MacArthur's Desk

[Big Man]

I hope this is the appropriate forum to post this question and pictures. If not, please direct as necessary.


I recently found this old newspaper clipping and old pictures in some family records. My grandfather Dobson was a lumber buyer for Drexel Furniture Company at their Marion, NC plant in the 1930's and 1940's. According to the newspaper article, Drexel Furniture made a desk for Gen. MacArthur. These old photos belonged to my grandfather Dobson, and were in a photo book with a number of other photos of the Drexel Furniture plant in Marion.

This is a close-up of the desk, with the General's name and four stars inlaid into the wood.

This is a photo of the crowd (Drexel employees and family?) at the time the desk was ready to be sent. My grandfather is the officer standing at the end of the desk with his back to the camera (you can see the "CD" arm band on his left arm). Not only was my grandfather the lumber buyer for Drexel, he was also Captain of the local "home guard" during the war. He was a WW I veteran, and took his duties as Captain of the home guard very seriously. I have a "drill book" he kept from the time the guard was organized in Marion until the time it was disbanded after the war. It is interesting reading - but I'm getting off topic with this.

My question is, does anyone know if this desk ever made it to General MacArthur? And, if it did, is it still in existence somewhere?

 

[Dr Doran]

Isn't our friend Diamondback an expert on MacArthur? Or only Patton? Either way, I'd try him.

 

[Diamondback]

Actually, to be honest I've been more a specialist in Mac's brain, but I've been trying to work on the "trappings" as much as the "substance".

Interesting question--I'm pretty sure it didn't go to Tokyo with him (Dai Ichi Insurance has preserved his Tokyo office almost as he left it, as kind of a mini-shrine)

If the desk made it to Australia, it probably would've been installed at his office in Brisbane's AMP Building.
http://www.macarthurmuseumbrisbane.org/Pages/Building.html
Per this link, the Drexel and Brisbane desks look noticeably different, particularly in where the legs are attached--Drexel almost at the corners, Brisbane considerably in from the edges.

Contrary to popular myth, Mac wasn't usually a packrat other than his car (which he had shipped from Australia to the Philippines and Tokyo), but it might have ended up in his Manila office, which I'm having trouble finding location and status of.

If it made it all the way out there and back and survives today, it would almost certainly be in the custody of the MacArthur Memorial & Archives in Norfolk--aside from enough to provide for his wife and son, the General left all of his personal effects to the City for the Memorial's museum collection. At some point I need to contact them anyway to get copies of his Army personnel file and their debriefs of people who knew him, so this question might be a perfect "foot in the door" to initiate contact.

Doran, you flatter me--I would say "specialist", but I'm a long way short of D. Clayton James, William Manchester or Geoffrey Perret and thus apprehensive about the "expert" label.

 

[Dr Doran]

Doran, you flatter me--I would say "specialist", but I'm a long way short of D. Clayton James, William Manchester or Geoffrey Perret and thus apprehensive about the "expert" label.

"Enthusiast"? "Aficionado"? "Lay expert"?

 

[Diamondback]

"Student"? "Scholar"? "Acolyte"? Not sure I qualify for "Disciple" either, but... lol

 

[Windsock]

Beautiful looking desk, however it doesn't appear to be the one used when these shots were taken- i'd sy he needed more real estate;

http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/ozatwar/amp.htm

My first job as a student Architect in the early '80's was on the 8th Flr of MacArthur Chambers- I had no idea at the time how significant that was. I've been meaning to drop into the Museum sometime and check it out. Next time i'm in Brisbane (possibly next week) i'll try to do it and will post pics if it's worth it. From looking at the official website i'm not sure what original stuff they actually have if any.

http://www.macarthurmuseumbrisbane.org/Pages/Building.html

It appears in these pages that it's mostly an interpretation of the spaces.

 

[bobalooba]

fftopic:

Sorry I'm bringing the thread off topic but what does this drill book of your grandfather's have in it?

 

[Big Man]

Thanks for the replies about the desk. I contacted Drexel Furniture Company corporate headquarters, and while they have the story of "the desk" as part of their company history, there are no specifics about the desk. I believe my correspondence to them (with pictures and a newspaper clipping) was the first they had heard from a "primary source".

Who knows if the desk ever made it to MacArthur, but it sure is an interesting story and one that surprised me when I found the original pictures in some old papers of my grandfather.

 

[Big Man]

fftopic:

Sorry I'm bringing the thread off topic but what does this drill book of your grandfather's have in it?

Names and addresses of the men in the home guard company, when they joined (and if they were dismissed and why), their rank, their shirt, pants, and hat size, and what equipment was issued each man. There is also an accounting of what was done at each meeting (drill, manual of arms practice, etc.). He made notes of what equipment and supplies the guard received, either through issue, purchase, or donations.

One interesting notation was about the company having collected enough money to take a bus to Raleigh (the state capital) to participate in a parade for former NC Governor Clyde R. Hoey.

In general, his drill book contains a lot of information that would be of specific interest to local historians and genealogist. I'm considering donating it to our local library or local history museum; as it has way more "public value" than it does "sentimental value".

 

[dhermann1]

I believe I saw his 1940 or 41 Buick limo for sale in Australia not too long ago. It was in typical ragged conditiion inside, but eminently restorable.
Being an Eisenhower fan I'm not quite the Mac idolator that some people are.
But there are plenty who say he was the one truly preeminent military genius among all the allied generals.

 

[Jedburgh OSS]

MacArthur's 1942 Packard

Here's a great story on how his car was almost lost to history. This is an article from 1976 about how it happened in 1968. Another example of how the wrong people are in possession of the right things, and the wrong heirs are related to the right people.

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/...arthurs-1942-packard-and-see-through-pontiac/

 

[cmjordan77]

Desk

Hi,
Do you still live in or around Marion? My family is from Spruce Pine and most of the family works around BAXTER's. Do you know when the Drex. Furniture plant closed down? That was the main staple for jobs in that area for quite some time.
Now, regarding the desk, I have a similar desk as I am creating a "WWII room" with an original desk, WW2 office items, etc..
You might go to the SMITHSONIAN, I remember reading somewhere that one of MAC's items was there, I cant remember if it was his desk though.
I honestly believe they have a picture of it there. I will dig and see if I can find more information of where I read this. I found an article on this when I was google'ing for a WWII Desk. I found a picture of MAC's desk (not like the article you have), but his actual desk. Who knows, it may have been the same. I swear I think it was at the SMITHSONIAN!

Thanks

 

[Big Man]

Hi,
Do you still live in or around Marion? My family is from Spruce Pine and most of the family works around BAXTER's. Do you know when the Drex. Furniture plant closed down? That was the main staple for jobs in that area for quite some time. ...

I'm about five miles from Marion. Drexel Plant #2 in Marion closed in 2004. The Drexel Furniture plant, along with the Broyhill Furniture plant (that burned in the 1970's), Marion Manufacturing and Clinchfield Mill (both textile plants)are all gone now. All these plants were major employers for this area. The Baxter plant (medical supplies) is still going strong, and employees a number of local/area folks.

I received a note back from Drexel's corporate headquarters with some follow-up information that suggested the desk (from the Marion plant) did reach the General, but may have made its way back to Marion at some time. I think I'll pass this story off to the local newspaper for them to follow-up on. It should be a story of local interest. If anything more comes of it, I'll post the results here.

 

[Treetopflyer]

Interested

I live in Norfolk and I have been meaning to go to the MacArthur Memorial. This gives me an incentive to go and look for that desk.

 

[Big Man]

I live in Norfolk and I have been meaning to go to the MacArthur Memorial. This gives me an incentive to go and look for that desk.

That would be good. If the desk isn't there, may be they would at least have some information. and, if not, possibly they would be interested in what little we know now ...

Let us know what you find out.

 

[CigarMan]

Very interesting story . . . would like to see how it pans out. Keep us all posted.

 

[Treetopflyer]

No Desk

I stopped by the Memorial the other day when I was downtown Norfolk and they had one of his old desks, just not the one you have pictured. They even have his staff car from when he was in Japan in the early 50’s. They do have a web site, so maybe you could write them and find out if they have any info on it. They do have a lot of his personal belongings. I am sure they have more stored somewhere off site. The museum was very interesting and I learned a lot about the General.

 

[Big Man]

I stopped by the Memorial the other day when I was downtown Norfolk and they had one of his old desks, just not the one you have pictured ...

Thanks for the update. I'm working on an article for the local newspaper to ask if anyone is still around that has any knowledge of what happened with the desk. Should I find out anything interesting, I'll post it here.

 

[Big Man]

The desk has been found.

Well, actually I guess it never was lost, just that I found where it has been all this time.

It appears that, try as hard as they could, the employees of Drexel Furniture couldn't get the desk to Gen. MacArthur. So, the desk was auctioned off as part of a War Bond drive (I guess that was what the picture of the crowd was). It appears that a local banker in Marion got the desk at this auction and kept it in his office till he retired. The desk then went to his home where it remained for the next 50 or so years until his widow donated it to the Carson House (a local historic site/museum) several years ago.

The Carson House is about 6 or 7 miles from where I live, so the desk has been right under my nose all this time. [huh] I haven't had a chance to go by to see the desk yet, but when I do I'll take them the old pictures I have and donate them for their display. I'll also get a picture of the desk as it is now and post it here.

Looks like this "mystery" has been solved. :eusa_clap

 

[John Wright]

The desk has been found.

Well, actually I guess it never was lost, just that I found where it has been all this time.

It appears that, try as hard as they could, the employees of Drexel Furniture couldn't get the desk to Gen. MacArthur. So, the desk was auctioned off as part of a War Bond drive (I guess that was what the picture of the crowd was). It appears that a local banker in Marion got the desk at this auction and kept it in his office till he retired. The desk then went to his home where it remained for the next 50 or so years until his widow donated it to the Carson House (a local historic site/museum) several years ago.

The Carson House is about 6 or 7 miles from where I live, so the desk has been right under my nose all this time. [huh] I haven't had a chance to go by to see the desk yet, but when I do I'll take them the old pictures I have and donate them for their display. I'll also get a picture of the desk as it is now and post it here.

Looks like this "mystery" has been solved. :eusa_clap