Redding, John M. Papers

Dates: 1925-1965

Publicity Director, Democratic National Committee, 1947-1950; Assistant Postmaster General, 1950-1953.

The papers of John M. Redding contain correspondence, printed materials, typewritten manuscripts, military records, press releases, and other documents relating to Redding’s career as an official with the Democratic National Committee and the Post Office Department, and his activities as an author, journalist, publicist, and military officer.

[Administrative Information | Biographical Note | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List]

 

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Size: 11.2 linear feet (about 22,400 pages). 
Access: Open. 
Copyright: The donor gave to the U.S. government the copyrights in this material and in any other material received by the U.S. government and maintained in a depository administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. Documents created by U.S. government officials in the course of their official duties are in the public domain. Copyright interest in other documents presumably belongs to the creators of those documents, or their heirs. 
Processed by: Harry Clark (1961); Laura Heller (1969); Jan Davis and David Clark (2016); Randy Sowell (2024).

[Administrative Information | Biographical Note | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List]

 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

John MacLean Redding was born in Chicago, Illinois on December 25, 1908. After graduating from Brown University in 1931, he worked as a journalist for several newspapers and for the International News Service, while also pursuing a career as a freelance writer. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Air Forces. As General Omar Bradley’s Public Relations Officer, he supervised press coverage of the Allied invasion of Normandy. He later served as a military press liaison at the Potsdam Conference in Germany. After working as an official with the Surplus Property Administration (later known as the War Assets Administration) in 1945-46, Redding became director of publicity for the Democratic National Committee in 1947, and was an important figure in President Truman’s election campaign in 1948. In 1950, he was appointed Assistant Postmaster General, a post he held until 1953. Redding was the author of Skyways to Berlin (with Harold Leyshon, 1943), Wake of Glory (with Thor Smith, 1945), Inside the Democratic Party (1958), and Inside the New Frontier (with Vance Hartke, 1962). In later years, he worked as a consultant and publicist in Washington, D.C. while remaining active in Democratic Party affairs. Redding died in Potomac, Maryland on April 1, 1965.

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COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

The papers of John M. Redding contain correspondence, printed materials, typewritten manuscripts, military records, press releases, and other documents relating to Redding’s career as an official with the Democratic National Committee and the Post Office Department, and his activities as an author, journalist, publicist, and military officer. The collection is arranged in five series.

The first series, the Manuscripts File, contains drafts of books, articles, and stories written by Redding. Some of these works are in printed form, but most are typewritten drafts. The series also contains correspondence relating to Redding’s works, typewritten and handwritten notes, printed materials Redding collected for research purposes, and publicity items relating to his career. The writings in the series range from works of fiction and scripts for radio programs to drafts of Redding’s book, Inside the Democratic Party, and prospective newspaper or magazine articles dealing with a wide range of topics.

The second series, the Military File, contains correspondence, press releases, manuscript drafts, personnel records, and other items relating to Redding’s service in the military during and after World War II. The series includes press releases issued during Redding’s tenure as a Public Relations Officer with the Eighth Air Force and the Twelfth Army Group; handwritten and typewritten drafts of articles about the war in Europe; an uncompleted memoir by Redding about his wartime experiences; personnel records concerning his military career; transcripts of press conferences held by General Omar Bradley; and information about the D-Day invasion, the Battle of the Bulge, the Potsdam Conference, and the war correspondents with whom Redding worked. (Among the personnel records and related materials is an original draft of the “Potsdam Declaration” with President Truman’s signature.)

The third series, the Democratic National Committee File, contains press releases issued by the Committee while Redding was Director of Publicity, from 1947 to 1950. The press releases mostly contain political statements by leading Democrats. The series also contains correspondence, publicity materials for the 1948 campaign, “spot announcements” used during the 1956 campaign, and information about Democratic Party meetings. Also included are negative articles and research materials concerning prominent Republicans such as Senators Robert Taft and Joseph Ball, and copies of the “Capital Comment,” a Democratic National Committee newsletter.

The fourth series, the Assistant Postmaster General File, contains documents relating to Redding’s service as Assistant Postmaster General in charge of the Transportation Bureau of the Post Office Department from 1950 to 1953. Correspondence with postal officials, printed materials, press releases, and reports concerning the transportation of mail by air, by railroad, and by truck make up most of the series. Also included is information about postal conferences, railroad rates, and Redding’s experiences aboard the first trans-polar passenger flight from the United States to Denmark in November 1952.

The fifth series, the Subject File, contains correspondence, printed materials, financial records, and other documents relating to various aspects of Redding’s career, especially his work (after he left the Post Office Department) as a consultant to the Independent Advisory Committee to the Trucking Industry, a lobbying group that promoted transportation of the mail by trucks as a more efficient alternative to railroad transportation. Included in the series is correspondence with members of the Advisory Committee, such as Dave Beck, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who served as its national chairman. Also included is correspondence with union leaders and government officials, speech drafts and press releases, records of expenses, and printed items. Some materials pertain to the Advisory Committee’s efforts to organize a civil defense program for the trucking industry during the 1950s, in cooperation with the Federal Civil Defense Administration. The Subject File also contains materials relating to Brannan’s service as an official with the Surplus Property Administration after World War II; his review of Air Force public information programs as a reserve officer; and his work as treasurer of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Related collections at the Truman Library include the records of the Democratic National Committee and the papers of Harry S. Truman (President’s Personal File and Post-Presidential Papers), Jesse M. Donaldson, J. Howard McGrath, and Paul C. Aiken.

[Administrative Information | Biographical Note | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List]

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Container Nos. Series
1-4 MANUSCRIPTS FILE, 1925-1965
Manuscript drafts, printed materials, correspondence, and other items. Arranged alphabetically by folder title and thereunder chronologically.
5-7 MILITARY FILE, 1940-1950
Correspondence, press releases, military personnel records, manuscript drafts, and other items. Arranged alphabetically by folder title, and thereunder chronologically.
8-13 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE FILE, 1944-1956
Press releases, correspondence, and other items. Arranged alphabetically by folder title, and thereunder chronologically.
14-22 ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL FILE, 1938-1956
Correspondence, printed materials, press releases, and other items. Arranged alphabetically by folder title, and thereunder chronologically.
23-28 SUBJECT FILE, 1934-1964
Correspondence, printed materials, financial records, and other items. Arranged alphabetically by folder title, and thereunder chronologically.

[ Top of the page | Administrative Information | Biographical Sketch | Collection Description | Series Descriptions | Folder Title List ]

 

FOLDER TITLE LIST

MANUSCRIPTS FILE, 1925-1965

Box 1

  • "Abeah Man"
  • All American News
  • "Arsenal"
  • "At Death's Door"
  • Berlenbach, Paul - Professional Fighter
  • Black Market
  • "Bring Slug"
  • Calkins, Dick - Originator of "Buck Rogers" Cartoon
  • "Chicago: The City That Stood Still"
  • Congo Red
  • "Court of Inquiry"
  • Crime Detection Laboratory Material
  • Crowd Engineer
  • Daisy Pickers [Army maneuvers]
  • Dentistry
  • "[The] Desperate Platinum Blonde" [1 of 2]
  • "[The] Desperate Platinum Blonde" [2 of 2]

Box 2

  • Detective Stories
  • Dog Training Booklet
  • "Dream Girl"
  • "Drinking - Misfortune or Misdeed?"
  • Gambling in Chicago
  • "Ghost"
  • "[The] Gold Brick"
  • Green, William - President, American Federation of Labor
  • Heritage of the Hills [Country Music]
  • "Hockey Wives"
  • Inside the Democratic Party [1 of 5]
  • Inside the Democratic Party [2 of 5]
  • Inside the Democratic Party [3 of 5]

Box 3

  • Inside the Democratic Party [4 of 5]
  • Inside the Democratic Party [5 of 5]
  • "[The] Jawbone of an Ass" [Profile of General George S. Patton]
  • Jones Dairy Farm, Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
  • Lead Poisoning
  • "[The] Little Man" [1 of 2]
  • "[The] Little Man" [2 of 2]
  • "[The] Long Ears of the Artillery"
  • "Man Overboard!"
  • "Marriage Mills"
  • Miscellaneous Material Regarding Manuscripts

Box 4

  • "Nurses"
  • Pet Milk Company
  • Radio Scripts
  • Ross, Charles S. [Victim of Kidnapping]
  • Royal Canadian Air Force
  • "Strike"
  • "Surgical Darning Egg"
  • "[The] Swing World of Tomorrow"
  • Taxi Dancers
  • "Thank God for the Non Coms!"
  • Wake of Glory

MILITARY FILE, 1940-1950

Box 5

  • Eighth Air Force Press Releases, August 25, 1942-February 17, 1943 - Return to Major John M. Redding
  • Eighth Air Force Press Releases, August 25, 1942-March 19, 1943 - Return to Captain Harold Leyshon
  • Eighth Air Force Press Releases, November 16, 1942-May 11, 1944 - Miscellaneous
  • Manuscript of War Memoir
  • Miscellaneous Manuscripts [1 of 2]
  • Miscellaneous Manuscripts [2 of 2]

Box 6

  • Personnel Records and Related Materials [1 of 6]
  • Personnel Records and Related Materials [2 of 6]
  • Personnel Records and Related Materials [3 of 6]
  • Personnel Records and Related Materials [4 of 6]
  • Personnel Records and Related Materials [5 of 6]
  • Personnel Records and Related Materials [6 of 6]

Box 7

  • Twelfth Army Group - "History of Public Relations Office"
  • Twelfth Army Group - Stories and Press Releases [1 of 3]
  • Twelfth Army Group - Stories and Press Releases [2 of 3]
  • Twelfth Army Group - Stories and Press Releases [3 of 3]
  • War Correspondents

DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE FILE 

Box 8

  • Biography of John M. Redding
  • "Capital Comment" [1 of 3]
  • "Capital Comment" [2 of 3]
  • "Capital Comment" [3 of 3]
  • Democratic Leaders Meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, December 10, 1947
  • Editorials and Columnists - Statements Regarding 1948 Presidential Campaign
  • Hal Leyshon and Associates, Inc., Public relations, 1950
  • Inter-Office Memoranda, 1948-1950
  • Jefferson Jackson Day Dinner, February 19, 1948
  • Miscellaneous Material
  • Plan for 1944 Presidential Campaign
  • Presidential Campaign Material, 1948 - Major James J. MacKin

Box 9

  • Presidential Campaign Material, 1948 - Miscellaneous
  • Presidential Campaign Material, 1948 - Press Releases [1 of 2]
  • Presidential Campaign Material, 1948 - Press Releases [2 of 2]
  • Presidential Campaign Material, 1948 - Senator Joseph Ball [1 of 2]
  • Presidential Campaign Material, 1948 - Senator Joseph Ball [2 of 2]
  • Presidential Campaign Material, 1956 - Spot Announcements
  • Proceedings of Democratic Midwest Conference, Des Moines, Iowa, June 12-13, 1949

Box 10

  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, October 31, 1947-February 3, 1948 [1 of 2]
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, October 31, 1947-February 3, 1948 [2 of 2]
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, February 13-April 20, 1948 [1 of 2]
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, February 13-April 20, 1948 [2 of 2]
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, April 20-July 1, 1948 [1 of 2]
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, April 20-July 1, 1948 [2 of 2]

Box 11

  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, July 2-September 8, 1948 [1 of 2]
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, July 2-September 8, 1948 [2 of 2]
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, September 9-October 7, 1948
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, October 8-November 1, 1948
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, November 15, 1948-February 24, 1949 [1 of 2]
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, November 15, 1948-February 24, 1949 [2 of 2]

Box 12

  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, February 24-May 4, 1949
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, May 4-August 19, 1949 [1 of 2]
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, May 4-August 19, 1949 [2 of 2]
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, June 10-October 19, 1949 [1 of 2]
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, June 10-October 19, 1949 [2 of 2]
  • Publicity Division, Democratic National Committee - Press Releases, October 20, 1949-February 27, 1950

Box 13

  • Radio Activities, 1949-1950
  • Senatorial and Congressional Campaign of 1950 [1 of 2]
  • Senatorial and Congressional Campaign of 1950 [2 of 2]
  • Who's Who in the Democratic Party - Correspondence Regarding Publication

ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL FILE, 1938-1956

Box 14

  • A
  • Aiken, Paul
  • Air Coordinating Committee
  • Air Mail Matters
  • Air Mail Rates
  • Air Mail Subsidy
  • Air Parcel Post
  • Air Survey
  • Allan, Greever
  • Army Post Office Directory
  • B
  • Bomar, Thomas
  • Burke, Vincent
  • C
  • Cairo, Egypt

Box 15

  • Calling Cards
  • Chief Inspector
  • Christmas
  • Civil Aeronautics Board
  • D
  • Democratic Clip Sheet
  • Donaldson, Jesse M.
  • Dubuque, Jean
  • E
  • Embargo
  • Ernst, L. E.
  • Ethiopia - Cotton and Cattle
  • Ethiopia, Cotton and Cattle, Supplement 1
  • Ethiopia, Cotton and Cattle, Supplement 2

Box 16

  • Ethiopia, Cotton and Cattle, Supplement 3
  • F
  • Federal Program for Transportation
  • Frank, Solicitor Roy
  • G
  • Garner, Chief Inspector Cliff C.
  • General Superintendents
  • Granik, Theodore
  • H
  • Hahn, Chris
  • Helicopters
  • Henning, Arthur L.
  • Highway Post Offices
  • International Postal Conferences

Box 17

  • International Road Federation
  • Invitations
  • J
  • K
  • L
  • Lawler, Joseph J.
  • Legislation
  • Long Island Railroad
  • M [1 of 2]
  • M [2 of 2]
  • Mackin, J. J.
  • McKinney, Frank
  • Memoranda - Burgess, Robert S.
  • Memoranda - Chaszar, Ed
  • Memoranda - Gillen, John J.

Box 18

  • Memoranda - Miller, George
  • Memoranda - O'Brien, Denis
  • Montly Reports, Bureau of Transportation
  • Myers, Walter
  • N-O
  • Newark Routes
  • Nyrop, Donald - Civil Aeronautics Board
  • P
  • Passport
  • Pearson, Osborne
  • Personnel - Post Office and Personalities
  • Pictures
  • Polar Flight - First Passenger Trip

Box 19

  • Post Office Department - Material Furnished by the Department
  • Post Office Department - Miscellaneous [1 of 2]
  • Post Office Department - Miscellaneous [2 of 2]
  • Postmaster Letters - Congratulations on 25th Anniversary of the Establishment of Air Mail
  • Postmasters' Convention
  • Press Releases [1 of 2]
  • Press Releases [2 of 2]

Box 20

  • Publicity [1 of 2]
  • Publicity [2 of 2]
  • Q-R
  • Railway Mail Pay Case [1 of 5]
  • Railway Mail Pay Case [2 of 5]
  • Railway Mail Pay Case [3 of 5]
  • Railway Mail Pay Case [4 of 5]

Box 21

  • Railway Mail Pay Case [5 of 5]
  • Redding, John M. - Addresses
  • Redding, John M. - Biography and Other Material
  • Redding, John M. - Personal [1 of 2]
  • Redding, John M. - Personal [2 of 2]
  • Redding, John M. - Resignation as Assistant Postmaster General
  • Reports of Directors
  • Roads
  • S

Box 22

  • Stamp Books  - Distribution of Albums From the Sixth Congress of the Postal Union of the Americas and Spain
  • Strom, A.
  • T-V
  • "T-Route" - Photos
  • Taylor, Tom
  • Threadgill, Andrew
  • Trucking of Short Haul Mail
  • Trucking the Mail - A Survey and Plan
  • Trucking the Mail - Miscellaneous Material
  • Universal Postal Union
  • W-Z
  • Wiprud, Arne
  • Wyoming Mail - Motion Picture

SUBJECT FILE, 1934-1964

Box 23

  • Air Force [1 of 2]
  • Air Force [2 of 2]
  • Air Force in Europe
  • Air Force Public Information Service
  • Air Force Report
  • Air Transport Association of America
  • American Trucking Association
  • Beck, Dave
  • Book Contract - "How to Succeed in Politics"
  • Brochure - "Faster Mail for Less Money"
  • Certificates
  • Charnay, Dave
  • Cheyfitz, Ed
  • Civil Defense [1 of 2]

Box 24

  • Civil Defense [2 of 2]
  • Condon, Arthur D.
  • Congressional Letters
  • Democratic Congressional Dinner, 1960
  • Democratic Congressional Dinner, 1964
  • Democratic National Committee
  • Democratic National Congressional Committee
  • Federal Civil Defense Administration - Fuels and Petroleum Committee
  • Federal Civil Defense Administration - General Data
  • Federal Civil Defense Administration - Minutes of Meetings

Box 25

  • Federal Civil Defense Administration - Operations Committee
  • Federal Civil Defense Administration - Organization of Planning Committee
  • Federal Civil Defense Administration - Peterson, Val
  • Federal Civil Defense Administration - Research Committee
  • Federal Civil Defense Administration - San Francisco
  • Federal Civil Defense Administration - Security Clearance
  • Federal Civil Defense Administration - War Risk Insurance
  • Fire Power Demonstration
  • Governors' Conference
  • Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - Lobbying Activities
  • Independent Advisory Committee to the Trucking Industry [1 of 3]
  • Independent Advisory Committee to the Trucking Industry [2 of 3]
  • Independent Advisory Committee to the Trucking Industry [3 of 3]

Box 26

  • International Brotherhood of Teamsters
  • Korea - Press Release
  • Labor and Organized Crime
  • Legislation - Weeks Report [1 of 2]
  • Legislation - Weeks Report [2 of 2]
  • Leyshon, Hal
  • Mail By Truck
  • McConnon, Joe
  • Mohn, Einar
  • Monthly Reports
  • Parcel Post Shipments
  • Post Office Department
  • Printed Materials [1 of 5]
  • Printed Materials [2 of 5]

Box 27

  • Printed Materials [3 of 5]
  • Printed Materials [4 of 5]
  • Printed Materials [5 of 5]
  • Redding, John M. - Expenses [1 of 2]
  • Redding, John M. - Expenses [2 of 2]
  • Redding, John M. - Miscellaneous
  • Redding, John M. - Personal
  • Riley, J.O.

Box 28

  • Scrapbooks
  • Short Haul Trucking Program
  • Short Haul Trucking Routes
  • Shulman, John
  • Sonnenberg, Benjamin
  • Star Route Association
  • Surplus Property Administration
  • Transportation - Freight
  • Trucking Survey

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