Inventory of the Elmer R. Oettinger, Jr., Papers, 1862-2002
Collection Number 5109
Manuscripts Department, Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Collection Information
- Contact Information:
- Manuscripts Department
- CB#3926, Wilson Library
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890
- Phone: 919/962-1345
- Fax: 919/962-3594
- Email: mss@email.unc.edu
- URL: http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/
- Processed by
- Matthew Turi
- Date Processed
- January 2003
- Encoded by
- Matthew Turi
- Date Encoded
- January 2003
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Descriptive Summary
- Repository
- Southern Historical Collection
- Creator
- Oettinger, Elmer R.
- Title
- Elmer R. Oettinger, Jr., Papers, 1862-2002
- Call Number
- 5109
- Extent
-
- About 2400 items (5.0 linear feet)
- Abstract
- Elmer R. Oettinger, Jr., was born in 1913 in Wilson, N.C. He was, among many other things, professor of public law and government and assistant director of the Institute of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The collection includes personal and business letters; texts of speeches; manuscript and published versions of original writings; institutional materials, such as memoranda and conference reports; publicity clippings; yearbooks; and photographs relating to Elmer R. Oettinger, Jr. Prior to 1960, materials are topically varied and reflect Oettinger's educational activities; his military service with the United States Navy during World War II; and his interests in pursuing careers in the theater, the practice of law, and broadcast radio and television. After 1960, when Oettinger joined the Institute of Government at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill as a full-time faculty member, the materials, while continuing other streams, most often reflect his activities as a professor of public law and government. These activities were not confined to academia and much of these later materials reflect Oettinger's intellectual engagement with a number of state, national, and international organizations interested in various aspects of communications and the law. Many materials relate to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. The earliest materials date from 1862 to 1930 and include Oettinger family documents, yearbooks, photographs, and letters largely from Wilson, N.C.
Administrative Information
- Provenance
- Received from Elmer R. Oettinger, Jr., of Chapel Hill, N.C., in November 2002 (Acc. 99375 and 99378).
- Preferred Citation
- [Identification of item], in the Elmer R. Oettinger, Jr., Papers #5109, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Copyright Notice
- Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Online Catalog Headings
These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.
- Dramatists, American--North Carolina--History--20th century.
- Family--North Carolina--Social life and customs.
- Lawyers--North Carolina--History--20th century.
- National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.
- Oettinger, Elmer R.
- Oettinger family.
- Radio broadcasting--North Carolina.
- Television broadcasting--North Carolina.
- United States. Navy--History--World War, 1939-1945.
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--Faculty--History--20th century.
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Institute of Government.
- Wilson (N.C.)--Social life and customs.
Biographical Note
Elmer R. Oettinger, Jr., was born in 1913 and raised in Wilson, N.C. After graduation from Charles L. Coon High School in 1930, Oettinger attended the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and earned a Bachelor's degree in 1934, a law degree in 1939, a Master's degree in dramatic arts in 1952, and a Ph.D. in English in 1966. Oettinger served as an officer, 1943-1945, in the United States Navy and actively pursued careers in the theater, the practice of law, and broadcast radio.
In 1960, Oettinger joined the full-time faculty of the Institute of Government at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and served there until 1979, when he retired from his positions as professor of public law and government and assistant director of the Institute. While at the Institute, Oettinger's activities were not confined to academia and much of this collection's materials reflect Oettinger's intellectual engagement with a number of state, national, and international organizations interested in various aspects of communications and the law. He was especially involved with the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, the American Bar Association, and a number of local organizations such as North Carolina's News Media-Administration of Justice Council.
Back to TopCollection Overview
The collection includes personal and business letters; texts of speeches; manuscript and published versions of original writings; institutional materials, such as memoranda and conference reports; publicity clippings; yearbooks; and photographs relating to Elmer R. Oettinger, Jr.
Subject matter may be broadly divided into two distinct eras. Prior to 1960, materials are topically varied and reflect Oettinger's educational activities; his military service with the United States Navy during World War II; and his interests in pursuing careers in the theater, the practice of law, and broadcast radio. After 1960, when Oettinger joined the Institute of Government at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill as a full-time faculty member, the materials, while continuing other streams, most often reflect his activities as a professor of public law and government. These activities were not confined to academia and much of these later materials reflect Oettinger's intellectual engagement with a number of state, national, and international organizations interested in various aspects of communications and the law.
The earliest materials date from 1862 to 1930 and include Oetttinger family documents, yearbooks, photographs, and letters largely from Wilson, N.C.
Back to TopOrganization of Collection
-
1. Biographical and Family Materials
2. Correspondence
3. Speeches
4. Newspaper Clippings and Other Publicity Materials
5. Writings
5.1 Creative Writings
5.2 Radio and Television Scripts
5.3 Academic and Professional Writings
6. Institutional Materials
6.1 Materials from the Institute of Government
6.2 Materials from Other Institutions
7. Photographs
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Detailed Description of the Collection
1. Biographical and Family Materials, 1862-2000.
About 300 items.
Arrangement: by type.
Primarily materials recording Elmer Oettinger, Jr.'s educational, civic, and professional activities. There are numerous versions of his résumé, brief biographical sketches, and community board membership lists. There are copies editions, 1928-1930, of the The Winoca, which was the yearbook of Charles L. Coon High School in Wilson, N.C. There are documents relating to his service in the United States Navy during World War II, as well as a copy of his license to practice law. Also included is an extensive collection of pamphlets and other printed materials from North Carolina events that Oettinger participated in or attended. Included are programs from the 1934 University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill commencement and materials such as Yakety Yak relating to that class and its various reunions.
The materials relating to the Oettinger family's history include a copy of an 1862 affidavit of non-citizenship by Henry Oettinger that was drafted in an attempt to avoid his serving in the North Carolina State Militia. There is also a typescript copy of Jonas Oettinger's remembrances of his 19th-century boyhood in Wilson, N.C.
Folder
1
Résumé, biographical sketches, and directory listings, 1940s-1990s
Folder
2
Community boards, 1977-2001
Folder
3
Oettinger family history, 1862-1990s
Folder
4-6
The Winoca: yearbook of the Charles L. Coon High School, Wilson, N.C., 1928-1930
Folder
7
United States Navy service, 1943-1950
Folder
8
License to practice law in North Carolina, 1964
Folder
9
Honors, 1984-1987
Folder
10-11
Pamphlets, 1924-2000
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2. Correspondence, 1912-2000.
About 400 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Personal as well as professional correspondence. Personal and family letters occur throughout the series, but appear most frequently between 1912 and 1946. Correspondence from the 1940s and 1950s contains a mix of subject matter, including Oettinger's law practice in Wilson, N.C.; his application to be an officer in the United States Navy; and his broadcast career with the Tobacco Radio Network and WNAO in Raleigh, N.C. The bulk of the letters, which were written from the 1950s until his retirement from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1979, are related to his work as a professor of public law and government at the Institute of Government. Correspondence from this period and beyond, relates to Oettinger's professional service activities as a member of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws as well as his committee work with the American Bar Association.
Folder
12
1912-1932
Folder
13
1940-1946
Folder
14
1946-1949
Folder
15
1950-1959
Folder
16
1960-1969
Folder
17
1970-1972
Folder
18
1972-1977
Folder
19
1977-1978
Folder
20
1978-1979
Folder
21
1980-1982
Folder
22
1983-1989
Folder
23
1990-1992
Folder
24
1992-1999
Folder
25
2000-2002 and undated
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3. Speeches, 1926-1993.
About 70 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Typescript copies of speeches that Elmer Oettinger, Jr., delivered. The speeches that he gave between 1926 and 1961 were topically varied and delivered before a variety of civic clubs and associations. However, the vast majority of the speeches he delivered were associated with his position as a professor within the Institute of Government and were related to the field of communication law.
Folder
26
1926-1951
Folder
27
1958-1968
Folder
28
1968-1971
Folder
29
1971-1975
Folder
30
1975-1977
Folder
31
1977-1979
Folder
32
1979-1992
Folder
33
1993 and undated
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4. Newspaper Clippings and Other Publicity Materials, 1926-2000.
About 200 items.
Arrangement: by type and chronologically.
Newspaper clippings and other publicity materials that refer to Elmer Oettinger, Jr., or, more rarely, clippings that were written by him. Those from the 1920s and 1930s are primarily from the local Wilson, N.C., paper and the University of North Carolina's Daily Tar Heel. There are also two complete 1930 editions of The Radiogram, the newspaper of Charles L. Coon High School, Wilson, N.C. The latter clippings are largely from the Raleigh News and Observer. Articles and advertisements from the 1940s and 1950s are related to Oettinger's broadcasting career in radio with the Tobacco Radio Network or WNAO, but from the 1960s forward, the bulk of the clippings refer to his activities with the Institute of Govenment or as a member of the University of North Carolina's community.
Also included are playbills, programs, and other materials that relate to Oettinger's theatrical activities both in New York City and North Carolina.
Folder
34-40
Newspaper clippings, 1920s-2000s and undated
Folder
41
Press releases, 1959-1980
Folder
42
Playbills, programs, and other materials related to Oettinger's theatrical activities, 1930s-1980s
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5. Writings, 1930s-1990s.
About 150 items.
Arrangement: by type and chronologically.
Manuscript and published original works by Elmer Oettinger, Jr.
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5.1. Creative Writings, 1930s-1990s.
About 50 items.
Arrangement: by type.
Typescript copies of the plays "Boxcar," "Picture Window," and "The Shining Dark," numerous playlets and other short creative works, sheet music including lyrics, and a wartime memoir entitled, "Hush Most Secret."
There is also a notebook that Oettinger kept in which he recorded the titles of all the motion pictures that were shown at the Wilson Theatre in 1930.
Typescript copy of "Boxcar," a play
Folder
44
Typescript copy of "Picture Window," a play
Folder
45
Typescript copy of "The Shining Dark," a play
Folder
46
Manuscript copies of playlets and dramatic scenarios
Folder
47
Manuscript copies of short creative works
Folder
48
Manuscript copies of sheet music and lyrics
Folder
49
Journal entitled, "All Pictures shown at the Wilson Theatre during 1930," 1930
Folder
50-51
Typescript copy of "Hush Most Secret," a memoir
Folder
52-53
Corrections to "Hush Most Secret"
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5.2. Radio and Television Scripts, 1946-2000.
About 20 items.
Arrangement: by type.
Primarily scripts that Elmer Oettinger, Jr., wrote for radio programs, such as The Citizen's Forum of the Air and others, that were broadcast over the Tobacco Radio Network or WNAOin the late 1940s and early 1950s. There are also materials related to television programs. Oettinger participated in a WUNC-TV program about drama and Greek tragedy in 1958, and he interviewed Chancellor James Moeser of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in December 2000 for the People's Channel, a local cable television station in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Radio scripts, 1946-1981
Folder
55
Television scripts, 1958-2000
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5.3. Academic and Professional Writings, 1960s-1990s.
About 70 items.
Arrangement: by type and chronologically.
Articles and manuscripts addressing various legal issues that were published in Popular Government, a publication of the Institute of Government. There is also a series of less academic writings from the 1990s that appeared in Senior Lawyer, a publication of the North Carolina Bar Association.
Published articles, 1960s-1990s
Folder
60-63
Academic and professional writings
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6. Organizational Materials, 1955-2002.
About 250 items.
Arrangement: by organization.
Materials that were generated by the academic and professional service organizations with which Oettinger was involved.
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6.1. Materials from the Institute of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1962-1982.
About 150 items.
Arrangement: by type and chronologically.
Reports, publications, seminar materials, memoranda, and other documents related to Oettinger's work as a professor of public law and government at the Institute of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
"The Campus Crisis: Public Law Conference for Higher Education Administrators," 1969
Folder
66
Task Force on the Criminal Justice System and the Public, 1970-1971
Folder
67
North Carolina Bench-Bar-Press Committee, 1968-1971
Folder
68
News Media-Administration of Justice Council, 1971-1982
Folder
69
Publications of the News Media-Administration of Justice Council, 1971-1972
Folder
70
Institute of Government seminar pamphlets, 1963-1979
Folder
71-72
Institute of Government seminar materials, 1973-1975
Folder
73-74
Institute of Government course materials
Folder
75-76
Miscellaneous administrative materials from the Institute of Government, 1962-1980
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6.2. Materials from Other Organizations, 1973-2002.
About 150 items.
Arrangement: by institution.
Reports, publications, seminar materials, agenda, contact lists, transcribed testimony, and other materials relating to Oettinger's professional service activities with the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, the American Bar Association, and the Ditchley Foundation.
American Bar Association, 1975-1981
Folder
80
Ditchley Foundation: Materials relating to a conference on confidentiality in government, 1977-1978
Folder
81
North Carolina Bar Association, 1982-1996
Folder
82-84
National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws, 1973-1991, including Elmer's Tunes, A Centennial Celebration
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7. Photographs, 1900s-1970s.
About 100 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Photographs of members of the Oettinger family and their friends. Many of these photographs were taken in Wilson, N.C. Some of the post-war photographs record activities, such as reunions, seminars, and dramatic productions, that occurred at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Folder
P-5109/1
Photographs of the Oettinger family and their friends, 1910s-1940s
Folder
P-5109/2
Photographs of Elmer Oettinger, Jr., and his friends while he was stationed in Hawaii, 1944-1945
Folder
P-5109/3
Photographs of Elmer Oettinger, Jr., his family, friends, and co-workers, 1950s-1970s
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Items Separated
Separated materials include photographs (P-5109).
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Related Collections
-
Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007), L-46