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. 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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Manuscripts
Approx. 20 items. "Letters to the editor" from a wide array of sources, but mostly from angry readers or the mentally unbalanced. Attached to most of them are comments by Nick Williams and/or Bassett. Also included are some clippings from the editorial pages of LAT. William Durant letter removed from Autograph File and returned to Bassett files.
mssLAT
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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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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
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Manuscripts
4 items: 4-pp. memo, 6/23/1966, Otis Chandler to Williams on "major (issues) we must consider as we look ahead" ; LAT column, 8/11/1972, by retired Editor Williams, "Getting the news is better than merely following it" ; 30-pp. transcript of "...Fourth taping with Nick Williams," 6/8/1973 - subjects include ending policy of allowing staffers to accept "junkets" paid for by outside entities (an airline, Israel, anyone who wanted a puff piece done), fact-finding trips to foreign regions by Bassett, Otis Chandler, and Williams that began in 1963 (pp. 2), furor following LAT's dropping of several comic strips (including "Dick Tracy") that had become popular with Conservatives, comics page in general, (pp. 4 - 5+), behind the scenes operation of editorial board, responsibility of the Press (pp. 18 - 19), Watergate (pp. 20 - 21+), "the role of the press" (pp. 20), "the most significant changes in the paper" (pp. 24 - 25), selecting Williams' replacement as Editor (pp. 28 - 30) ; 18-pp. transcript of "Third taping with Bill Thomas," 7/7/1975 - Watergate coverage (pp. 1 - 5), smaller community newspapers (pp. 7), defining "good taste" (pp. 11), editorial policy (pp. 15).
mssLAT
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Manuscripts
Approx. 10 items: speech texts, mostly from the 1960s, when Straszer was Assistant to top Editor Nick Williams.
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