Scope and Content Note
The papers of Helen Thomas span the years 1929 to 2013, with the bulk of the material dating between 1980 and 2005. The papers are organized into the following series: White House Press Corps, Speeches and Events, Writings, Personal File, Correspondence, Digital Files, and Oversize.
The collection documents Thomas’s career as a journalist in the White House press corps and chronicles her coverage of American presidents and first families across ten presidential administrations. These papers are composed primarily of documents Thomas collected in the course of her work as a White House correspondent and bureau chief and as an active member of many professional organizations. To a lesser extent, these papers reflect Thomas’s opinions of American politics and presidents and her contributions to the field of journalism, especially with regard to expanding the profession for female journalists. Evidence of Thomas’s celebrity and wide recognition within the profession and among the greater public can be found throughout the collection.
The White House Press Corps series comprises material related to Thomas’s work in the White House press corps and spans the years 1929 to 2012. The bulk of the material dates between 1977 and 1997. This series is organized chronologically by presidential administration, with the Carter, Reagan, and Clinton administrations the most heavily documented. Materials related to the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, George H.W. Bush., and George W. Bush administrations are also included. Little to no evidence of the Obama administration is found in this collection, although Thomas did cover it during her career. Material Thomas collected from various events hosted by the White House or first ladies, press conferences, and trips with presidents and aboard Air Force One comprise the bulk of this series.
The Speeches and Events file documents the many public appearances, lectures, and award ceremonies in which Thomas participated between 1960 and 2013. Documentation of the many honors and honorary degrees bestowed upon Thomas are contained in this series, as are scripts and programs from the Gridiron Club’s annual dinners. Copies of speeches delivered by Thomas are also included, though they are often fragmented and undated. Few complete copies of remarks appear in these files.
The Writings file contains copies of Thomas’s newspaper articles and to a smaller degree, material related to some of her books. Dates in this series span between 1960 and 2011, with the bulk of the material dating between 2000 and 2008, at which time Thomas worked as a columnist for Hearst Newspapers. Thomas’s 1999 book Front Row at the White House: My Life and Times and 2006 title, Watchdogs of Democracy? : The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public are the two most documented of her books.
The Personal File contains material related to Thomas’s life and work between the years 1938 and 2013. This series includes an extensive collection of photographs chronicling Thomas’s career in the White House press corps and her many speaking engagements. Newspaper articles about Thomas form another significant portion of this series. Material related to Thomas’s marriage and husband, Douglas B. Cornell, a White House correspondent for the Associated Press, is also included.
The Correspondence series is comprised primarily of incoming letters sent to Thomas by friends, family, colleagues, and presidents and first ladies, dating between 1959 and 2013. Topics addressed in the letters are largely professional in nature, though the series includes some notes from Thomas's siblings and nieces and nephews. Several letters from Pauline Philips, also known as the advice columnist "Dear Abby" can also be found in this series.
The Digital File series includes audio, video, and image files removed from compact discs associated with Thomas’s papers. This series is composed primarily of audio and video files, which feature interviews Thomas conducted and speeches Thomas gave at various events. Dates range from 2002 to 2010 and include several years of Gridiron Club dinners and performances.