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Creator
Casselman, William A., 1903-
Call number
MssCol 6142
Physical description
0.75 linear feet (2 boxes)
Language
English
Preferred Citation

William A. Casselman Papers, Manuscripts and Archives Division, The New York Public Library.

Repository
Manuscripts and Archives Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.

The papers document William Casselman's (1903-1989) career as a newspaperman with the New York Daily News, including correspondence, news clippings, press-passes, programs, resumes and biographical materials, an autobiographical manuscript and other writings, photographs and a sound recording.

Biographical/historical information

William A. Casselman, lifelong newspaperman, was born in Montague, Michigan in 1901. At the age of seven his family moved to Madison, Wisconsin. After graduating high school Casselman worked for a variety of newspapers throughout Wisconsin and in Baltimore. In 1925 he moved to New York to pursue his career. In 1928, after three years of working for smaller papers, Casselman was hired by the New York Daily News as a copy editor. He remained at the Daily News for the next forty years, with the exception of a one-year stint at Liberty Magazine in 1930. In 1946 Casselman was promoted to news editor. In 1961 he accepted the position of night managing editor, and assumed the position of editor in 1963 after the retirement of Robert Shand. In 1966 Casselman was promoted to the position of executive editor, which he held until his retirement in 1968. After his retirement, Casselman continued to contribute to the Daily News as a consultant and was elected president of the James Bennett Foundation, a private foundation that provides financial assistance to the families of newspapermen and women. He became chairman of the Foundation in 1976 and held the position until 1984. Casselman died in 1989.

Scope and arrangement

The papers include correspondence with Casselman's colleagues in the newspaper industry; news clippings documenting the New York Daily News and it's parent company the Tribune Company; typescripts chronicling Casselman's career in newspapers and the development of newspaper printing processes; personal memorabilia including press passes, programs and several issues of the Daily News' News Pix magazine (a publication for employees); photographs capturing the workroom of the Daily News and portraits of Casselman at various functions and receptions; and a sound recording capturing the sounds of several machines in the Daily News buildings.

The William A. Casselman papers are arranged in six series:

  • Series I. Correspondence
    1925-1989

    The correspondence is arranged chronologically in a single file. Of note is Casselman's 1925 letter to his mother describing his first experience working in newspapers in New York, dealing with being fired and determination to stay in New York to pursue his career. Included in the file are letters of bereavement sent to the Casselman family after his passing.

  • Series II. News Clippings
    1963-2000

    The news clippings are organized into two folders; the first pertaining to the New York Daily News, and a second that Casselman kept on the Tribune Company (the parent company of the New York Daily News).

  • Series III. Personal Memorabilia
    1960s

    This series contains various items relating to Casselman and his work. A folder of biographical materials contains Casselman's resumes that he wrote in 1983 and obituaries for Casselman from various newspapers. Also in the series are folders containing Casselman's press passes, programs from receptions and several issues of News Pix magazine (published for employees of the New York Daily News.)

  • Series IV. Writings
    1948-1983

    The writings series contains two unpublished manuscripts. The first, Casselman's "Fifty Years of Newspapering," is a chronicle of Casselman's experiences in the newspaper industry. The second, "Paper Type Newspaper," is a collaboration between Casselman and author Russ Symontowne that describes the development and use of the photoengraving process in the newspaper industry.

  • Series V. Photographs
    1940-1970

    The photographs series consists of mainly of portraits of Casselman at the New York Daily News workrooms or at various receptions and ceremonies. Also included are pictures of Mayor John V. Lindsay throwing out an opening pitch at Yankee Stadium in 1967 (Casselman is present behind Lindsay), and several contact sheets and negative prints. One oversized print of the New York Daily News workroom has been separated and placed with oversize materials.

  • Series VI. Sound Recordings
    195?

Administrative information

Source of acquisition

Gift of Ann Graff, August 2004.

Processing information

Processed by Donald Mennerich; machine readable finding aid created by FAKER.

Using the collection

Location

Manuscripts and Archives Division
Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, NY 10018-2788
Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room, Third Floor, Room 328