Fred Friendly papers, 1917-2004, bulk 1950-1990

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Series II: Writing, 1940-1996

Friendly produced dozens of articles and speeches, as well as several books. Although his work covers many topics, he was especially interested in free speech, the history and impact of television, and the role of ethics in government, business, law, and journalism. This series consists primarily of drafts, research notes, and correspondence with editors and colleagues


Subseries II.1: Articles, 1940-1993

Friendly's short articles on media and ethics appeared frequently in popular magazines and newspapers, particularlyThe New York TimesandThe Washington Post. He was also called upon to write book reviews and prefaces for books on radio and televison history. This subseries includes drafts and research notes for a number of his articles, filed alphabetically by title.



Box 68 Folder F.1-2 "After the Westmoreland Case,", 1985


Box 68 Folder F.3 "Anecdota Orienta,", undated


Box 68 Folder F.4 "Asleep at the Switch of the Wired City,", 1970


Box 68 Folder F.5 "ATC's Aerial Supply Route to China," circa, 1940


Box 68 Folder F.6 "A Bench-mark for the World"--50th Anniversary of BBC, 1972


Box 68 Folder F.7 Broadcasting Essay, undated


Box 68 Folder F.8 "By Television's Flickering Light: The Last Twenty-Five Years,", 1990


Box 68 Folder F.9 Review of Close Encounters by Michael Wallace, 1984


Box 68 Folder F.10-12 "A Crime and its Aftershock,", 1976, (3 Folders)



Box 69 Folder F.1 "A Crime and its Aftershock,", 1976


Box 69 Folder F.2 "Dear Jack Gould, They Say You Are Retired,", 1972 February 27


Box 69 Folder F.3 Review of Emergence of a Free Press by Leonard Levy, 1985 February 24


Box 69 Folder F.4 Encyclopedia Britannica Articles, 1971-1972


Box 69 Folder F.5 "Ethics is When No One Else is Watching!,", 1991


Box 69 Folder F.6 "Fifty Years Later: The Minnesota Case that Shaped the Constitution,", 1981


Box 69 Folder F.7 "From Intense Tennis in Stockbridge to Intensive Care at BMC,", 1978


Box 69 Folder F.8 "Funds, Pluralism, and the Real Light at the End of the Tube,", 1970


Box 69 Folder F.9-10 "Gays, Privacy, and a Free Press,", 1990 April 8, (2 Folders)


Box 69 Folder F.11 "General Patton and the Chinese," circa, 1940s


Box 69 Folder F.12 "Here Lies Richard Nixon,", undated


Box 69 Folder F.13 "Imperial Media,", undated


Box 69 Folder F.14 Review of Make No Law by Anthony Lewis, 1991


Box 69 Folder F.15 "A Man Who Had Soul,", 1970 August 24


Box 69 Folder F.16 Preface to Book Of Boundless Domain by Michael I. Sovern, 1993


Box 69 Folder F.17 Review of On the Firing Line by William Buckley, Jr., undated


Box 69 Folder F.18 Response to Scientific American Article, "Opium, Cocaine, and Marijuana in American History,", 1991 August 29


Box 69 Folder F.19 Preface to Book Presidential Television , 1973


Box 69 Folder F.20 Review of Prime Time: The Life of Edward R. Murrow by Alexander Rendrick, 1969


Box 69 Folder F.21 "Reforming American Government,", undated


Box 69 Folder F.22 "Reminiscences and Observations,", undated


Box 69 Folder F.23 Rip-Saw Article for Near vs. Minnesota Case, 1980



Box 70 Folder F.1 "Some Sober Second Thoughts on Vice President Agnew," circa, 1970


Box 70 Folder F.2 "Sullivan Reconsidered: Time to Return to the Central Meaning of the First Amendment,", 1992


Box 70 Folder F.3 "Tempest in a NewsBox,", undated


Box 70 Folder F.4 "TV at the Turning Point,", 1971


Box 70 Folder F.5 "Twenty-Five Years Ago...,", 1990 December 21


Box 70 Folder F.6-7 "The Unselling of 'The Unselling of the Pentagon,'", 1971 March 3


Box 70 Folder F.8 Review of "The Untended Gate,", undated


Box 70 Folder F.9 "A Valuable Lesson from 'Little Red Riding Hood,'", 1980 September 21


Box 70 Folder F.10-11 "Was Trust Betrayed?"--Review of The Journalist and the Murderer by Janet Malcolm, 1990 February 25, (2 Folders)


Box 70 Folder F.12 "Watching the Watchdog,", 1990



Box 71 Folder F.1 "What is Fair on the Air,", 1975 March 30


Box 71 Folder F.2 "William S. Paley: The Super Producer,", 1963 July 30


Box 71 Folder F.3 Untitled "Carnegie Piece,", 1967


Box 71 Folder F.4 Untitled "Communications Paper,", 1980


Box 71 Folder F.5 Untitled draft on Controversy and TV, undated


Subseries II.2: Books, 1967-1984

This subseries holds materials relating to Friendly's four published books, as well as one unpublished manuscript,The Mole, the Judge and the Rule of Law, which reflected on the controversial court caseBritish Steel Company vs. Granada Television. Materials are arranged alphabetically by title and include heavily annotated drafts, research notes, and occasional book reviews


The Constitution: That Delicate Balance


Box 71 Folder F.6-8 Drafts (3 Folders), 1984


Box 71 Folder F.9 Clippings and Notes, 1984


Box 71 Folder F.10 Book Reviews, 1984


Due to Circumstances Beyond Our Control



Box 72 Drafts, 1975



Box 73 Drafts, 1975



Box 74 Drafts, 1975



Box 75 Drafts, 1975


Box 75 Research Notes, 1975



Box 76 Research Notes, 1975



Box 77 Research Notes, 1975


Good Guys, Bad Guys, and the First Amendment


Box 77 Drafts, 1967



Box 78 Drafts, 1967



Box 79 Drafts, 1967



Box 80 Drafts, 1967


Box 80 Research Notes and FCC Information, 1967



Box 81 Research Notes and FCC Information, 1967



Box 82 Research Notes and FCC Information, 1967


Box 82 Book Reviews, 1967


Minnesota Rag


Box 82 Drafts, 1980-1982



Box 83 Drafts, 1980-1982



Box 84 Drafts, 1980-1982



Box 85 Drafts, 1980-1982



Box 86 Drafts, 1980-1982



Box 87 Drafts, 1980-1982



Box 88 Research Notes, 1980-1982


The Mole, The Judge and the Rule of Law



Box 89 Drafts, 1980



Box 90 Drafts, 1980



Box 91 Drafts, 1980


Box 91 Research Notes, 1980


Subseries II.3: Speeches, 1964-1996

Friendly was frequently invited to college commencement ceremonies, professional conferences, and dedications. He also wrote eulogies honoring the lives of friends and colleagues. Most files in this subseries contain notes and drafts of speeches, as well as invitations and programs. They have been arranged alphabetically by title where possible, or by institution where no title exists.


Box 91 Folder F.8 Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Conference on TV and Ethics, 1987 March 6


Box 91 Folder F.9 Association of Schools of Journalism and Mass Communications, 1985 August 4


Box 91 Folder F.10 Alexander Hamilton Award Dinner, 1982 November 17



Box 92 Folder F.1 "ACLU: Judge It By Its Enemies"--ACLU of Hawaii, 1985 March 9


Box 92 Folder F.2 "The Administration, the Media and the Prime Time Rule,", 1972 June 1


Box 92 Folder F.3 American Film Institute, 1983 November 4


Box 92 Folder F.4 American Jewish Congress National Biennial Convention, 1970 May 22


Box 92 Folder F.5 American Jewish Congress, 1978 June 21


Box 92 Folder F.6 American Society of Magazine Editors, 1973 May 24


Box 92 Folder F.7 American Women in Radio and Television, Inc., 1964 April 30


Box 92 Folder F.8 Anti-Defamation League First Amendment Freedoms Award Dinner, 1975 September 17


Box 92 Folder F.9 Anti-Defamation League Tribute Dinner Honoring Arch L. Madsen, 1993 September 8


Box 92 Folder F.10 APA on Television Programming, 1988


Box 92 Folder F.11 "Appointment in Samarra...In Nebraska,", 1979 April 16


Box 92 Folder F.12 "Appointment at Samarra...University,", 1969 June 8


Box 92 Folder F.13 "Argument in Indianapolis,", 1970 January 24


Box 92 Folder F.14 "Argument in Indianapolis: Ratifying the First Amendment 182 Years Late,", 1973


Box 92 Folder F.15-18 "Argument in Indianapolis, or the Longest Scheduled Meeting in American History,", 1973 October 13, (4 Folders)



Box 93 Folder F.1 Armstrong Awards, 1973 March 24


Box 93 Folder F.2 Army War College, 1987 September 21


Box 93 Folder F.3 Art Director's Club Hall of Fame Induction of Ben Shahn, 1988 October 21


Box 93 Folder F.5 "The Attempted Politicization of Broadcast Journalism,", 1973 February 2


Box 93 Folder F.6 Lerrone Bennett Speech, 1970


Box 93 Folder F.7 "The Bill of Rights: The Greatest Afterthought in History,", 1982 July 9


Box 93 Folder F.8 "Brandeis, the First Amendment and the Voices We Hate,", 1990 February 2


Box 93 Folder F.9 "Breakfast of Business Champions," WNET/Thirteen (public radio), 1989 November 14


Box 93 Folder F.10 "Bridge Builders and Gatekeepers," 13, September 1982


Box 93 Folder F.11 Brigham Young University, 1991 April 3-5, 1991 April


Box 93 Folder F.12 Broadcast Journalism, 1966


Box 93 Folder F.13 Calvin College, 1973 September 27


Box 93 Folder F.14 "Can Chicago Survive Its Miracles," WTTW (public television), 1970 January 15


Box 93 Folder F.15 "Can We Manage Our Miracles?", 1970 April 11


Box 93 Folder F.16 Carnegie Mellon Commencement Speech, 1986 May 12



Box 94 Folder F.1 "Celebrating David Stein,", 1993 January 22


Box 94 Folder F.2 The Celeste Bartos Forum, 1989 October 16


Box 94 Folder F.3 Cheshire Academy Commencement Exercises, 1989 June 3


Box 94 Folder F.4 Chicago Historical Society, 1987 September 12


Box 94 Folder F.5 Colorado Bar Association Luncheon, 1984 September 28


Box 94 Folder F.6 Columbia College Commencement, 1986 May 30


Box 94 Folder F.7 Columbia University Journalism School Commencement, 1988 September 6


Box 94 Folder F.8 Columbia University Law School Commencement, 1984 May 15


Box 94 Folder F.9 Commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of the Publication of the Federalist Papers, 1987 October 27


Box 94 Folder F.10 "Conflicts Between the Law and the Media,", 1974 June 7


Box 94 Folder F.11 "The Constitution,", undated


Box 94 Folder F.12 "The Constitution: Terrorism and the News Media,", 1985 October 15


Box 94 Folder F.13 "Could the Boston Tea Party Be Televised?", 1970 February 25


Box 94 Folder F.14 "Could There Ever Be Another Murrow?", 1986 January 14



Box 95 Folder F.1 "Counselor-At-Law or Gun For Hire?", 1973


Box 95 Folder F.2 "The Courtroom v. the Newsroom,", 1975 May 13


Box 95 Folder F.3 "Dedication of the Rogers Communication Center," Public Communication Foundation for North Texas, 1975 September 18


Box 95 Folder F.4 Delia Smith Mares Lecture, Bryn Mawr College, 1981 October 21


Box 95 Folder F.5-7 "Don't Just Swear to Uphold the Constitution-Understand It,", 1986-1987, (3 Folders)


Box 95 Folder F.8 Duquesne University Commencement Speech, 1985 May 10


Box 95 Folder F.9 Edward R. Murrow High School--Lecture, 1987


Box 95 Folder F.10 "Edward R. Murrow's Legacy and Today's Media,", 1971 April 16


Box 95 Folder F.11 Irving Fain's Bar Mitzvah, 1993 April 17


Box 95 Folder F.12 "Fifty Years Later: The Minnesota Case that Shaped the Constitution,", 1981 June 5


Box 95 Folder F.13 The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts, 1974


Box 95 Folder F.14 Florida State University Commencement, 1986 December


Box 95 Folder F.15 Floyd Abrams Tribute Dinner, The Lawyers Division, State of Israel Bonds, 1986 February 25


Box 95 Folder F.16 Fred Friendly First Amendment Award Luncheon, Quinnipiac College, 1996 May 8


Box 95 Folder F.17 "Funds, Pluralism and the Real Light on the End of the Tube,", undated


Box 95 Folder F.18 "Future and Performance of Press,", 1983 January 26


Box 95 Folder F.19 George Chaplin Scholar in Residence Lecture, 1989 December 12


Box 95 Folder F.20 "The Golden Age of Dissent and the Oregon Connection,", 1978 June 11



Box 96 Folder F.1 Guildhall Lecture, 1967 October 24


Box 96 Folder F.2 Guilford County Dinner, 1971 January 5


Box 96 Folder F.3 Hadassah Convention, 1973 August 27


Box 96 Folder F.4 Hamilton School at Wheeler, 1995 April 7


Box 96 Folder F.5 "Hard Choices for a Free People,", 1984 May 23


Box 96 Folder F.6 "Headlines, Deadlines and Bottom Lines,", 1985 April 22


Box 96 Folder F.7 "The Hour News: A Leap of Faith v. The Bottom Line,", 1982 March 27


Box 96 Folder F.8 "How to Lose Your Job,", 1983 February 5


Box 96 Folder F.9 "Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Freedoms Prize," June, 1988 June 10


Box 96 Folder F.10 "If I Had My Career in Broadcast Journalism to Start Over Again in August 1986,", 1986 August 29



Box 97 Folder F.1-6 "If It Weren't for the Judges,", 1982-1983


Box 97 Folder F.7 "Impeachment and Trial? Test for the President and Television,", 1974 June 15


Box 97 Folder F.8 Interchurch Center Trustees Dinner, 1987, 1992, 1987, 1992


Box 97 Folder F.9 "Job Announcement,", 1964


Box 97 Folder F.10-11 "Journalism at a Time of Perpetual Crisis, or, Little Red Riding Hood From the Wolf's Point of View,", 1980 March 22, (2 Folders)



Box 98 Folder F.1 "Judges Before the Court of Public Opinion,", 1978 June 8


Box 98 Folder F.2-4 "Judges, Journalists and the Constitution,", 1984-1985, (3 Folders)


Box 98 Folder F.5-6 "Judges and Journalists: Whose End of the Boat Is Sinking?", 1982, (2 Folders)


Box 98 Folder F.7 Eulogy for Sophia J. Kleegman, undated (includes audio cassettes), undated


Box 98 Folder F.8 Tribute to David Kuhn, 1994 April 29


Box 98 Folder F.9 Lewis and Clark Commencement, 1990 June 10


Box 98 Folder F.10 Mowry Lowe Eulogy, 1973 October 3


Box 98 Folder F.11 "Malice in Wonderland,", 1983 November 12


Box 98 Folder F.12 Marist College Commencement, 1990 May 19


Box 98 Folder F.13 "The Meaning of Freedom,", 1991 September 26


Box 98 Folder F.14 "Memorial Day Massacre,", 1971



Box 99 Folder F.1 University of Michigan, 1971 March 10


Box 99 Folder F.2 "The Murrow Legacy, Twenty-Five Years After,", 1990 January 25


Box 99 Folder F.3 National Education Association Public-Cable Seminar, 1972 May 5


Box 99 Folder F.4 National Press Club, 1972 June 1


Box 99 Folder F.5 "Near v. Minnesota-A Half Century Later,", 1978 October 21


Box 99 Folder F.6-10 "The Nervous Breakdown of the First Amendment,", 1973-1974, (5 Folders)



Box 100 Folder F.1 New York Law School Remarks, 1987 September 14


Box 100 Folder F.2 Nichols College Commencement Speeches, 1967, 1989, 1967, 1989


Box 100 Folder F.3 Nieman Foundation for Journalism, 1981


Box 100 Folder F.4-6 The Nightly News: A Leap of Faith v. the Bottom Line, 1982 March 10, (3 Folders)


Box 100 Folder f.7 "No Foundation All the Way Down the Line...,", 1988 December 29


Box 100 Folder f.8 Opening by Charles Ogletree at Public School 165, 1990 November 30


Box 100 Folder f.9 "On Ceil Steins' Receiving the B'nai Brith Humanitarian Award,", 1993 November 28


Box 100 Folder f.10 "On Judging the Judges,", 1978 March 20


Box 100 Folder f.11 "On Prime Time,", undated


Box 100 Folder f.12 "Order in the Courtroom and Freedom in the Newsroom,", 1980 July 8


Box 100 Folder f.13 "Our Crisis in Ethics," Emerson College Commencement Speech, 1987 May 11



Box 101 Folder F.1 "Overheating the First Amendment,", 1983 March 12


Box 101 Folder F.2 John Meredith Patterson Eulogy, 1975 December 17


Box 101 Folder F.3 "Patterson/Bliss,", undated


Box 101 Folder F.4 PBS Advertising and Promotion Conference, 1988 June 6


Box 101 Folder F.5 PBS Annual Meeting, 1981 June 29


Box 101 Folder F.6 "Point of View,", 1988 June 23


Box 101 Folder F.7 "Power of the Press: Blessing or Threat,", 1983 February 17


Box 101 Folder F.8 Practicing Law Institute, undated


Box 101 Folder F.9 Princeton University, 1977 October 7


Box 101 Folder F.10 Princeton University Conference, 1970 January


Box 101 Folder F.11 Public Relations Society of America Remarks, 1970 November 16


Box 101 Folder F.12 Public Television Annual Meeting, 1985 May 17


Box 101 Folder F.13 "The Present Minded Professor,", 1968 November 29


Box 101 Folder F.14 "Rabbi William Braude: A Very Personal Reflection,", 1988 February 28


Box 101 Folder F.15 "Reporter's Privilege Law: Shield of Damocles?", 1973 August 6


Box 101 Folder F.16 Reporting Public Affairs in the Year 2004 Symposium, 1984 October 5, 2004, 1984 October 5


Box 101 Folder F.17 Rhode Island Campaign to Remember, 1987 October 5


Box 101 Folder F.18 Riverdale Press Office Reopening, 1989 September 27


Box 101 Folder F.19 Riverdale School Commencement, 1972 June 9



Box 102 Folder F.1-3 "Self-Inflicted Wounds: Judges and Journalists,", 1983 November 9, (3 Folders)


Box 102 Folder F.4 "Should Government Play a Role in Assisting Or Subsidizing News Media?", 1982 March 18


Box 102 Folder F.5 Silurian Society Talk, 1994 November 16


Box 102 Folder F.6 Silver Anniversary Banquet, 1973 February 2


Box 102 Folder F.7 The Smithsonian Resident Associate Program Lecture Series, 1988 October 11


Box 102 Folder F.8 "Some Second Sober Thoughts on Vice President Agnew,", 1969 November 21


Box 102 Folder F.9 Southern Utah State College Commencement, 1986 June 7


Box 102 Folder F.10 "The Spirit of '76 and the Next President of the United States,", 1972 December 6


Box 102 Folder F.11-13 Samuel Standard Eulogy, 1970 October 28, (3 Folders)



Box 103 Folder F.1 Elaine Strauss Eulogy, 1982 July


Box 103 Folder F.2 "Television and Terrorism: What Went Right, What Went Wrong,", 1985 October 9


Box 103 Folder F.3 Thomas Edison State College Commencement, 1991 October


Box 103 Folder F.4 Lonnie Layton Thomas Memorial, 1971


Box 103 Folder F.5 Thomas Paine National Historical Association, 1994 April 12


Box 103 Folder F.6 University of Utah Commencement, 1985 June 8


Box 103 Folder F.7 Utah State Bar Speech, 1987 August 4


Box 103 Folder F.8 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Dedication, 1993 April 22


Box 103 Folder F.9 U.S. Communications Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, 1988 April 27


Box 103 Folder F.10 U.S. House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee, 1970 April 27


Box 103 Folder F.11 U.S. House Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 1985 July 30


Box 103 Folder F.12 U.S. Joint Subcommittee on Congressional Operations, 1974 April 9


Box 103 Folder F.13 U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, 1982 November 19


Box 103 Folder F.14 U.S. Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights-Senate Committee on the Judiciary, 1971 October 12


Box 103 Folder F.15-16 U.S. Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 1987 April 28, (2 Folders)


Box 103 Folder F.17 U.S. Third Circuit Judicial Conference Luncheon, 1984 September 18



Box 104 Folder F.1 "Watergate and the Media,", 1973


Box 104 Folder F.2 "When War Comes, Whither the First Amendment?"1991 January 22


Box 104 Folder F.3 William O. Douglas Lecture, 1985 November 7


Box 104 Folder F.4 University of Wisconsin Commencement, 1971 June 14


Box 104 Folder F.5 Wooster College, 1982 June 13


Box 104 Folder F.6 "World Without Distance,", 1966 October 24


Box 104 Folder F.7 Yale University's Daily News Dinner, 1984 November 9