The S. J. Ray Papers
Dates:
1934-1959.
Kansas City Star Editorial Cartoonist, 1931-1963.
The Papers of S. J. Ray consist of political cartoons by Ray
and other political cartoonists of the time, as well as newspaper clippings about political cartoonists.
S. J. Ray’s political cartoons depict many national events such as the New Deal, World War II, all
Presidential elections between 1936 and 1956, the Korean War, and the Cold War. Ray’s cartoons also
depict many Kansas City-area issues and subjects such as Kansas and Missouri politics and economics,
Tom Pendergast, and the Future Farmers of America.
[Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description
| Series Descriptions | Folder
Title List]
ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
Size:
2.4 linear feet (about 4800 pages).
Access:
Open.
Copyright:
The Truman Library has received no donation of copyright for this collection. The copyright
presumably belongs to publishers of this material or the heirs of S. J. Ray.
Processed by:
Janice Davis and Sarah H. Peters (2005) as part of the Truman Library Internship
Program.
Supervising Archivists: Randy Sowell and David Clark.
[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch
| Collection Description | Series
Descriptions | Folder Title List ]
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
| 1891, March 15 | | Born Silvey Jackson Ray near Marceline, Missouri |
1913-1915
| | Illustrator and advertisement artist at the Kansas City Journal |
1915-1931
| | Illustrator and advertisement artist at the Kansas City Star |
c. 1917
| | Entered the U. S. Army |
1919-1920
| | Student of F. R. Gruger at the Art Students League of New York |
1921, November 14
| | Married Claird Mary Sohns |
1931-1963
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Editorial cartoonist at the Kansas City Star |
1942
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Recipient of citation from the U. S. Treasury Department for distinguished services rendered in behalf of the National War Savings Program |
1951
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Received medal from Freedoms Foundation in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania for outstanding achievement in bringing about a better understanding of the American way of life |
1970, February 3
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Died in North Kansas City |
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[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch
| Collection Description | Series
Descriptions | Folder Title List ]
COLLECTION DESCRIPTION
The Papers of S. J. Ray consist mainly of political cartoons printed
between 1934 and 1959. The collection also includes a few newspaper articles regarding
other political cartoonists of the time, as well as some cartoons by other popular political
cartoonists such as Rollin Kirby, Edmund Duffy, and Grover Page. The papers consist of
one series, a Political Cartoon File.
S. J. Ray’s political cartoons depict many national events, as well as many Kansas City-area events.
National topics include all presidential elections between 1936 and 1956, the economy, foreign trade,
rising pork prices, the New Deal, the NRA, World War II, post-war housing shortages, the role of
women during and after World War II, the Korean War, the Cold War, and Middle East policies.
Kansas City-area topics include economics and politics in Kansas and Missouri, Tom Pendergast,
the Future Farmers of America, the American Royal, the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, and the
Kansas City Philharmonic.
Other materials at the Truman Library archives relating to S. J. Ray and his political cartoons
include a collection of cartoons in the Vertical File, and a
selection of political cartoons
available on the Truman Library web site. The Truman Library museum collection also contains a series,
“Original Political Cartoons, 1934-2003,” which contains several original S. J. Ray cartoons.
[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch
| Collection Description | Series
Descriptions | Folder Title List ]
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
| Container Nos. |
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Series |
| 1-6 |
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POLITICAL CARTOON FILE, 1934-1959 |
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Political cartoons by S. J. Ray and other political cartoonists of the time, as well as newspaper clippings relating to the cartoons created by Ray’s colleagues. Arranged chronologically. |
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[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch
| Collection Description |
Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]
FOLDER TITLE LIST
Box 1
- January-June, 1934
- July-December, 1934
- January-June, 1935
- July-December, 1935
- January-June, 1936
- July-December, 1936
- January-June, 1937
- July-December, 1937
- January-June, 1938
- July-December, 1938
Box 2
- January-June, 1939
- July-December, 1939
- January-June, 1940
- July-December, 1940
- January-June, 1941
- July-December, 1941
- January-June, 1942
- July-December, 1942
Box 3
- January-June, 1943
- July-December, 1943
- January-June, 1944
- July-December, 1944
- January-June, 1945
- July-December, 1945 [Last cartoon is November 29.]
- January-June, 1946
- July-December, 1946
- January-June, 1947
Box 4
- July-December, 1947
- January-June, 1948
- July-December, 1948
- January-June, 1949
- July-December, 1949
- January-June, 1950
- July-December, 1950
- January-June, 1951
- July-December, 1951
Box 5
- January-June, 1952
- July-December, 1952
- January-June, 1953
- July-December, 1953
- January-June, 1954
- July-December, 1954
- January-June, 1955
- July-December, 1955
- January-June, 1956
Box 6
- July-December, 1956
- January-June, 1957
- July-December, 1957
- January-June, 1958
- July-December, 1958
- January-June, 1959
- July-December, 1959
[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch
| Collection Description | Series
Descriptions | Folder Title List ]
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