McClellan Van Der Veer

BIRMINGHAM PUBLIC LIBRARY
ARCHIVES DEPARTMENT

VAN DER VEER, McCLELLAN
Papers, 1935-1988

Biography:

	McClellan "Ted" Van der Veer was born in Frankfurt, Kentucky on August 4,1895.  After a brief time at the University of 
Kentucky, Van der Veer attended Tulane University, where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega Social Fraternity and one of 
the top pitcher in collegiate baseball. He was recruited by Connie Mack's Philadelphia A's, but opted for a career in newspapers. In 
1919, after serving in the Naval Reserves and attaining the rank of Ensign during World War I, Van der Veer became the city editor 
of the Lexington Herald. In 1920, he moved to New Orleans served as city editor of the New Orleans Item. Before moving to 
Birmingham in 1925 to work with his family's advertising firm, Van der Veer also worked at the Enid, Oklahoma Daily News, the 
Kansas City Journal, and the New York Evening Post. He made his return to newspapers in 1933 and became the chief editorial 
writer for the Birmingham Age-Herald. In 1943, he was transferred to the Birmingham News as editorial editor. Van der Veer 
was named editor of the Birmingham News in 1955. He retired from the News on January 1, 1960 and died in New York City on 
June 28,1961. McClellan Van der Veer received many honors, including the Freedoms Foundation Award for the best editorial of 
1958 and an induction into the Alabama Newspaper Hall of Honor in 1980.

Scope and Content:

	This collection includes a variety of documents pertaining to the life and career of McClellan Van der Veer. There are 
several items of correspondence dealing with his nomination for the Freedoms Foundation Award for the best editorial of 1958 and his
retirement. Also included are biographical sketches, newspaper articles written about McClellan Van der Veer, obituaries, and three 
photographs of Van der Veer. The collection also contains several works by Van der Veer, including many of his editorials, an 
unpublished play (Gaust), and an unpublished novel ("No Other Victory").

Subject Areas:

                Authors -- Alabama - Birmingham.
                Birmingham Age Herald.
                Birmingham News.
                Journalists -- Alabama -- Birmingham.
                Newspaper editors -- Alabama -- Birmingham.
                Van der Veer, McClellan (1895-1961).

Size: 2/3 linear foot (2 boxes)

Source: Virginia Van der Veer Hamilton

Restrictions: Standard preservation and copyright restrictions.

Guide Prepared by: Mike Ross (January 2001)

File Number 			Description

1051.1.1 Two biographical sketches of McClellan Van der Veer.

1051.1.2 Newspaper articles written about McClellan Van der Veer
regarding his appointment as editor of the editorial page of the
Birmingham Age-Herald, his radio talks on WSGN, the
Freedoms Foundation Award, and his service as editor of the
Birmingham News, 1935-1988.

1051.1.3 Obituaries - McClellan Van der Veer, 1961.

1051.1.4 Obituary - Dorothy Van der Veer, 1984.

1051.1.5 Postcard to McClellan Van der Veer, 1937.

1051.1.6 Letter from Henry M. Edmonds to Dean Ackerman of
Columbia University suggesting that McClellan Van der Veer
be considered for a Pulitzer Prize.

1051.1.7 Correspondence regarding McClellan Van der Veer's
selection as the editorial awardee by the Freedoms
Foundation, 1959.

1051.1.8 Letter from Charles Zukoski, Jr. to McClellan Van der Veer with a copy of a letter to the
editor of the Birmingham News written by Zukoski regarding
McClellan's retirement form the Birmingham News, 1960.

1051.1.9 Letter from Ellene Winn to Elizabeth Van der Veer, 1969.

1051.1.10 Outline of the editorials written by McClellan Van der Veer from 1957 to 1959.

1051.1.11 Editorials written by McClellan Van der Veer in 1936, in which he expresses views on Hitler,
the character and presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the
nature of freedom, democracy, and the novel Gone With the Wind.

1051.1.12 Editorials written by McClellan Van der Veer 1937 - 1959,
which discuss issues such as liberalism, the Supreme Court,
the Munich Conference, world government, Christmas, and
freedom.

1051.1.13 The Weekly Bulletin, Alabama College, 1945. Contains
announcement of McClellan Van der Veer's speech before
the student assembly.

1051.1.14 Program from the Freedoms Foundation Award Ceremony, 1958.

1051.1.15 Program from the Alabama Newspaper Hall of Honor's induction of new members, 1980.

1051.1.16 Portrait photograph of McClellan Van der Veer.

1051.1.17 Portrait photograph of McClellan Van der Veer.

1051.1.18 Four copies of a portrait photograph of McClellan Van der Veer.

1051.1.19 Copy 1 of 2 of manuscript of Gaust, an unpublished play by McClellan Van der Veer, circa
early 1930s.

1051.1.20 Copy 2 of 2 of manuscript of Gaust, an unpublished play by McClellan Van der Veer, circa early
1930s.

1051.2.1 Title page and Chapter One of manuscript of ""No Other Victory"" an unpublished novel by McClellan
Van der Veer, circa early 1930s.

1051.2.2 "No Other Victory", Chapter Two.

1051.2.3 "No Other Victory", Chapter Three.

1051.2.4 "No Other Victory", Chapter Four.

1051.2.5 "No Other Victory", Chapter Five.

1051.2.6 "No Other Victory", Chapter Six.

1051.2.7 "No Other Victory", Chapter Seven.

1051.2.8 "No Other Victory", Chapter Eight.

1051.2.9 "No Other Victory", Chapter Nine.

1051.2.10 "No Other Victory", Chapter Ten.

1051.2.11 "No Other Victory", Chapter Eleven.

1051.2.12 "No Other Victory", Chapter Twelve.

1051.2.13 "No Other Victory", Chapter Thirteen.

1051.2.14 "No Other Victory", Chapter Fourteen.

1051.2.15 "No Other Victory", Chapter Fifteen.

1051.2.16 "No Other Victory", Chapter Sixteen.

1051.2.17 "No Other Victory", Chapter Seventeen - Part a.

1051.2.18 "No Other Victory", Chapter Seventeen - Part b.

1051.2.19 "No Other Victory", Chapter Nineteen.

1051.2.20 "No Other Victory", Chapter Twenty.

1051.2.21 "No Other Victory", Chapter Twenty-one.

1051.2.22 "No Other Victory", Chapter Twenty-two.

1051.2.23 "No Other Victory", Chapter Twenty-three.

1051.2.24 "No Other Victory", Chapter Twenty-four.

1051.2.25 "No Other Victory", Chapter Twenty-five.

1051.2.26 "No Other Victory", Chapter Twenty-six.

1051.2.27 "No Other Victory", Chapter Twenty-seven.

1051.2.28 "No Other Victory", Chapter Twenty-eight.

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