Ray, S. J. 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.


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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

 

Editorial cartoonist at the Kansas City Star

1942

 

Recipient of citation from the U. S. Treasury Department for distinguished services rendered in behalf of the National War Savings Program

1951

 

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

 

Died in North Kansas City

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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.

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SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Container Nos.

 

Series

1-6

  POLITICAL CARTOON FILE, 1934-1959
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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FOLDER TITLE LIST

POLITICAL CARTOON FILE, 1934-1959

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
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