Neill Macaulay Collection

Collection

Identifier: Ms Coll. 133

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The collection is comprised of eight series: 1. Correspondence; 2. Publications and Writings; 3. Papers, Talks, Lectures, and Notes; 4. Material on Cuba; 5. Personal Documents; 6. Miscellaneous; 7. Scrapbooks and Photos; 8. Audiovisual Material.

The Correspondence series is one of the most important groups because it documents Neill Macaulay's participation in the Cuban Revolution, his family life at Finca Nancy, his political activism, his close connections with Cuban people, and his academic life. An interesting item from this section is a typewritten copy of a letter that Neill Macaulay wrote to Fidel Castro. The letters from Macaulay and his wife Nancy to their relatives and friends are also significant because they illustrate their life in Cuba.

The Publications and Writings series includes drafts, correspondence, and publications of academic material and informal articles. It also includes unpublished memoirs on Macaulay's youth and on life in Cuba, as well as correspondence related to the publication of Macaulay's books. The Papers, Talks, Lectures and Notes series includes student papers, unpublished material, interviews, and contact lists. These files document Macaulay's continuous invitations to give talks on Latin American affairs to U.S. military colleges and academies during the Cold War era. Of special interest in this series are rosters of the participants in the Frente Guerrillero de Pinar del Río, Neill Macaulay's column during the 26th of July Movement.

The Material on Cuba series includes assorted material such as newspaper clippings, articles, and other publications regarding Cuba. A remarkable item is a bound copy of the Liberty editions of Bohemia magazine made expressly for members of the 26 of July Movement with a dedication to Neill Macaulay from René González Novales "El Rubio." The series on Personal Documents includes identification cards and other documents, mostly related to life and business in Cuba. The Miscellaneous series includes material relating to affairs in Florida, such as the death of Councille Blye, and the trial and execution of Ted Bundy.

The photos and videos included in the last two series provide a magnificent testimony of Macaulay and the Pinar del Río column in the 26th of July Movement, and of the life of the Macaulay family in Cuba during 1959 and 1960. The Scrapbook and Photos series includes the photographs that Neill Macaulay took while he fought with the 26th of July Movement as well as some photographs of his trips to Cuba in the 1990s and 2000s. The Audiovisual Material series includes Nancy's home movies from Cuba, several videos that Macaulay made in the 2000s, a filmed interview with Neill Macaulay that Glenn Gebhard conducted in 2007, a filmed interview with Nancy Macaulay that Lillian Guerra, Christopher Woolley, and Margarita Vargas-Betancourt conducted in 2012, notes that Lillian Guerra made on Glenn Gebhard's footage, and a transcription of Glenn Gebhard's interview.

Dates

Creation: 1954-2005

Creator

Macaulay, Neill, 1935-2007. (Person)

Language of Materials

Includes materials written in Spanish and English.

Access

University Archives collections are available for research. Portions of the collections may be restricted due to the requirements of applicable state and federal laws, including but not limited to FERPA and HIPAA, and in accordance with best practices as defined by the Society of American Archivists.

Usage Restrictions

Materials from Series 5, 6, 7, and 8 (Personal Documents, Miscellaneous, Scrapbooks and Photos, and Audiovisual Material) have several restrictions. The photos related to the 26th of July Movement and life in Cuba (Box 9, folders 4 and 9-15, and Box 10), and Nancy's home movies (Box 9, folder 16) may not be reproduced or duplicated without explicit permission from Nancy Macaulay until December 31, 2025. Glenn Gebhard's interview with Neill Macaulay may not be reproduced or duplicated without explicit permission from Glen Gebhard (Box 9, folder 17).

Biographical/Historical Note

Neill Macaulay (1935-2007) was born in Columbia, South Carolina. He earned a B.A. in history from The Citadel in 1956, and then went to Korea on military duty. Upon his return, he joined Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement. After the Revolution, Fidel Castro granted land in Pinar del Río (near San Cristóbal) to Macaulay and his wife Nancy. On this land, named Finca Nancy, they raised tomatoes and cucumbers primarily for export to the U.S. In 1960, when Castro moved towards communism Macaulay grew disenchanted and moved his family back to the U.S. In 1962, Macaulay obtained an M.A. in history from the University of South Carolina, and in 1965, a Ph.D. in history from the University of Texas. He was professor of Brazilian History at the University of Florida from 1964 to 1986 when he retired. In 1991, Macaulay went back to Cuba for academic research and to reestablish contact with his former friends.

He was a prolific scholar with a keen interest in Cuba, the Caribbean, and the rest of Latin America. His numerous publications include The Sandino Affair (1967), The Prestes Column: Revolution in Brazil (1974), Dom Pedro: the Struggle for Liberty in Brazil and Portugal, 1798-1834 (1986), and his memoirs of the Cuban Revolution: A Rebel in Cuba (1970, 1999).

Extent

6 Linear feet (14 boxes)

Additional Description

Abstract

Correspondence, publications, writings, lectures, notes, talks, photographs, and scrapbooks of University of Florida Emeritus Professor of Latin American history Neill Macaulay. Also includes interviews with Macaulay and his wife Nancy Macaulay.

Physical Location

University of Florida Smathers Library Building

Alternate Form of Finding Aid

This guide is available in Spanish at https://www.uflib.ufl.edu/findingaids/Spanish/mscoll133.pdf.

Acquisition Information

Nancy Macaulay donated most of this material to the University of Florida in 2008. Soon after, Glenn Gebhard donated the filmed interview that he conducted with Neill Macaulay in 2007. In 2012, Lillian Guerra donated the filmed interview to Nancy Macaulay that she, Christopher Woolley, and Margarita Vargas-Betancourt conducted in the summer of 2012 and a transcript of Gebhard's 2007 interview with Macaulay.

Related Material

The Neill Macaulay Collections includes the transcript of an interview of Manuel Ray regarding William Morgan. A more extensive interview conducted by Lillian Guerra can be found at the Manuel Ray Oral History Collection.