Collection Summary
Halsey McGovern Papers
1945-1983
1945-1983
MSS83577
McGovern, Halsey, 1886-1983
75 items
5 containers
2 linear feet
English
Collection material in English
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Freight rate specialist and political
commentator. Chiefly scrapbooks containing correspondence, church bulletins, greeting
cards, magazine articles, mailing lists, newsletters, newspaper clippings, pamphlets,
poetry, prayer cards, press releases, invitations, telegrams, and photographs pertaining
to McGovern's political views and the civil rights movement. Also included are
newsletters and a booklet.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Darden, Ida M. (Ida Mercedes), 1886-1980--Correspondence.
Irvine, Reed J.--Correspondence.
LeFevre, Robert, 1911- --Correspondence.
Loeb, William, 1905-1981--Correspondence.
Maguire, Russell, 1897-1966--Correspondence.
Manion, Clarence, 1896-1979--Correspondence.
McCarthy, Joseph, 1908-1957.
McGovern, Halsey, 1886-1983.
Pursell, R. Roy--Correspondence.
Roosevelt, Archibald B. (Archibald Bulloch), Sr., 1894-1979--Correspondence.
Schlafly, Phyllis--Correspondence.
Smoot, Dan--Correspondence.
Stratemeyer, Annalee--Correspondence.
Stratemeyer, George E., 1890-1970--Correspondence.
Tomlinson, Homer A. (Homer Aubrey), 1892-1968--Correspondence.
Organizations
Congress of Freedom, Inc.
Defenders of the American Constitution.
Fighting Homefolks of Fighting Men (Organization)
Friends of Senator McCarthy, Inc.
John Birch Society.
United Nations.
Subjects
Anti-communist movements--United States.
Civil rights movements--United States.
Korean War, 1950-1953.
Patriotic societies--United States.
Places
United States--Politics and government--1945-1989.
United States--Race relations.
Occupations
Freight rate specialists.
Political commentators.
Acquisition Information
The papers of Halsey McGovern, freight rate specialist and political commentator, were
given to the Library of Congress by Carol A. G. Alonso in 1995.
Processing History
The papers of Halsey McGovern were arranged and described in 1998. The finding aid was
revised in 2009.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Halsey McGovern is governed by
the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Halsey McGovern are open to research. Researchers are advised to contact
the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored off-site and
advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
Container number, Halsey McGovern Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress,
Washington, D.C.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of John Halsey McGovern (1886-1983) span the years 1945-1983 and include
newsletters, a booklet, and scrapbooks. The scrapbooks contain church bulletins,
correspondence, greeting cards, magazine articles, mailing lists, newsletters, newspaper
clippings, pamphlets, photographs, poetry, prayer cards, press releases, social
invitations, and telegrams.
McGovern was born in Nashville, Tenn., and he grew up in Atlanta, Ga. He was a freight
rate specialist, initially for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company in Atlanta and
later as a private consultant in Washington, D.C. Beginning in 1952, he published the
monthly newsletters
Letter
and
Epistle
expressing his viewpoints on a variety of political issues, particularly his
opposition to communism. The scrapbooks include newspaper and magazine articles and
letters to editors and politicians voicing McGovern's support for Senator Joseph
McCarthy and others who charged that the government was infiltrated and manipulated by
communists and their allies. His writings in opposition to the United Nations, the
Korean War, racial integration, and civil rights cultivated supporters whose letters and
printed material are also contained in the scrapbooks. Among these were leaders of the
Catholic church and other religious and political organizations, including the Congress
of Freedom, Friends of Senator McCarthy, John Birch Society, Fighting Homefolks of
Fighting Men, and Defenders of the American Constitution. Correspondents include Ida M.
Darden, Reed J. Irvine, Robert LeFevre, William Loeb, Russell Maguire, Clarence Manion,
R. Roy Pursell, Archibald B. Roosevelt Sr., Phyllis Schlafly, Dan Smoot, George E. and
Annalee Stratemeyer, and Homer A. Tomlinson.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is arranged alphabetically by type of material.
Container List
Container
Contents
1
Publications
1
Epistle
, No. 2, undated
undated
1
Keep Our America Free: Keep the Connally Reservation
, circa 1961
circa
1961
1
Letter
, Nos. 1-50, 1952-1954, undated
1952-1954,
undated
(3 folders)
1
Scrapbooks, 1945-1983, undated
1945-1983,
undated
1
Nos. 4-6
2
Nos. 7-12
3
Nos. 13-18
4
Nos. 19-24
5
Nos. 28, 30, 33, and 38