Selwyn Pepper, retired city editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, donated an addenda to his papers to the Western Historical Manuscript Collection on March 11, 1997.
Selwyn Pepper worked as a reporter and commentator for the St. Louis Post-Dispatchfrom 1935 to 1981. (See collection SL488.) This addenda contains his correspondence from the 1930s to the 1990s, including congratulatory letters on his 1981 retirement, as well as memoranda, speeches, and writings from throughout his career. Important correspondents include Joseph Laitin, assistant press secretary to presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson; ESP investigator J. B. Rhine; and cartoonist Milton Caniff. The collection also contains copies of his "Readers' Advocate" column, which appeared in the Post from 1980 to 1981, as well as correspondence documenting internal disputes and discussion about the column.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The earliest item in the addenda is a 1928 "My School Day Autobiography" newsclippings notebook and the latest is a 1995 letter from Irving Dilliard, long-time editorial writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The collection primarily consists of correspondence, but it also includes speeches and other writings by Pepper.
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
The collection is divided into two series: 1. Correspondence, 1930s-1990s; and 2. Newsclippings
and Writings, 1928-1995. The second series, arranged chronologically, includes some
correspondence, separated by the name of correspondents. The second series also contains one
folder of undated writings and two undated photographs of Pepper.
FOLDER LIST
Box 1
Series 1 - Correspondence, 1930s-1995
1. Correspondence, 1930s
2. Correspondence, 1940s
3. Correspondence, 1950s
4. Correspondence, 1960s
5. Correspondence, 1970s
6. Correspondence, 1980s
7. Correspondence, 1990s
Box 2
Series 2 - Newsclippings and Writings, 1928-1995
8. Newsclippings, 1928
9. Newclips, 1930s
10. Newsclippings, 1931
11. Flannery on Roosevelt, 1936
12. KATZ Drug Store, 1936
13. Morgan, Henry, 1937
14. Rhine, J. B., Letter, 1938
15. Newsclips, 1940
16. Newsclippings, 1940-1945
17. National Municipal Review, May 1941
18. Washington University Magazine, 1/58
19. Bio, 1960
20. Caniff, Milton, 1960
21. United Hebrew Temple, JFK Memorial, 11/25/63
22. Laitin, Joseph, 1963-1965
23. Memos to J. P. Jr., 1964
24. Press Club, 1976
25. Memos To Lipman, 1978-1979
26. Multiple Sclerosis, 1990
27. Reader's Advocate Columns and Correspondence, 1980-1981
28. Weekly Newspaper Editors Conference, 1981
29. October Surprise newspaper (Reagan Election), 1981
Box 3
30. Retirement Letters, 1981
31. Retirement Newsclip, 1981
32. Newsclip, 1982
33. 1982
34. Speeches, 1982-83
35. St. Louis Magazine, 1983-1985
36. Topics in Communications Class, 1984
37. Driscoll, George, 1984
38. Baulch, Jerry T., 1985
39. "Taking Care of Mother," 1985
40. Law School Magazine, Washington University, 1986
41. Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Day, 1986
42. Second 50 Forum, 9/86
43. Archives List, 1988
44. Multiple Sclerosis White Paper, 1989
45. Frankfort, 1990
46. deBurgos, Harry, 1990
47. OASIS, 6/25/91
48. Persian Gulf War Censorship, 1991
49. Soldan Reunion, 1991
50. Kimbrough, Mary, 1992
51. Dilliard, Irving, 1995
52. 60th Reunion, Class of 1935, 1995
53. Sigma Alpha Mu
54. Writings
55. Photographs, 580.1; 580.2
INDEX
Caniff, Milton, f. 20
Censorship, f. 48
Curtis, Tom, f. 4
Dickmann, Bernard, f. 1
Driscoll, George, f. 37
Jews In St. Louis, f. 1-7,
Journalism, f. 1-55
Kennedy Assassination, f. 21
Kimbrough, Mary, f. 50
Laitin, Joseph, f. 5
Landers, Ann, f. 6
Lipman, Walter, f. 25
Pepper, Selwyn, f. 1-55
Persian Gulf War, f. 48
Pulitzer, Joseph, Jr., f. 3
Rhine, J. B., f. 14
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, f. 1-55
Soldan High School, f. 49
WESTERN HISTORICAL MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION
222 THOMAS JEFFERSON LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS
8001 NATURAL BRIDGE ROAD
ST. LOUIS, MO 63121
(314) 516-5143
whmc@umsl.edu