- unitid
-
{"value"=>"17787", "type"=>"local_mss"}
- unitdate
-
{"value"=>"1930-1997", "type"=>"inclusive", "normal"=>"1930/1997"}
{"value"=>"1950-1973", "type"=>"bulk", "normal"=>"1950/1973"}
- date_inclusive_start
-
1930
- date_inclusive_end
-
1997
- keydate
-
1930
- unittitle
-
{"value"=>"New York Times Company records. Lester Markel papers"}
- physdesc
-
{"format"=>"structured", "physdesc_components"=>[{"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"10.08 linear feet", "unit"=>"linear feet"}, {"name"=>"extent", "value"=>"24 boxes", "unit"=>"containers"}], "supress_display"=>true}
- repository
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"corpname\">The New York Public Library. <span class=\"subarea\">Manuscripts and Archives Division</span></span> <div class=\"address\"><span class=\"addressline\">New York, New York</span></div>"}
- abstract
-
{"value"=>"This collection documents the tenure of Lester Markel (1894-1977), longtime Sunday editor at <span class=\"title\">The New York Times</span>, whose career there spanned 1929 to 1973. Files contain letters, memoranda, speeches, photographs, typescripts, and clippings related to Markel's involvement with the paper, primarily the Sunday Division, along with a small amount of personal correspondence and documents."}
- prefercite
-
{"value"=>"<p>New York Times Company records. Lester Markel papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.</p>"}
- origination
-
{"value"=>"New York Times Company", "type"=>"corpname"}
- bioghist
-
{"value"=>"<p>Influential journalist and editor Lester Markel (1894-1977) was the Sunday editor of <span class=\"title\">The New York Times</span> from 1923 to 1964. Between 1964 and 1973, Markel held the titles associate editor and consultant.</p> <p>Markel was born in New York City and graduated from the City College of New York and Columbia University's School of Journalism. After working for several years as a reporter and editor at the <span class=\"title\">New York Tribune</span>, Markel succeeded Ralph H. Graves as <span class=\"title\">The Times</span> Sunday editor in 1923. As Sunday editor, Markel ran a largely independent staff of contributors (including correspondents in London, Paris, and Washington), editors, and designers that produced the Sunday edition of <span class=\"title\">The Times</span>. He assigned stories, wrote headlines, approved layouts for photographs and images, and was the final editor for every story printed. Markel was an exacting editor and was territorial over his staff and their articles. During his long tenure, Markel greatly expanded the size of the Sunday Department, both in staff numbers (from five staff members in 1923 to 84 in 1951), as well as the amount of content produced and the overall stature of the Sunday paper. He grew the <span class=\"title\">The New York Times Magazine</span>, the Book Review, the Drama, and the Rotogravure (which merged with the Magazine in 1942) sections, and added several specialty sections including the Week in Review, Arts and Leisure, and the Travel sections, as well as pages on gardening, food, and fashion. As the scope of the Sunday edition increased, its popularity and advertising revenue grew as well.</p> <p>In 1964, Markel became associate editor, a move that signaled the beginning of his retirement from the paper. In this position, he gave up his editorial duties and was asked to study and improve the International Edition and to lead the newly formed Public Affairs Department, which was concerned with assessing the ways the paper could foster a well-informed populace. In this new capacity, Markel also chaired the \"Committee of the Future,\" which collaborated with outside researcher groups to study how technological advances would affect <span class=\"title\">The Times</span> and journalism in general. He officially retired as associate editor in 1969, but continued at the paper as a part-time consultant until 1973 when, at age 79, he formally left.</p> <p>Markel was an active public intellectual, giving speeches around the country and writing essays and articles for various publications and journalist organizations. He helped found the International Press Institute in 1951, serving as chairman of the organizing committee, the first chairman of the executive board, chairman, and later honorary chairman. He published the book <span class=\"title\">What You Don't Know Can Hurt You</span> in 1972 about the roll of the press in society. Markel also moderated the PBS television program <span class=\"title\">News in Perspective</span> throughout the 1960s.</p> <p>Markel married Meta Edman in 1917. He died in New York City in 1977.</p> <p>Source: Talese, Gay. <span class=\"title\">The Kingdom and the Power</span>. New York: Ivy Books, 1966.</p>"}
- custodhist
-
{"value"=>"<p>This collection was originally appraised, re-housed, and organized in 1988 by The Times archives staff. Initially, the collection consisted of 36 boxes (11 cubic feet).</p>"}
- scopecontent
-
{"value"=>"<p>The Lester Markel papers contain letters, internal memoranda, reports, photographs, article drafts, and speeches that Markel created while Sunday editor and associate editor at <span class=\"title\">The New York Times</span>. Also present are many speeches and essays that Markel wrote in conjunction with outside journalist and research organizations, and a small amount of personal correspondence and documents.</p> <p>The collection is divided into two series: I: People and II: Subjects; these series are each arranged alphabetically by folder title. The People files consist of records pertaining to individuals, while the Subjects files contain items on specific topics. Items germane to two or more people or subjects are often cross-referenced in the finding aid; documents related to specific issues are generally located in subject files rather than the people folders of those involved. <span class=\"title\">The Times</span> archivists imposed this arrangement on Markel's files. These papers do not make up the entirety of Markel's files; <span class=\"title\">The Times</span> archives staff discarded many items, and in 1977 Markel sent a collection of professional <span class=\"title\">Times</span>-related files to the Wisconsin Historical Society.</p> <p>The bulk of the records relate to Markel's management of the Sunday Department between 1952 and 1964. Included are communications with the publishers and senior editors regarding editorial decisions, sensitive news topics, and specific Sunday edition stories; memoranda with staff reporters and freelance journalists concerning assignments and the development of stories; notes about published articles and the design of the sections; administrative memoranda concerning staffing and production schedules and costs; and notes on interviews that Markel conducted with prominent politicians. Also present are letters from many of his principal associates, notably Editor of the Review of the Week John G. Desmond and Assistant Sunday Editor Daniel Schwarz. Other contributors include Arthur Hays Sulzberger, Adolph Ochs Sulzberger, Orvil Dryfoos, and E. Clifton Daniel. The collection contains very little material from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s; items from the late 1960s and early 1970s are largely critiques of articles, sections, or general editorial decisions made by <span class=\"title\">The Times</span> that Markel submitted to various editors.</p> <p>Another significant portion of the collection relates to Markel's activities outside of <span class=\"title\">The Times</span>. These include extensive files of correspondence, planning documents, and committee reports regarding his involvement with several journalist and public policy organizations, most notably the International Press Institute, American Society of Newspaper Editors, and the United Nations Public Opinion Survey. Markel was an active committee member, and served as chairman and board member for the International Press Institute. These files reveal his advisory, leadership, and agenda setting roles for these organizations and his strong opinions on the press' duties to inform and educate the public. Other outside activities represented in the collection include speeches from Markel's many public speaking engagements, and scripts and correspondence related to his television and radio appearances.</p> <p>This collection contains a small amount of personal papers, including correspondence, such as invitations from friends to social events; financial records (records of car sales and car insurance); and legal documents, primarily items concerning the settlement of estates of various family members.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p class='list-head'>The New York Times Company records. Lester Markel papers are arranged in two series:</p>\n<ul class='arrangement series-descriptions'>\n<li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/17787#c667314'>Series I: People</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1931-1973</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>7 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series is made up of files that contain items to, from, or concerning various individuals, such as <span class=\"title\">The New York Times</span> staff members, freelance reporters, politicians, other newsmakers, and Markel's friends and acquaintances. Files for <span class=\"title\">Times</span> employees typically contain discussions of specific articles or detail conflicts between departments related to editorial or staff decisions; items to or from Markel's close editorial associates, notably John G. Desmond and Daniel Schwarz, are filed throughout the collection. Records from the late 1960s and early 1970s are largely critiques of <span class=\"title\">The Times</span> that Markel submitted to various editors. Also present are letters from friends, many consisting of invitations to social events. Particularly sizable People files include those for Hannah Arendt, Irwin Edman, Eva Herrmann, Dr. Leo Szilard, and Barbara Ward.</p> <p>Files are arranged alphabetically by name. Entries without box and folder numbers cross-reference related material in other files. These files do not necessarily collect every letter, memorandum, or document related to the individual; subject files should also be consulted.</p></div></li><li><div class='series-title'><a href='/mss/17787#c667734'>Series II: Subjects</a></div>\n<div class='series-date'>1930-1997</div>\n<div class='series-extent'>14 boxes</div>\n<div class='series-description'><p>This series is made up of alphabetical subject files that are organized (and titled) by topical keywords, events, geographic location, or company, organization, institution, or department. The bulk of the files consist of correspondence and memoranda between <span class=\"title\">Times</span> staff members concerning the production and improvement of the Sunday edition. This series also contains many letters and memoranda between Markel and Arthur Ochs Sulzberger concerning Sunday edition editorial and content matters. The series includes large files on advertising, articles and books by Markel, editorial and style policies, and Markel's domestic and international travel. Also notable are the files on outside organizations, such as the American Society of Newspaper Editors, International Press Institute, the United Nations Public Opinion Survey, which contain communications with officers and members concerning the mission, activities, and administration of the organizations. Many of the institutional files (universities and associations) contain invitations to Markel to give speeches, to attend luncheons, or soliciting memberships.</p> <p>Files are arranged alphabetically by file title. Entries without box and folder numbers cross-reference related material in other files.</p></div></li></ul>\n", "type"=>"arrangement"}
- arrangement
-
{"value"=>"<p>The New York Times Company records. Lester Markel papers are organized in the following series:</p> <ul class=\"list\"> <li>Series I: People, 1931-1973</li> <li>Series II: Subjects, 1930-1997</li></ul>", "supress_display"=>true}
- acqinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>New York Times Company, donated 2007.</p>"}
- processinfo
-
{"value"=>"<p>Compiled by Philip Heslip.</p>"}
{"value"=>"<p>The order and folder titles, which The Times archives staff imposed on the collection, have been maintained.</p>"}
- userestrict
-
{"value"=>"<p>Copyright for documents created by New York Times Company principals and staff has been transferred to The New York Public Library.</p>"}
- relatedmaterial
-
{"value"=>"<span class=\"archref\">Lester Markel papers, 1936-1978. Wisconsin Historical Society, Library Archives Division..</span>"}
- physloc
-
{"value"=>"MssCol 17787", "type"=>"local_call", "supress_display"=>true}
- extent_statement
-
10.08 linear feet (24 boxes)
- date_start
-
1930
- date_end
-
1997
- date_bulk_start
-
1950
- date_bulk_end
-
1973