MacMullen (Jerry) Collection, 1956-1974

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Summary

Title:
Jerry MacMullen Collection
Dates:
1956-1974
Creators:
MacMullen, Jerry
Abstract:
This collection contains volumes of Jerry MacMullen’s weekly column, “The Southwest Corner,” published in the San Diego Union.
Extent:
1.5 Linear feet (3 boxes)
Language:
Preferred citation:

Jerry MacMullen Collection, MS 242, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains transcriptions of Jerry MacMullen’s weekly San Diego Union column titled “The Southwest Corner.” They present historical sketches related to the early days of San Diego written in a humorous manner. The articles are contained in 19 volumes organized by year, dating from 1956 to 1974. Each volume between 1957 and 1973 contains every column published in that corresponding year. The 1956 volume includes articles published from May 1956 forward, and the 1974 volume is missing more than half of that year’s articles. Volumes from 1956-1971 include a table of contents and articles titles, whereas volumes from 1972-1974 do not include a table of contents or titles for the articles.

Biographical / historical:

Gerald (“Jerry”) F. MacMullen was born in 1898 in San Francisco. His family moved to San Diego in 1899 and he grew up in the city, only leaving to attend college at UC Berkeley. He returned to San Diego in 1921 where he established his career as a newspaperman, author, historian and artist. MacMullen first worked at the Evening Tribune, transferring to the San Diego Union in 1928 where he worked as a reporter until the beginning of World War II. He joined the U.S. Navy, serving as a commander for Naval Intelligence for four years until the close of the war, at which time he returned to newspaper work in December of 1945. A long-time member of the Maritime Research Society, MacMullen served as its president in 1948. He also published several books including Paddle Wheel Days in California, as well as two books he co-wrote with Jack McNairn, Ships of the Redwood Coast and Star of India: Log of an Iron Ship. MacMullen played an active role in the restoration of the Star of India. He served as the director of the Serra Historical Museum in Presidio Park for ten years, between 1956 and 1966. It was during this same period that MacMullen began writing a weekly column for the Union called “The Southwest Corner,” which he continued to write into the mid-1970s. Published in the Sunday edition, his articles presented historical sketches related to the history of San Diego. MacMullen was married to Roberta MacMullen and resided in Coronado until his death in 1981.

Acquisition information:
Accession number 680910B.
Processing information:

Collection processed by Katrina White on April 27, 2012.

Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Finding aid prepared by Katrina White
Sponsor:
Collection processed as part of grant project supported by the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) with generous funding from The Andrew Mellon Foundation.
Date Prepared:
April 27, 2012
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2012-08-30T13:42-0700

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The San Diego History Center (SDHC) holds the copyright to any unpublished materials. SDHC Library regulations do apply.

Preferred citation:

Jerry MacMullen Collection, MS 242, San Diego History Center Document Collection, San Diego, CA.

Location of this collection:
1649 El Prado, Suite 3
San Diego, CA 92101, US
Contact:
(619) 232-6203
Website