A Bloomington native, Loring C. Merwin served as publisher of the Pantagraph for over three decades. He worked at the family-owned newspaper that was founded by his great grandfather Jesse Fell.
Merwin attended Bloomington public schools and Choate School in Connecticut and earned a BS degree from Harvard University in 1928. He wed Marjorie Sward and the couple raised three children.
Merwin was involved in other media undertakings such as serving as board chair of Bloomington Broadcasting Corporation (with radio station WJBC, etc). Other local involvements included fostering downtown improvement via helping create Bloomington Unlimited in 1969; chairing the city planning commission when the first comprehensive city plan was drawn; founding ParkLands Foundation to preserve open spaces for succeeding generations; and taking leadership roles in a variety of other civic, educational, and historical organizations as well as the Unitarian Church.
Merwin died in 1972 at age 68.
Folders 1-6 of this collection include a selection of materials which his widow, Marjorie Merwin, donated. Newspaper clippings, tributes to ancestors, an encounter with Amelia Earhart and other items comprise her donation.
Folders 7- 11 include additional items, presumably donated by other parties but belonging to Loring Merwin. These include Jesse Fell’s share certificate in the Congregational Society of Bloomington, correspondence to his son Miles, a few early Pantagraph materials, his 1939 speech on newspapers in civic promotion, and more