Patricia McCormack papers, 1950-2010
Summary Information
At a Glance
- Call No.:
- MS#1831
- Bib ID:
- 12444665 View CLIO record
- Creator(s):
- McCormack, Patricia
- Repository:
- Rare Book and Manuscript Library
- Physical Description:
- 18 linear feet (13 Record storage cartons)
- Language(s):
- English .
- Access:
- You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.
-
Material is unprocessed. Boxes 1, 5, and 11 can be served without further intervention, although users should be cautious of fragile newsprint and folded proofs. Please contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.
This collection is located on-site.
This collection has no restrictions.
This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.
Description
Summary
The Patricia S. McCormack papers - consisting of 18 linear feet of correspondence, story drafts, and printed materials - join the RBML's already-significant holdings in the history of journalism. Other important Columbia collections in this field include materials related to editors Marie Mattingly Meloney, Joseph Pulitzer, and John Oakes, as well as such journalistic organizations as the Woman's Press Club of New York City, the Overseas Press Club of America, and Committee to Protect Journalists. The library's collections also include materials collected by distinguished columnists, correspondents, and reporters, including Ernestine Evans, Walter Lippmann, Lincoln Steffens, Benjamin Stolberg, Herbert Matthews, and Harrison Salisbury.
Arrangement
Using the Collection
Restrictions on Access
Rbml Advance Appointment
Material is unprocessed. Boxes 1, 5, and 11 can be served without further intervention, although users should be cautious of fragile newsprint and folded proofs. Please contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.
This collection is located on-site.
This collection has no restrictions.
This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room.
Terms Governing Use and Reproduction
Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.
Preferred Citation
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Patricia McCormack Papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
Accruals
Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
2013.2014.M160: Source of acquisition--Christopher P. McCormack. Method of acquisition--Gift; Date of acquisition--3/4/2014.
About the Finding Aid / Processing Information
Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Processing Information
Collection-level record describing unprocessed material made public in summer 2018 as part of the Hidden Collections initiative.
Biographical / Historical
Beginning in 1949 and continuing until the 1980s, McCormack wrote about domestic matters, healthcare, and home economics. Her comments discussed issues serious - "Leftover Medicine is Danger" - and not-quite-so serious - "Dumb Jock Jokes May Become Thing of Past." Opening with a sprightly and colloquial lead-in her articles usually turned to medical or professional opinion, providing readers a combination of entertainment and expert advice.
McCormack worked for various publications and syndicates during her career, including the International News Service, United Press International, the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, and the Greenwich Citizen.
"Patricia McCormack, at age 75 or thereabouts, was among my first hires as editor of the fledgling Greenwich Citizen" said founding editor Don Harrison. "Her credentials over a lengthy journalistic career were impeccable and she quickly established herself as our star reporter. Pat could be gruff on occasion, but she was an indefatigable worker and she had a warm heart.".
An individual McCormack column might track the career of 1,258 geniuses or serve as a celebration of the humble office memo. But most often she wrote about family matters, delving into the stresses involved with creating a household in the modern world. "Infants Pull Wool Over Parents' Eyes" "Tiny Tots Fracture Language" "New Father Needn't be Fifth Wheel" "Teenagers Sound Off About Adults' Habits" - these were characteristic topics for her typewriter.
"McCormack's writing offers discrete spotlights on midcentury America" said Thai Jones, Herbert H. Lehman Curator for U.S. History at Columbia University's Rare Book & Manuscript Library. "Her work offers insights into the minor fascinations and nagging fears of a generation, while largely avoiding the existential threats that shadowed Cold War society. For researchers, these papers will be a fascinating resource for investigations into journalism, gender, and domesticity.".
Subject Headings
The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.
All links open new windows.
| Name | ||
|---|---|---|
| McCormack, Patricia | CLIO Catalog | ArchiveGRID |
| United Press International | CLIO Catalog | ArchiveGRID |
| Subject | ||
| Journalism | CLIO Catalog | ArchiveGRID |
| Journalists | CLIO Catalog | ArchiveGRID |