The collection contains letters written to John McGuire, chiefly fan letters. The collection also contains one photo (1992 letter from Carl Payne). John McGuire spent five years at the Art Institute of Chicago in the late 1950s with the intent of becoming a painter. Instead, he spent the 1960s through 2005 as a journalist, most of which was spent at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1967-2005). He began writing special interest stories and conducting interviews. In the latter part of his career, he specialized in obituaries. McGuire was beloved by many. He had knack for being a great storyteller, which resulted in his success as a Post-Dispatch feature writer. He was awarded the Riverfront Times’ Best of Award for the Best St. Louis Post-Dispatch Reporter in 2000. McGuire died in his sleep at the age of 71.
