Collection Guide
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Fitzpatrick (Michael W.) Collection
mssFitzpatm
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Michael W. Fitzpatrick collection
Creator:
Fitzpatrick, Michael W., 1904 -
Identifier/Call Number: mssFitzpatm
Physical Description:
1.43 Linear Feet
(1 box)
Date (inclusive): circa 1927-1965, bulk 1927-1936
Abstract: This collection consists of one
scrapbook dated between 1929-1936 which was assembled by Michael Wellington Fitzpatrick,
Chief Purser with the United Fruit Company Steamship Service. Also included is one service
record book from the Marine Service Bureau that includes material dated between 1927 and
1965, and a framed photograph of Fitzpatrick and other crewmembers.
Language of Material: Materials are almost entirely in
English, with a very small amount in Spanish, German, and French.
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item]. Michael W. Fitzpatrick collection, The Huntington Library, San
Marino, California.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Mary F. Johnson, June 2022 and January 2023.
Michael Wellington Fitzpatrick was born on May 20, 1904, in Missouri. He served as Chief
Purser with the United Fruit Company Steamship Service circa 1927-1936. The United Fruit
Company was an American multinational corporation which traded in tropical fruit grown in
Latin America and sold in the United States and Europe.
Fitzpatrick attended Drury College in Springfield, Missouri and was a member of the Kappa
Alpha fraternity. He married Christine Reed on March 2, 1931, and shortly thereafter they
welcomed a son, Michael, Jr. and a daughter Mary. The Fitzpatricks settled in San Francisco,
California.
The collection consists of 1 scrapbook, 1 framed photograph, and 1 service record book from
the Marine Service Bureau. The binding on the scrapbook is loose with some materials
detached from the pages. The scrapbook contains photographs concerning Fitzpatrick's service
in Cuba, Panama, and Nicaragua, as well as friends and family. Also included are several
types of correspondence, marriage nuptials, and other ephemera. To note is a Tropical
Radio-United Press piece titled "Cressy's History of California" (based on a tourist
pamphlet by Will M. Cressy) as well as photographs of the 1931 Managua, Nicaragua
earthquake. The framed photograph features Fitzpatrick on the deck of the ship Talamanca,
along with other crewmembers.
The service record book contains descriptive information about Fitzpatrick and his time as
a seaman. Enclosed within the book are 90 Certificates of Discharge dating between 1927 and
1936, and a December 1945 letter from Fitzpatrick's cousin Honora discussing the latest news
out of Ireland. Also included is a Seaman's Protection Certificate as well and other
ephemera.
The materials concern individuals or places associated with Fitzpatrick and his career.
Among the primary subjects represented in the collection are Fitzpatrick's service in Cuba,
Panama, and Nicaragua. The collection also includes information regarding Fitzpatrick's time
as a student at Drury College, club memberships, and his family.
Processed at the time of accessioning by Nichole L. Manlove in September 2022. In 2023,
Kelly Kress processed the addendum.
Arranged by format.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Agriculture
Correspondence
Cuba -- Commerce -- United States
Ephemera
Merchants
Nicaragua
Panama
Personnel records
Photographs
Sailors
San Francisco (Calif.)
Scrapbooks
Shipping
Steamboats