MARGERY BURNS:

An Inventory of Her Papers at the Minnesota Historical Society

Manuscripts Collection

OVERVIEW


	Creator:	Burns, Margery, creator.
	Title:	Margery Burns papers.
	Dates:	1920-1974.
	Language:	Materials in English.
	Abstract:	Correspondence, news clippings, scrapbooks, articles, stories, plays, speeches and related papers of Margery Burns, an author, newspaper columnist, Republican activist, lobbyist, and farm wife from Milan, Minnesota.
	Quantity:	6.3 cubic feet (7 boxes).
	Location:	See Detailed Description for shelf locations.

Margery Myrle Jenson was born March 17, 1911 in Detroit Lakes, Becker County, Minnesota to Henry N. and Florence [Metcalf] Jenson. She graduated from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, receiving her B.A. in education in 1933 and taught English, Drama and Music at Milan High School. In 1938 she married George A. Burns, a Milan farmer specializing in polled shorthorn cattle.

Burns was active in the Republican Party, campaigning for a seat in the state Senate in 1970 and 1972. She researched, wrote and spoke on issues relating to rural development, especially the survival of small schools. She was a member of the Southwestern Minnesota Countryside Council, the Minnesota Taxpayers Association and the League of American Penwomen among other organizations. For twelve years her weekly column appeared in newspapers throughout the Midwest. She also published several plays and authored the book A Diary of Milan, 1870-1965. Burns died on April 7, 1975 at her home in Kragero Township, Chippewa County, Minnesota after a lengthy illness.

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ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Margery Myrle Jenson Burns Papers. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number: 16,582

Processing Information:

Processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with a Basic Project grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).

Catalog ID number: 990073915950104294

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION


Location
129.I.19.4F	Personal papers:
		Biographical information.
		High school, 1926-1928.
		Cornell College, 1930-1935.
		Teaching, 1933-1935.
		Awards, 1963-1972.
		Personal correspondence, undated and 1929-1970.
		Parents correspondence, undated and 1930-1942.
		News clippings, 1935-1973.
		Miscellaneous, undated and 1920-1972.
		Photographs, undated.
		Ledger books, weather logs and diaries, undated and 1938, 1954-1958, 1960-1961. 5 volumes.
		Scrapbooks, 1926-1929, 1937-1941. 2 volumes.


Location
129.I.19.5B	Small schools:
		Article on schools.
		Berea College.
		Bucknell University.
		The case for small schools.
		Congressional record, 1967 and 1969.
		County contacts.
		George Peabody College for Teachers.
		Important letters.
		Information to send.
		Interested people.
		Legislature.
		Letter from colleges.
		Letters from companies.
		Letters from government.
		Letters from publications.
		Letters to quote.
		Letters to write.
		Letters written.
		List of schools contacted.
		Ideas.
		New ideas.
		New methods.
		Research. 5 folders.
		School board.
		Small schools.
		Speeches.
		Superintendents against.
		Superintendents for.
		Superintendents o.k.
		Survey sheets.
		Teachers.


		Political papers:
			General correspondence, undated and 1970-1974. 2 folders.
			Article on politics.
			Burns, George, County Commissioner campaign.
			Campaign. 2 folders.
			Issues.
			Kragero Township.
			May meeting, 1974.
			News clippings, undated and 1970-1972.
			Resolutions, 1974.
			Speeches, 1970s. 3 folders.
			Television.


Location
129.I.19.6F	Literary and journalistic activities:
		Weekly column:
			Correspondence, undated and 1963, 1966-1967, 1972.
			Klobuchar, Jim correspondence, 1971.
			News clippings, 1962-1974. 9 folders.
Location
129.I.19.7B			Column ledger, 1967-1968.
		Drafts and miscellaneous writings, undated. 11 folders.
Location
129.I.19.8F		Drafts and miscellaneous writings, undated. 2 folders.
		Diary of Milan press, circa 1965.
		Book.
		Editorials.
		Independent playwriting class, 1950-1951. 2 folders.
		National League of American Pen Women. 1970.
		Short stories.
		Blaze and Dan Irvine.
		But it's a matter of principle, darling.
		A country diary.
		Don't forget the kids.
		Friday the thirteenth.
		Happy hunting.
		How to play politics for fun.
		The mermaids melody, W.A.A. Water Carnival, 1932.
		My darling Diane.
		On a silver platter.
		The prettiest candidate.
		The primary murder.
		The right weight.
		Ring around the rosie.
		The scheming widow.
		Sweet dreams.
		The turquoise killer.


Location
129.I.19.9B	General correspondence, undated and 1960s-1974. 14 folders.
		Includes correspondence related to literary activities, political activities, farming and small schools.


Location
129.I.19.10F	Subject files:
		Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service, 1963-1964.
		Beef feeding at Morris, circa 1970.
		Cattle, 1970.
		Dove, Judy newspaper column.
		Equal rights.
		Experimental City.
		Farm Wife.
		Farming, undated and 1870-1905, 1963-1964. 2 folders.
		Lobbying.
		Meat inspection.
		Minnesota Real Estate Tax Association, 1971.
		Political cartoons.
		Politics, undated and 1960s and 1970s.
		U.S. News and World Report, 1963.

CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:: Authors.; Farmers -- Minnesota.; Lobbyists -- Minnesota.; Political activists -- Minnesota.; Small schools -- Minnesota.

Organizations:: Republican Party (U.S. : 1854- )

Places:: Milan (Minn.)

Document Types:: Photographs.

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MARGERY BURNS:

OVERVIEW

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

CATALOG HEADINGS