McClintock, James H., 1864-1934

James Harvey McClintock was born February 23, 1864 in Sacramento, California, the son of John and Sarah G. McClintock. He left for Phoenix at age 15 to work for his brother, Charles, founder and co-owner of the Phoenix newspaper, The Salt River Herald. In 1881, Charles died suddenly and the newspaper was sold. McClintock then moved to Tucson to work as a reporter for the Daily Journal, but the paper folded in 1882. McClintock moved on to Globe and became the editor of the Chronicle newspaper. Three years later, he moved to Prescott, where his mother and sister were living and working in a boarding house near Fort Whipple. McClintock took a job as a civilian clerk in the General's office. He soon headed south to attend the Tempe Normal School and work as a reporter for the Tempe News. By 1886, James McClintock was serving as Justice of the Peace for Tempe, operating a 160-acre farm, overseeing the building of county roads, and simultaneously working on assignments for newspapers in Tucson, Tempe, Globe, and Prescott. McClintock also became very good friends with the Hayden family, particularly Carl Hayden. In 1887, McClintock became a member of the first graduating class from the Tempe Normal School. He received his teaching certificate and went to Pleasant Valley where he taught for a short time. McClintock returned to Phoenix in 1890 and opened a news bureau. He also began his twenty-five year career as a correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. With the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in April of 1898 McClintock helped organize the Arizona troops and was appointed captain of the First United States Volunteer Cavalry which became known as Roosevelt's Rough Riders. McClintock served with the Arizona Rough Riders in Cuba until he was injured at Las Guasimas. He returned to Arizona with a limp and the title of Major for "gallantry in action." On June 15, 1900 he married Dorothy G. Bacon, a graduate of Stanford University. Mrs. McClintock's area of expertise was botany and she made a study of Arizona and the Southwest. She was also one of the founding members of the Woman's Club of Phoenix and a prominent member of the Arizona Federation of Women's Clubs. McClintock had political aspirations, but in 1902 President Theodore Roosevelt appointed him Postmaster of Phoenix, a position he held until 1914. Colonel Jim as he was known also became Colonel of the First Arizona Infantry, a command he held from 1902 to 1910. During this time he also wrote a two-volume history about the State of Arizona entitled Arizona: The Youngest State that was published in 1916. McClintock served as State Historian from 1919-1922. He was the first Department Commander of the Spanish-American War Veterans, President of the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, President of the Arizona Folklore Society, Secretary of the National Irrigation Congress, and President of the Arizona Archaeological Society. He continued his writings as well as appearing on a series of radio shows. He was re-appointed Postmaster in 1928 by President Coolidge. He retired in December, 1933. Colonel McClintock suffered a stroke in early 1934. He and his wife moved to United States Soldiers' Home in Los Angeles where he died May 10, 1934. He was buried with a full military ceremony at the Military Cemetery in Los Angeles. McClintock Drive, McClintock High School, and McClintock Hall at ASU are named in his honor.

From the description of James H. McClintock Photograph Collection, ca. 1860-ca. 1930 [picture]. (Scottsdale Public Library). WorldCat record id: 223435421

Historian; Arizona.

From the description of Radio talks on Arizona by James H. McClintock, 1930-1931. (University of Arizona). WorldCat record id: 31440734

Journalist, author, Arizona State Historian.

From the description of Arizona historian tells of early 'Mormon' settlement in that section : gives high praise to pioneers, ca. 1920. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 122536167

From the guide to the Arizona historian tells of early 'Mormon' settlement in that section : gives high praise to pioneers, circa 1920, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)

State historian and a colonel with the Rough Riders.

From the description of McClintock-Halseth collection, 1893-1947. (Scottsdale Public Library). WorldCat record id: 38072851

Journalist, historian and Spanish-American War veteran; McClintock published the Tempe News, helped organize Arizona troops during the Spanish-American War, and was appointed captain of B troop of the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry. He established a news bureau in Phoenix around 1900; was Phoenix postmaster from 1902 to 1914 and 1928 to 1932. He wrote the three volume History of Arizona in 1916, and served as State Historian from 1919 to 1922.

From the description of McClintock papers, 1889-1931. (Arizona Historical Society, Southern Arizona Division). WorldCat record id: 46830777

Biographical/Historical note

Dr. Joseph Amasa Munk was born on November 9, 1847 in North Georgetown, Ohio. He joined up with the Union Army from 1864-1865 and fought in the Civil War. When the war was over, he attended Mt. Union College in Ohio from 1865-1866 and then the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati, graduating in 1869. While attending Mt. Union College, he met Emma S. Beazell, and they married in 1873. While in school, Munk also enjoyed learning to read and sing music, a hobby he continued on into the 1870s. By the time he published a book of his own compositions, he was the organist and choir leader of his church.

Munk was living in Topeka, Kansas in 1884 when he made his first trip to Arizona to visit his brothers Edward and William on their cattle ranch. He came away from the trip so fascinated by Arizona that he set out to collect every publication he could find on the subject. He wrote articles about Arizona and the Southwest which were published in the same medical journals as his writings on medical topics. In 1892, Munk and his family moved to Los Angeles, where Munk was dean of the California Eclectic Medical College from 1907-1915 and president of the National Eclectic Medical Association in 1910.

About ten years after reaching Los Angeles, Munk decided to open his collection of books to the public and began to seek out a fitting repository. While Arizona was the obvious choice, it was still just finding its footing as a state. Munk’s concerns of access, custodianship, and the lack of a fireproof building led him to decide not to donate the collection to the state of Arizona. Munk kept searching for the proper home for his collection and discussed this with his friend Charles Fletcher Lummis. They shared a concern for the fragility of the Southwestern lifestyle and the desire to preserve its culture.

In 1903, Munk joined Lummis’s newly established local branch of the Archaeological Institute of America, whose ultimate goal was to create the Southwest Museum. In 1907, the Southwest Museum was incorporated into being, and Munk was elected to the Board of Trustees. In 1910, Munk donated his collection, which Lummis named the Munk Library of Arizoniana, to the Southwest Museum. After the University of Arizona built its own fireproof library in 1923, a bid was made to obtain the Munk Library of Arizoniana from the Southwest Museum. The request was denied, so Munk sent all of his collection's duplicates to the university instead. Munk continued to visit his library housed at the Southwest Museum up until his death on December 3, 1927.

From the guide to the J. A. (Joseph Amasa) Munk Papers, Bulk, 1851-1928, 1834-1928, undated, (Autry National Center, Braun Research Library)

James Harvey McClintock was born February 23, 1864 in Sacramento, California, the son of John and Sarah G. McClintock. He left for Phoenix at age 15 to work for his brother, Charles, founder and co-owner of the Phoenix newspaper, The Salt River Herald. In 1881, Charles died suddenly and the newspaper was sold.

McClintock then moved to Tucson to work as a reporter for the Daily Journal, but the paper folded in 1882. McClintock moved on to Globe and became the editor of the Chronicle newspaper. Three years later, he moved to Prescott, where his mother and sister were living and working in a boarding house near Fort Whipple. McClintock took a job as a civilian clerk in the General’s office. He soon headed south to attend the Tempe Normal School and work as a reporter for the Tempe News.

By 1886, James McClintock was serving as Justice of the Peace for Tempe, operating a 160-acre farm, overseeing the building of county roads, and simultaneously working on assignments for newspapers in Tucson, Tempe, Globe, and Prescott. McClintock also became very good friends with the Hayden family, particularly Carl Hayden.

In 1887, McClintock became a member of the first graduating class from the Tempe Normal School. He received his teaching certificate and went to Pleasant Valley where he taught for a short time. McClintock returned to Phoenix in 1890 and opened a news bureau. He also began his twenty-five year career as a correspondent for the Los Angeles Times.

With the outbreak of the Spanish-American War in April of 1898 McClintock helped organize the Arizona troops and was appointed captain of the First United States Volunteer Cavalry which became known as Roosevelt’s Rough Riders. McClintock served with the Arizona Rough Riders in Cuba until he was injured at Las Guasimas. He returned to Arizona with a limp and the title of Major for “gallantry in action.”

He became a member of the Board of Management for the Tempe Normal School and secured a $15,000 appropriation used to build the first dormitory and dining hall.

On June 15, 1900 he married Dorothy G. Bacon, a graduate of Stanford University. Mrs. McClintock’s area of expertise was botany and she made a study of Arizona and the Southwest. She was also one of the founding members of the Woman’s Club of Phoenix and a prominent member of the Arizona Federation of Women’s Clubs.

McClintock had political aspirations, but in 1902 President Theodore Roosevelt appointed him Postmaster of Phoenix, a position he held until 1914. Colonel Jim as he was known also became Colonel of the First Arizona Infantry, a command he held from 1902 to 1910. During this time he also wrote a two-volume history about the State of Arizona entitled Arizona: The Youngest State that was published in 1916.

McClintock served as State Historian from 1919-1922. He was the first Department Commander of the Spanish-American War Veterans, President of the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, President of the Arizona Folklore Society, Secretary of the National Irrigation Congress, and President of the Arizona Archaeological Society. He continued his writings as well as appearing on a series of radio shows. He was re-appointed Postmaster in 1928 by President Coolidge. He retired in December, 1933.

Colonel McClintock suffered a stroke in early 1934. He and his wife moved to United States Soldiers’ Home in Los Angeles where he died May 10, 1934. He was buried with a full military ceremony at the Military Cemetery in Los Angeles.

McClintock Drive, McClintock High School, and McClintock Hall at ASU are named in his honor.

From the guide to the James H. McClintock Photograph Collection, 1860s-1930s, (Arizona Historical Foundation)