UUM_Accn2879.xml Inventory of the Margaret R. Draper papers Draper (Margaret R.) papers Finding aid created by Chelsea Olsen. J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections

2015 (last modified: 2019)
295 South 1500 East Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 special@library.utah.edu https://lib.utah.edu/collections/special-collections/index.php
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-01-18. Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard), 2nd Edition. J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Margaret R. Draper papers Draper, Margaret, 1916- ACCN 2879 6 linear feet 14 boxes 1890-2010 The Margaret R. Draper papers (1890-2010) contain the personal and professional materials including yearbooks, correspondence, travel documents, family genealogy materials, playbills, play scripts, magazines articles and reviews, contracts, news clippings, appointment books, and address books pertaining to her personal and professional life. Margaret R. Draper (1916-2011) is known for her work as an actress for television and radio from the late 1930s through the 1960s and her work as a disk jockey on WNEW-FM in the 1960s. She did service for the American Red Cross in WWII from 1943-1946. She spent her later life working for and establishing the United Seamen's Service Club in Camh Ran Bay, Vietnam; Naples, Italy; Genoa, Italy; Germany; and Alexandria, Egypt. English .

Margaret Draper was born to Delbert M. and Mary Rogers Draper on November 20, 1916 in Spanish Fork, Utah. She attended and graduated from East High School and the University of Utah.

Margaret's professional life started with her participation in theatre while she attended East High School and the University of Utah. Upon graduation from the University of Utah she moved to New York where she worked as an actress in theatre, radio, and television during 1940s-1950s. However, from 1943-1946 she served in the American Red Cross in the Middle East and Germany. When she returned to New York, some of her more prominent acting roles included playing Liz Dennis in The Brighter Day from 1949-1954 and Linda Pepper in Pepper's Young Family in 1954. She worked for several theatres and theatre companies including the Chekhov Players, Corning Theatre, and Barter Theatre. During the 1960s, she worked as an actor and model in commercials and advertisements. In 1966, she became a disc jockey for the all-women FM radio station, WNEW-FM. From 1969-1979, she worked for the United Seamen's Service until she moved to Washington where she worked for the National Alliance of Business PSIP Clearinghouse in the early 1980s. She retired in 1985 and was later married to Wesley Brown in 1997 and traveled before returning to live in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1949, Margaret married Joe DeSantis, with whom she had her son, Christopher Desantis in 1951. They later divorced in 1957. She then had a marriage (1959) with Niccol Bissel and then she married (1972) J. Norman Messer. In 1997, she was married to Wesley Brown until his death in 2001. She died October 14, 2011.

The Margaret R. Draper papers (1890-2010) contain the personal and professional materials including yearbooks, correspondence, travel documents, family genealogy materials, playbills, play scripts, magazines articles and reviews, contracts, news clippings, appointment books, and address books pertaining to her personal and professional life.

This collection has been arranged into three series: I. Personal materials which contains Margaret's personal correspondence and documents and a subseries titled "Family Genealogy" which contains both the Draper family and Rogers family genealogical records. II. Professional materials which contain documents from Margaret's work in theatre, radio, television, the United Seamen's Service, and the National Alliance of Business PISP Clearinghouse. III. General materials.

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

Donated by Christopher C. DeSantis in 2015.

Processed by Chelsea Olsen in 2015.

Click here to read a statement on harmful language in library records.

See also the Margaret R. Draper photograph collection (P1953) and DVD of Somewhere the Door Blew Shut performance in the Multimedia Division of Special Collections.

Forms part of the Aileen H. Clyde 20th Century Women's Legacy Archives.

 Draper, Margaret, 1916---Archives Draper, Margaret, 1916---Family--Archives Draper, Margaret, 1916---Travel--Archives United Seamen's Service--Employees--Archives American Red Cross--Employees--Archives National Alliance of Business--Employees--Archives United Seamen's Service. Cam Ranh Bay Center (Vietnam)--Employees--Archives United Seamen's Service American Red Cross Actresses--New York (State)--New York--Archives Disc jockeys--New York (State)--New York--Archives Women in radio broadcasting--New York (State)--New York--Sources International officials and employees--Archives Television actors and actresses--Archives Non-governmental organizations--Employees--Archives World War, 1939-1945--Women Performing Arts Women Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.) Resumes (personnel records) Passports Appointment books Personal correspondence Theater programs Drama Television plays Family histories Records (Documents) Address books Personal materials I Eastonia 1932 1 1 Utonia 1938 1 2 East High School and University of Utah Theater 2 1 University of Utah materials 2 2 New York University testing 1949 2 3 Marriage announcements 1949 1959 1997 2 4 Christopher DeSantis (son) materials 2 5 Correspondence between Margaret Draper and her mother, Frances Draper 1945-1945-1981 2 6 General correspondence 1966 1986 1997-2010 2 7 General correspondence 2 8 Writings circa 1974 2 9 Trip to England, Ireland, and Scotland materials circa 1980s 2 10 Travel papers 2 11 Travel brochures and souvenirs 2 12 Calendar 2002 2 13 General materials 2 14 Family materials A Grances Mary Rogers Draper (mother) 1890 1912 3 1 Correspondence from Lura Beam 1953 1976-1978 3 2 "This is My Life," Delbert Draper (father) 3 3 University Pen 1910-1916 3 4

Debert M. Draper on editorial board in 1910

 Delbert M. Delbert M. Draper materials 3 5 Delbert and Frances Draper family materials 1915-1971 3 6 Family writings and poetry 3 7 Rogers family genealogy materials 3 8 Draper family genealogy materials 3 9 Draper family news clippings 3 10 Draper and Rogers family obituaries circa 1970-1990 3 11 General obituaries and memorial service materials circa 1970-2010 3 12 Professional materials II Resumes and work history 4 1 Theatre A A Minor Adjustment 1967 4 2 Barter Theatre 1947 4 3 Barter Theatre Repertory Company 1947-1948 4 4 Barter Theatre's Armas and the Man 4 5 Ceremony of Innocence 1968 4 6 Chekhov Theatre Players, Ridgefield, Connecticut materials 1939-1941 4 7 Chekhov Theatre Players materials 4 8 Cherry Orchard 1960 4 9 Corning, New York City, NY Theatre materials 1961 4 10

This folder contains materials regarding the following plays:

Life with Father Five Finger Exercise Once More With Feeling The Marriage Go Round Edward II 1958 4 11 For Heaven's Sake Mother 1948 5 1 The Gambler 1952 5 2 Green Lake Players, Buffalo, New York materials 1938 5 3 The Happy Breed 1954 5 4 Liliom 1952 5 5 Me the Sleeper 1949 5 6 Night Must Fall 1939 5 7 Papa is All 1942 5 8 Peer Gynt 1947 5 9 Reserve Two for Murder 5 10 Shout from the Rooftops 1964 5 11 Sing Me No Lullaby 1954 5 12 The Snow was Black 1954 5 13 Somewhere the Door Blew Shut 1988 5 14-15 Time of the Cuckoo 1958 5 16-17 What do you really know about your Husband? 1967 5 18 Theatre reviews 1938-2003 5 19 Recognition, news clippings 1936-1991 5 20 ANTA magazine 1947-1948 5 21 American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG) materials 5 22 General theatre materials 5 23 Frankie, A Play in Two Acts, play script 6 1 Laura Hembree's play script 1996 6 2 Duchess of Malfi play script 6 3 Untitled play script 6 4 Television, radio, and advertisements B Contracts 1949-1999 7 1 Brighter Day 1950-1952 7 2 City Hospital and Peppers Young Family 1952-1954 7 3 WNEW-FM materials 1966 7 4 Radio programs and awards 7 5 Advertisements circa 1960s 7 6 American Red Cross service C Service materials 1942-1946 8 1-3 Rodeo 1945 8 4 News clippings 1943-1947 8 5 United Seamen's Service D

From 1969-1970, Margaret Draper worked as the assistant director for the United Seamen's Service (USS) Club in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. These papers relate to her stay there. The center was evacuated shortly before the Tet offensive. She also worked for the USS in Naples, Italy; Genoa, Italy; and Germany. From around 1974-1979, Margaret established the USS Club in Alexandria Egypt.

 USS Membership IDs 9 1 USS Cam Ranh plaque 9 2 USS Vietnam plaque 9 3 USS materials 1960-1977 9 4-8 USS materials 1976-1985 10 1-6 USS materials 1988 1990-1992 10 7 USS general correspondence circa 1975-1982 10 8 Postcards and brochures 10 9 Invitations 1976-1979 10 10-11 USS general materials 10 12-13 National Alliance of Business E Correspondence 1981-1983 10 14 General materials III Appointment books 1977-1979 1998-2000 11 Passports and appointment books 1945-1946 1962-1966 1980-1990 1996 12 Address and telephone number books 13-14