Manuscripts Department
Library of the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill
SOUTHERN HISTORICAL COLLECTION
#4878
NORTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION RECORDS
Inventory
Abstract: The North Carolina Press Association (NCPA) was
founded on 15 May 1873. Member newspapers created the
organization “for mutual benefit and protection.” The NCPA
holds annual conventions to discuss important issues
facing the press. During the 1960s and 1970s, the NCPA
retained lawyer William Lassiter to monitor legislation
that threatened to limit freedom of the press and to
report on other legal issues with which the NCPA was
concerned, including privacy and access to governmental
meetings. The NCPA is also interested in photojournalism;
its annual photo contest honors the year’s best in North
Carolina photojournalism in a variety of categories.
North Carolina Press Association records, 1886-1993,
including meeting materials; correspondence; videos; photographs;
and financial, legal, and other files. The bulk of the
materials are meeting-related, primarily minutes and other
items from the NCPA’s annual conventions. Correspondence
is chiefly of NCPA presidents, much of it with long-time
secretary-treasurer, Margaret Taylor Harper. Photographs
are of NCPA members at conventions, award ceremonies,
etc.; there are also photographs from the NCPA’s annual
photo contests. Legal files are chiefly those of William
Lassiter, who acted as the NCPA’s lawyer for many years.
These files include information on the issue of open
public meetings, privacy, freedom of the press, and other
topics with which the NCPA was concerned. There are also
materials relating to the Associated Dailies of the North
Carolina Press Association and the National Editorial
Association (later the National Newspaper Association), to
which the NCPA was related. These records include meeting
minutes of both organizations and financial records of the
Associated Dailies. There are also files relating to the
difficulties of running newspapers during World War II;
publication files; and files relating to NCPA awards,
scholarships, and other activities.
Online Catalog Terms:
American newspapers--North Carolina--History--19th century.
American newspapers--North Carolina--History--20th century.
Associated Dailies of the North Carolina Press Association.
Freedom of the press--North Carolina.
Harper, Margaret Taylor, 1917- .
Journalists--North Carolina--History--19th century.
Journalists--North Carolina--History--20th century.
Lassiter, William Carroll, 1909- .
National Editorial Association.
National Newspaper Association.
Newspaper publishing--North Carolina--History--19th century.
Newspaper publishing--North Carolina--History--20th century.
North Carolina--Newspapers--History--19th century.
North Carolina--Newspapers--History--20th century.
North Carolina Press Association.
Photojournalism--North Carolina.
Press law--North Carolina.
Privacy, Right of--North Carolina.
Public meetings--Law and legislation--North Carolina.
World War, 1939-1945--Press coverage--United States.
Size: About 1900 items (9.5 linear feet).
Date Span: 1886-1993.
Provenance: Received from Teri Saylor of the North Carolina
Press Association in July (Acc. 97082) and November
1997 (Acc. 97144).
Access: No restrictions.
Processing Note: Items separated: VT-4878/1-3.
Related Collections: William Carroll Lassiter Papers (#4485);
Margaret Taylor Harper Papers (#4496).
Copyright: Retained by the authors of items in these papers, or
their descendants, as stipulated by United States
copyright law.
Table of Contents:
Collection Overview
Series Descriptions
Series 1. Conventions
Series 2. Correspondence
Series 3. Videos
Series 4. Photographs
Series 5. Financial Documents
Series 6. Legal Files
Series 7. Related Organizations
Series 8. Publications
Series 9. 1941-1942 Files
Series 10. Other NCPA Activities
COLLECTION OVERVIEW
The bulk of the collection consists of meeting records,
primarily minutes from the North Carolina Press Association’s
annual conventions. Files from more recent years include records
of other conventions and information about the convention
planning.
Correspondence is chiefly of NCPA presidents and deals with
issues such as open meetings, regional hearings on Saturday mail
, the death of A. Howard White in office, the establishment of
the Criminal Justice Information System computer network,
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issues, a
bill before the House of Representatives about regulating charges
for political advertising, and the NCPA’s opposition to secrecy
in court proceedings. It also includes much correspondence with
long-time secretary-treasurer, Margaret Taylor Harper (see also
Margaret Taylor Harper Papers, #4496).
The collection includes photographs of NCPA members and
photographs from the NCPA’s annual photo contest. Among the
member photographs are convention photographs and photographs
from award ceremonies; there are also photographs of newspaper
buildings. Contest photographs include newspaper photographs that
were entered in the spot news, features, and portfolio
categories.
Legal files are chiefly those of William Lassiter (see also
William Carroll Lassiter Papers #4485), who acted as the NCPA’s
lawyer for many years. These files include correspondence, copies
of legislation, and drafts of columns Lassiter wrote on legal
issues. Many of these papers deal with the issue of open
meetings. Other topics are advertisement of bingo and raffles,
banking records, privacy of state employee records, court gag
orders, libel issues, restriction of evidence in rape cases, the
corrupt practices act, the social services records act, the right
to publish the names of recipients of public assistance,
political advertising, criminal contempt, investigation of peak-
load pricing, postal and law regulations, the fair employment
act, trial stage and appellate procedure, state employee
personnel records, the campaign contribution and expenditures
act, estate value release, the right of reply statute,
journalists’ privilege bills, postal problems, federal price wage
controls, and court photography.
The collection also contains records of the Associated Dailies
of the North Carolina Press Association and the National
Editorial Association (later the National Newspaper Association),
to which the NCPA was related; publications; World War II files;
and files relating to other activities. There are meeting minutes
of both the Associated Dailies and the National Editorial
Association and financial records of the Associated Dailies.
Publications include the Directory of North Carolina Newspapers,
1947-1978; a 1967 edition of the NCPA Press; and Press
Association Bulletins, 1922-1924. The 1941-1942 series contains
information about the difficulties of running a newspaper during
World War II due to rationing and economic problems, as well as
problems created by censorship and security issues. Material
concerning a cooperative program with the Navy for recruitment
purposes is also included. Other materials document freedom of
the press award nominations, lobbying guidelines, publicity, the
celebration of the NCPA centennial, scholarships, and a museum
display of an antique printing press.
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series 1. Conventions
1873-1990. About 500 items.
Arrangement: by name of convention, then reverse
chronological.
Convention minutes and organizational details relating to
conventions. These include both the annual conventions of the
NCPA and other NCPA-sponsored meetings. Included are lists of
registrants, programs, speaker biographies, and correspondence
about organizing the conventions.
Folder 1 1 Annual Convention, 1992
2 Budget
3 Correspondence
4 Discovery Place
5 Hotel Information
6 Promotional Material
7 Registrants
8 Speaker Information
9 Spec Sheets
10 Speedway
Annual Convention, 1991
11 Correspondence
12 Cartoonist Display
13 Daily Breakfast Meeting
14 Mailings, Program, Speaker Profile, Postcards
15 Registrants, Invoicing Requisitions
16 Reservations and Rooming List
17 Spec Sheets
18 Sponsors
19 Annual Convention, 1990
20 Band, Welcome Reception
21 Cancellations
22 Children’s Program
23 Convention Mailing
24 Correspondence
25 Evaluations
26 Handouts
27 Mailings, Sponsor Forms
28 Notes
29 Programs
30 Registration Desk
31 Registration Forms
32 Speaker Arrangements
33 Speakers
34 Special Information
35 Sponsorships
36 Scripts, Agendas
37 Annual Conventions, 1975, 1972, 1969, 1968, 1960, 1959
Annual Convention Minutes
38 1945-1946
39 1942-1944
40 1939-1941
41 1935-1936, 1938
42 1932-1934
43 Volume 1: 1932-1946 pp. 350 Minute Book
44 1929-1931
45 Volume 2: 1926-1931 pp. 107 Minute Book
46 1925, 1927-1928
47 Volume 3: 1919-1925 pp. 200 Minute Book
48 1922-1924
49 1919-1921
50 Volume 4: 1886-1898 pp. 200 Minute Book
51 Volume 5: 1873-1887 pp. 107 Minute Book
52 Advertising Conference Correspondence, 1992, Budget
53 Program-Registration List
54 Registration
55 Spec Sheets and Promo Pieces
56 Advertising Conference, 1991
57 Contest Entries
58 Registrants
59 Sheraton Imperial
Building Positive Media Relationships, 1990
60 Budget
61 Correspondence
62 Evaluations
63 Hotel Information.
64 Leads From Papers
65 Notes
66 Originals
67 Promotion
68 Registrations
69 Specs
70 Court Reporting Seminar, 1965-1974
71 Editorial Writer’s Conference, 1992
72 Committee
73 Registrants
Editorial Writer’s Conference, 1991
74 Correspondence, Hotel
Information, Menus
75 Registrants
76 Speakers
77 Spec Sheets
78 Institute Awards Ceremony, 1992
79 Carolina Inn
80 Committee, Correspondence
81 Duke Dinner
82 Friday Center
83 News-Editorial Contest
84 Promotional Pieces and Misc.
85 Registrants
86 Siena/Europa
87 Institute, 1990
88 Award Recipients
89 Editorial Contest
90 Institute, 1973, 1972, 1968, 1967, 1961, 1959
91 Regional Workshops, 1991-1992
92 Features and Photography
93 Libel Workshop
94 New Jersey Press Association
95 Open Meetings Workshop
96 Postal Workshop Registrants
97 Public Relations Registrants
98 Public Relations Workshop
99 Standardized Advertising Invoice and Rate Cards
100 Socratic Dialogue, 1977
101 State-Local Government Seminars, 1972-1978
Series 2. Correspondence
1969-1981. About 50 items.
Arrangement: reverse chronological.
Chiefly correspondence of the presidents of NCPA, dealing with
issues such as open meetings, regional hearings on Saturday mail
(Wynne), the death of A. Howard White in office (White), the
establishment of the Criminal Justice Information System computer
network (White), OSHA issues (White), a bill before the House of
Representatives about regulating advertising charges for
political advertising (Rollins), and the NCPA’s opposition to
secrecy in court proceedings (James). The files also contain a
great deal of correspondence with long-time secretary-treasurer
Margaret Taylor Harper.
Folder 2 1 1981 Olson, Michael
2 1977-1978 Wynne, Richard B.
3 1976-1977 High, James C.
4 1976 McKnight, C. A.
5 1975-1976 White, A. Howard
6 1974-1975 Snider, William D.
7 1973-1974 Ragan, Sam
8 1972-1973 Fitz, J. D.
9 1971-1972 Rollins, Steed
10 1970-1971 James, L. T.
11 1969-1970 Whichard, David J., II
Series 3. Videos
1996-1997. 3 items.
Arrangement: reverse chronological.
VT-4878/1 New Media: What’s In It for Newspapers
VT-4878/2 Computer-Assisted Reporting
VT-4878/3 Postal Reclassification
Series 4. Photographs
1960s-1993. About 550 items.
Arrangement: divided into organizational and contest photographs.
Photographs of NCPA members and photographs from the NCPA’s
annual photo contest. Member photographs include convention
photographs and photographs from award ceremonies. There are also
photographs of newspaper buildings. Among them are photographs of
William Lassiter; Sam Ragan; J. D. Fitz; Sam Ervin; Bill Friday;
Elizabeth Swindell; Henry and Ida Belk; L. Teague James; Everett
Jordan; Steed Rollins; North Carolina governers Scott, Hunt,
Hodges, and Moore, Bill Snider; and A. Howard White. Contest
photographs are newspaper photographs that were entered in the
spot news, features, and portfolio categories.
Organizational Photographs
Folder 4 1 Organizational Photographs Buildings
2 Convention Plans
3-4 Identified People
5 Negatives
6 Unidentified People
Photo Contest Photographs
7-9 1993 Award Winners
10-12 1992 Award Winners
13 1991 Award Winners
14-17 1990 Award Winners
18-20 Award Winners
21 Community Winners
22 Daily Winners
23 Daily Winners
24 Portfolios
25 Slides
26 Spot News or Feature
Series 5. Financial Documents
1958-1979. 12 items.
Arrangement: reverse chronological, first ledgers then
audits.
Folder 5 1 Volume 6: Ledger, 1978-1979. Dues paid
by member newspapers.
2 Volume 5: Ledger, 1958-1964. Dues
paid by member newspapers.
3 Audits, 1974-1979
4 Audits, 1969-1979
Series 6. Legal Files
1969-1979. About 200 items.
Arrangement: reverse chronological.
Files of William Lassiter, who acted as the NCPA’s lawyer for
many years. They include correspondence, copies of legislation,
and drafts of William Lassiter’s columns on legal issues for the
NC Press. Many of the papers deal with the issue of open
meetings. Other topics include advertisement of bingo and
raffles, 1978-1979; banking records, 1978-1979; privacy of state
employee records, 1977-1978; court gag orders, 1977-1978; libel,
1977-1978; open meetings, 1977-1978; restriction of evidence in
rape cases, 1977-1976; the corrupt practices act, 1977-1976; the
social services records act, 1977-1978; the right to publish the
names of recipients of public assistance, 1977-1978; political
advertising, 1977-1978; criminal contempt, 1977-1978;
investigation of peak-load pricing, 1977-1978; postal law and
regulations, 1975; the Fair Employment Act, 1975; trial stage and
appellate procedure, 1975; state employee personnel records,
1975; the campaign contribution and expenditures act, 1975;
estate value release, 1975; right of reply statute, 1975;
journalists’ privilege bills, 1974; postal problems, 1974;
federal price wage controls, 1971; and court photography, 1969.
Folder 6 1 Charter
2 Statement of Purpose
3 1978-1979
4 1977-1978
5-7 1976-1977
8-9 1975-1976
10 1975
11 1974
12-13 1973
14 1972
15-16 1971
17 1970
18 1969
Series 7. Related Organizations
1938-1978. About 300 items.
Arrangement: by organization, then chronological.
Materials from the Associated Dailies of the North Carolina
Press Association and the National Editorial Association (later
the National Newspaper Association, to which the NCPA was
related. Records contain meeting minutes of both organizations
and financial records of the Associated Dailies. See also Series
9 for other materials relating to the National Editorial
Association.
Associated Dailies of the North Carolina Press Association
Folder 7 1 Correspondence
2 Financial Documents: Account Statements
3 Financial Documents: Correspondence
4 Charter and Bylaws, Minutes, 1938-1944
5 Minutes, 1945-1949
6 Minutes, 1950-1954
7 Minutes, 1955-1960
8 Minutes, 1961-1973
National Editorial Association
9 1926-1927
10 1928-1929
11 1931-1932
Series 8. Publications
1922-1978. About 40 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by title of publication.
Folder 8 1 Directory of North Carolina Newspapers: list of
newspapers published in North Carolina, including
publisher and editor, circulation, advertising rates,
1947-1978 (not every year is included).
2 North Carolina Press, NCPA newsletter, July 1967.
3 North Carolina Press Association Bulletin, NCPA
newsletter, 1922-1924.
Series 9. 1941-1942 Files
1941-1942. About 150 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
Organizational files, 1941-1942. Included is information about
the difficulties of running a newspaper during World War II due
to rationing and economic problems, as well as problems created
by censorship and security issues. Material concerning a
cooperative program with the U.S. Navy for recruitment purposes
is also included. The two newspaper studies analyzed what
sections of newspaper were most popular with male and female
readers in different sized communities. See also Series 7 for
additional materials relating to the National Editorial
Association.
Folder 9 1 Anderson, Edward
2 Audit Bureau
3 Chatham News Case
4 Circulation Audit Bureau
5 Eck, Howard and Don, NEA
6 Executive Committee Meetings
7 Government Advertisements and Printing
8 Griffin, Clarence: Historical Award
9 Hines, W. M.: Army Corps
10 Kyser, Kay
11 Lassiter, Bill
12 Lumberton Voice Case
13 Membership File
14 National Editorial Association: Advertising Meeting
15 National Editorial Association: Bulletins
16 National Editorial Association: Correspondence
17 Navy Department Advertising Campaign
18 NCPA Defense Bond Committee
19 Newspaper Article
20 Newspaper Studies
21 Parker, Roy
22 Planning Council
23 Press Awards
24 Press Bulletins
25 Press Bulletin News
26 NCPA Publications
27 Rate and Data Directory
28 Rodgers, Eric
29 Special Bulletins
30 Sports Writers
31 Weekly Groups
32 Weekly Survey
33 War Production Board and Censorship
Series 10. Other NCPA Activities
1972-1977 About 75 items.
Arrangements: alphabetical.
Materials documenting freedom of the press award nominations,
lobbying guidelines, publicity and the program for the
celebration of the NCPA centennial, scholarships, and a museum
display of a antique printing press.
Folder 10 1 Awards: Senator Sam Ervin
2 Awards: Elizabeth Swindell
3 Certificates of Appreciation
4 Lobbying Guidelines
5 Museum Print Shop Exhibit
6 NCPA Centennial
7 Past President’s Pin
8 Scholarship Pledging
9 Yarborough Committee