Scope and arrangement
The Wallace Terry papers date from 1938 to 2007 (bulk dates 1960-2000), and detail his career and legacy. Beginning with Terry's birth certificate and concluding with the 2007 posthumous publication of his book, Missing Pages: Black Journalists of Modern America, the collection provides a narrative of Terry's work through his authored articles, recorded interviews, manuscripts, published works, photographs, correspondence, and research. Although there are personal letters, family photographs, and items documenting Terry's academic achievements, the collection's focus is on his professional life as a chronicler of the Civil Rights Movement, the experiences of black soldiers, and the careers of black journalists, activists, celebrities, and politicians. The collection offers insight into the endeavors Terry often pursued simultaneously, and reveal the manner in which his projects often informed one another.
The Wallace Terry papers are arranged in ten series:
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1956-2010
Terry's journalistic career is conveyed through files related to his reporting at The Indianapolis Daily News, The Washington Post, Time, USA Today, Parade, and Vietnam Veterans of America; his tenure as president of the Capital Press Club; his interviews and surveys conducted in Vietnam and Europe; and his commentaries for radio and television. Terry's tenure with the Capital Press Club is represented through souvenir programs, photographs, correspondence, gavels from his time as president, and press clippings. The photographs, many of which also depict Terry, feature such figures as Lyndon B. Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson, Edward Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, Whitney Young, and Walter Cronkite. There is also a large selection of correspondence written to Terry from such individuals as John F. Kennedy; Lyndon B. Johnson; Robert Wagner; Nelson Rockefeller; Sargent Shriver; A. Philip Randolph; and many other politicians, elected officials, and journalists. Additionally, Terry held on to a selection of political memorabilia from his reporting on the 1964 presidential campaign that includes his press passes and inauguration invitations.
Terry's Time Washington Correspondent files contain full transcripts of interviews he conducted with Malcolm X, Julian Bond, Jesse Jackson, Bobby Seale, and Whitney Young. Other materials include files of his reporting on Hanafi Muslims, press passes to the 1967 National Conference on Black Power, and notes from an interview with Lyndon B. Johnson.
Terry kept files of the interviews he conducted in Vietnam, some of which informed his book, Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War and the album, Guess Who's Coming Home: Black Fighting Men Recorded. These folders are arranged chronologically, and hold interview notes and drafts of articles he authored for Time.
The Vietnam Correspondent files also contain research materials Terry collected while stationed in Saigon. These files contain clippings, military resources, and propaganda materials targeted at Black American soldiers that were distributed by the National Front of Liberation of South Vietnam.
Files pertaining to Terry's survey of American servicemen includes background research, data sheets, drafts, raw data, transcriptions, survey analysis, participant quotes, and articles about the survey.
The Vietnam photographs were either taken by Terry or depict him, and are in the form of prints, contact sheets, and slides. Many of the photographs include typed captions with the year and location. The photographs portray conditions in Vietnam and the individuals Terry interviewed, and chronicle his tenure as Saigon correspondent between 1967 and 1969.
The documentary album, Guess Who's Coming Home: Black Fighting Men Recorded Live in Vietnam, was edited, narrated, and produced by Terry. The full transcripts of the album, as well as correspondence and reviews have been preserved. The transcript includes handwritten annotations and edits.
After returning from Vietnam, Terry continued to conduct interviews with black soldiers, most of which were recorded and preserved in the form of typed transcripts. These files are arranged alphabetically by last name. In 1972, he traveled to Europe and conducted dozens of interviews with black enlisted servicemen. These files are arranged by interview location, and also contain full interview transcripts.
The Parade files contain correspondence, contracts, research, and story suggestions; full issues of the magazine that feature his articles; and files for the interviews he conducted. Audio recordings of these interviews are found in Series XI. The Interviews files hold excerpts of the interviews, handwritten annotations, and drafts of the articles. Among those profiled are Zalin Grant, Sinbad, Christopher Walken, Montel Williams, and Stevie Wonder.
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1967-2007
Although Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans was the only book Terry published in his lifetime, his efforts to write and publish books about the experiences of black soldiers and black journalists were ongoing. There are files devoted to both his published and unpublished works, however the bulk of Series II relates to Bloods.
Included in the files for Bloods is Terry's research, interview transcripts, early drafts and manuscripts, his business dealings with agents and publishers, correspondence, and citations from other writers. There is also a large selection of files that address the book's publicity, and a series of lecture tours Terry embarked on after the book's release. The Bloods files are arranged chronologically, and reflect the manner in which the book was researched, written, revised, published, and promoted.
The Interviews files hold the transcripts and notes from interviews Terry conducted with Vietnam soldiers and veterans. The files are arranged alphabetically by last name, and exist as audio recordings in Series XI. Terry's handwritten index cards of questions are also held in the Interview files.
The Early Drafts and Manuscripts of Bloods date back to 1967. These writings represent Terry's work in the early stages of conceptualizing the book, drafts of individual chapters, chapter revisions, and various iterations of the manuscript including the original full version. Drafts of individual chapters recount the story of a single soldier whose interview transcripts and notes are held in the Interviews files.
Terry spent a number of years traveling around the county giving multimedia lectures inspired by Bloods. The Lecture Tour files contain the materials related to these travels, which includes funding documentation, itineraries, schedules, photographs, posters, flyers, programs, and speaking contracts. The Speaking Contracts hold one file for each location of the tour, and are arranged chronologically.
Files related to Terry's other published book, Missing Pages: Black Journalists of Modern America: An Oral History, consists of research that dates back to 1979, as well as manuscripts and proposals from as early as 1980. There are some posthumous versions of the manuscript that contain correspondence and notes written by Terry's wife, Janice, although the majority of the Missing Pages files focus on Terry's interviews with and research on black journalists. These files are arranged alphabetically by last name. While some files contain only research and notes, there are full interview transcripts with many of the journalists, some of which appeared in the final published book. Audio recordings of these interviews are also found in Series XI.
Terry's Unpublished files contain full manuscripts, partial drafts, outlines, and book proposals. These works include a biography of ‘Chappie' James, a few versions of a memoir, and a subsequent book about soldiers' experiences in Vietnam entitled, Heroic Hearts: How the Dream of Martin Luther King Came True on the Battlefields of Vietnam. Terry conducted a number of interviews which were intended for inclusion in Heroic Hearts, and whose transcripts have been preserved.
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1974-1993
Terry's teaching career files contain items from his time as a visiting professor at Howard University and artist-in-residence at The College of William and Mary. Included are clippings, correspondence and memoranda, photographs, and items related to the individual courses he taught.
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1974-2001
The Film and Television files consist mostly of materials from productions that were released, and contain clippings, correspondence, interview questions, notes, press packets, and reviews. The most thoroughly documented of these projects is, The Family Tree, which contains files for each guest and host. These files are arranged alphabetically by name, and hold background research and annotated drafts of scripts. Also of interest is the film treatment for an unreleased film adaptation of Bloods.
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1975-2000
Series V holds materials concerning various speaking engagements and special events that Terry helped to organize. The Speaking Engagements files contain speeches, sermons, lectures, and eulogies. This series also holds files that pertain to "Rendezvous with War," a three day symposium Terry organized, and The Way We War, an artistic collaboration with his son, David. These include correspondence, media coverage, notes, posters, and press releases.
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1975-2000
Terry's service as a member of the Committee on Minority Affairs and Board of Trustees at Brown University; the Board of Visitors at the College of William and Mary; and Veterans Administration Advisory Committee on Readjustment is illustrated through correspondence, meetings minutes, and memoranda.
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1975-2003
Other Projects and Plans contain files of correspondence, papers authored by Terry, notebooks of project plans and goals, research materials, and multiple versions of his resume.
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1964-1999
Throughout Terry's career he was the recipient of many awards and accolades for his work addressing civil rights issues, the experiences of soldiers in Vietnam, and the careers of black journalists. Series VIII consists of certificates, citations, commendations, and plaques earned by Terry, as well proclamations, resolutions, and keys to various cities issued to him.
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1938-2007
Personal files consist of Terry's birth certificate, family photographs,correspondence, and materials documenting his education. Included are awards, certificates, photographs, newspaper clippings, transcripts, and college acceptance letters. Also found here are items related to his children's education, obituaries, memorial programs, and sympathy letters regarding the death of Terry's parents.
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2003-2007
Series X is comprised of clippings, eulogies, obituaries, programs, and tributes from Terry's memorial service. Also included is the press packet from the 2006 exhibition, Soul Soldiers: African Americans and the Vietnam Era, as well as Terry's Army fatigues, camera, typewriter, and battle flags that were were displayed as part of the exhibit. The flags were created and flown by African-American servicemen in Vietnam.