Bert MacDonald papers, 1935-1950

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Summary

Creators:
MacDonald, Bert.
Abstract:
This collection contains 54 items related to the investigations of United States War Department and Corp of Engineers agent Bert MacDonald, who was hired in 1942 to monitor and investigate communist and other radical groups in Los Angeles, California.
Extent:
1.2 Linear Feet (1 box)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Bert MacDonald papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The 54 items, which are arranged chronologically, include correspondence, military records, reports, programs, and a newsletter. The collection also contains some ephemera related to the groups and individuals MacDonald was investigating. The material before 1947 deals with MacDonald's early Army career and his appointment as a Security Protective Agent for the War Department and the Corps of Engineers. The material after 1947 pertains to MacDonald's espionage work and his monitoring of radical groups in Los Angeles. These items include material MacDonald collected about the groups as well as his reports on their activities. Some of the groups and people he investigated are: the Congress of American Women, the Federation of American Citizens of German Descent, Dr. Wesley A. Swift, Glendale School Superintendent Willard S. Ford, and a conference on civil rights held by the Los Angeles Community Relations Council. Also included is a copy of the newsletter Alert: A Weekly Confidential Report on Communism and How to Combat It.

The collection deals with the following subjects: Anti-communist movements, anti-Jewish propaganda, Anti-Semitism, Communism, espionage, race relations in the Untied States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, the Women's International Democratic Federation, and subversive activities. Some notable authors of correspondence are: Agnes Ayres, George Van Horn Moseley, Gerald L. K. Smith, Colonel Edwin C. Kelton, and Major General Ralph H. Van Deman.

Biographical / historical:

Bert MacDonald was a Protective Security Agent with the Corps of Engineers and the War Department. He was hired in 1942 to monitor and investigate communist and other radical groups in Los Angeles, California.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Kenneth R. MacDonald, June 3, 1976.
Processing information:

Although Bert MacDonald uses the names Michael McDonald, Quink, and Chic in his espionage work, it was decided to use the name Bert MacDonald throughout the collection. He used that name when he joined the Army and became a Protective Security Agent; we believe it to be his real name.

Processed by Brooke M. Black in October, 2003. In July 2024, Mari Khasmanyan updated the collection's linear feet and call number.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Bert MacDonald papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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