The records of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Foundation are arranged in three series, MacQuarrie Foundation Records, the Gordon MacQuarrie Papers, and Photographs. This collection is the combination of two sets of complementary papers which entailed a good deal of duplication. They were donated by Ellen MacQuarrie, the organization's first secretary, and by its first president, Walter Scott.
The primary series, MACQUARRIE FOUNDATION RECORDS, covers the entire life of the organization. These records include organizational materials, general correspondence, financial reports and correspondence, meeting records, correspondence related to awards and scholarships, and press materials. The organizational records include draft proposals for the Foundation, minutes from pre-organizational meetings, and the Articles of Incorporation. The general correspondence, arranged chronologically (1956-1967), primarily covers the years 1956-1961, and contains a great deal of information concerning establishment of the Foundation and its operation. Many of the letters are between Ellen MacQuarrie and Walter Scott. There was a noticeable decline in the correspondence after Mrs. MacQuarrie went to Washington.
The financial records are divided into two parts, financial correspondence and financial reports. The financial correspondence consists mostly of letters of thanks to contributors, but it also illuminates the solicitation program and details the manner in which the assets of the Foundation were administered. When supplemented with the financial reports from 1957-1962, the correspondence gives a good picture of how the Foundation funds were obtained and disbursed.
The awards and scholarship section includes subseries of correspondence and medallion materials. The correspondence contains letters from award nominees and winners, Foundation members, and award judges. It sheds light on the decision making process, the nature of the awards, and ultimately the purpose of the organization. The single file of medallion materials deals with the origin, design, and production of the commemorative medallion.
The press releases, printed materials, and newspaper clippings represent only a small portion of the collection. These records serve primarily to round out the image of the Foundation's operations. When all the correspondence, meeting minutes, press releases, and organizational materials are viewed as a whole, the record of this organization is remarkably complete. In addition, there is one folder which pertains to the creation of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Foundation.
The second series, THE GORDON MACQUARRIE PAPERS, should be of interest to anyone concerned with Wisconsin conservation or conservation journalism. There is some brief biographical information which includes obituaries but the major portion of the series consists of his articles arranged in three categories: 1) Manuscript articles, most undated, but appeared to be in chronological order at the time of processing, and have been left as they were found. 2) Magazine articles, 1932-1960, and provide the student interested in MacQuarrie's writing with a thorough representation of his style and interests. 3) Newspaper articles, principally of “Off the Reel” columns from the Milwaukee Journal (1936-1950 and 1952-1956), and have been microfilmed.
Besides the articles, this series includes a small amount of correspondence and several subject files. Of most interest is the file on the Brule River. Combined with his numerous magazine articles on the subject, this file depicts an interest which spanned his professional career. The materials on Chuck Morgan pertain to a dog-handling book Morgan planned to write and to his consultations with MacQuarrie about the project. The file on Nessmuk deals with the turn-of-the-century conservationist-woodsman, George Washington Sears. All of the subject files contain some pertinent correspondence.
The PHOTOGRAPHS series include prints, color transparencies and negatives documenting hunting and fishing, primarily in Wisconsin, and are related to articles written by MacQuarrie.
