Martin Agronsky Papers
Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/mm2001084841
General International Standard for Archival Description
Manuscript Division Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Manuscript Division, 2005
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Martin Agronsky Papers1907-1999 (bulk 1940-1990)
Agronsky, Martin, 1915-1999
Biographical History for: Martin Agronsky Papers1907-1999 (bulk 1940-1990)
Biographical Note Date Event 1915, Jan. 12 Born, Philadelphia, Pa. 1936 B.A., Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J. 1936-1937 Reporter, Palestine Post 1937-1940 Freelance newspaper reporter 1940-1943 Foreign correspondent, National Broadcasting Co. 1943 Married Helen Smathers (died 1969) 1943-1957 Correspondent, American Broadcasting Co., Washington, D.C. 1952 Awarded George Foster Peabody Award 1957-1964 Correspondent, National Broadcasting Co. 1961 Awarded Alfred I. DuPont Award 1964-1968 Bureau chief, Paris, France, and moderator of “Face the Nation,” Columbia Broadcasting System 1968 Received Emmy Award 1969 News anchor, WTOP-TV, Washington, D.C. 1969-1987 Host, “Agronsky and Company,” WETA-TV, Washington, D.C. 1971-1975 Host, “Martin Agronsky's Evening Edition” and “Agronsky at Large,” Public Broadcasting System 1999, July 25 Died, Washington, D.C.
Scope and Content Note The papers of Martin Agronsky (1915-1999) span the years 1907-1999, with the bulk of the material dating from 1940 to 1990. The papers are organized in the following series: Correspondence, Speeches and Writings File, and a Miscellany consisting primarily of appointment books, awards, biographical material, and items related to organizations with which Agronsky was associated. The Correspondence series contains primarily letters written by colleagues and the public to Agronsky in response to his newscasts. Incoming and outgoing letters and telegrams document communications between Agronsky and his network supervisors regarding news assignments. The Speeches and Writings File, especially the scripts of Agronsky's newscasts, forms the centerpiece of the papers. The material dates from his career as a foreign correspondent in Europe, Australia, and Asia during World War II and continues through the Cold War years. His coverage of the Adolf Eichmann trial in Israel won him the Alfred I. DuPont Award in 1962. Other scripts include his work on documentary films. The speech file contains correspondence, notes, and texts pertaining to his lectures on political and economic subjects. Research material includes news clippings, notes, and printed matter relating to the subjects on which Agronsky frequently lectured.
series
Correspondence, 1907-1991
Correspondence and memoranda between Agronsky and his friends, colleagues, and the public relating to professional activities.
file
Jan.-Apr.
June-Dec.
May-Sept.
Oct.-Dec.
May-Dec.
Jan.-Mar.
Apr.-Dec.
Jan.-May
1982-1991, undated
Speeches and Writings File, 1939-1996
Broadcast and film scripts, magazine articles, research material, and speeches.
Broadcast scripts
American Broadcasting Co.
“At Issue”
Correspondence and financial records, 1953-1954, undated
Interviews, 1953-1954
Prospective topics, 1951-1954, undated
Daily news
circa 1943
June-Sept.
Jan.-Feb.
Mar.-Aug.
Sept.-Dec.
Mar.-June
July-Nov.
Dec.
Apr.-Sept.
July-Oct.
Nov.-Dec.
Jan.
Feb.-May
Oct.
Mar.-May
June-Nov.
Feb.-July
Aug.-Dec.
Sept.-Nov.
Feb.
Mar.-Apr.
May-June
July
Aug.-Nov.
Program sponsors
Cancellations, 1946-1956
Correspondence, 1950-1955
Expenses, 1943-1953
Lists, 1945-1954, undated
Miscellany, 1947-1955, undated
Radio station affiliates, 1950-1955
Sales, 1946-1956
Sponsor identifications, 1953-1955
National Broadcasting Co.
Jan.-July
Aug.-Oct.
“Emphasis,” 1960-1964, undated
“Look Here”
Correspondence, 1957-1958, 1996, undated
Interviews
1958, undated
“The Trial of Adolf Eichmann”
Production material, 1961
Scripts, 1961
Unidentified scripts, undated
Miscellany
Films
American Workmanship, 1976
And One to Grow On, 1979-1980, undated
Coal slurry pipeline, 1980
Communications Workers of America, 1982, undated
CSX-Richmond Corp., 1984
First Monday in October, 1980
Hadassah Medical Organization, 1985
It's Child's Play, 1961
A Matter of Commitment, 1983
The National Financial Planning Quiz, 1981
Nazareth to Bethlehem travelog, 1961
Magazine articles
“I Will Be Back,” undated
Life project on Iran, 1947, undated
“Iran--Urgent,” undated
Miscellaneous, 1943-1952, undated
“The Partition of Palestine,” 1937
“The Public and the Act,” 1970
“The Voice of the Supreme Court,” 1955-1956
Radio and television guest appearances, 1968, 1979-1988
Research material
Abortion, 1964, 1974, undated
American Jewish Congress, 1963-1964
Atomic energy, 1947-1950, undated
Automotive advertising, 1956
Battery additive material, 1949-1953, undated
Bernstein, Leonard, 1976
Bomb shelters, 1961, undated
Burch, Dean, 1964, undated
Burrows, Abe, undated
Carter, Jimmy, 1977, undated
Censorship, 1952
Central America, 1985
Central Intelligence Agency, 1965-1966, 1974-1977, 1985, undated
Civil liberties, 1949-1955, undated
Communism, 1948-1955, 1963, 1973, undated
Condon, Edward U., 1948-1949, undated
Crossfield, Scott, 1955-1958, undated
Cuban missile crisis, 1963, undated
Democratic Party, 1944, 1952, 1981
Disarmament, 1983-1986, undated
Dulles, John Foster, 1952-1957, undated
Eastern Europe, 1940-1942, undated
Economics, 1952-1955, 1977-1978, undated
Education, 1952-1954, 1963, undated
Eichmann, Adolf, trial of
Court documents, 1961
Fact sheets and news releases, 1960-1961, undated
Memoranda and notes, 1960-1961, undated
Printed matter, 1947-1961, undated
Elections
Fast, Howard, 1957, undated
Finance
1957, 1969, undated
Foreign policy, 1950-1955, 1963-1967, 1978, 1984-1986, undated
Fulbright, J. William, 1959-1965, undated
Germany, 1949-1954, 1961-1964, undated
Goldwater, Barry, 1964, undated
Humphrey, Hubert H., 1963-1968, undated
International languages, 1951-1954, undated
Israel, 1958-1988, undated
Kennedy, John F., assassination investigation, 1970
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1956-1957, undated
Labor organizations, 1952-1964, 1977, undated
Lattimore, Owen, 1953-1954, undated
League of Nations, 1937, 1974
Leopold, Nathan F., 1957, undated
McCarthy, Joseph R., 1954, 1962, undated
Miscellaneous
Notes, undated
Printed matter
1956-1980, 1986, undated
National Endowment for the Arts, 1976, undated
Nicaragua, 1985
Nuclear weapons, 1946-1955, 1964, 1978, undated
Pearson, Lester Bowles, 1954-1961, undated
Perkins, Anthony, 1958, undated
Post World War II economy, 1949-1954, undated
Public broadcasting, 1954, 1973, undated
Racial discrimination, 1954, 1963-1968, undated
Rayburn, Sam, 1961, undated
Republic of the Congo, 1961-1962
Scientists and national security, 1948-1954, undated
Southeast Asia, 1950-1953, 1961-1971, undated
Stanley, Kim, undated
Stevenson, Adlai E. (1900-1965), 1952, undated
Summit meetings, 1960, 1986, undated
Taft, Robert A. (1889-1953), undated
Tennessee Valley Authority, 1954
U.S. Senate, 1952, 1964-1966, undated
U.S. Supreme Court
Violence and television, 1969-1977, undated
Von Braun, Wernher, 1957
Voskovec, George, immigration case, 1950
Webb, Jack, undated
Weil, Joseph, 1946-1954
Welfare, 1945
Women's liberation, 1975-1977, undated
World War II, 1943-1944, undated
Yates, Sidney R., 1957, 1978
Yugoslavia, 1955
Speech file
Jan.-Sept.
1986-1990, undated
Miscellany, 1933-1999
Appointment books, awards, biographical material, lawsuits, and correspondence relating to organizations and television programs. Arranged alphabetically by type of material.
Appointment books
Awards
Alfred I. DuPont Award, 1961
George Foster Peabody Award, 1952-1953, undated
Hall of Distinguished Alumni, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., 1995
Heywood Broun Award, 1948-1949
Miscellaneous, 1952-1953, 1984, undated
National Headliners Club, 1948
Sigma Delta Chi Radio Award, 1949
Biographical material
1960-1991, 1999, undated
Jerusalem Post, 1945-1953
Lawsuits
Alexander v. Agronsky, 1981-1982
Reed v. Agronsky, circa 1944
Organizations
National Theatre Corp., 1980-1986, undated
Radio Correspondents Association, 1948-1953, undated
Photographs, 1939, 1950-1983, undated
Telephone messages, 1980-1981
Television programs
“Agronsky and Company,” 1974-1987, undated
“Evening Edition,” 1971-1976, undated
“Hindsight,” undated
Proposals, 1963, 1988