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Dr. Ruth Westheimer papers, 1977-1990

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BOX 1-37 Listener Letters, 1980-1987
The Listener Letters series contains letters sent to Dr. Ruth Westheimer in the 1980s, largely from listeners of her syndicated WYNY-FM (NBC) radio show Sexually Speaking and viewers of her Lifetime Television talk show Good Sex! with Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Additional letters in this series were sent in by readers of her first book, Dr. Ruth's Guide to Good Sex (New York: Warner Books, 1983) and in response to her many appearances on television talk shows such as the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Late Night with David Letterman, and the Phil Donahue Show. Several 1982 letters were sent in to the television studios of WNYW/Channel 5 in New York City, where Westheimer briefly hosted a local daytime talk show.
The majority of the letter writers requested advice from Westheimer in her role as a sex therapist and media personality; some letters convey complaints and others request autographs, photographs, or memorabilia. Common topics include contraceptive use, male and female orgasm and anatomy, sexual health, sexual orientation/identity, infidelity, and relationship problems. Early letters, from 1981 to 1984, typically include a brief summary of their central question on the envelope or on a sticky note, likely written by WYNY staff. Beginning in mid-1986, most letters received were compiled into numbered envelopes accompanied by an index containing a summary and, if known, the age, sex, marital status, and location (by state) of the letter writer.
The series is divided into two parts: "letters received," which contains letters mailed to Westheimer, and "letters with responses," which contains letters mailed to Westheimer plus her reply to the letter writer. Copies of various unpersonalized form letters returned to letter writers (circa 1982 and circa 1986) can be found in the Sexually Speaking Production Files series.
Arranged chronologically, in two parts. A span of "letters received" in 1986-1987 were indexed into numbered folders, and that arrangement is maintained.
BOX 1 Letters received
BOX 1 1980-1981, Dec.
(12 folders)
BOX 2 circa 1981-circa 1982
(12 folders)
BOX 3 1982, Jan.-1982, Mar.
(11 folders)
BOX 4 1982, Mar.-1982, June
(11 folders)
BOX 5 1982, June-1982, Nov.
(12 folders)
BOX 6 1982, Dec.-1983, Feb.
(14 folders)
BOX 7 1983, Feb.-1984, Jan.
(16 folders)
BOX 8 1984, Feb.-1984, Sept.
(13 folders)
BOX 9 1984, Sept.-1984, Oct.
(12 folders)
BOX 10 1984, Oct.-1985, Jan.
(14 folders)
BOX 11 1985, Feb.-1985, June
(14 folders)
BOX 12 1985, June-1985, Aug.
(13 folders)
BOX 13 1985, Sept.-1985, Dec.
(12 folders)
BOX 14 1985, Dec.-1986, Feb.
(15 folders)
BOX 15 1986, Mar.-1986, May
(13 folders)
BOX 16 1986, May-1986, Aug.
(12 folders)
BOX 17 1986, Aug.-1986, Oct.
(9 folders)
BOX 18 1986, Oct.-1986, Nov.
(10 folders)
BOX 19 1986, Nov.
(9 folders)
BOX 20 1986, Dec.-1987, Jan.
(9 folders)
BOX 21 1987, Jan.
(9 folders)
BOX 22 1987, Jan.-1987, Feb.
(9 folders)
BOX 23 1987, Jan.-1987, Feb.
(8 folders)
BOX 24 1987, Jan.-1987, Feb.
(8 folders)
BOX 25 1987, Feb.-1987, Mar.
(8 folders)
BOX 26 1987, Feb.-1987, Mar.
(8 folders)
BOX 27 1987, Mar.-1987 Apr.
BOX 27 Undated
(4 folders)
BOX 27 Letters with responses
BOX 27 1982, Apr.-1982, May
(7 folders)
BOX 27 1982, July-1982, Aug.
(3 folders)
BOX 28 1982, Oct.-1982, Dec.
(13 folders)
BOX 29 1982, Dec.-1983, Mar.
(14 folders)
BOX 30 1983, Mar.-1983, June
(13 folders)
BOX 31 1983, June-1983, Aug.
(12 folders)
BOX 32 1983, Sept.-1983, Nov.
(13 folders)
BOX 33 1983, Dec.-1984, Jan.
(13 folders)
BOX 34 1984, Jan.-1984, Mar.
(12 folders)
BOX 35 1984, Mar.
(12 folders)
BOX 36 1984, Apr.-1984, June
(12 folders)
BOX 37 1984, June-1984, Sept.
(8 folders)
BOX 37 circa 1984
BOX 37 Undated
BOX 37-38 Sexually Speaking Production Files, 1977-1990
The Sexually Speaking Production Files document several behind-the-scenes aspects of Westheimer's WYNY-FM (NBC) radio show and her media career, largely focused on the period 1982-1985. Prominent in the series are weekly show notes from Sexually Speaking producers (1982-1983) as well as promotional material from both WYNY and NBC Radio Entertainment. Also included are audience questions collected during an April 1982 appearance on Late Night with David Letterman on NBC Television. A few folders of material relate to other aspects of Westheimer's media career in the 1980s, including promotional material for her 1985 board game, Dr. Ruth's Game of Good Sex.
Material types include press releases and publicity packets, show notes and schedules, memoranda and letters, and forms.
Arranged alphabetically by subject or type of material.
BOX 37 "Ask Dr. Ruth" questions, circa 1986
BOX 37 Audience questions, 1981-circa 1983, undated
BOX 37 "Between Us" segment, undated
BOX 38 China trip thank-you letters, 1986
BOX 38 Dr. Ruth's Game of Good Sex promotional material, 1985
BOX 38 Form letters, circa 1982, circa 1986, undated
BOX 38 Late Night with David Letterman (NBC) appearance audience questions, 1982
BOX 38 Miscellany, 1977, 1982, 1985, undated
BOX 38 NBC Radio Entertainment promotional material, 1985-1986
BOX 38 New York Market Radio (NYMRAD) ascertainment list, 1985
BOX 38 Party guest list, 1982
BOX 38 Show notes, 1982-1983
(3 folders)
BOX 38 Statistics, undated
BOX 38 This Morning (ITV) audience questions, 1990
BOX 38 T-shirt giveaway, 1982
BOX 38 WYNY promotional material, circa 1985
BOX 38 WYNY promotional material, background information on Dr. Ruth Westheimer, circa 1984
BOX 38 WYNY special weekend programming listener survey report, undated
BOX X 39-X 50 Closed, 1980-1987
Material types include correspondence.
Arranged and described according to the series, containers, and folders from which the items were separated.
Listener Letters, letters received
BOX X 39 1980-1982, May
(14 folders)
BOX X 40 1982, June-1984, July
(22 folders)
BOX X 41 1984, Aug.-1985, June
(12 folders)
BOX X 42 1985, July-1986, May
(12 folders)
BOX X 43 1986, June-1987, Jan.
(38 folders)
BOX X 44 1987, Jan.-1987, Mar.
(37 folders)
BOX X 45 1987, Feb.-1987, Apr.
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