Guide to the Damon M. Stetson papers, 1932-1986

Historical Note

Damon Stetson was born August 1, 1915, in Hanover, Massachusetts. He graduated from Hanover High School in 1932 and matriculated at Bates College that fall. While at Bates, he was a three-sport athlete earning letters in cross-country, ice hockey and track. He wrote for The Bates Student, was a member of the Spofford Club and authored an honors thesis in English on Charles Dickens as a social reformer. He graduated magna cum laude in 1936 and earned a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University in 1937.

For several years, Stetson worked for the Newark Evening News in Newark, New Jersey, but when the United States entered World War II, he enlisted in the Navy. In 1945, he saw action in the Pacific as a naval intelligence officer in the 47th Air Group aboard the USS Bataan.

Following the war, he returned to the Newark Evening News and in 1950 moved to The New York Times. By then he had married Shirley Parker, and they had two children, a daughter and son. For over thirty years, Stetson worked as a reporter for The Times, spending the years 1955 through 1962 working out of its Detroit office. He reported mainly on labor issues. He retired from The New York Times in 1984 and now resides with his wife in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

Throughout the years he has maintained close ties to Bates College and served for a period of time as a member of its Board of Trustees. He is the second of three Bates graduates in his family: his mother, Marion Mitchell Stetson, graduated in 1905, and his grandson, Erik Remsen, in 2001.

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Scope and Content Note

The Damon Stetson Collection is composed of three series of materials relating to Damon Stetson. Among the documents is one series of correspondence made up of letters from Stetson's parents to him while he was attending Bates College.

The rest of the college related material contains newspaper clippings that are in some way related to Stetson. Many deal with sports such as cross-country, ice hockey or track. Stetson's senior thesis is also included as is the speech he gave at graduation in 1936.

The majority of post graduation materials are articles that Stetson wrote during his long career with The New York Times, as well as documents pertaining to his service in the Navy, several articles he wrote for the Newark Evening News, and reviews of his book Starting Over, published in 1971.

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Organization and Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

The collection is the physical property of Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library. Bates College holds literary rights only for material created by College personnel working on official behalf of the College, or for material which was given to the College with such rights specifically assigned. For all other material, literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for obtaining permission from rights holders for publication or other purposes that exceed fair use.

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Related Material

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Index Terms

These records are indexed under the following headings in the Bates College Library catalog. Researchers wishing to find related materials should search the catalog under these index terms.

Personal Names:

Corporate Names:

Topical Subjects:

Geographic Subjects:

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Administrative Information

Acquisition and Custody Information

Gift of Damon Stetson, 2001, in conjunction with a Short Term project by his grandson, Bates student Erik Remsen. Accession No.: 053-01-01.

Preferred Citation

Damon M. Stetson papers, Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library, Bates College.

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Series Description