Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Manuscripts
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
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Manuscripts
Approx. 75 items: letters, reprints clippings and other materials related correspondence with persons with names beginning with W. Includes: collection of letters critical of Thomas or LAT, more than one dealing with what comics are run or not run ; collection of letters taking exception to statements made in LAT ; one letter (12/5/1985) begins, "I am a freelance journalist...on the skids. I hope you'll give me a job..." ; another, "I recognize you as a great editor, I feel that I am a great journalist..." ; many letters are from a Barry Winningham, who wrote bizarre letters to Thomas for several years ; letters to Thomas from fringe organizations (or individuals) offering him awards, etc. ; more. Split into two folders.
mssLAT
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Manuscripts
Approx. 60 items: collection of news stories and editorials on political career of Hiram Johnson, who was involved in a decades-long feud with first H.G. Otis, later Harry Chandler. LAT reports and comments on Johnson were uniformly negative, or LAT ignored him. Notable items: 6 sheets torn from Historical Society of Southern California Quarterly (1950s?), "Hiram Johnson and World War I...a Progressive in transition" ; 3-pp. copied from Current Biography, 1941, entry for Hiram (Warren) Johnson ; LAT obit, 8/7/1945, "The death of Hiram Johnson," is not kind to the deceased but, as LAT put it, "it would be hypocritical to forget or retract..." ; letter copy, 8/19/1940, from LAT's Kyle Palmer to Sen. Hiram Johnson, on Palmer/LAT endorsement of Johnson for Senate, "an editorial which...I never thought [I would] either write or read."
mssLAT
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Manuscripts
Approx. 35 items. Letters, memos. Some letters are from readers urging LAT to resume publication of conservative Morrie Ryskind's columns. (R. had ceased submitting material following LAT refusal to run one in late 1965) Most of the remaining correspondence involves LAT staff conducting a sort of "post-mortem" on Ryskind's association with LAT. Some are exchanges between Rex Barley (LAT Syndicate) or Nick Williams and Ryskind. The LAT declined to run certain of his columns when they believed he was making unsubstantiated allegations regarding media outlets. Also, Ryskind was a member of the John Birch Society and did not approve when LAT did an expose on the group, which seemed to fuel the "feud." A 6-pp. memo Williams wrote to Otis Chandler contains much information about the situation. It is dated March 7, 1966. Also in the file are another group of letters critical of LAT for "censoring" Ryskind.
mssLAT
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Manuscripts
Approx. 85 items: letters, memos, clips, and material related to correspondence with readers with names starting with S. Includes: many letters criticizing LAT, somewhat fewer praising LAT (critics seem to write more readily, always) ; replies to readers from Fred Holley (LAT "style" maven) ; letters asking Thomas or LAT for consideration of a piece of writing or for a job ; students wanting help on papers ; more.
mssLAT
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Manuscripts
Approx. 45 items, including: correspondence with Robert Healy, Boston Globe, and Fred Friendly, Ford Foundation ; several Thomas speech transcripts, including one to Cosmopolitan Club (Santa Barbara) on 3/20/1975 ; letters, cards and notes criticizing various aspects of LAT ; letter of congratulations (1971) to Thomas from Police Chief Ed Davis on the occasion of Thomas' becoming Editor of LAT ; 4-pp. memo from Frank Haven to Nick Williams (1965) giving his thoughts on the new "City" Editor, William Thomas - plus thumbnail evaluations of LAT staffers Jack Smith, Chuck Hillinger, Harry Bernstein, etc. (Note: Thomas became City Editor just a few weeks before the Watts riots of August, 1965). Split into two folders.
mssLAT
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Manuscripts
Approx. 12 items. The material deals with a line in a LAT story that "the venerable Detroit Free Press is due for closing one day soon." Following a letter from Lee Hills, VP and Executive Editor of The Free Press, Nick Williams responded, "Herewith the apology and retraction which we ran last Sunday. I want to repeat that I am personally embarrassed that the rumor ever appeared in The Times."
mssLAT