Manuscripts

Letters

Description: Approx. 50 items: the folder contains a collection of complaint letters and replies that were considered good examples of how to respond to criticisms. The issues include x-rated movie ads, price increases, lost-and-found ads, gun / ammunition ads, disagreement about arts reviews and more. The replies were written by staffers from several departments including Editorial and Advertising. Among the staffers writing replies: Charles Champlin (Editorial) ; Glen W. Peters (Advertising) ; Nick B. Williams (Editorial) ; Leonard Pomerantz (Advertising) ; Robert D. Nelson (LAT Gen. Mgr.) ; Phil Magwood (Advertising). NIck Williams created more than one diplomatic reply "prototype." These letters were used dozens or even hundreds of times. One that is included here begins - "Every subscriber of The Times means something to its editors..."
Type: Manuscripts(Opens in new tab)
Date: 1969 - 1973
Call number: mssLAT
Creator: Los Angeles Times (Firm)

Editorial Objectives

Manuscripts

Approx. 40 items. Memos and other material related to changes, goals performance plans and objectives for Editorial. Guiding this process were Otis Chandler, Nick Williams, Frank Haven, Frank McCulloch, and others. Also included is the 1/15/1961 article written by Nick Williams on the new Times format.

mssLAT

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Thornton, Charles

Manuscripts

2 items: 4-pp. memo, 4/8/1964, from Nick Williams to Otis Chandler summarizing Los Angeles Times editorial and news policies ; letter, 4/13/1964, from Otis Chandler to Charles B. Thornton of Litton Industries.

mssLAT

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Employees - Williams, Nick B

Manuscripts

Approx. 35 items: in "Tribute to a renown...Editor, Nick B. Williams," at the time of his death, LAT columnist Jack Smith wrote that, "turned the Los Angeles Times from a biased, provincial, Republican newspaper, into one of the country's two or three best"; program booklet for "The Nick B. Williams Luncheon Party," Levy's Grill, 2/20/1959; 3-pp. transcript of speech at Women's Lawyers Club (1959), titled "Court News Policy," on the topic of a free press; selection of Williams' writings for a variety of publications--California Publisher, The Quill, California Parent -Teacher, etc. ;brief copy, Among Ourselves, 7/1948, on W's career, mentioning his fiction writing; single-page bio ; W's tear sheets, 1959 - 1971, from LAT; LAT clip, 10/28/1981, "Ex-Editor of Times receives press award": LAT Editorial, 7/2/1992, "In Memory of Nick B. Williams," which closes, "Nick Williams mark on The Times is indelible." Williams was with LAT for forty years, retiring in 1971, and after that working as a consultant for Otis Chandler.

mssLAT

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Organization Charts

Manuscripts

Approx. 15 items: various versions of an "Editorial Organization Chart, including "Day," Night," "Editorial Pages" and "Sunday - Sections," also the overall Editorial organization headed by Nick B. Williams, dated 2/1963 through 12/1963.

mssLAT

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Williams, Nick B. Files

Manuscripts

Nick Boddie Williams (1906-1992) started at the Times in 1931 as a copy editor and held various editorial positions until 1958, when he was named executive editor, a position he held until his retirement in 1971. Includes correspondence, speeches, clippings, and assignment sheets. Date range is 1933-1981; the bulk of the material is 1958-1971.

mssLAT

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Williams, Nick B. - Tapes #1 & #2

Manuscripts

Approx. 20 items: 22-pp. transcript of "...initial taping with Nick B. Williams, former Editor of The Times," by James Bassett, 6/5/1973 - subjects include NBW's memories of his youth and early newspaper career in Tennessee and Texas and his coming to Los Angeles and getting into newspaper work in the 1930s ; 44-pp. transcript of "Tape 2...NBW & JB," an in-depth discussion of the Norman Chandler era moving into the Otis Chandler era at LAT, the changes in editorial policy, the move from the political right to the center (or at least representing various views along the political spectrum) in Editorial content and striving for unbiased news stories, union efforts to get a toehold at LAT - would it be good if LAT were the only paper in L.A.? Williams answers "no" (pp. 33) - gossip columnists, investigative reporting - Vietnam, the Red Chinese, the Soviets ; 57-pp. transcript of "Taping with Nick Williams (6/7/1973) 3rd Taping" - the Birch Society series, examples given of instances in which NC did not support Republican candidates that were right wing "kooks" (4 - 7) - Barry Goldwater, correspondence with Norman Chandler, Dorothy Chandler and Williams - Watts Riots (pp. 19- 22) - pornographic movies (pp. 29 - 31) - more related bio notes and materials on Williams.

mssLAT

Letters

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Editorial Objectives

Thornton, Charles

Employees - Williams, Nick B

Organization Charts

Williams, Nick B. Files

Williams, Nick B. - Tapes #1 & #2