Comments on: Getting the Grant “papers” story right …

By: Tony Gunter

Tony Gunter — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:59:12 +0000

Why is Dimitri convinced he needs to search for clues about the paper’s new home? Marszalek is the president of the association … he’s at MSU … MSU has the facility to house the papers. 2 + 2 = 4, seems like simple math to me.

The better question might be, “why Marszalek?” If I had to guess, I’d say that Simon spent a lot of time here in Mississippi compiling primary sources with the help of state historians, and became personal friends with some of them. I don’t think there’s a lot of mystery behind all this.

By: Tony Gunter

Tony Gunter — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:44:13 +0000

“We have a new clue: Mrs. Marszalek is a political powerhouse in the state.”

Mrs. Marszalek is a run-of-the-mill county official in Starkpatch, that hardly rates as a “political powerhouse.” I live in Mississippi, and I’ve never even heard of her.

By: Brooks Simpson

Brooks Simpson — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:50:51 +0000

I just think someone’s pointing out how the papers made their way to MSU, and that there was a preexisting relationship of some sort. The MSU release is in my mind misleading as to what is now there.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:19:30 +0000

Brooks, have you checked out Dimitri’s latest post on all of this. I don’t know what to make of it. He actually described Marszalek as a “pop historian.”

By: Brooks D. Simpson

Brooks D. Simpson — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 06:48:24 +0000

I think some of the confusion may be due to MSU itself, as well as to the desire of the Ulysses S. Grant Association to make a big splash about this story.

Long ago I made a deliberate decision not to join the USGA, in part so I would not be seen as a “house” biographer. I’ve never had cause to regret that decision. The USGA has always struck me as far different in several ways that the Abraham Lincoln Association, where I serve on the board of directors. I’ll leave it at that.

By: Daniel Sauerwein

Daniel Sauerwein — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 04:04:15 +0000

Thanks Brooks for the clarification.

By: The Abraham Lincoln Observer

The Abraham Lincoln Observer — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:49:44 +0000

Yes, as somebody who has blogged on an associated issue, thanks indeed for the clarification. But in fairness to confused journalists (of which I frequently am one), when the name is “The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant,” it’s hardly jumping to a conclusion to assume that it’s a collection of, um, the papers of U.S. Grant.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:51:11 +0000

Thanks for the clarification, Brooks.