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(updated June 13, 2012)
The Media History Archives is one most rapidly expanding collection components in the Center and reflects the Center’s partnership with the University’s College of Communication. The Media History Archives includes the papers of media professionals, the archives of media industries, the archives of photojournalists, and special-focus collections on media issues. The Media Archives contribute to the curriculum of the College of Communication by supporting teaching and research initiatives. College courses, such as those in Development Communication, build from these unique resources. In addition, faculty and students utilize these collections for their individual research projects.
Collections in the Media History Archives are available at the Center’s Research and Collections Division located in Sid Richardson Hall Unit 2 on the main University campus in Austin. Some collections in the Media History Archive carry copyright and/or donor restrictions.
Media History Archives includes:
- The Archives of Media Professionals
- The Archives of Photojournalists
- The Archives of Media Industries
- Special-Focus Collections on Media Issues
- The Texas Newspaper Project
The Archives of Media Professionals
The records of media professionals provide a rare opportunity to explore the conditions contributing to media production. These collections illustrate the individual talents, professional norms, and organizational pressures of the people working to create and disseminate media texts. Numerous collections document the careers of prominent journalists, filmmakers, and television professionals.
Edward J. Angly Scrapbooks, ca. 1940s–1950s. (5 in.)
Two scrapbooks of newspaper correspondence of Angly, World War II war correspondent and UT student, class of 1919. One scrapbook contains original news clippings and the other contains photocopies.
Harry Atwood Film Collection, 1949–1995. (3 ft., 6 in.)
Selected short documentary films, available in VHS and DVD formats, by award-winning documentary filmmaker Harry Atwood. Films include The Great Unfenced (1963), about a cattle station in the outback of western Australia; Paths in the Wilderness (1976), concerning the missions of Padre Kino in southern Arizona and northern Mexico; and High on the Wild (1987), impressions of the Alaska wilderness and its dramatic landscape. The collection also contains Atwood’s notes relating to each film and on-location photographs and recordings.
Robert Baskin Collection, 1917-1983. (1.5 ft.)
Composed of newspapers, correspondence, articles, school and military records, political memorabilia, and photographs, the Robert Baskin Collection, 1917-1983, documents the journalism career of Baskin as well as his childhood and military service. As chief of the Dallas Morning News Washington, D.C., bureau from 1960 to 1972, Baskin covered Presidents Eisenhower through Ford, traveling with them on international trips and even riding in John F. Kennedy’s motorcade at the time of his assassination in Dallas. During his 30 years at the DMN, Baskin also reported on the Supreme Court, the U.S. Congress, and Texas state politics, and he continued writing syndicated columns after his retirement from the Dallas Morning News in 1977.
J. Gail Borden, Jr. Papers, 1830–1910, 1932–1937. (6 ft., 8 in.)
Account books, contract books, pamphlets, scrapbooks, newspapers, biography, letterpress books, correspondence and microfilm holdings documenting the career of J. Gail Borden, Jr. (1801–1874), surveyor, inventor, newspaperman, businessman, and agriculturist. Of special interest are papers relating to Borden’s activities as a surveyor for Stephen F. Austin and as founder in 1835 of the Telegraph and Texas Register at San Felipe. Borden and partners Thomas Borden (his brother) and Joseph Baker published the newspaper in San Felipe until March 1836, in Harrisburg in April 1836, in Columbia from August 1836 to April 1837, and in Houston in May and June 1837. Borden sold his partnership in the Telegraph to Jacob W. Cruger in June 1837.
John Henry Brown Papers, 1691–1951. (28 ft.)
Materials documenting the life and career of pioneer historian, newspaper editor, soldier, and legislator John Henry Brown (1820–1895). Brown spent most of his early years as a journalist and newspaperman; in his later years he divided his time between political duties and historical writing and editing. Portions of the papers relate to his work as a newspaperman on the Victoria Advocate (1846), Indianola Bulletin (1848–1854), Galveston Civilian (1854), and the Belton Democrat (1859).
Chester Burger Papers, 1921 to present. (19 ft., 6 in.)
Documenting Chester Burger’s personal life and professional career in television, public relations, and consulting through scrapbooks, videotapes, notes, and printed materials. Burger worked at CBS from 1941 through 1954, in radio, as a “visualizer” in television news from 1946 to 1948, as a news editor from 1948 to 1952, and as national news film manager until 1954. Of special interest are Mr. Burger’s scrapbooks spanning 1921 to 1995 and containing letters and ephemera reflecting his involvement in the early development of CBS television news.
Bo Byers Oral History Collection, 1992. (14 items.)
The Bo Byers Oral History Collection includes six tapes of oral history interviews with Bo Byers conducted by Kathie Anderson, transcript summaries of the tapes, biographical background information written by Byers, Anderson’s paper, “Bo Knows: Fifty Years of Texas Journalism”, her introduction to the project, and a computer disc of the introduction and summaries. The collection pertains to Byers’s life and career as a journalist and bureau chief.
Ron Calhoun Papers, 1957-1990. (15 ft.)
Calhoun’s papers are composed of background research material including notes, correspondence, statistics, election returns, newspaper clippings, press releases, newsletters, and original newspaper morgue files from the Dallas Times Herald. All were used by Calhoun as a reporter and editor for the Times Herald.
Steve Carlin Papers, 1950–1954. (50 ft.)
Documenting Carlin’s career in television entertainment for both children and adults during the 1950s, including the popular children’s show “The Rootie Kazootie Club” on NBC. The collection contains near complete documentation of show “The Rootie Kazootie Club,” including correspondence, scripts, contestant files, and advertising, and documents Carlin’s pioneering work in marketing spin-off products from television shows.
Katherine Pollard Carter Papers, 1921–1986. (2 ft., 4 in.)
Collection of scrapbooks, news clippings, correspondence, and printed material relating to Katherine Pollard Carter’s career in journalism and public relations, particularly in Houston in the 1920s. She was employed consecutively as ad manager for The Woman’s Viewpoint, Assistant New Business manager for Houston Land and Trust Co., and in public relations for Will Hogg’s Forum of Civics, a civic improvements promotional organization. During this time she also served as publicity chairman for the American Bank Women’s convention held in Houston and helped found the Women’s Flying Club‚ of Houston. Carter’s personal correspondence files concern her religious and political interests.
Henry Cassirer Papers, 1936–2005. (24 ft.)
Containing tapes, photographs, research and project files, literary manuscripts, and scrapbooks documenting Cassirer’s life and career as a CBS executive in the 1940s, including as editor-in-chief for CBS News, and his association after 1952 with UNESCO as director of mass media in education. Materials reflect Cassirer’s pioneering role in developing several CBS network innovations, including the presentation of television news and the integrated approach to television reporting. Henry R. Cassirer served as CBS foreign news editor from 1940 to 1944. In 1945 Cassirer became the nation’s first full-time news and picture editor for CBS New York television station WCBW (later WCBS).
Mike Cox Papers, [ca. 1910s], 1938, 1953-1955, 1968-1991. (1 ft., 7 in.)
The Mike Cox Papers document Cox’s research and writing as a journalist and historian. The papers include research, interview notes, and clippings that Cox accumulated as a staff writer at the Austin American-Statesman concerning the University of Texas board of regents and student government (1975, 1978); Texas fish, parks and wildlife (1953-1980); Austin elections (1976-1979); and Texas penitentiaries (1938-1979), among other topics. Additionally, Cox gathered notes and clippings related to West Texas history and military forts (1964-1983) and general Texas history while writing about the state.
Walter Cronkite Papers, 1932–2007 (287 ft.)
Papers include scripts, correspondence, research files, photographs, film, videotape, and printed materials, as well as Cronkite’s oral history life memoir. A transcript produced from taped interviews with Cronkite made by Briscoe Center director Dr. Don Carleton in 1990–1993 served as the basic text for Cronkite’s published memoir A Reporter’s Life (1996). The papers document Cronkite’s career as a United Press wire reporter and war correspondent before joining CBS in 1950 as the network’s Washington correspondent and news anchor at WTOP-TV. In 1962, Cronkite became the managing editor and anchor of The CBS Evening News, a position he held until his retirement in 1981.
Mary Evelyn Moore Davis Papers, 1860–1976. (2 ft., 6 in.)
Papers concern literary career, social and family life of Mollie or M.E.M. Davis, author of two volumes of poetry and twelve novels, which alternate between Texas and New Orleans settings, and “Under Six Flags,” a school textbook history of Texas. Included are manuscript drafts of books and articles, poems, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, correspondence, books and pamphlets, financial and legal records, business cards, photographs, and broadsides. Of special note are two Confederate broadsides.
Edward Musgrove “Ted” Dealey Papers, 1945–1963. (4 in.)
Collection relates to Ted Dealey (1892–1969) during his tour as a World War II correspondent aboard the battleship Missouri at the time of the Japanese surrender and to his writing as publisher and chairman of the board of the Dallas Morning News. Consists of photocopied typescript of World War II diary, Photostat of the Missouri deck log, printed material, correspondence, news clippings, and a photograph.
Adolph Douai Papers, 1819–1910. (4 in.)
Papers reflecting the life and career of German-born Carl Daniel Adolph Douai (1891–1888), writer, editor, and educator, including his work on the German-language newspaper the San Antonio Zeitung, founded in 1852. The bulk of the collection consists of Douai’s autobiography and typed translation.
Allen Duckworth Papers, 1944–1962. (1.5 ft.)
This collection contains notes, drafts of articles, newspaper clippings, political pamphlets, photographs, press releases, correspondence, and other items documenting Allen Duckworth’s career as the political editor for the Dallas Morning News. Nicknamed the “Senator” for his physical bearing and his prominence in the field of political reporting, Duckworth was said to have traveled with every presidential candidate during his time as political editor.
Dominick Dunne Papers, 1944–2009. (109 ft.)
The Dominick Dunne Papers, 1944–2009, are comprised of manuscript and article drafts, published works, audio and video recordings, correspondence, trial research, publicity clippings, and personal papers such as legal documents, contracts, and address books and photographs. The Dunne Papers are organized into four series: Professional Papers, Published Works, Personal Papers and Works by Others.
John Henry Faulk Papers, 1881, 1936–1990. (60 ft., 5 in.)
Materials documenting the career of John Henry Faulk (1881–1989), noted Texas folklorist, entertainer, and author, and target of the blacklist during the McCarthy years. The collection includes extensive files relating to Faulk’s blacklisting experience and his legal case that interrupted his burgeoning career in radio and television broadcasting. Fired in 1957 by CBS for his alleged Communist associations, Faulk sued for libel, then endured a long legal battle before the case was decided in his favor in 1962. The Faulk Papers are supplemented by The John Henry Faulk v. AWARE Inc., Case Records (13 ft.) containing the complete documentation of the suit undertaken on Faulk’s behalf by famed trial attorney Louis Nizer.
Sue Flanagan Papers, 1942–1990. (6 ft., 10 in.)
Correspondence, subject files, research notes, drafts, photographs, negatives, slides, albums, and a scrapbook relate to Flanagan’s career as an author, photographer, and journalist. The bulk of the papers concerns Flanagan’s work on “Sam Houston’s Texas” and includes correspondence, research notes, a bibliography and an index, drafts, letters of permission, records of her photography trips, photographic material, and a list of her pictures arranged on a timeline of Sam Houston’s life.
John Salmon Ford Papers, ca. 1836–1892. (1 ft., 8 in.)
Ford’s memoirs of his life (1815–1897) as soldier, elected official, and newspaper editor. Ford served as editor of Austin’s Texas Democrat and later went on to establish Austin’s State Times, published in Austin from 1852 to 1857. In 1868 Ford moved to Brownsville, where he edited the Brownsville Sentinel.
Paul Henry Freier Papers, 1890–1981. (21 ft.)
The Paul Henry Freier Papers, 1890-1981, contain the research files, photographs, newspapers and newspaper clippings, charts, maps, 21 audio cassettes, periodicals, pamphlets, and notes generated by Freier while researching his “Lookin’ Back” articles and compilation book.
Fred Friendly Oral History Interview, 1994. (2 in.)
Dr. Lewis Gould conducted an interview with Friendly, former president of CBS News and producer of several award-winning documentaries. Interview has not been transcribed.
Evelyn Peyton Gordon Papers, 1866–1964. (3 ft., 2 in.)
Correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, literary productions, and personal papers of Evelyn Peyton Gordon, society columnist for the Washington Daily Times from the 1930s to the 1960s.
Shad Graham Papers, 1949–1970. (11 in.)
Filming records of documentary film maker Sharack Edmond Graham (1896–1969). Collection contains shorting records and lists of businesses in several small towns, such as Muskogee, Oklahoma, Baytown, Texas, Roswell, New Mexico, and Casper, Wyoming, where Graham made “Our Home Town.”
Jack Ludlow Gould Family Papers, 1812, 1844–1850, 1867, 1892, 1901–1919, 1930–1993. (4 ft., 2 in.)
Clippings, correspondence, photographs, and memoranda documenting Gould’s career as a television critic and journalist for the New York Times from 1937 to 1972, where he covered show business, radio, and television. Gould’s reporting and criticism in the nation’s most influential newspaper made him an important force as television evolved following World War II. His weekly Sunday column addressed many controversial issues affecting the new media, including censorship, the blacklist, and the social responsibility of broadcasters.
Martha Washington Crawford Harpold Scrapbook, 1888-1892, 1934. (1 vol.)
Scrapbook containing newspaper and magazine clippings of the writings of Harpold (1852–1934), an immigration agent and literary writer for the Fort Worth and Albuquerque Railroad as well as a contributor to several Texas periodicals. She wrote under the pen name “Irene” and Irene, Texas was named in her honor. She was a charter member of the Texas Woman’s Press Association.
Houston Harte Papers, 1940–1971. (13 ft.)
Correspondence, papers, and 23 volumes of scrapbooks documenting the work of Houston Harte (1893–1972), newspaperman. Harte purchased the San Angelo Evening Standard in 1920, and in 1927 he, in partnership with Bernard Hanks, formed Harte-Hanks Communications. In 1972 the chain consisted of one television station and nineteen newspapers, including the Abilene Reporter-News, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, and the San Antonio Express and Evening-News.
Walter C. Hornaday Papers, 1919-1970. (7 ft., 1 in.)
Newspaper clippings, correspondence, photographs, printed materials, and ephemera comprise the Walter C. Hornaday Papers, 1919-1970, documenting Hornaday’s career as a writer for the Dallas Morning News. Clippings concern national, state and local politics; Texas history and famous Texans; the assassination of President Kennedy (1963); and the United Nations (1945). Correspondence includes personal letters, cards, business, and legal papers. Printed materials and ephemera relate to World War I veterans’ reunions and benefits and the Texas Centennial Exposition, and also contain personal invitations; cards; publications; a map; programs; and political material relating to the Conference on International Organization (1945), Presidents Eisenhower and Truman, and the Yalta Conference (1948).
Molly Ivins Papers, 1936, 1950–present. (75 ft.)
Correspondence, diaries, newspaper columns, literary manuscripts, publicity, speeches, reports, research materials, printed materials, and audio and video cassettes documenting the personal and professional life and career of this Texas author and journalist whose newspaper columns appeared in the Dallas Times Herald from 1982 to 1993 and who wrote a syndicated column for Fort Worth Star Telegram until her death in January 2007.
Pearl Cashell Jackson Papers, 1883, 1891-1935. (3 in.)
The Pearl Cashell Jackson Papers, 1883, 1891–1935, contain correspondence, broadsides, literary productions, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, postcards, and photographs and relate to Jackson’s activities as a writer and member of the Texas Press Women’s Association (TPWA). Clippings include passages from her book Texas Governors’ Wives, describe events of the TPWA, and pertain to Jackson’s personal interests and hobbies. Additionally, the collection details Jackson’s travels in Europe, North Africa, the Near East, and the United States.
Robert C. Jeffrey Papers, 1945–2000. (14 ft.)
Classified files documenting the professional career of Robert C. Jeffrey, former dean of the University of Texas College of Communication.
Laurence Jolidon Papers, 1987-2002. (56 ft.)
Correspondence, research notes, notebooks, copies of military and government documents, media pool reports, news clippings, printed material, maps, articles written by Jolidon, photographs, audio and video cassettes, and files for book Last Seen Alive. The bulk of Jolidon’s research relates to prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action during the Korean War. There is also a significant amount of material concerning the Gulf War of 1991 and military actions in Bosnia during 1996.
Rudolph Kleberg Papers, 1829–1966. (5 ft., 8 in.)
Correspondence, letterpress book, literary works, diaries, scrapbooks, printed materials, legal materials, financial records, maps, and photographs concerning Kleberg, a politician, newspaperman, and attorney who founded and edited the Cuero Star, a weekly newspaper from 1873–1876. Kleberg published outspoken editorials criticizing the violence that marked DeWitt County during Reconstruction.
[Charles Kurault] “An American Moment” Collection, 1996–1999. (7 in.)
Video tapes, scripts, segment summaries, and promotional materials relating to the short syndicated TV segments “An American Moment,” narrated by the late Charles Kurault.
Mary Lasswell Papers, 1880–1984. (13 ft., 2 in.)
Research materials, notes, manuscripts, typescripts, page proofs and galley proofs, general correspondence, and fan correspondence, legal and financial records, diaries, worksheets, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings and photographs relating to the career of Mary Clyde Grayson Lubbock Lasswell Smith, novelist, biographer, and newspaper columnist. Lasswell was known particularly for her books in the “Suds” series. Lasswell was editorial columnist for the Houston Chronicle during the 1960s. Her book, I’ll Take Texas, called attention to natural areas in Texas such as Padre Island and the Big Thicket.
Arthur Lefevre Collection, 1882-1968. (64 ft., 7 in.)
Collection contains personal correspondence with Texas newspapermen as well as publications and newspaper clippings. These clippings shed light on numerous press associations, the oil industry, and government officials. Arthur Lefevre, Jr. (1890-1968) was an industrial publications editor for Texaco.
Dave McNeeley Papers, 1984–present. (ca. 33 ft.)
Printed material, research and reference files, audio cassettes, videotapes, correspondence, and newspaper clippings assembled and generated by Dave McNeeley, political editor with the Austin American-Statesman.
Sig Mickelson Papers, 1930–1994. (30 ft.)
Research materials, speeches, correspondence, audio and video tapes, photographs, film, and literary productions reflecting Mickelson’s career as a broadcast executive and educator and his interest in telecommunications legislation, the role of television in politics, and the impact of television on public policy. Sig Mickelson held positions at CBS for nearly twenty years beginning in 1943. When CBS News became an autonomous corporate division in the mid-1950s, Mickelson became its first president.
Les Midgley Papers, 1936–2002. (4 ft.)
Correspondence, memoranda, articles, scripts, drafts, financial and legal documents, and research files, which illuminate the newspaper and television news career of Les Midgley. Primarily concerning Midgley’s tenure as executive producer at CBS News, the collection includes memoranda from Frank Stanton, Richard Salant, and others about special projects, programming, and Nielson ratings as well as from NBC about his transition from CBS. Articles, correspondence, news story drafts and scripts, and research materials document his numerous television shows and news reports about the Vietnam War, the banking industry, President John F. Kennedy’s assassination and the Warren Report, and his years with “The Evening News” with Walter Cronkite.
Richard M. Morehead Papers, 1903, 1922–1995. (51 ft.)
Correspondence, photographs, books, political cartoons, and research files documenting the career of award-winning journalist Richard M. Morehead, longtime Capitol Bureau reporter, bureau chief, and columnist for the Dallas Morning News. The collection reflects Morehead’s coverage of a wide range of public issues, including education, civil rights, court reform, and oil and gas.
Bill Moyers Papers, 1971–2010. (185 ft.)
The Bill Moyers Papers document the career of broadcast journalist Bill Moyers in four series. The first series, “NOW with Bill Moyers” (2002–2004), contains a nearly complete set of back-up tapes along with extensive press files made up of viewer responses, rating reports, and clippings. The second series, “Bill Moyers Journal” (2007–2009) includes back-up tapes and the show’s press files ordered by episode. The final series, Public Affairs Television (1971–2006), consists of press files of clippings and viewer responses about other programs Moyer hosted or produced, such as “Genesis”(1996), “On Our Own Terms” (2000), “Trading Democracy” (2002), and “Becoming American”(2008). Also present are speeches, notes, assorted personal correspondence, and responses from viewers supporting Moyers’ 2008 presidential campaign.
Alexander N. Murphree Papers, 1953–1955. (4 ft., 1 in.)
Composed of correspondence, financial records, manuscripts of poetry and articles, notes, a daybook, newspaper and magazine clippings, and photographs, the Alexander N. Murphree Papers, 1953–1955, document Murphree’s career as journalist for the Denver Post.
James Pearson Newcomb, Sr., Papers, 1835–1941. (7 ft.)
Correspondence, letterbook, notebooks and scrapbook, journals and diaries, speeches and reports, business, political, and legal documents and newspaper clippings reflecting the career of James P. Newcomb, newspaper publisher and journalist. A Union supporter, Newcomb was forced to flee Texas for California by way of Mexico during the Civil War. After the war he returned to Texas, served in the Reconstruction government, founded and wrote for newspapers in the San Antonio area, (the Ledger, the Herald, and the Express) and was a leader in state Republican politics.
Jack Newfield Papers, 1964–2004. (approx. 191 ft.)
Newspaper clippings, correspondence, notes, legal documents, drafts, manuscripts, galley proofs, diaries, appointment/date books, annotated books, audiovisual material, and photographs comprise the Jack Newfield Papers, 1910, 1932–2005 (bulk 1964–2005), and document Jack Newfield’s career as an investigative journalist and author. Newfield’s research files compose the bulk of the papers and consist mainly of annotated newspaper clippings and correspondence. The series concerning Newfield’s writings documents the creation and development of his articles, speeches, and books as well as his involvement in various radio, television, and film projects.
Edith H. Parker Papers, 1922–1984. (2 ft., 10 in.)
Manuscript, typescript, printed, pictorial and cartographic materials concerning the career of Edith Parker, journalist, political aide, and history professor. Parker worked for the Washington Herald as a reporter, librarian, and assistant editor from 1931 to 1934, then worked for Tom Connally, U.S. Senator from Texas, from 1934 until 1943. In 1946 Parker entered the University of Texas at Austin as a graduate student in history under the direction of Walter Prescott Webb; she wrote her Ph.D. dissertation on land grants for education in Texas.
John M. Pope Papers, 1950–1996. (7.5 in.)
Born in 1948, John M. Pope earned a B.A. and M.A. in history from the University of Texas at Austin. Inspired by the experiences of humorist and broadcaster John Henry Faulk, Pope’s master’s thesis focused on the issue of blacklisting in broadcasting during the Second Red Scare. Research notes, clippings, edited drafts, a bound volume of his thesis “Trial Without Jury: Blacklisting in Broadcasting,” telephone interview notes, and correspondence with several victims of blacklisting comprise the Master’s Thesis series. Newspaper articles written by Pope for the New Orleans Times-Picayune during the 1970s and 1980s comprise the Journalism Career series.
Harry Reasoner Papers, 1944–1999. (43 ft.)
Correspondence, news reports, financial records, publications, transcripts, photographs, audio and videocassettes, 16 mm motion picture film, newspaper clippings, and an FBI File comprise the Harry Reasoner Papers, 1944–1999, documenting his career as an American journalist and author.
Dewitt C. Reddick Papers, 1952–1963. (8 ft.)
Research materials, classified files, literary manuscripts, and notes of journalist and UT journalism professor Dewitt C. Reddick (1904–1980). Reddick began his reporting career with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and the Austin American-Statesman in 1924. He became an instructor in UT’s Department of Journalism in 1927 and served as director of the School of Journalism from 1959 to 1964. Reddick wrote or co-authored many books, including Journalism and the School Paper (1938), Modern Feature Writing (1949), and Industrial Editing (1962).
Andy Rooney Papers, 1942–1945, 1957, 1964–1994. (ca. 3 ft.)
Correspondence, radio and television scripts and transcripts, research, memorabilia, newspaper columns, articles, books, and photographs, documenting the Rooney’s career as a pioneer of network television, author, producer, television commentator, and humorist whose spoken essays have closed TV’s top-rated news magazine series 60 Minutes each Sunday evening since 1978. The collection includes original scripts for and transcripts of various Rooney radio and television broadcasts from 1964 to 1991, including his CBS News specials and network broadcasts, his segments on Sunday Morning, and, from 1978 to 1991, his commentaries for 60 Minutes; copies of his twice-weekly newspaper column for Tribune Media Services, which appears in 200 newspapers across the country; and a set of his Stars and Stripes columns from 1942 to 1945, which he wrote while a GI reporter covering the European theater during World War II. Copies of his numerous books, including The Fortunes of War: Four Great Battles of World War II (1962), Word for Word (1986), Sweet and Sour (1992), and A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney (1981), which became a No. 1 best-seller, are also in the collection.
Morley Safer Papers, 1995–2009. (9 ft.)
Original news scripts, research files, correspondence, memoranda, photographs, the manuscript of his 1990 book “Flashbacks: On Returning to Vietnam”, and videos compose the Morley Safer Papers, 1952-2009, documenting Safer’s journalistic career, including his reporting in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967 and work for the CBS program “60 Minutes” from 1970 to 2009. Scripts of stories filed from Poland, Berlin, and London chronicle his tenure with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation prior to joining CBS News. Of particular interest are documents related to Safer’s coverage of the burning of the village of Cam Ne by U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War, broadcast during the August 5, 1965, edition of the “CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite”. Materials from Safer’s work on the CBS program “60 Minutes” include segment transcripts and videotapes.
Ben Sargent Papers, 1974-2011. (19 ft.)
The Ben Sargent Papers comprise an exhaustive compilation of editorial cartoons created during Sargent’s tenure at the Austin American-Statesman (1974–2009). The collection consists largely of original artwork as well as negative transparencies used for publication. Also included are letters to Sargent from readers and requests for original artwork, mostly from notable Texas and national political figures.
Philip Scheffler Papers, 1955–2004. (33 ft., 9 in.)
Research and editing records, interview transcripts, show scripts, expense itemizations, speeches, legal correspondence and memoranda, and professional correspondence for news broadcasts and documentaries produced for the CBS Corporation document Scheffler’s work on the popular news program 60 Minutes from 1971–2003. Also included are files relating to unaired programs about the tobacco industry, which span 1989–1996 and include research materials and interview transcript for a story about Jeffrey Wigand, the former vice president of Brown and Williamson Tobacco Company who exposed the company’s practice of not disclosing the health risks of cigarettes.
Steven Singer Papers, 1966-2000. (4 ft.)
Papers reflect the career of news reporter and producer Steven Singer and include research and production material for numerous television news segments and newspaper articles. Singer worked for the Houston Chronicle, and reported and produced for KERA (PBS) in Dallas, CBS Reports, 60 Minutes, ABC News, 20/20, Nightline, CNN, ESPN, and others. Topics include the Academy Award-nominated program “The Killing Ground,” CNN special report on “Border Babies,” reports on nuclear and chemical weapons and waste, and newspaper clippings from Houston, Dallas, Boston, Nyack, NY, and Riverside, CA.
Liz Smith Papers, 1982–2009. (30 ft.)
The Liz Smith Papers document her career as a gossip columnist for several prominent New York City newspapers and the development of her books. The collection contains original newsprint and typewritten columns published in the New York Daily News, New York Newsday, Newsday, and the New York Post; materials related to Smith’s books “Natural Blonde” and “Dishing”; books by other authors; publicity and event files; charity files; scrapbooks about her career and audiocassette interviews conducted by Smith with celebrities.
Smoot-Graham Family Papers, 1811–1968, 1986, 1987. (21 ft.)
Family correspondence, business papers, legal and financial documents, scrapbooks, diaries, and photographic materials relating primarily to the Smoot family of Austin. Materials document the work of Asher Graham Smoot (1869–1915), journalist, editor, and manager of the Austin Statesman and cofounder of the Austin American in 1914.
Paul J. Thompson Papers, 1919–1963. (28 ft., 10.5 in.)
Papers document career of long-time professor and director of the University of Texas School of Journalism, 1919 to 1958. The papers include correspondence, academic records, specifications for the School of Journalism building, and files on Texas Student Publications and the Daily Texan. Also present are Thompson’s files for his book “Professional Responsibilities in Journalism” about ethics in journalism.
Robert Trout Papers, 1930-2003. (67 ft.)
Scripts, transcripts, notes, correspondence, clippings, ephemera, photographic material, sound recordings, and artifacts document Trout’s career in network broadcasting. Included are Trout’s chronological files on his radio and television appearances (1931–1992), which contain scripts, correspondence, clippings, network promotional materials, and such ephemera as tickets and press passes. Also included are files documenting Trout’s writing and media projects, his correspondence with colleagues and the public, reference files pertaining to his work and interests, personal and publicity photos, and Trout’s collection of tape and disc recordings.
Frieda Werden Papers, 1968–1997. (ca. 24 ft.)
Papers of Werden, poet and journalist, editor and publisher, talent agent and performer, radio talk-show host and producer, feminist and gay activist, including correspondence, literary productions, notes, and printed materials. The collection also contains photographic materials, audio cassettes, and video cassettes concerning poetry readings, women’s art, and radio program production.
Rosella Horowitz Werlin Papers, 1928–1984. (3 in.)
Collection concerning the career of Houston writer Rosella Werlin (b. 1905) and her activities in the Houston and Galveston Jewish communities includes correspondence with Henry Cohen and other rabbis, photocopies of Werlin’s writings and of features about her, family biographical information, and photographs. Additional Werlin papers can be found at Galveston’s Rosenberg Library.
Joseph and Shirley Wershba Papers, 1936–2004. (70 ft., 11 in.)
Audio and video tapes, television program scripts, film, transcripts, photographs, research notes, correspondence, and ephemera reflecting the Wershbas’ careers in broadcast news, journalism, and broadcasting. The collection contains extensive program files documenting important topics in contemporary American society and the lives of many of the newsmakers of the day. Joseph Wershba worked at CBS both in radio and television, producing such award-winning programs as See It Now and 60 Minutes. As a producer of CBS’s 60 Minutes for more than twenty years, Wershba produced some one hundred program segments, including the Emmy-Award winning “What Happened in the Tonkin Gulf.” Shirley Wershba joined the radio news division of CBS in 1944 and in the 1960s and 1970s worked as a producer for programs such as ABC’s News with a Woman’s Touch, the PBS’s MacNeil/Lehrer Report, and CBS’s 60 Minutes.
Palmer Williams Papers, 1945–1966, 1975–1994. (2 ft.)
The Palmer Williams Collection documents Williams’s career in broadcast news with CBS and primarily reflects political issues, social issues, and events between 1951 and 1985. The collection consists of videocassettes, research material, broadcast transcripts, logs, program blue sheets, printed material, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, notes, correspondence, and a photograph. Newspaper clippings and memorabilia depict the influence of CBS News, programs in which he participated, and his career specifically. Much of the collection contains Williams’s research material and program files relating to the stories he produced. Newspaper articles and a videocassette also discuss Edward R. Murrow, who played an influential role in the development of broadcast news. Several of the videocassettes are original broadcasts that correspond to research material in the collection.
Walter B. Wilson Collection, 1895–1939. (13 ft., 3 in.)
The Walter B. Wilson Papers include letters, diaries, and scrapbooks, and relate to daily occurrences in McKinney and the surrounding area. The Methodist Church, Rotary Club, and the Chamber of Commerce figure prominently in the papers. In addition, the papers document the Populist and Prohibition movements in Collin County during the early 20th century. Furthermore, the papers include morgue files of the Weekly Democrat and the Daily Courier, which were printed by Wilson. The scrapbooks contain original newspaper clippings and articles from the Standard, the McKinney Messenger, the Weekly Enquirer, the McKinney Gazette, and other papers.
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The Archives of Photojournalists
The negative and print archives of former and current photojournalists contains the record of local, regional, national, and international events that document our past and present.
Eddie Adams Photographic Archive, circa 1950-2004. (163 ft.)
Slides, negatives, prints, and audio and video materials spanning Adams’ entire career with the U.S. Marine Corps, the Associated Press, Parade magazine, and as a freelance photographer. The collection features Adams’ coverage of the Vietnam War, including “Saigon Execution,” his Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of General Loan executing a Vietnamese prisoner in 1968. Additional content includes “Boat of No Smiles”, Adams’ series on Vietnamese refugees after the war; coverage of conflicts in Korea, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Cyprus, Ireland, Lebanon, and Kuwait; celebrity portraits; a wide variety of feature assignments; and manuscript materials.
PF Bentley Photographic Archive, 1979-2001. (29 ft.)
35mm negatives, contact sheets, prints, and color transparencies from Bentley’s political, domestic and international news assignments. Politicians documented in the archive include Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, Bob Dole and Bill Bradley.
Dennis Brack Photographic Archive, 1967–1999. (50 ft.)
Slides, contact sheets, negatives, and prints spanning nearly 35 years of the photographer’s career as a photojournalist and commercial/advertising photographer. Subject matter includes U.S. Presidents from Johnson to Clinton, government officials, military operations, human interest stories, entertainment, and other key events of national and international scope.
Matthew Brady Photographs, ca. 1860s. 14 prints.
Photographic prints depicting the United States Civil War, including Union and Confederate soldiers and officers, as well as various locations in the American south. Matthew Brady and his studio are credited with the unprecedented documentation of the war through early adoption and adaptation of photographic techniques.
Bob Brister Papers, 1946–2005. (11 ft., 1 in.)
Publications, manuscripts, and photographs documenting the career of writer, journalist and photojournalist Bob Brister. Longtime Outdoors Editor of the Houston Chronicle, he worked with other organizations as an advocate for conservation and responsible outdoor sportsmanship. His journalistic and photographic work documents extensive travel, primarily for hunting and fishing.
J. B. Colson Photographic Collection, 1997–2000. (1 ft.)
J. B. Colson, Professor Emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, studied documentary film before coming to UT in 1968, where he inaugurated the photojournalism program. The collection contains lecture slides from photojournalism courses as well as photographic and manuscript materials from assignments by University of Texas photojournalism students on UT buildings and other subjects.
Clifton C. and Vilia Edom Collection, 1872–2006 (bulk 1932–2006). (25 ft., 8 in.)
Correspondence, photographs, publications, teaching materials and ephemera documenting the career of Clifton C. Edom, an educator who played a prominent role in the development of the field of photojournalism. Taking the work made for the Farm Security Administration as a model, Edom and his wife, Vilia, advocated for the intellectual advancement of photography as journalism. Working from the University of Missouri-Columbia, they created the Pictures of the Year contest, the Missouri Workshop, and the Kappa Alpha Mu photojournalism society. The collection includes correspondence with Roy Stryker and Russell Lee, as well as material relating to the Edom’s daughter, Vme, who continued their work in promoting photography.
Arthur Grace Photographic Archive, 1974–1989. (12.5 ft.)
Slides, photographic prints, contact prints, and manuscript material from the photographer’s freelance work and assignments with Newsweek and Time magazines. The collection’s subject matter documents national issues of the late 1970s and 1980s, including presidential and political campaigns and events, nuclear power, papal visits, the Olympics, the women’s liberation movement, movie premieres, and foreign affairs.
Dirck Halstead Photograph Collection, 1955–2001. (approximately 500,000 images)
Black and white and color prints, negatives, transparencies, internegatives, slides, and manuscript materials by Dirck Halstead, Senior White House Photographer and photojournalist for Time magazine. Halstead is internationally known for his work covering the great events of the latter half of the 20th century, including the Vietnam War and U.S. presidencies from Nixon through Clinton. His archive additionally features a database with over 3,000 text listings of assignments that Halstead photographed during his career, and 1,000 images scanned from his archive linked to these assignments.
Darryl Heikes Photographs, 1960–2001. (32 ft.)
Transparencies, negatives, contact sheets and prints from Heikes’ career as a photojournalist, including his work as a feature, sports, and spot news photographer for UPI and as a White House photographer for U.S. News and World Report. The archive serves as a rich and extensive visual documentation of the political and social history of the United States from the 1960s through 2001, with a particular emphasis on the nation’s presidents from Carter to Clinton.
Shel Hershorn Photograph Collection, 1953–1973. (approximately 100,000 images)
Photographic negatives, prints, contact sheets, tear sheets, color transparencies, publications, and other materials produced by Hershorn and documenting his career as a photojournalist. Based in Dallas, Hershorn’s work for BlackStar publishing, Life, Time, and Sports Illustrated features a number of Texas-themed photographs, including images of the state’s businesses and industries, hurricanes, sports figures, politicians and personalities.
R. C. Hickman Photographic Archive, 1945–1970. (13 ft.)
Primarily comprised of 4″ x 5″ negatives photographed by Hickman for newspapers (Dallas Star Post and the Express), magazines (Jet), and the NAACP. The archive documents the social history of African Americans in Dallas during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Topics covered include news events, segregation, nationally popular entertainers and local nightclubs, schools and universities, funerals, and notable Dallas citizens.
Bruce Hoertel Photographic Archive, circa 1945-1989. (7 ft.)
Prints, slides, and negatives taken by the photographer for The New York Times, Newsweek, Fortune, and the Associated Press. Collection strengths include Washington politics, news stories, celebrities and U.S. presidencies from Truman to Reagan. Additional items include related publications, correspondence, clippings, press releases and artifacts.
Cynthia Johnson Photograph Collection, 1980-2001. (approximately 130,000 photographs)
Approximately 120,000 35mm slides, a small number of 35mm color and black and white negatives, over 12,500 small format prints, and 225 8″ x 10″ prints created by the photographer, a contributor to Time, Newsweek, and People magazines as well as the Official Photographer to Vice President George H. W. Bush. The archive focuses on American politics, with particular emphasis on American presidents and presidential candidates from Carter to Clinton at press conferences, in meetings with international leaders, taking part in domestic and foreign events, and at political conventions.
David Hume Kennerly Photographs, 1966– . (approx. 60 ft.)
Photographic prints and contact sheets by the Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer during every phase of his career, documenting many historically significant events of the late 20th century. One of the most widely-respected photojournalists of his generation, Kennerly’s images cover the Vietnam War; Watergate and the final days of the Nixon presidency; the Ford White House, where he served as the President’s personal photographer; Desert Storm; and the Clinton-Gore presidential campaign. Kennerly, who is currently senior photographer for Newsweek magazine, has committed the prints and negatives resulting from his current and future freelance work to the Briscoe Center.
Russell Lee Photograph Collection, 1935–1977. (3,639 photographic prints; 708 slides; 27,047 photographic negatives; 5 color transparencies)
Documentary photographer Russell Lee worked for the Farm Security Administration from 1936 to 1942 and remained active in the field of documentary photography until 1977. The Briscoe Center’s collection consists primarily of Lee’s work after he left the federal government in 1946. Major series include a study of Spanish-speaking people of Texas (1949–1952), the Italy portfolio (1960), documentation of the campaigns of Texas senator Ralph Yarborough, and other community activities and industrial operations in Texas and the American Southwest.
Calvin Littlejohn Photographic Archive, circa 1948–1993. (33 ft.)
Approximately 70,000 film negatives and 55,000 prints providing a comprehensive portrait of the African-American experience in Fort Worth and Tarrant County from the era of segregation through the 1990s. The archive chiefly consists of Littlejohn’s professional work including studio portraits, group portraits at social gatherings, church services, school events, birthday parties, and weddings.
Wally McNamee Photographic Archive, circa 1955–2000. (85.5 ft.)
Color and black and white slides, film negatives, transparencies, and prints that demonstrate the remarkable variety of people and events documented by McNamee during his professional career for the Washington Post and Newsweek magazine. Primarily assigned to the White House and Washington politics, McNamee photographed every president from Dwight Eisenhower to George W. Bush. Other collection strengths include Washington politicians, celebrity portraits, the American Bicentennial, the Iran-Contra affair, the nuclear disaster at Three Mile Island, and the lifestyles of everyday Americans.
Carol Spencer Mitchell Photographic Archive, 1975–2007. (9 ft.)
This collection spans the career of photojournalist Carol Spencer Mitchell and chronicles important world events from the 1970s to the 1990s, including the refugee camps of the Gaza Strip, historic meetings between world leaders, the hijacking of the Achille Lauro, and dignitaries such as Yassar Arafat, Anwar Sadat, and King Hussein of Jordan. Her photographic work is preserved in 46 notebook binders of slides as well as other small caches of slides and contact sheets. Also included are related papers and documentation.
Matthew Naythons Photographic Archive, circa 1972–2000. (6,800 transparencies; 1,000 negatives; 3,200 prints; 15 ft. paper records; 30 videotapes; ca. 400 CDs and DVDs; 5 hard drives)
This archive consists of materials from both Naythons’ career as a photojournalist (1972–86) and his later work as a publisher/producer (1986–present). With work published in Time, National Geographic, Newsweek, Life, and the Sunday Times of London, Naythons’ photographs document the fall of Saigon, the Yom Kippur War, the Nicaraguan revolution, and the aftermath of the Jonestown massacre, among other turbulent political events of the late 1970s. His production work documents different medical cultures around the world (and other cultural differences worldwide), medical dilemmas in times of war, educational techniques and religious mission work.
Lucian Perkins Photographic Archive, 1979–2001. (14 ft.)
35mm color and black and white negatives, medium format transparencies and contact sheets by Lucian Perkins, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and staff photographer for the Washington Post for 27 years. Subjects covered in the collection include Russia; the first Gulf War; poverty in Washington, D.C.; high fashion; and wars and refugees in Bosnia, Sarajevo, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Palestine. Documentation of Interfoto, the organization Perkins founded to promote the work of Russian photographers, is also included, along with magazines, clippings, catalogs and promotional materials featuring the photographer’s work.
Bruce Roberts Photograph Collection, 1949–1980. (10,000 images.)
Roberts is one of the leading documentary photographers in the South during the four decades following World War II. He worked for the Charlotte Observer from 1958 to 1978, then became Director of Photography for Southern Living magazine, a position he held until his retirement in 1992. His documentary photographs, many of which were published in magazines such as Life, Look, Sports Illustrated, and Time, document lunch counter sit-ins, a 1956 Elvis Presley concert in Florida, a hand-drawn ferry operating on the Suwanee River, country doctors working in remote areas of Appalachia, and Head Start teachers in North Carolina.
Robert Runyon Photograph Collection, 1907–2008. (21 ft.)
Glass plate negatives, lantern slides, nitrate negatives, prints, postcards, correspondence, and business records generated by Robert Runyon, a photographer who documented the South Texas border region during the early part of the 20th century. The collection’s subjects include urban life in Brownsville and Matamoros, political events in Mexico and the Mexican Revolution, studio portrait photography, the Valley land boom, and local botany.
Flip Schulke Photographic Archive, circa 1950–2003. (approximately 300,000 photographs)
Color slides, negatives, and prints by Flip Schulke, one of the nation’s premier photojournalists for more than 40 years and widely recognized as one of the leading chroniclers of the Southern civil rights movement. The collection contains all of the photographer’s civil rights work, as well as his underwater and space flight images, and acclaimed photographs of Jacques Cousteau, Fidel Castro, John F. Kennedy, and Muhammad Ali/Cassius Clay. Also included is a portfolio on the Berlin Wall.
Dick L. Swanson Photographic Archive, 1959–1994. (approximately 15,000 images)
Film negatives, photographic prints, and positive transparencies of images taken by Dick L. Swanson during his career as a photojournalist for four major employers: Time magazine, Life magazine, People magazine, and Black Star Publishing. Coverage includes some of the major international events and figures of the late 20th century, including the Vietnam War and its aftermath and state and national political campaigns beginning in 1974.
Margaret Sandahl Thomas Photographs, 1880, 1966 – . (1 ft. papers, 24,000 images)
Personal papers, photo negatives, mounted exhibition boards, prints, published photographs, and slides reflecting both Margaret Sandahl Thomas’s work as a photojournalist for the Washington Post and her freelance activities in the Virginia area. Thomas worked as a White House Photographer during the Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Bush presidencies. The collection also includes the results of various other Post story assignments, depictions of metro-Washington D.C., as well as coverage of fox hunting and the blooded-horse farms of Virginia.
Diana Walker Photographic Archive, circa 1975–2000. 105 ft. (approximately 200,000 photographs)
Transparencies, prints, and negatives by Diana Walker, hired as a contract photographer by Time magazine in 1979 and the magazine’s primary White House photographer from 1984–2001. Walker covered the campaigns and administrations of the Reagan, Bush, and Clinton presidencies for the magazine. The archive additionally includes photographs of print and broadcast journalists Walter Cronkite, Bob Woodward, Roger Mudd, I. F. Stone, Juan Williams and others; prominent figures in the arts such as Stephen Spielberg, Sophia Loren, and Lena Horne; and business leaders including Steve Jobs and Lee Iacocca.
Stan Wayman Photographic Archive, circa 1945–1979. (23 ft.)
Color slides, negatives, photographic prints, and published materials from Stan Wayman, a photojournalist for the Miami Herald and Life magazine. Selected subjects include Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon; politicians Hubert Humphrey and Edmund Muskie; Russia; and animals. The collection also contains manuscript materials, including correspondence and notes pertaining to Wayman’s career.
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The Archives of Media Industries
Media industries produce the cultural texts of our times. Archives chronicling the publication of newspapers and magazines and the broadcast of television and radio offer insights into historical shifts in political and public agendas; the records of industry organizations illuminate the process of cultural production.
CBS Evening News Archive, 1962–1981. (75 ft.)
News scripts, memoranda, publicity materials, photographs, view mail, and miscellaneous materials generated during the years in which Walter Cronkite served as managing editor of CBS Evening News, 1962–1981. Restricted access. This collection may not be viewed without the written permission of CBS. Consult reference staff for further information.
Dallas Morning News Kennedy Administration Editorial Records, 1961-1963. (3 ft.)
The Dallas Morning News Kennedy Administration Editorial Records, 1961–1963, document the public response to the paper’s editorials on President John F. Kennedy’s Administration, conservative advertisements in the paper related to Kennedy Administration policies, and the assassination of President Kennedy. In addition to newspaper clippings and pages, the collection consists of over 3,500 letters, telegrams, and telephone messages to DMN editors and staff, primarily to the paper’s publishers, Joe and Ted Dealey.
Freie Presse für Texas, 1866–1946. (24 ft., 2 in.)
Correspondence, legal papers, memoranda, financial records, galley proofs, and broadsides produced by the state’s largest German-language newspaper. Published in San Antonio from 1866 to 1946, Freie Presse für Texas was produced in daily, weekly, and tri-weekly editions throughout the nineteenth century. All extant issues of Freie Presse für Texas have been microfilmed by the Center’s Texas Newspaper Project.
Houston City Magazine Records, 1978–1986. (6 ft. 3 in.)
Print and negative photographs and slides associated with articles published in Houston City Magazine from 1978 to 1986.
Houston Post, Washington D.C. Bureau Collection, 1963–1995. (14 ft.)
Clippings and various files, especially relating to Texans in Washington D.C., as maintained by the Houston Post in its Washington D.C. Bureau office.
The New York Herald Tribune Newspaper Morgue, 1910–1967. (15 million clippings)
Newspaper morgue consisting of approximately 1.2 million biographical and subject files of clippings from the newspapers created in 1924 from the merger of the New York Herald with the New York Tribune. The collection also includes files from the New York Tribune morgue (1900–1924) and the World Journal Tribune (1966–1967). Subjects and persons covered include politics at the local, state, national, and international levels, sports, New York culture, and society, theater, and the arts, and major events of the day.
The New York Journal American Newspaper Morgue, ca. 1924–1966. (13 million clippings).
Newspaper morgue consisting of approximately one million biographical and subject files of clippings compiled by the staff of William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal American. Includes clipping files for all individuals and subjects covered by the Journal American as well as a separate sections for files on VIPs and the City of New York.
The New York Times Newspaper Morgue, ca. 1924–1988. (15 million clippings)
Newspaper morgue consisting of classified subject files of clippings from the nation’s newspaper of record, the New York Times. The collection also includes clippings from national magazines and other New York-area newspapers. Collection strengths include national and international politics, economic news, daily events, theater, and the arts.
Newsweek Magazine Research Archive, ca. 1933-1996. (3000 ft.)
Research archive of approximately 3000 linear feet of biographical, subject, and organizational files, which include newspaper and magazine articles, government reports, annual reports, reporter’s files, and ephemera. A variety of sources are represented in the archive for the 63-year clipping period. Newsweek, Time, New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal are the major sources.
Texas Observer Records, 1952–2004. (160 ft.)
Arranged into five series, the Texas Observer Records comprises newspaper clippings, correspondence, memos, photographs, cartoons, legal files, and research and business records, documenting the operations of the prominent, independent newspaper, the Texas Observer. The series are Research files, Editor/Publisher files, Office/Business files, Editorial files, and Additional Materials.
Texas Press Association Archive (now called the Texas Professional Communicators Records), 1880–1942. (2 1/2 in.).
Organizational records relating to the Texas Press Association, a statewide professional organization of weekly, semi-weekly, and daily newspapers published in the state of Texas. The purpose of the association is to provide a forum for discussions concerning the newspaper community and to speak out on issues of public concern. The Center’s collection includes proceedings of the annual meetings from 1880–1887.
Texas Professional Communicators Records, 1909–. (7 ft., 4 in.)
Succeeds Texas Women’s Press Association and Texas Press Women organizations. See collection descriptions listed under those names.
Texas Film Collection, 1940–1984. (ca. 800 items)
Lobby cards, posters, distributor’s pressbooks and presskits, screenplays, and photographic stills documenting more than 145 films relating to Texas. Those films include, Buckaroo Sheriff of Texas, The Streets of Laredo, The Texan Meets Calamity Jane, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Bonnie and Clyde, and Gunslingers.
Texas Women’s Press Association Archives (now called the Texas Professional Communicators Records), 1909–. (7 ft., 4 in.)
This collection consists of historical files composed of minutes of Board meetings, resolutions, reports, publicity, convention records, code of ethics, by-laws and amendments, newsletters and clippings, and scrapbooks.
Trackdown Television Series Archives, 1957–1959. (8 in.)
The collection includes twenty-one television scripts written by Jack Robinson for the 1957–1959 television series Trackdown. Set in the Southwest during the 1870s, Trackdown detailed the adventures of a mythical Texas Ranger, Hoby Gilman. Many of the stories told in the series were adapted from cases in the files of the Texas Rangers. Also included are author’s notes with annotations on eighteen of the episodes.
UT/KUT Longhorn Radio Network Records, 1961–1984. (71 ft.)
Master recordings of programs recorded by radio station KUT at the University of Texas at Austin. Programs included are U Forum and University Speakers, consisting of University and guest lecturers, symposia and special conferences which focus on a broad range of social and scientific subjects. Other major series include Black Studies Lectures; Inquiring minds, a report on campus academic activities; Texas Weekly, a review of political activity in Texas; John Henry Faulk, a political and folk humor commentary; Latino USA, a weekly review of Spanish speaking people in the United States; and Stardate, an informative series on astronomy.
University of Texas Student Publications Records, 1895–1994. (ca. 300 ft.)
Images of, or relating to, the University of Texas at Austin, generated by Texas Student Publications, Inc., and predecessor organizations for use in publications such as The Daily Texan, the Cactus, Alcalde, and The Ranger. The early photographs are arranged by subject; later accessions are arranged chronologically by format.
W.I.N.G.S. Archive (Women’s International News Gathering Service), 1955–1997. (46 ft.)
Correspondence, printed materials, newsletters, newspapers, notes, financial records, reports, diaries, literary productions, photographs and audio tapes documenting the development and work of W.I.N.G.S., a feminist-oriented broadcast news service. W.I.N.G.S. was founded in 1986 by radio journalists Katherine Davenport and Frieda Werden, who produced and co-anchored the monthly syndicated public radio newscast, WINGS.
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Special-Focus Collections on Media Issues
Media constitute a pervasive force in our society, contributing to social change, economic development, and political debate. Collections concerning media issues examine the critical roles media play in our society.
Development Communication Archive, 1960–1994. (363 ft.)
Project descriptions, project records, policy papers, research, photographs, slides, audio and video tapes, chronicling the field of development communication since 1960. These development projects have been implemented all over the world, using a variety of communication technologies, in the fields of health, population, nutrition, agriculture, economic development, and the environment. The collection formerly was sponsored by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
National Issues Convention Records, 1995–1996. (6 ft.)
Planning and operations implementation materials, publicity and news coverage, volunteer and interview files, issues and polls files, and videocassettes associated with the National Issues Convention held at the University of Texas at Austin in January 1996.
National Television Violence Study, Austin Site, Records, 1994–1996. (120 ft.)
Videocassettes of all television programming recorded during an entire week in each of the years 1994, 1995, and 1996 for a statistical study of depictions of violence on American television.
Ellen A. Wartella Papers on Children and the Media Collection, 1976–1993. (approx. 20 ft.)
Bibliographic research materials created and assembled by Dr. Ellen A. Wartella, dean of the University of Texas at Austin College of Communication, concerning children and television.
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The Texas Newspaper Project
Alexis De Tocqueville, the sage and insightful commentator on early nineteenth-century American life and culture, recognized the value of newspapers when he wrote, “The only historical remains in the United States are the newspapers; if a number be wanting, the chain of time is broken and the present is severed from the past.” The Briscoe Center’s Texas Newspaper Project helped ensure that this important documentary chain remains intact.
The Texas Newspaper Project (TNP) was the Briscoe Center’s grant-funded effort, 1990 to 2000, to preserve and provide access to Texas newspapers. TNP was the Texas component of a nation-wide preservation initiative known as the United States Newspaper Program, a program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress that aims to ensure access to newspapers published in the United States beginning in the eighteenth century. Originally based at the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum in Canyon, Texas, TNP surveyed newspapers in 957 separate repositories in Texas, then cataloged and entered more than 9,000 individual newspaper titles, including 5,400 Texas titles, into OCLC, a computer information network that serves libraries nationwide. As a result, researchers have ready access to information on the existence and location of historical newspapers in Texas repositories.
In 1990 the project moved to the Briscoe Center to begin microfilming Texas newspapers. The TNP assembled runs of selected newspaper titles for microfilming from Briscoe Center for American History collections, as well as from repositories around the state. By the project’s conclusion, it had microfilmed more than one million pages of newsprint published by 200 Texas newspapers. All of the preservation-quality microfilm produced by the project may be viewed in the Briscoe Center’s Winkler Study Room or borrowed by anyone in the United States via interlibrary loan. Microfilm duplicates may also be purchased from the Briscoe Center for a nominal fee.
The Briscoe Center for American History newspaper collection houses extensive runs of newspapers published primarily in Texas and the South. Total holdings number more than 5,100 titles, including more than 3,000 Texas titles, making this the largest Texas newspaper collection in existence. In addition, the Briscoe Center houses newspapers published in every state of the Confederacy from the 1790s through the early 1900s. Significant holdings include extensive runs of early newspapers in hard copy from Charleston, South Carolina; Augusta, Georgia; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Little Rock, Arkansas. Many issues are scarce or rare, including the copies of several important ante-bellum Louisiana and Mississippi newspapers. All titles have been cataloged as part of the U.S. Newspaper Project.
