Darling, Jay N. (Jay Norwood), 1876-1962

Journalist and tireless advocate for preservation of the environment, Jay N. "Ding" Darling (1876-1962) spent the majority of his career working as an editorial cartoonist for the Des Moines Register. Twice awarded the Pulitzer Prize for syndicated editorial cartoons he drew almost daily between 1900 and 1949, in 1934-1935 he headed what is now the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, created the Federal Duck Stamp Program which has since restored thousands of acres of wet lands, and in 1936 founded the National Wildlife Federation.

From the description of Papers of Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling, 1897- 1920-1962. (University of Iowa Libraries). WorldCat record id: 220910265

Huey Pierce Long was born on August 30, 1893, in Winnfield, La. He briefly attended the University of Oklahoma School of Law in Norman, Okla., and later Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, La. He practiced law in Winnfield and later in Shreveport, La. Long was a member of the Louisiana Railroad Commission (later the Louisiana Public Service Commission) (1918-1928), governor of Louisiana (1928-1932), and U.S. Senator from Louisiana (1932-1935). Charismatic and immensely popular for his social reform programs, Long was accused by his opponents of dictatorial tendencies for his near-total control of the state government. He was shot on September 8, 1935, at the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge and died two days later at the age of 42.

From the description of Huey P. Long cartoon, 1935 Sept. 6. (Louisiana State University). WorldCat record id: 188885731

American political cartoonist.

From the description of Jay N. Darling cartoon, undated. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 754869076

Cartoonist.

From the description of Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling letter to Will Owen Jones, 1919 Oct 14. (University of Virginia). WorldCat record id: 648014738

Newspaper cartoonist and conservationist.

From the description of Letters, 1914-1954. (University of Iowa Libraries). WorldCat record id: 122571625

Biographical/Historical Note

American political cartoonist

From the guide to the Jay N. Darling cartoon, undated, (Hoover Institution Archives)

Jay N. “Ding” Darling (1876-1962) was an American editorial cartoonist, wild life artist and conservationist.

Born on October 21, 1876, Jay Norwood Darling grew up in Michigan and Indiana before his family moved to Sioux City, Iowa. As a child, Darling was interesting in drawing and art but did not consider it for a career. Darling spent a year at Yankton College in South Dakota (1894) and enrolled at Beloit College the following year where he drew caricatures for the college yearbook. Darling left Beloit but returned to graduate in 1900.

Darling worked at the Sioux City Journal for six years as a reporter and he also drew caricatures and cartoons for the paper. In 1906, Darling took a job with the Des Moines Register and Leader where he had more artistic freedom. He spent two years in New York City pursuing syndicated cartooning but returned to the Des Moines Register and Leader in 1913. After another stint in New York City, he returned yet again to the Des Moines Register and Leader in 1936 and retired in 1949.

A prolific cartoonist, Darling won a Pulitzer Prize in 1924 for his cartoon “In Good Old USA” and again in 1943 for his cartoon “What a Place for a Waste Paper Salvage Campaign”. He was also a strong proponent of conservation and helped found the Cooperative Wildlife Research Center at Iowa State University. He studied the migration of waterfowl and through an appointment by President Franklin D. Roosevelt served for a brief period as the chief of the U.S. Biological Survey. In this role, he helped to expand the nation's wildlife refuge system and was instrumental in starting the Duck Stamp program. He also helped establish the National Wildlife Federation and was elected its president in 1936.

Jay N. "Ding" Darling suffered a stroke in 1961 which left him partially paralyzed and he died on February 12, 1962. His conservation work is remembered through the J.N. Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, Florida which was established in 1965.

From the guide to the Jay Darling Collection, 1926-1945, (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)