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This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.
Size | 9.0 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 1,900 items) |
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. |
Creator | North Carolina Press Association. |
Curatorial Unit | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection. |
Language | English |
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
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.
Back to TopArrangement: 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.
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 102 |
1981: Olson, Michael |
Folder 103 |
1977-1978: Wynne, Richard B. |
Folder 104 |
1976-1977: High, James C. |
Folder 105 |
1976: McKnight, C. A. |
Folder 106 |
1975-1976: White, A. Howard |
Folder 107 |
1974-1975: Snider, William D. |
Folder 108 |
1973-1974: Ragan, Sam |
Folder 109 |
1972-1973: Fitz, J. D. |
Folder 110 |
1971-1972: Rollins, Steed |
Folder 111 |
1970-1971: James, L. T. |
Folder 112 |
1969-1970: Whichard, David J., II |
Arrangement: reverse chronological.
Videotape VT-4878/1 |
New Media: What's In It for Newspapers |
Videotape VT-4878/2 |
Computer-Assisted Reporting |
Videotape VT-4878/3 |
Postal Reclassification |
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 governors 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.
Arrangement: reverse chronological, first ledgers then audits.
Folder 139 |
Volume 6: Ledger, 1978-1979: Dues paid by member newspapers. |
Folder 140 |
Volume 5: Ledger, 1958-1964: Dues paid by member newspapers. |
Folder 141 |
Audits, 1978-1979 |
Folder 142 |
Audits, 1969-1973 |
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 143 |
Charter |
Folder 144 |
Statement of Purpose |
Folder 145 |
1978-1979 |
Folder 146 |
1977-1978 |
Folder 147-149
Folder 147Folder 148Folder 149 |
1976-1977 |
Folder 150-151
Folder 150Folder 151 |
1975-1976 |
Folder 152 |
10 1975 |
Folder 153 |
1974 |
Folder 154-155
Folder 154Folder 155 |
1973 |
Folder 156 |
1972 |
Folder 157-158
Folder 157Folder 158 |
1971 |
Folder 159 |
1970 |
Folder 160 |
1969 |
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.
Arrangement: alphabetical by title of publication.
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.
Arrangement: 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 208 |
Awards: Senator Sam Ervin |
Folder 209 |
Awards: Elizabeth Swindell |
Folder 210 |
Certificates of Appreciation |
Folder 211 |
Lobbying Guidelines |
Folder 212 |
Museum Print Shop Exhibit |
Folder 213 |
NCPA Centennial |
Folder 214 |
Past President's Pin |
Folder 215 |
Scholarship Pledging |
Folder 216 |
Yarborough Committee |