)
Box 8			Hell's Kitchen: The Story of London's Underworld as Related by the Notorious Ex-burglar George Ingram to DeWitt MacKenzie. 1930 (hard cover)
Box 8			India's Problem Can Be Solved. 1st edition. 1943 (hard cover)
Box 8			Men Without Guns. 1st edition. 1945 (hard cover)
		Essay and Writings in Other Books
Box 8			"Asia's Newcomers." The Story of Our Time. 1949 Encyclopedia Yearbook. E. V. McLoughlin (ed.). 1949 (hard cover)
Box 8			"India: A Jewel from the Crown." The Story of Our Time. 1948 Encyclopedia Yearbook. E. V. McLoughlin (ed.). 1948 (hard cover)
Box 8			"It was on the Allagash." Great Fishing Stories. Mitchell, Edwin Valentine (ed.). 1st edition. 1946 (hard cover)
Box 8			"Stadium Cheering Song." The Syracuse University Song Book. John Hermon Wharton (ed.). Music by Herbert Rand. Semi-Centennial edition. 1920 (hard cover)
Box 8			"The Girl in the Mask." (Chapters ?-9) Hutchinson's Mystery Story Magazine. May 16, 1925 (paperback)
Box 8			"The Girl in the Mask." (Chapters 10-18) Hutchinson's Mystery Story Magazine. April 16, 1925 (paperback)
Box 8			"The Girl in the Mask." (Chapters 19-28) Hutchinson's Mystery Story Magazine. May 16, 1925 (paperback)
		Books Mentioning DeWitt Mackenzie
Box 8			The Angler's Guide to the Irish Free State. Department of Agriculture Fisheries Branch. 3rd edition. 1937 (hard cover)
Box 8			Cooper, Kent. Kent Cooper and The Associated Press - An Autobiography. 1959 (hard cover)
Box 8			The Company of Newspaper Makers: Inaugural Banquet Held at the Mansion House, February 26th 1932.
Box 8			Foss, William and Austin, A. B. The World Conference in Caricature: Pictured by Nagy at the World Economic Conference - London - 1933. (hard cover)
Box 8			Gramling, Oliver. AP - The Story of News. 1940 (hard cover)
Box 8			Gramling, Oliver. Free Men are Fighting: The Story of World War II. 1942 (hard cover)
Box 8			Honce, Charles. News Gathering in War Times: An Address before the Fall Convention of the New York State Publishers Association. Sagamore Hotel, Bolton Landing on Lake George, New York, September 8, 1941. (paperback)
				2 copies - given to Mackenzie by Charles Honce in 1941 and 1943, both inscribed, "For DeWitt Mackenzie, who does it so much better!"
Box 8			Landstrom, Russel. The Associated Press News Annual: 1945. Volume I. 1946 (hard cover)
		Books about the Associated Press
Box 8			The Associated Press (New York Corporation) Fortieth Annual Volume - For the Fiscal Year of 1939. 1940 (hard cover)
Box 8			Honce, Charles. Mark Twain's Associated Press Speech and Other News Stories on Murder, Modes, Mysteries, Music and Makers of Books. 1940 (hard cover)
Box 8			"M.E.S.," his Book: A Tribute and a Souvenir of the Twenty-Five Years (1893-1918) of the Service of Melville E. Stone as General Manager of The Associated Press. 1918 (hard cover)
Box 8			"M.E.S. in Memoriam": A Tribute to the Life and Accomplishments of Melville E. Stone (1848- 1929) General Manager of the Associated Press (1893-1921). 1929 (hard cover)
Box 9		AP (Associated Press) Publications
Box 9		"Editor & Publisher" Publications
Box 9		Front Page from 96 Newspapers March 13, 1940 Bound
Box 9		Journalism Quarterly March, 1941
Box 9		Journalism - related pamphlets
Box 9		Miscellaneous -- AP Fliers
Box 9		Miscellaneous pamphlets (Publications/Organizations)
Box 9		Publications Related to Syracuse University - Alumni News and The Record
		Various Publications
Box 9			Non-war related June, 1951
Box 9			War related June, 1951

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