- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"simple", "value"=>"17 linear feet (47 boxes)"}
- unitid
-
{"value"=>"*T-Mss 1998-004", "type"=>"local_call"}
{"value"=>"21483", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unittitle
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{"value"=>"Phyllis Merrill papers"}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Billy Rose Theatre Division."}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"Phyllis Merrill, writer of scripts, speeches and advertising copy. Her papers include her writings from the J. Walter Thompson Co. Commercials for RCA, as well as scripts from radio and television programs form the bulk of the collection. There is also a small amount of memos and documents from the J. Walter Thompson Co."}
- prefercite
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{"value"=>"<p>Phyllis Merrill Papers, *T-Mss 1998-004, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"Merrill, Phyllis, 1908-", "type"=>"persname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p><span class=\"persname\">Phyllis Merrill</span>was born in Franklin, New Hampshire in 1908 and graduated from Mount Holyoke in 1930. Two years later, in 1932 she received an M.A. from Radcliffe. After her degree, she taught English for three years at Stafford Springs H.S. in Connecticut before taking a position teaching English and American History at the Barnard School for Girls. In 1942 she went to the J. Walter Thompson Co. where she worked as a writer for advertising copy. She wrote scripts for the radio program <span class=\"title\">Charlie McCarthy</span>, play adaptations for Helen Hayes programs, comedy sketches for Jackie Gleason, Fred Allen and Edgar Bergen, musical continuities for the radio programs <span class=\"title\">Music America Loves Best</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Ford Show</span>, <span class=\"title\">The Robert Shaw Chorale</span>, and the NBC Toscanini broadcasts. For television she worked on <span class=\"title\">Kraft Television Theatre</span>. She was also a researcher and a speechwriter and wrote speeches for actors, comedians and politicians.</p> <p>After a series of heart attacks, Phyllis Merrill returned to New Hampshire in 1957 where she worked as a copywriter for a small agency in Concord. She also edited the New Hampshire Education Association magazine. She died in Concord, New Hampshire on January 23, 1972.</p>"}
- custodhist
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Phyllis Merrill papers were purchased from Roberta M. Carr, dealer.</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The <span class=\"persname\">Phyllis Merrill</span> papers contain materials from her writing career at the <span class=\"corpname\">J. Walter Thompson Co.</span> and include memos, correspondence, notes, writings and scripts. The bulk of the collection is the scripts series that includes many television and radio programs sponsored by clients of the J. Walter Thompson Co. Most of the scripts for these programs were not written by Phyllis Merrill. The most documented of these series are the <span class=\"title\">Kraft Television Theatre</span> and the <span class=\"title\">NBC University of the Air</span>. Other materials in the collection include memos, schedules and commercial writings from the J. Walter Thompson Company, especially for their client <span class=\"corpname\">RCA</span> .</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The Phyllis Merrill papers are arranged in three series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21483#c307380'>Series I: Personal Papers</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>1 box</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series includes a diary belonging to Phyllis Merrill, some correspondence and some miscellaneous writings including sheet music with lyrics written by Merrill.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21483#c307387'>Series II: J. Walter Thompson Co.</a></div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>The J. Walter Thompson Co. materials contain notes, memos, projects, speeches and ideas, transcripts of commercials and research materials primarily for <span class=\"corpname\">RCA</span> projects. They also contain bulletins and staff news issues from the company. It is divided into 3 sub-series: Memos, office papers and notes; Projects and accounts and RCA research and commercials.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/the/21483#c307436'>Series III: Scripts</a></div>\n<div class='series-extent'>42 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series consists of copies of scripts for radio and television broadcasts sponsored by clients of the J. Walter Thompson Co. Though some of the scripts were written by Phyllis Merrill, most are her copies (some annotated) for the weekly productions. Scripts from <span class=\"title\">The Ford Show</span>, <span class=\"title\">Kraft Television Theatre</span> and the <span class=\"title\">NBC University of the Air</span> are included.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p> <ul> <li>Series I: Personal Papers</li> <li>Series II: J. Walter Thompson Co. <ul> <li> Sub-series 1 - Memos, office papers and notes</li> <li>Sub-series 2 - Projects and accounts</li> <li> Sub-series 3 - RCA research and commercials</li></ul></li> <li>Series III: Scripts <ul> <li>Sub-series 1 - <span class=\"title\">Chase and Sanborn Hour</span></li> <li>Sub-series 2 - <span class=\"title\">Cosmpolitan</span></li> <li>Sub-series 3 - <span class=\"title\">Ford Show</span></li> <li>Sub-series 4 - <span class=\"title\">Kraft Television Show</span></li> <li>Sub-series 5 <span class=\"title\">Lux Video Theatre</span></li> <li>Sub-series 6 - <span class=\"title\">NBC University of the Air</span> (<span class=\"title\">World's Great Novels</span>)</li> <li>Sub-series 7 - <span class=\"title\">Old Gold Hour</span></li> <li>Sub-series 8 - Owens Glass</li> <li>Sub-series 9 - RCA</li> <li>Sub-series 10 - <span class=\"title\">Robert Shaw Chorale</span></li> <li>Sub-series 11 - <span class=\"title\">TV Hour Glass</span></li> <li>Sub-series 12 - <span class=\"title\">Textron Theater</span></li> <li>Sub-series 13 - Miscellaneous Scripts</li> <li>Sub-series 14 - Card files</li></ul></li></ul></p>", "supress_display"=>true}
- separatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<p>1 oversized photograph - Helen Hayes</p>"}
- accessrestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Photocopying prohibited.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theatre Division.</p>"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1933-1956", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1933/1956"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1933
- date_inclusive_end
-
1956
- acqinfo
-
{"accession_number"=>"THE"}
{"date"=>"1999", "source"=>"Roberta M. Carr", "address"=>"See donor file", "method"=>"Purchase", "extent"=>"17 o", "value"=>"Purchase, Roberta M. Carr, 1999"}
- keydate
-
1933
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Processed by Mary Ellen Rogan.</p>"}
- date_start
-
1933
- date_end
-
1956