Scrapbooks of John T. McCutcheon cartoons

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: MSP 14

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Scrapbooks of John McCutcheon cartoons, as cut out from the newspaper. Compiled by a friend of the McCutcheon family and later given to the family.

Dates

1903 - 1946
Other: Date acquired: 05/11/2009

Creator

McCutcheon, John T. (John Tinney), 1870-1949 (Person)

Language of Materials

Collection materials are in English.

Access Information

The collection is open for research.

Copyright and Use Information

Some of the materials in this collection are still under copyright.

Biographical Information

John Tinney McCutcheon was born on May 6, 1870 near South Raub in Tippecanoe County, Indiana. His parents were Civil War veteran Captain John Barr McCutcheon, Sheriff of Tippecanoe County, and Clara (Glick) McCutcheon. Young John McCutcheon spent his early childhood in the rural areas surrounding Lafayette, Indiana. He had two brothers, George Barr McCutcheon and Ben F. McCutcheon, and one sister, Jessie McCutcheon (Nelson). His brother George Barr would later earn fame as a novelist. McCutcheon entered Purdue University and was a founding member of the University's first fraternity, Sigma Chi. He was also a co-editor of the University's first yearbook, the Debris. After graduating from Purdue with a B.S. degree in 1889, McCutcheon moved to Chicago and was hired to work for the Chicago Morning News (later known as the Chicago Record) as an artist. He began doing front page cartoons for the newspaper in 1895. In 1903, McCutcheon joined the staff of the Chicago Tribune and served in capacities as both an editorial cartoonist and occasional foreign correspondent until his retirement in 1946. As a cartoonist, much of his work appeared on the front pages of the Chicago Tribune, and the subject matter of his cartoons included issues on local, national, and international politics, war, journalism, societal changes, and economic hardships. McCutcheon traveled a great deal during his career, and covered many political events such as presidential campaigns, the Spanish-American War, and World War I. In 1932, McCutcheon was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning for his work titled "A Wise Economist Asks a Question." McCutcheon also created illustrations for his friend George Ade, a fellow Hoosier, Purdue Sigma Chi member, and Purdue graduate; the illustrations appeared in magazines such as Cosmopolitan, as well as books written by Ade. Due to the wide exposure and success of his professional work, McCutcheon is often referred to as the Dean of American Cartoonists. McCutcheon married Evelyn Shaw on January 20, 1917, and they had four children (John Jr., Shaw, Barr, and Evelyn, who died as a small child). The couple owned a small island in the Bahamas, Salt Cay, which the family referred to as Treasure Island. Following his death in 1949, McCutcheon's widow Evelyn distributed his vast collection of original drawings to various institutions in the Midwest, including Purdue University. Evelyn McCutcheon also contributed to the posthumous publication of John McCutcheon's autobiography, Drawn from Memory.

Extent

12.50 Cubic Feet (12 cubic foot boxes)

Additional Description

Arrangement Note

The scrapbooks have been placed in chronological order.

Custodial History

Scrapbooks created by a family friend and then given to the McCutcheon family.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Shaw McCutcheon, son of John T. McCutcheon, on November 17, 2008

Related Materials

John T. McCutcheon papers John T. McCutcheon cartoons and drawings, 1903-1946 John T. McCutcheon Jr. oral history interview, 2006 George Barr McCutcheon papers