Scope and Content Note
The papers of Robert G. Kaiser (1943-) span the years 1939-2013, with the bulk of the material dating from 1967 to 2013. The collection documents Kaiser's career with The Washington Post as a journalist and editor. The papers are primarily in English with some Russian. The collection is organized into four series: Personal File, Editor File, Journalist File and Closed.
The collection documents Kaiser's work as a journalist, including as a foreign correspondent in Vietnam and the Soviet Union and as a national news reporter based in Washington, D.C., and his work in various editorial roles for The Washington Post. His papers include files on eight books, authored or coauthored by Kaiser, and documentation of his work as a reporter, including research material, writings, interview transcripts and notes (often termed "jots" by Kaiser), all of which serve to illuminate his work processes. Kaiser's notebook files span the length of his career as a reporter but are particularly voluminous during his term as a national news reporter covering topics such as the Soviet Union and U.S.-Soviet relations, presidential politics, the United States Senate, and The Washington Post pressmen's strike. A brief guide to Kaiser's personal shorthand is included with the notebooks in the first folder of the alphabetical file. The collection further explores Kaiser's various editorial roles with The Washington Post. Correspondence and memoranda document Kaiser's work with journalists, other editors, and publishers and provide insight into the functions and management of the newsroom.
The collection’s series are listed and briefly described below. A fuller description of each series and a list of its contents can be accessed in the series descriptions within the container list.
The Personal File includes material documenting Kaiser's education and family, and memorabilia collected over the course of his career.
The Editor File documents Kaiser's work in various editorial roles for The Washington Post.
The Journalist File documents Kaiser's career as an author and journalist in Washington, D.C., Saigon, Vietnam, and Moscow, Soviet Union.
The remaining series contains Closed material.