Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- McDowell, Leo, 1927-2017
- Abstract:
- The Leo McDowell papers (1950-1986) contains correspondence, invitations, photographs, newspaper clippings, military insignia, and other ephemera that belonged to McDowell (1927-2017), a decorated African American Marine who served during World War II, Korean War, and the Vietnam War. McDowell earned accolades as a top Marine recruiter.
- Extent:
- 2 manuscript boxes,1 oversize box (1.59 Linear Feet)
- Language:
- In English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Leo McDowell papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The collection documents Leo McDowell's career in the miliary, work in government administration, private security firms, and his relation to Hollywood stars as a Marine recruiter.
The correspondence relate to the assignments/orders given to McDowell in his late military career, his time in other government service, and from the private security services he worked for. Included is a letter to one of his colleagues from John Wayne and a copy of McDowell's letter to Bob Hope in 1966. There is also a drawing relating to a public recruiting event that McDowell assisted Bob Hope with during the 1960s. The collection includes McDowells writings on Black History Month and a typescript of a speech by McDowell in which he recounts the effects of the 1971 earthquake that led to his involvement at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The photographs document McDowell's early career in the military and his work in government administration. The images chronicle McDowell and other soldiers in Hawaii and the Pacific in the later 1950s. Additionally, the images include soldiers during training exercises. A few photographs depict McDowell with Hollywood stars Charlton Heston and Jimmy Stewart. Included is an inscribed photograph from Ronald Reagan.
Other material includes McDowell's military insignia pins, his dog tag, name badges, patches, invitations, and newspaper clippings. Included is an invitation to Richard Nixon's 1973 Inaugural Ball and ticket to the Inauguration, and an invitation to Reagan's 1984 Inaugural Convocation.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Sergeant Leo McDowell (1927-2017), a decorated African American Marine, served during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Born in Detroit, Michigan, McDowell joined the United States Navy during World War II when he was seventeen. He served for two years before enlisting with the US Marine Corps. McDowell assisted with integration efforts in the military during the Korean War. Quartermaster General W.P.T. Hill asked McDowell to serve on the Steward Inspection and Demonstration Team that sought equality for Black stewards. Between the wars, he was one of the first African American recruiting officers working out of a Hollywood office. McDowell retired from the military, after 25 years, when a grenade shattered his ankle during combat in Vietnam. He then worked for the Daylin Corp. in Beverly Hills, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Veterans Administration (VA), and in various private security firms. At the VA, McDowell was an equal-employment opportunity investigator where he met his wife, Alice Sims. McDowell was a lifelong Republican who supported President Nixon and served Ronald Reagan through his governorship of California and as President of the United States. Ill with Parkinson's disease, McDowell died in Littlerock, California on March 8, 2017
- Acquisition information:
- Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 2022.
- Physical location:
- Hoover Institution Library & Archives
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Box 3 may not be used without permission of the Archivist. The remainder of the collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
- Terms of access:
-
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Leo McDowell papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Location of this collection:
-
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford UniversityStanford, CA 94305-6003, US
- Contact:
- (650) 723-3563