Historical Note
The Dallas Morning News (DMN) is a daily newspaper launched by George Bannerman Dealey in Dallas, Texas in 1885. G. B. Dealey’s son and grandson have succeeded him in presidency of the paper’s publisher, the A. H. Belo Corporation. The paper was largely apolitical at the start of the 20th century, but in the early 1920s, it courageously denounced the Ku Klux Klan. Initially a supporter of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, the DMN split with the president on domestic policy by his fourth term, and, from 1952 to 2000, endorsed only Republican presidential candidates. By 1968, daily circulation of the Dallas Morning News had grown to 346,273.
Edward (Ted) Musgrove Dealey (1892-1969) was born to publisher George Bannerman Dealey and his wife Olivia in Dallas, Texas. A graduate of Dallas public schools, Dealey received a B. A. from the University of Texas in 1913 and a M. A. from Harvard in 1914. Returning to Texas in 1915, he began his career as a reporter at the DMN. Dealey wrote stories in the paper's 1920 campaign against the Texas Ku Klux Klan. He joined the Belo Corporation’s board in 1926, becoming its president by 1940 and holding the titles of publisher and board chair from 1960 to 1968. In 1961, Dealey made national news for his criticism of President John F. Kennedy's leadership at a White House luncheon.
Ted’s son, Joseph (Joe) Macdonald Dealey (1919-1995), began his career in the mailroom of the DMN in 1937, while still a high school student. He attended the University of Texas at Austin and the Southwest School of Printing. After returning from Army service in World War II, Dealey entered the management of the paper. In 1952, he was elected to Belo’s board of directors, eventually taking over presidency of the company in 1960. Additionally, Joe held the position of Belo board chairman from 1980 to 1984.
Source:
Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "Dallas Morning News." (accessed October 11, 2010).
Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "Dealey, Edward Musgrove." (accessed October 11, 2010).
Handbook of Texas Online, s.v. "Dealey, Joseph MacDonald." (accessed October 11, 2010).
Scope and Contents
The Dallas Morning News Kennedy Administration Editorial Records, 1961-1963, document the public response to the paper’s editorials on President John F. Kennedy’s Administration, conservative advertisements in the paper related to Kennedy Administration policies, and the assassination of President Kennedy. In addition to newspaper clippings and pages, the collection consists of over 3,500 letters, telegrams, and telephone messages to DMN editors and staff, primarily to the paper’s publishers, Joe and Ted Dealey.