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DescriptionSummaryThis collection consists of journalist William G. Lambert's (1920-1998) collected investigative materials such as correspondence, news clippings, notes, notebooks, photographs and transcripts related to his award winning reporting for The Oregonian, Portland, and for Life magazine. In 1957, Lambert and his college Wallace Turner received the Pulitzer Prize for their reporting, which uncovered widespread vice and corruption within the municipal Portland city government that involved labor union officials of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America, Western Conference. In 1970, Lambert accepted the George Polk Award for his Life magazine reporting, which revealed that Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas accepted and later returned a suspect $20,000 fee, spurring Fortas' resignation. This collection consists of journalist William G. Lambert's (1920-1998) collected investigative materials such as correspondence, news clippings, notes, notebooks, photographs and transcripts related to his award winning reporting for The Oregonian, Portland, and for Life magazine. In 1957, Lambert and his colleague Wallace L. Turner (1921-2010) received the Pulitzer Prize for their reporting, which uncovered widespread vice and corruption within the municipal Portland city government that involved labor union officials of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America, Western Conference. In 1970, Lambert accepted the George Polk Award for his 1969 Life magazine reporting, which revealed that U.S. Associate Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas (1910-1982) accepted and later returned a suspect $20,000 fee, spurring Fortas' resignation.
Using the CollectionRare Book and Manuscript Library Restrictions on AccessYou will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account. 
This collection is located off-site. You will need to request this material at least three business days in advance to use the collection in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. This collection has no restrictions. Terms Governing Use and ReproductionSingle photocopies may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron. Preferred CitationIdentification of specific item; Date (if known); William G. Lambert Papers; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library. Selected Related MaterialsAccrualsMaterials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information. Custodial HistoryPapers accessioned 8/26/2016 PTL 2016.2017.M035. About the Finding Aid / Processing InformationColumbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library Processing InformationPapers processed by Christopher M. Laico, March-April 2018. Revision Description2018-11-06 xml document instance created by Christopher M. Laico. 2019-05-20 EAD was imported spring 2019 as part of the ArchivesSpace Phase II migration. Subject HeadingsThe subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives. All links open new windows. Genre/Form
Subject
History / Biographical NoteBiographical NoteWilliam G. Lambert (1920-1998), an investigative journalist, was born in Langford, SD on February 2, 1920. After decorated military service in the U.S. Army during World War II in the Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO), Lambert, became a reporter and news editor at the Enterprise-Courier, Oregon City, OR. In 1950, Lambert joined The Oregonian, Portland. At The Oregonian, he teamed up with Wallace L. Turner (1921-2010) on a five-part series that uncovered widespread vice and corruption within the municipal Portland city government that involved labor union officials of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of America, Western Conference. These reports would spur U.S. congressional investigations into organized crime across the country. In 1957, for example, Lambert and Turner testified before the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee of Investigations. Lambert and Turner would also receive the 1957 Pulitzer Prize for "Local Reporting – No edition time". The Pulitzer Prize Board stated: "They fulfilled their assignments despite great handicaps and the risk of reprisal from lawless elements." After a brief stint as an anchor and news director at KPTV Oregon Television, in 1963, Lambert joined Life magazine as a staff reporter. At Life, he wrote an article that brought down U.S. Associate Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas (1910-1982), who was compelled to resign from the court in 1969. In 1970, Lambert accepted the George Polk Award for his 1969 reporting on the Fortas case. Besides Fortas, Lambert and his colleagues also wrote investigative pieces on such figures as controversial attorney Roy M. Cohn (1927-1986) and U.S. Dem. NJ Congressman Cornelius E. Gallagher (1921-2018). Lambert went on to report for the Time-Life News Service (1971-1973) and The Philadelphia Inquirer (1974-1990). During the course of his distinguished career, Lambert received many awards including a Pulitzer Prize for local reporting (1957); Heywood Broun Award (1957); Nieman Fellowship for Journalism, Harvard University (1960); award for magazine reporting Sigma Delta Chi (1967); Worth Bingham Prize for distinguished reporting (1967); Heywood Broun Award (1969); George Polk Award for magazine reporting Abe Fortas articles (1969); Sigma Delta Chi Award, National Headliners Club Award, Page One Award (1970); Pennsylvania Bar Association Award, Philadelphia Bar Association award, Philadelphia Sigma Delta Chi award, Associated Press Managing Editors Award (Pennsylvania) (1981). Upon his retirement, he went on to work as a libel litigation consultant (1990-1998). On February 2, 1998, William G. Lambert passed away after a long illness. Upon hearing of Lambert's death, the former Philadelphia Inquirer executive editor Eugene Leslie "Gene" Roberts, Jr., who hired Lambert in 1974, asserted that "he was the modern-day father of investigative journalism." |