Jean fraser kerr minetti

When they were deposited at Marquette in 1961, the Joseph R. McCarthy Papers were closed to research use at the request of the donor, Jean Kerr Minetti (McCarthy’s widow). Although the holdings comprised nearly 100 cubic feet, the collection contained no more than four feet of correspondence, memoranda, speeches, or other writings that would ordinarily be considered “personal papers.”  The overwhelming bulk of the material consisted of congressional publications, newspaper clippings, and sound and film recordings of McCarthy’s speeches and broadcasts.

Following the death of Jean Minetti in 1979, the legal status of the collection and the question of public access came under renewed scrutiny. Despite the urging of the Archives staff, Ms. Minetti had not executed a formal deed of gift. The University’s General Counsel concluded (1981) that Marquette was no longer legally bound by her request. However, her husband, G. Joseph Minetti, refused to release any of the McCarthy papers still in his possession unless the University main

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