Norman C. McKenna

The Norman C. McKenna Papers span the years 1934-1971 and consist mainly of editorial correspondence, committee minutes, case histories, outlines, newspaper clippings and pamphlets.

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Format: Archival Material
Language:English
Created: The Catholic University of America, The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives 1934-1971
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id cuaead_mckenna
institution Catholic University of America
building University Libraries of CUA
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title Norman C. McKenna : An inventory of Norman C. McKenna Papers at The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives
spellingShingle Norman C. McKenna : An inventory of Norman C. McKenna Papers at The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives
title_short Norman C. McKenna
title_full Norman C. McKenna
title_fullStr Norman C. McKenna
title_full_unstemmed Norman C. McKenna
title_sort Norman C. McKenna
publishDate 1934-1971
publisher The Catholic University of America, The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives
format Archival Material
physical 1.25 linear feet; 1 box
language English
description The Norman C. McKenna Papers span the years 1934-1971 and consist mainly of editorial correspondence, committee minutes, case histories, outlines, newspaper clippings and pamphlets.
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localfindingaidurl_str_mv /findingaids/cua/ead/mckenna.xml
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spelling mckenna Norman C. McKenna An inventory of Norman C. McKenna Papers at The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives Finding aid prepared by William John Shepherd. Data entry by William John Shepherd and Mary Beth Fraser. The Catholic University of America, The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives Completed in 2000. Revised in 2003. 101 Aquinas HallThe Catholic University of AmericaWashington, D.C. 20064 Finding aid encoded by Cathey Dugan in May, 2006 English Descriptive Summary The Catholic University of America, The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives 1934-1971 Norman C. McKenna, 1910-1997 The Norman C. McKenna Papers 1.25 linear feet; 1 box The Norman C. McKenna Papers span the years 1934-1971 and consist mainly of editorial correspondence, committee minutes, case histories, outlines, newspaper clippings and pamphlets. ACUA 169 English Biographical Note Norman C. McKenna was born on April 1, 1910 in New York City. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Manhattan College in 1931. From 1932 to 1933 he served as Associate Editor of "Short Short Stories". From 1935 to 1938 he acted as Co-editor with R. Deverall on "Christian Front/Christian Social Action". He then served as a News Editor for Religious News Service from 1937 to 1938. Starting in 1937, Norman C. McKenna also worked as a Correspondent for the London Catholic Herald. He held this position until 1942. He concurrently acted as the Managing Editor from 1938 to 1941 of the publication "Labor Leader", published by the Association of Catholic Trade Unionists (ACTU). In 1941 he further acted as Editor of the "Buffalo Union Leader" publication. Starting in 1942, during World War II, Norman C. McKenna served in the U.S. Army Air Corps in West Africa, and was posted there until the end of the War in 1945. After his service, he went back to writing and editing. From 1945 to 1947 he held the post of Associate Editor of the "Wage Earner", another publication of the Association of Catholic Trade Unionists (ACTU). From 1947 to 1949 he worked in Detroit as part of the Editorial staff of ACTU's "Michigan Catholic" publication. From 1950 to 1953, Norman C. McKenna and his wife, Rita, served as Members of the Steering Committee on the Cana Conference of the Archdioceses of Washington, D.C. From 1952 to 1970 he then worked as a Writer and Editor as a Labor Specialist under the United States Information Agency (USIA). Then began a period in his life where he served several high-ranking positions in various organizations. From 1964 to 1967 he served as President of the Catholic Interracial Council (CIC) of Prince George's County. He was also a Member of the Executive Committee of the CIC from 1964 to 1971. From 1964 to 1969 he served as a Board Member on Prince George's Fair Housing (PGFH). He was then Chairman of the Community Relations Committee of the CIC from 1969 to 1973. Also during these years (1969-1973) he served as Vice President of the Hillcrest Heights Civic Association. Finally, from 1974 to 1976 he was a Board Member of the Prince George's Mental Health Association. As he served in these various organizations, Norman C. McKenna also continued to work as an Editor and a Writer. From 1970 to 1973 he served as Associate Editor of "The Enquirer-Gazette" of Upper Marlboro, Md. He was also a regular Contributor to the "Prince George's Journal" from 1975 to 1977. In 1973 he won the Brotherhood Award, presented to him by the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Norman C. McKenna died on February 7, 1997 in Silver Spring, Maryland. Scope and Contents The Norman C. McKenna Papers span the years 1934 to 1971 and reflect his various roles as an editor, correspondent, and activist in the realm of Catholic social action, particularly in regard to international peace, labor movements, marriage counselling, and racial integration. They consist mainly of editorial correspondence, committee minutes, case histories, outlines, newspaper clippings and pamphlets. The first series consists of editorial correspondence, position statements, and newspaper clippings and pamphlets from The Christian Front, a monthly magazine founded in January 1936 by co-editors Norman McKenna and Richard L. G. Deverall. Heavily influenced by Pope Leo XIII's Rerum Novarum, it advocated reconstruction on Christian lines and opposed Marxism, Fascism, war, and laissez-faire Capitalism. Due to confusion with an anti-Semitic group of the same name, the magazine's title was changed to Christian Social Action in January of 1939. Although fragmentary and selective, correspondence includes such noted contributors and social thinkers as G. K. Chesterton, Catherine de Hueck, and Paul Hanley Furfey. The second series entails correspondence, editorials, and programs relating to McKenna's various positions with the Association of Catholic Trade Unionists (ACTU), founded in New York City in 1937 to give practical effect to Catholic social teaching as it concerned working men at home, work, and in the community. It assisted non-union men to organize, staffed labor schools, compiled reports, and provided congressional testimony. It included professionals, trade unionist, and students. McKenna held various editorial positions with the ACTU publications, Labor Leader, Wage Earner, and the Michigan Catholic, before departing for Washington, D.C. to be a labor specialist for the U.S. Information Agency. The third series consists of correspondence,with some scattered newspaper clippings, regarding the London Catholic Herald, primarily 1935 to 1942. McKenna was a North American contributor during this period and articles were sent in about once a week. Lengthy, in-depth articles were usually done at the request of the editor, Count Michael de la Bedoyer. The Herald was established in 1888 to reflect a moderate position between what they perceived as the extremes of the 'conservative' London Tablet and the 'liberal' Universe produced by the Jesuits. The fourth series reflects activities of McKenna and his wife Rita, who served jointly on the Steering Committee of the Cana Conference of the Archdiocese of Washington, 1950 to 1953, and includes correspondence, outlines, and pamphlets. This movement originated from the Catholic family movement founded in St. Louis by Edward Dowling to assist the needs of Catholic couples. Its name was derived from Our Lady of Cana, wedding sight of Christ's first miracle, and its primary purpose was to use religious principles to integrate the mundane aspects of married life in an atmosphere of informality and in the light of the emerging Twentieth Century modernist mentality. The McKennas resigned in 1953 alluding to their perception that the clubs were elitist, racist, and discriminatory to childless couples. The fifth and final series consists of an Annual Report, Minutes, Correspondence, Newsletter, and an Essay Contest of the Catholic Interracial Council of Prince George's County founded by McKenna in 1964. This council, an outgrowth of the D.C. Interracial Council, was affiliated with the National Conference for Interracial Justice and took inspiration from Christ's teaching and the pronouncements of the Catholic hierarchy. It based its civic views upon the Constitution, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, US Supreme Court decisions, and Presidential Executive orders to seek equal opportunity and full integration in education, employment, housing, and commerce. McKenna served on the Executive Committee, 1964 to 1971, as President, 1964 to 1967, and as Chairman of the Community Relations Committee, 1967 to 1971. Also included in this series are case histories regarding integrated housing compiled by McKenna as a board member of Prince George's Fair Housing (PGFH) which was frequently represented by the CIC and McKenna until its demise in 1969. By 1971, Catholic interracial councils in general had become ineffective as they were unsupported by the ordinaries and increasingly bypassed by other community and government groups. Arrangement The Norman C. McKenna Papers consists of five series: Series 1: The Christian Front/Christian Social Action Editorial Correspondence and Other Papers, 1934-1956, Box 1 Series 2: Association of Catholic Trade Unionists (ACTU) Correspondence and Other Papers, 1937-1951, Box 1 Series 3: The London Catholic Herald Correspondence, 1935-1948, Box 1 Series 4: Cana Conference of the Archdioceses of Washington Correspondence and Other Papers, 1948-1954, 1962, Box 1 Series 5: Catholic Interracial Council of Prince George's County (CIC) Records, 1964-1971, Box 1 Restrictions on Access There are no access restrictions. Related Material The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives also contains: Celestine Joseph Nuesse Papers Index Terms This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms. Persons: Chesterton, G. K. (Gilbert Keith), 1874-1936 Deverall, Richard L.-G. (Richard Lawrence-Grace), 1911- Furfey, Paul Hanly, 1896-1992 Doherty, Catherine de Hueck, 1896-1985 Organizations: Association of Catholic Trade Unionists Cana Conference of the Archdiocese of Washington Catholic Church. Pope (1878-1903 : Leo XIII). Rerum novarum Catholic Interracial Council of Prince George's County (Prince George's County, Md.) Prince George's Fair Housing (Prince George's County, Md.) Subjects: Discrimination in Housing Labor unions Acquisition Information Donated in 1977 and 1996 by Norman C. McKenna. Processing Information Processing completed in 2000 and 2003 by William John Shepherd. EAD markup completed in May 2006 by Cathey Dugan and Jordan Patty. Detailed Description of the Collection Series 1: The Christian Front/Christian Social Action Editorial Correspondence and Other Papers, 1934-1956 (1 box) Series 1 contains correspondence including letters to the editor, article contributors, and replies regarding this monthly magazine motivated by the concepts of Catholic social action in opposition to Marxism, Fascism, war, and predatory Capitalism. A Position statement and newspapers are also included. Noted contributors, largely Anglo-American, include G.K. Chesterton, Paul H. Furfey, and Catherine de Hueck. McKenna was Co-Editor with Richard Deverall from its inception in January of 1936 until April of 1938 when Deverall assumed full responsibility. McKenna continued to serve on the staff until December of 1938. The bulk of the records fall within McKenna's tenure as Co-Editor. 1 1 A-B, 9/20/1935-4/12/1937, 2/20/1957 1 2 C-D, 2/18/1936-5/03/1940 1 3 Chesterton, G. K., 1936 1 4 De Hueck, Catherine, 1/25/1936-5/13/1936 1 5 Deverall, Richard L. G., 9/10/1936-2/14/1940, n.d. 1 6 E-F-G, 1934-1956 1 7 H-I-J, 10/04/1935-4/24/1942 1 8 K-L, 11/16/1935-9/21/1938 1 9 M, 11/16/1934-10/08/1956 1 10 P, 1/26/1936-8/07/1938 1 11 R, 12/07/1936-3/22/1938 1 12 Ross, Eva J., 1/29/1936-11/09/1937 1 13 Rowe, Constance Mary, 12/29/1935-11/15/1937 1 14 S, 5/29/1936-4/06/1942 1 15 Sullivan, T. Smith, 3/02/1936-12/14/1939 1 16 T-U-V, 5/19/1936-4/20/1942 1 17 W-X-Y-Z, 10/20/1936-10/13/1938 1 18 Wall, Bernard, 7/11/1936-11/12/1936 1 19 Willock, Ed - Integrity, 3/03/1947-9/07/1948 1 20 Woodlock, Thomas F., 3/16/1936-4/25/1938 1 21 Newspaper Clippings, Pamphlets, 1935-1937 1 22 Newspaper Clippings, Pamphlets, 1938 1 23 Newspaper Clippings, Pamphlets, 1/06/1939-6/23/1939 1 24 Newspaper Clippings, Pamphlets, 7/07/1939-12/29/1939 1 25 Newspaper Clippings, Pamphlets, 1940-1943 1 26 Newspaper Clippings, Pamphlets, n.d. 1 27 Position Statements, n.d. 1 28 Christian Front (Loose Copies), 1935-1936 Series 2: Association of Catholic Trade Unionists (ACTU) Correspondence and Other Papers, 1937-1951 (1 box) Series 2 contains correspondence, programs, clippings, and a membership book reflective of the myriad tasks of McKenna during his two stints with the ACTU, 1937-1941 and 1945-1949. He was Managing Editor and Publicity Director of Labor Leader ,1938-1941, Chairman of the Spiritual Activities Committee ca. 1940, and editorial staff member of the Michigan Catholic , 1947-1949. The ACTU endeavored to give practical effect to Catholic social teaching as it concerned working men within the home, school, factory, and community. Said records are fragmentary and indistinguishable as to which of McKenna's positions are concerned. 1 29 General, 1/14/1937-4/05/1940 1 30 General, 6/17/1940-11/20/1940 1 31 General, 11/22/1940-1942 1 32 General, 1946-1951, n.d. 1 33 Cort, John C., 12/04/1939-11/29/1948, n.d. Series 3: The London Catholic Herald Correspondence, 1935-1948 (1 box) Series 3 contains primarily editorial correspondence relating to McKenna's work as a correspondent for this London newspaper, 1937-1942. Some miscellaneous newspaper clippings are included but there are no draft copies of McKenna's articles. The London Catholic Herald was a moderate newspaper of English Catholic thinking, with many similarities to The Christian Front. 1 34 General, 4/23/1937-12/27/1938 1 35 General, 1/18/1939-12/26/1939 1 36 General, 1/25/1940-8/21/1948, n.d. Series 4: Cana Conference of the Archdioceses of Washington Correspondence and Other Papers, 1948-1954, 1962 (1 box) Series 4 contains correspondence, outlines, pamphlets, and other material reflective of McKenna's role as Cana Publicity Chairman of Committee, 1950-1953. The series is divided into Steering Committee and Printed Material. The former includes correspondence, reports, an incomplete survey, and a transcript of a radio program with McKenna publicizing Cana's activities. The latter consists of outlines, article clippings, and pamphlets detailing Cana's history and organization with suggestions for the formation of parish Cana clubs. 1 37 Steering Committee, 3/08/1950-3/15/1952 1 38 Steering Committee, 1952-1953, 1962 1 39 Printed Matter Club Outlines and Instructional Material, 1951 1 40 Printed Matter Club Outlines and Instructional Material, ca. 1950-1953 1 41 Printed Matter General, 1948-1954 Series 5: Catholic Interracial Council of Prince George's County (CIC) Records, 1964-1971 (1 box) Series 5 contains an Annual Report, Minutes, Correspondence, Newsletter, and an Essay Contest regarding McKenna's activities with CIC as the President, Executive Committee Member, and Chairman of the Community Relations Committee. The series divided for Executive Committee and Housing Material with further subdivisions. The Annual Report only covers 1966, McKenna's last full year as President. Minutes of the Executive Committee are handwritten for 1967. Correspondence and other papers cover McKenna's post-presidential period, 1967-1971, and the Newsletter, 1965-1969, is informative but partially incomplete. Housing material consists of the CIC Essay Contest of 1965 which includes the three winning entries and integration case histories compiled for Prince George's Fair Housing, 1965-1969. 1 42 Executive Committee, Annual Report, 1966 1 43 Executive Committee, Annual Report - Appendices, 1966 1 44 Executive Committee Minutes, 1964-1966 1 45 Executive Committee Minutes, 1968-1970 1 46 Executive Committee Correspondence and Other Papers, 1965-6/25/1967 1 47 Executive Committee Correspondence and Other Papers, 7/29/1967-12/31/1967 1 48 Executive Committee Correspondence and Other Papers, 1/02/1968-2/14/1968 1 49 Executive Committee Correspondence and Other Papers, 2/23/1968-4/13/1970 1 50 Executive Committee Correspondence and Other Papers, 5/11/1970-4/23/1971 1 51 Executive Committee, Newsletter, 10/1965-1/1968 1 52 Executive Committee, Newsletter, 2/1968-3/1969 1 53 Housing Material, CIC Essay Contest, 1965 1 54 Housing Material, Prince George's Fair Housing Case Histories, (A-H), 1965-1969 1 55 Housing Material, Prince George's Fair Housing Case Histories, (I-Z), 1965-1969 1 56 Housing Material, Prince George's Fair Housing Case Histories, Miscellaneous, 1965-1969

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