Scope and Content Note
The Washington Post Historical Collection spans the years 1880 to 2015, with the bulk of the material dating between 1942 and 2007. The collection focuses on the broad history of the Washington Post as documented in the records and papers of multiple departments and staff members. The collection does not present an in-depth, comprehensive history of the Washington Post, but instead highlights certain facets of its history to varying degrees. Where possible, original order of the files was maintained. However, as the provenance of many files could not be determined, many have been arranged for convenience of description and access rather than in an order originally established by a creator. Furthermore, because the collection compiles materials from multiple sources, the files are occasionally incomplete. Some files feature only a few items on a particular topic or, in the case of more cohesive groupings of documents, contain gaps within the material. The collection is organized into the following series: Public Relations Files, Library and News Research Center Files, Staff Member Files, Editorials, Administrative Files, E Streeters Files, Circulation Files, Book World Files, Washington Post Company Files, Digital Files, and Oversize.
With the exception of a few files related to early Washington Post owners Stilson Hutchins and Beriah Wilkins, most files are related to the newspaper after Eugene Meyer purchased it in 1933. As a result, a large number of files throughout the collection are related to members of the Meyer and Graham families, which include Eugene Meyer, Agnes E. Meyer, Katharine Graham, Philip L. Graham, and Donald E. Graham, and contain speeches, biographies, and articles written by and about each of them.
Files related to staff members are voluminous and feature biographies, writings, photographs, editorials, and research materials. Prominently featured staff members include J. W. Anderson, Herbert Block, Benjamin C. Bradlee, Janet Cooke, Edward T. Folliard, Alfred Friendly, Meg Greenfield, Jean Reiff Hailey, Robert G. Kaiser, George Lardner, Mary McGrory, Walter Pincus, Merlo J. Pusey, and Chalmers M. Roberts. There is crossover of staff materials among all series, especially within the Public Relations Files, Library and News Research Center Files, and E Streeters Files series.
The Public Relations Files series mostly documents the Washington Post’s efforts to develop relationships within the community it serves and foster relationships internally among staff, and includes documentation of anniversaries, awards, sponsored events, educational outreach, and marketing. Events featured in the series include the Washington Post’s purchase of the Washington Times Herald in 1954, the pressman’s strike of 1975, and publication of Janet Cooke’s fabricated 1981 Pulitzer Prize winning story “Jimmy’s World."
The Library and News Research Center Files series consists of files from the Washington Post’s in-house library of resources utilized by editors, reporters, artists, and photographers in their daily work at the newspaper, and mostly includes name and subject files. The Washington Post background and history files in the series include articles, memoranda, reports, and other printed matter that chronicle major events in the history of the newspaper. This series also includes copies of the Pentagon Papers as originally received and arranged by the Washington Post. However, there is little to no documentation of the decision-making process that led to their publication.
The Staff Member Files series contains personal papers of Robert G. Kaiser, George Lardner, Walter Pincus, Merlo J. Pusey, Chalmers M. Roberts, and Jean Reiff. The bulk of the series includes Lardner and Pincus’s files on the Kennedy assassination and the Watergate Affair for articles written in the 1990s. The series also includes Chalmers M. Roberts’s files related to his books Washington Post: The First 100 Years (1977) and In the Shadow of Power: The Story of the Washington Post (1989).
The Editorials series comprises editorials written by staff ranging from 1965 to 2008. In most cases, these editorials were originally published without a byline, and these files document who wrote them.
The Administrative Files series focuses on a range of the Washington Post's operations including editorial, personnel, and planning matters. Many files originate from the newsroom and the human resources department and include style guidelines, telephone directories, and staff orientation materials.
The E Streeters Files series documents the group of employees who worked at the Washington Post building on E Street and who moved to the L Street building at the end of 1950. The series largely consists of meeting files and extensive name files, along with accounts of memories and recollections from E Streeters’ careers at the Washington Post.
The Circulation Files series largely consists of Audit Bureau of Circulations statements and reports for the Washington Post, Washington Times Herald, Washington Star, and Washington News from 1939 to 1989.
The Book World Files series documents the decision of the Washington Post to discontinue publication of its literary supplement “Book World” in 1973.
The Washington Post Company Files series contains files related to the parent company of the Washington Post. The bulk of the series contains the publication “Company Behind the News,” which provides a monthly review from 1983 to 2000 of achievements and initiatives of various Washington Post Company subsidiaries.
The Digital Files series documents many of the Washington Post’s public relations activities, including videos and photographs of events, awards, and staff celebrations.
The Oversize series primarily contains documents separated from other series.