Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published
Chief Executive Officer of Lee Enterprises Mr. Nathan Bekke Chairman David Hoffman
Dear Mr. Bekke, Mr. Hoffman,
I understand you are both beginning a new chapter in the leadership of Lee Enterprises. Because moments of new leadership often provide an opportunity to look at long-standing issues with fresh eyes, I hope you might consider one that has remained unresolved for over seven years.
The matter I am writing about predates your leadership. Rather than revisiting past decisions, I hope to present an opportunity—one that I believe would benefit Lee Enterprises, the Arizona Daily Star, the University of Arizona, the broader public, and, I believe, history itself.
For nearly four decades I had the privilege of serving as the editorial cartoonist for the Arizona Daily Star. During those years I preserved virtually every original drawing I created, together with thousands of related historical materials, correspondence, political memorabilia, research materials, awards, and artifacts documenting Arizona’s political and journalistic life. The collection now includes more than 10,000 original cartoons and an extensive archive of related materials.
For many years, the University of Arizona Library’s Special Collections has expressed enthusiastic interest in preserving this collection as part of Arizona’s historical record. Their mission is to preserve such collections, so they remain available to future scholars, students, journalists, historians, and citizens.
Unfortunately, the donation has remained unresolved because of questions surrounding reproduction rights. While I have always understood and respected Lee’s interest in protecting whatever intellectual property rights it believes are appropriate in the published cartoons, the result has been that this important historical collection remains unarchived and stored in my home rather than preserved in a professional archival environment.
I believe there is a practical solution that respects everyone’s legitimate interests.
Rather than asking Lee Enterprises to relinquish any rights it wishes to retain, I hope the company would consider permitting the donation under an agreement that distinguishes between commercial publishing rights and customary archival use. Lee could retain whatever commercial rights it believes appropriate while allowing the University to reproduce images for normal scholarly, educational, exhibition, and archival purposes.
Such an approach would protect Lee’s interests while allowing the collection to fulfill the educational purpose for which archives exist.
There is another consideration that I hope you will find useful.
Because this collection has never been professionally archived or inventoried, no one, including Lee Enterprise, knows the full historical significance of what it contains. Beyond the original cartoons are decades of correspondence, unpublished materials, political artifacts, editorial history, and documentation of Arizona public life. Until archivists examine and catalog the collection, its full historical value simply cannot be known.
Archives do not preserve collections because every item is already known to be important. They preserve them because no one can know which letters, sketches, photographs, or artifacts future generations will find indispensable. The responsibility is not simply to protect what we already value, but to ensure that history can decide for itself.
In that sense, this collection is not merely a body of artwork. It is part of Arizona’s journalistic and civic history.
Editorial cartoons have long served as a visual record of public debate. Newspapers create the first draft of history, and editorial cartoonists preserve another dimension of that history through images that capture the issues, personalities, and public sentiment of their time. Universities preserve such collections because they become valuable resources not simply for art historians, but for students of journalism, politics, culture, and civic life.
The Arizona Daily Star gave this work its audience for nearly four decades.
I remain deeply grateful for that privilege. Preserving this collection at the University of Arizona would honor not only my career, but also the newspaper that published the work and the community it honorably served.
An opportunity
I believe this presents an opportunity for Lee Enterprises to resolve a long-standing issue with generosity and foresight. By supporting the donation while preserving any limited rights the company wishes to retain, Lee would demonstrate its commitment to journalism, scholarship, and the preservation of our shared history. The beneficiaries would be Lee Enterprises, the Arizona Daily Star, the University of Arizona, future scholars and students, the citizens of Arizona—and history itself.
Should Lee Enterprises wish to do so, I would be honored if this collection could be presented not simply as my gift to the University of Arizona, but as a joint gift from Lee Enterprises and me.
It seems fitting that both the creator and the newspaper that published the work be recognized together in preserving this record of Arizona’s civic and journalistic history. Such a gesture would honor not only one employee’s career, but also the enduring legacy of the Arizona Daily Star itself.
I cannot imagine a more fitting way to begin a new chapter in Lee Enterprises’ history than by ensuring that an important chapter of Arizona’s history is preserved for those who will study it long after all of us are gone.
Long after we are gone, students, historians, journalists, and citizens will continue to study Arizona’s history. They will form their own understanding of our times from the records we choose to preserve today.
I hope this collection can be preserved in a way that reflects well on everyone involved and ensures that an important chapter of Arizona’s journalistic history remains accessible to future generations.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this proposal with you or with whomever you believe appropriate.
Thank you for your time, your consideration, and your willingness to take a fresh look at an opportunity that offers the chance to leave a lasting legacy—for Lee Enterprises, for the Arizona Daily Star, for the University of Arizona, and for history itself.
Yours sincerely,
David W. Fitzsimmons
When I contacted the good humans at the University of Arizona Special Collections I was delighted to find their enthusiasm about my potential donation remains intact and unwavering.
Thankfully, the same attorney who handled this issue before is still in the the University of Arizona’s Office of General Council representing the University.
I have been told Lee’s Chief Content Officer, Jason Adrians, is on the case.
A prominent First Amendment Attorney has offered me pro bono assistance if needed—because he is a Saint.
The National Cartoonists’ Society, The America Association of Editorial Cartoonists and the Arizona SPJ, Society for Professional Journalists, are following this story and have expressed support.
A number of media outlets have asked for interviews. I’m withholding comment for the moment.
I am blessed with good friends.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.