DOCSLIB.ORG

The News Media and the Disorders: the Kerner Commission's Examination of Race

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

The News Media and the Disorders: The Kerner Commission's Examination of Race Riots and Civil Disturbances, 1967-68 A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Scripps College of Communication of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Thomas J. Hrach June 2008 © 2008 Thomas J. Hrach All Rights Reserved ii This dissertation titled The News Media and the Disorders: The Kerner Commission's Examination of Race Riots and Civil Disturbances, 1967-68 by THOMAS J. HRACH has been approved for the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism and the Scripps College of Communication by Patrick S. Washburn Professor of E. W. Scripps School of Journalism Gregory J. Shepherd Dean, Scripps College of Communication iii Abstract HRACH, THOMAS J., Ph.D., June 2008, Journalism The News Media and the Disorders: The Kerner Commission's Examination of Race Riots and Civil Disturbances, 1967-68 (276 pp.) Director of Dissertation: Patrick S. Washburn The National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, known informally as the Kerner Commission, issued a 425-page report on March 1, 1968, that brought the attention of the nation to the issues of race and poverty. President Lyndon Johnson appointed the commission on July 27, 1967, after a summer of urban rioting in hopes of preventing future violence. One of the questions Johnson asked the commission to answer was: “What effect do the mass media have on the riots?” From that question, the commission developed Chapter Fifteen of the Kerner Report titled “The News Media and the Disorders.” Historians and journalists credit the news media chapter with inspiring improvement in how the press covered race and poverty and encouraging an increase in the number of blacks hired into the mainstream media. This dissertation examines how and why the commission developed its news media chapter. It analyzes why the news media were criticized for their coverage of rioting, who were the major influences on the development of the chapter, what research was used to come to the commission’s conclusions and how the chapter was put together. Approved: _____________________________________________________________ Patrick S. Washburn Professor of E. W. Scripps School of Journalism iv Acknowledgements This dissertation project was made possible with the assistance and support of colleagues, friends and family. The project has its origins in the fall of 2005 as I started the Ph.D. Program at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, where the school supported me with a teaching associate position. While several faculty members were instrumental in the project, particular thanks goes to Dr. Patrick S. Washburn, who helped me develop the project and guided me as my dissertation committee chair, and Dr. Joseph Bernt, my advisor and a member of the dissertation committee. Outside the school of journalism, thanks goes to Dr. Chester Pach and Dr. David Mould for their work on my committee. Thanks also goes to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation for its generous support that allowed me to travel to the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas, in December 2006 for research that became the foundation for this project. Also financial help for research came from Ohio University for trips taken to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois, in September 2007 and the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. in January 2008. Most significantly, thanks goes to Jennifer, my wife of seventeen years, whose tireless support made this work possible along with my girls Mandy, Sarah and Katie. For more on how this research project developed, see Appendix C. v Table of Contents Page Abstract........................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................v Chapter 1 – Introduction ...................................................................................................1 A dramatic change in the ‘white press’......................................................................1 News media faced a ‘crisis in credibility’..................................................................5 ‘The indictment was extraordinary’.........................................................................11 ‘Conversation is still going on’................................................................................17 Chapter 2 – Blame the Messenger ..................................................................................26 Media contributing to the rioting? ...........................................................................26 ‘Sure, we know this thing is dynamite’ ...................................................................32 ‘The newsman thought he was a hero. The black man thought he was a villain’ ...38 Black deejays played a ‘mystical, powerful role’....................................................44 Chapter 3 – Kerner: A Well Liked, Respected Media Critic..........................................52 ‘We like the guy personally, no matter what he’s done’ .........................................52 A ‘spectacular breakthrough’...................................................................................58 ‘You deserve the gratitude of the nation’ ................................................................64 ‘Otto Kerner did many good things. They should not be forgotten’ .......................67 Chapter 4 – Commission members, staff and the news media .......................................75 Lindsay: ‘I am the mayor, and you have the obligation to treat me with respect’...75 Wilkins, Peden background in the news media .......................................................81 Backgrounds in politics, labor, law enforcement, business.....................................87 Key staff members with significant influence .........................................................89 Chapter 5 – Key Decisions Set Direction on Media Research .......................................99 Keeping the press, public informed .........................................................................99 ‘With an increasing sense of urgency’...................................................................104 Proposal made for media research .........................................................................107 A conference rather than hearings .........................................................................111 Utilizing the work of others ...................................................................................115 Chapter 6 – News Media Conference Gets to Heart of the Matter...............................124 A group of high-powered media representatives...................................................124 Kerner sets the tone of frank, open discussion ......................................................129 Contentious issues discussed, debated...................................................................134 Conference became key piece of research.............................................................139 vi Chapter 7 – Simulmatics Produces A Contradictory Analysis .....................................146 A firm with military connections, computer savvy ...............................................146 Content analysis gives media good marks.............................................................151 Interviews tell a different story..............................................................................156 Simulmatics work criticized ..................................................................................160 Simulmatics analysis becomes a starting point......................................................165 Chapter 8 – Codes, Media Impressions and a Survey of Literature .............................169 Should the news media play God?.........................................................................169 Codes ‘seldom harmful, often useful’....................................................................174 The definition of a riot is ‘a matter of a reporter’s discretion’ ..............................178 Coverage of race relations, riots a recurrent theme ...............................................184 Chapter 9 – Chapter is Written, Critiqued, Released and Analyzed.............................192 ‘We were doing the Lord’s work’..........................................................................192 News media criticism sharpened, softened............................................................197 Report’s release – breaking the embargo...............................................................201 News media reaction immediately positive ...........................................................204 Commission defends report, reiterates news media criticism................................210 Chapter 10 – Conclusion...............................................................................................218 Updated report treads on well-trod ground............................................................218 Wise decisions made on news media chapter........................................................223 Nothing all that new yet it ‘led the way’................................................................229 A handbook for the news media to follow.............................................................235 Report succeeded where its predecessor failed......................................................239
Recommended publications
  • Channel Affiliate Market Timeframe of Move Call

    Channel Affiliate Market Timeframe of Move Call

    TV Broadcasters’ Impact on Indiana Impact on IN 06 Broadcasters have an impact of $21.99 billion annually on Indiana’s economy. 46,420 Jobs 31 Commercial TV Stations Call Channel Affiliate Market Timeframe of Move WALV-CD 0 Cozi TV Affiliation Indianapolis, IN (27) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WBXI-CA 47 Wx Indianapolis, IN (27) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WDNI-CD 19 Telemundo Indianapolis, IN (27) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WDTI 69 Daystar TV Network Indianapolis, IN (27) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WHMB-TV 40 Independent Indianapolis, IN (27) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WIPB 49 Public Television Indianapolis, IN (27) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WIPX-TV 63 ION Media Networks Indianapolis, IN (27) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WIWU-CD 51 Independent Indianapolis, IN (27) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WTIU 30 Public Television Indianapolis, IN (27) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WTTK 29 CBS Indianapolis, IN (27) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WTTV 4 CBS Indianapolis, IN (27) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WXIN 59 FOX Indianapolis, IN (27) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WCET 48 Public Television Cincinnati, OH (36) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WCPO-TV 9 ABC Cincinnati, OH (36) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WCVN-TV 54 Public Television Cincinnati, OH (36) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WKON 52 Public Television Cincinnati, OH (36) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18, 2019 WLWT 5 NBC Cincinnati, OH (36) Phase 6: Sept 7, 2019 - Oct 18,
  • CRS Annual Report 2017

    CRS Annual Report 2017

    U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service COMMUNITY RELATIONS SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT 2017 America’s Peacemaker conciliate | mediate | facilitate | educate Transmittal Letter to Congress To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled: With this statement, I hereby transmit a report on the activities of the Community Relations Service of the United States Department of Justice for Fiscal Year 2017. This report is required by Section 100 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88‐352) and by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1966, as revised by 28 C.F.R. 0.30(b). This report describes the Community Relations Service’s conflict resolution activities so that Members of Congress may assess its performance in executing its statutory mandate. Respectfully submitted, Gerri Ratliff Deputy Director II Community Relations Service 2017 Annual Report COMMUNITY RELATIONS SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Table of Contents II Transmittal Letter to Congress 22 CRS in Action Highlights 6 Message from the Deputy Director 22 Honoring the Life and Legacy of 11 Congressional Mandate Roger W. Wilkins 12 About CRS 24 Establishing the National Program 12 Mission Statement for MASSAH Communities 13 Who We Are 26 Regional Case Highlights 14 What We Do 26 New England Region 15 CRS Regional Map 27 Northeastern Region 16 CRS Programmatic Services 29 Mid-Atlantic Region 18 Summary of CRS Activities and 31 Southeastern Region Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2017 32 Midwestern Region 19 Administration of Justice Cases 33 Southwestern Region 20 Education Cases 35 Central Region 21 General Community Relations 36 Rocky Mountain Region 37 Western Region 39 Northwestern Region 40 Frequently Asked Questions 42 CRS Contact Information Message from the Deputy Director The Community Relations Service (CRS) plays a key role in helping communities prevent and respond to conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and disability.
  • A New Paradigm for Fairness: the First National Conference on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Courts

    A New Paradigm for Fairness: the First National Conference on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Courts

    1.-.- 3 -4185 00322265-I 9 J A New Paradigm for Fairness: The First National Conference on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Courts , P A New Paradigm for Fairness: The First National Conference on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Courts H. Clifton Grandy, J.D Edited by Dawn Spinozza I Chuck Campbell National Center for State Courts State Justice Institute t Q 1995 National Center for State Courts ISBN 0-89656- 160-7 National Center Publication Number 'R- 180 These proceedings were prepared and reproduced with finds fiom the State Justice Insti- tute, Grant Number SJI-93- 12A-C-B- 198-P94-( l -3), for the First NationaZ Conference on Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Bias in the Courts. The points of view expressed are those of the presenters and author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the National Center for State Courts or the State Justice Institute. Planning Committee Honorable Veronica Simmons McBeth Chair, Planning Committee Los Angeles Municipal Court, California Honorable Benjamin Aranda 111 Dr. Yolande P. Marlow South Bay Municipal Court Project Director, Task Force on Minority California Concerns, New Jersey Marilyn Callaway Honorable Jon J. Mayeda Director, Juvenile Court Services Los Angeles Municipal Court, California San Diego, California Honorable Carl J. Character Joseph A. Myers, Esq. Court of Common Pleas, Cleveland, Ohio Executive Director National Indian Justice Center Honorable Charles R Cloud Rose M. Ochi, Esq. Norfolk General District Court, Virginia Associate Director Office of National Drug Control Policy Honorable Lewis L. Douglass Honorable Charles 2.Smith King’s County Supreme Court, New York Justice, Supreme Court of Washington Dolly M.
  • Ictj Briefing

    Ictj Briefing

    ictj briefing Virginie Ladisch Anna Myriam Roccatello The Color of Justice April 2021 Transitional Justice and the Legacy of Slavery and Racism in the United States The murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in the spring of 2020 at the hands of police have set off a wave of national and international protests demanding that the United States (US) confront its unaddressed legacy of slavery and racial discrimination, manifest in persistent social and economic inequality.1 Compared with previous protest movements in the US, this time, it seems more attention is being paid to the historical roots of the grievances being voiced. Only a few years ago, following the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, protests broke out calling for an array of reforms, such as body cameras and greater accountability for individual police officers. However, across the country, the continued violence against Black people by police highlights that this is not a problem of individuals. It is rather a pervasive and systemic problem that began before the nation’s founding and has been a constant through line in US history from the early colonial period to the present. This history includes the CONTENTS genocide of Native Americans, the enslavement of African Americans, and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. Putting an end to this continuing legacy requires an equally systemic response. A Time for Global Inspiration 2 Acknowledgment and Truth To understand what conditions led to the murder of George Floyd, and so many others Seeking 3 before him and since, it is important to analyze the past and put current grievances in Steps Toward Repair 8 historical perspective.
  • Kerner Commission Writing Exercise in July 1967, President Lyndon

    Kerner Commission Writing Exercise in July 1967, President Lyndon

    Kerner Commission Writing Exercise In July 1967, President Lyndon Johnson formed a National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. The Commission was tasked with understanding why riots were breaking out in different cities across America. The Commission would also provide recommendations on how to address these issues. Their report was finished in 1968 and became informally known as the Kerner Report, named after the Commission Chair, Otto Kerner, Jr., the Governor of Illinois at the time. The Kerner Report stated that the nation was “moving toward two societies, one black, one white—separate and unequal.” The Kerner report called out “white society” for isolating and neglecting African Americans. It recommended legislation to promote racial integration, create jobs, and provide affordable housing. President Johnson, however, rejected the recommendations. Just one month after the Kerner Report was released, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated (on April 4, 1968). Rioting broke out again in more than 100 cities after the Civil Rights leader’s death. Many people argue that some of the pivotal recommendations made in this report still remain unaddressed today. The following is the Summary Introduction from the 1968 Kerner Report. The summer of 1967 again brought racial disorders to American cities, and with them shock, fear and bewilderment to the nation. The worst came during a two-week period in July, first in Newark and then in Detroit. Each set off a chain reaction in neighboring communities. On July 28, 1967, the President of the United States established this Commission and directed us to answer three basic questions: What happened? Why did it happen? What can be done to prevent it from happening again? To respond to these questions, we have undertaken a broad range of studies and investigations.
  • Annual Report

    Annual Report

    COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS ANNUAL REPORT July 1,1996-June 30,1997 Main Office Washington Office The Harold Pratt House 1779 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. 58 East 68th Street, New York, NY 10021 Washington, DC 20036 Tel. (212) 434-9400; Fax (212) 861-1789 Tel. (202) 518-3400; Fax (202) 986-2984 Website www. foreignrela tions. org e-mail publicaffairs@email. cfr. org OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS, 1997-98 Officers Directors Charlayne Hunter-Gault Peter G. Peterson Term Expiring 1998 Frank Savage* Chairman of the Board Peggy Dulany Laura D'Andrea Tyson Maurice R. Greenberg Robert F Erburu Leslie H. Gelb Vice Chairman Karen Elliott House ex officio Leslie H. Gelb Joshua Lederberg President Vincent A. Mai Honorary Officers Michael P Peters Garrick Utley and Directors Emeriti Senior Vice President Term Expiring 1999 Douglas Dillon and Chief Operating Officer Carla A. Hills Caryl R Haskins Alton Frye Robert D. Hormats Grayson Kirk Senior Vice President William J. McDonough Charles McC. Mathias, Jr. Paula J. Dobriansky Theodore C. Sorensen James A. Perkins Vice President, Washington Program George Soros David Rockefeller Gary C. Hufbauer Paul A. Volcker Honorary Chairman Vice President, Director of Studies Robert A. Scalapino Term Expiring 2000 David Kellogg Cyrus R. Vance Jessica R Einhorn Vice President, Communications Glenn E. Watts and Corporate Affairs Louis V Gerstner, Jr. Abraham F. Lowenthal Hanna Holborn Gray Vice President and Maurice R. Greenberg Deputy National Director George J. Mitchell Janice L. Murray Warren B. Rudman Vice President and Treasurer Term Expiring 2001 Karen M. Sughrue Lee Cullum Vice President, Programs Mario L. Baeza and Media Projects Thomas R.
  • Nexstar Media Group Stations(1)

    Nexstar Media Group Stations(1)

    Nexstar Media Group Stations(1) Full Full Full Market Power Primary Market Power Primary Market Power Primary Rank Market Stations Affiliation Rank Market Stations Affiliation Rank Market Stations Affiliation 2 Los Angeles, CA KTLA The CW 57 Mobile, AL WKRG CBS 111 Springfield, MA WWLP NBC 3 Chicago, IL WGN Independent WFNA The CW 112 Lansing, MI WLAJ ABC 4 Philadelphia, PA WPHL MNTV 59 Albany, NY WTEN ABC WLNS CBS 5 Dallas, TX KDAF The CW WXXA FOX 113 Sioux Falls, SD KELO CBS 6 San Francisco, CA KRON MNTV 60 Wilkes Barre, PA WBRE NBC KDLO CBS 7 DC/Hagerstown, WDVM(2) Independent WYOU CBS KPLO CBS MD WDCW The CW 61 Knoxville, TN WATE ABC 114 Tyler-Longview, TX KETK NBC 8 Houston, TX KIAH The CW 62 Little Rock, AR KARK NBC KFXK FOX 12 Tampa, FL WFLA NBC KARZ MNTV 115 Youngstown, OH WYTV ABC WTTA MNTV KLRT FOX WKBN CBS 13 Seattle, WA KCPQ(3) FOX KASN The CW 120 Peoria, IL WMBD CBS KZJO MNTV 63 Dayton, OH WDTN NBC WYZZ FOX 17 Denver, CO KDVR FOX WBDT The CW 123 Lafayette, LA KLFY CBS KWGN The CW 66 Honolulu, HI KHON FOX 125 Bakersfield, CA KGET NBC KFCT FOX KHAW FOX 129 La Crosse, WI WLAX FOX 19 Cleveland, OH WJW FOX KAII FOX WEUX FOX 20 Sacramento, CA KTXL FOX KGMD MNTV 130 Columbus, GA WRBL CBS 22 Portland, OR KOIN CBS KGMV MNTV 132 Amarillo, TX KAMR NBC KRCW The CW KHII MNTV KCIT FOX 23 St. Louis, MO KPLR The CW 67 Green Bay, WI WFRV CBS 138 Rockford, IL WQRF FOX KTVI FOX 68 Des Moines, IA WHO NBC WTVO ABC 25 Indianapolis, IN WTTV CBS 69 Roanoke, VA WFXR FOX 140 Monroe, AR KARD FOX WTTK CBS WWCW The CW WXIN FOX KTVE NBC 72 Wichita, KS
  • NSAC Book Pages

    NSAC Book Pages

    AAF District 7’s role in the NATIONAL STUDENT ADVERTISING COMPETITION A HISTORY 1967–2012 AAF DISTRICT 7’S ROLE IN THE NATIONAL STUDENT ADVERTISING COMPETITION ––– A HISTORY I first became knowledgeable of the activities of the Seventh District in 1982 when for the first time, I attended their Convention. Prior to this Convention a member of our Nashville Advertising Federation, Bill Satterwhite, asked me to handle some minor duties for the District Student Advertising Competition, which was to be held in Nashville in 1983. He Dear Charlie, described these duties as “being in Thank You for sending charge of getting some equipment to be me a copy of your book used for this competition, such as projection screens, sound on the NSAC and the equipment, etc.” I agreed to take care of this assignment, but Seventh District. was much surprised when at the National Convention in June, Former Governor Mike Gallagher, congratulated me for being IN I enjoyed it, and deeply CHARGE of the District Student Competition for ‘83. I told him appreciate your taking that there must be a mistake because I had only been informed the time to highlight of duties related to arranging for some equipment. The aftermath this important AAF of all of this was that I was the Competition Coordinator in 1983. National program and This was a significant assignment for me in that while the Seventh District’s carrying it out, I became aware of the uniqueness of this student central role in starting, competition, and became completely enthusiastic about the developing, and purposes served and value received by advertising students from growing it.
  • The National News Council's News Clippings, 1973 August- 1973 September (1973)

    The National News Council's News Clippings, 1973 August- 1973 September (1973)

    University of California, Hastings College of the Law UC Hastings Scholarship Repository Formation of the National News Council Judicial Ethics and the National News Council 8-1973 The aN tional News Council's News Clippings, 1973 August- 1973 September The aN tional News Council, Inc. Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.uchastings.edu/nnc Recommended Citation The aN tional News Council, Inc., The National News Council's News Clippings, 1973 August- 1973 September (1973). Available at: http://repository.uchastings.edu/nnc/168 This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Judicial Ethics and the National News Council at UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Formation of the National News Council by an authorized administrator of UC Hastings Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE NEW YORK TIMES, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 197J 19 By lORN I. O'CONNOR TelevisIon NE of the more significant con­ are received. The letter concluded that tuted "a controversial Issue ext public In three ·centralized conduits? If the frontations currently taking place "in our view there is no~hing contro­ importance," networks do distort, however uninten­ Oin the television arena involves versial or debatable in the proposition Getting no response from the net­ tionally, who will force them to clarify? the case of Accuracy in Media, that nat aU pensions meet the expecta­ work that it considered acceptable, AIM In any journalism, given the pressure Inc., a nonprofit, self-appointed "watch­ tions' of employes or serve all persons took its case to the FCC, and last of deadlines, mistakes are inevitable.
  • Roy Wilkins Papers [Finding Aid]. Library Of

    Roy Wilkins Papers [Finding Aid]. Library Of

    Roy Wilkins Papers A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 1997 Revised 2010 April Contact information: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mss.contact Additional search options available at: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms002001 LC Online Catalog record: http://lccn.loc.gov/mm81075939 Prepared by Allan Teichroew and Paul Ledvina Revised by Allan Teichroew Collection Summary Title: Roy Wilkins Papers Span Dates: 1901-1980 Bulk Dates: (bulk 1932-1980) ID No.: MSS75939 Creator: Wilkins, Roy, 1901-1981 Extent: 28,200 items ; 76 containers ; 30.7 linear feet Language: Collection material in English Location: Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Summary: Civil rights leader and journalist. Correspondence, memoranda, diary, manuscripts of speeches, newspaper columns, and articles, subject files, reports, minutes, committee, board, and administrative material, printed material, and other papers relating primarily to Wilkins's career with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in various positions between 1931 and 1977, especially his service as executive director (1965-1977). Selected Search Terms The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein. People Carter, Robert L., 1917-2012--Correspondence. Current, Gloster B. (Gloster Bryant), 1913-1997--Correspondence. Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963. Evers, Charles, 1922- --Correspondence. Farmer, James, 1920- --Correspondence. Franklin, Chester Arthur, 1880-1955--Correspondence. Hastie, William, 1904-1976--Correspondence.
  • William Alsup

    William Alsup

    William Alsup An Oral History Conducted by Leah McGarrigle 2016-2017 William Alsup An Oral History Conducted by Leah McGarrigle 2016-2017 Copyright © 2021 William Alsup, Leah McGarrigle All rights reserved. Copyright in the manuscript and recording is owned by William Alsup and Leah McGarrigle, who have made the materials available under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: "William Alsup: An Oral History Conducted by Leah McGarrigle, 2016-2017”. Transcription by Christine Sinnott Book design by Anna McGarrigle Judge William Alsup was born in Mississippi in 1945 and lived there until he left for Harvard Law School in 1967. At Harvard, he earned a law degree plus a master’s degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government. In 1971–72, he clerked for Justice William O. Douglas of the United States Supreme Court and worked with him on the Abortion Cases and the “Trees Have Standing” case, among others. Alsup and his young family then returned to Mississippi, where he practiced civil rights law, went broke, and eventually relocated to San Francisco. There he be- came a trial lawyer, a practice interrupted by two years of appel- late practice as an Assistant to the Solicitor General in the United States Department of Justice (from 1978–80). In 1999, President Bill Clinton nominated him and the Senate conirmed him as a United States District Judge in San Francisco. He took the oath of oice on August 17, 1999, and serves still on active status.
  • NBC, "The Nation's Future"

    NBC, "The Nation's Future"

    THE NATION'S FUTURE Sunday, October 15, 1961 NBC Television (5 :00-6 :00 PM) "THE ADMINISTRATION'S DOMESTIC RECORD: SUCCESS OR FAILURE?" MODERATOR: EDWIN NEWMAN GUESTS : THE HON. ABRAHAM RIBICOFF SENATOR EVERETT M. DIRKSEN ANNOUNCER: The Nation's Future, October 15, 1961. This is the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, Abraham A. Ribicoff. Secretary Ribicoff believes that the Kennedy Administration's Domestic Record represents a success on the "New Frontier". 'This is Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen, Republican of Illinois and Senate minority leader. Senator Dirksen believes that the Administration's Domestic Record represents a failure on the "New Frontier". The Administration's Domestic Record: Success or Failure? Our speakers, Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, Abraham A. Ribicoff, and Senator Everett McKinely Dirksen, Republican of Illinois. ANNOUNCER: In our audience, government officials, political t CONT 'D) figures, journalists, the general public. Now, here is our moderator, the noted news corres- pondent, Edw in Newman. Good evening. Welcome to the primary debate in the new season of NE he Nation ls Future". In the coming months we wiu'be bringing to you again the foremost spokesmen of our time in major debates on topics of nati6nal and international importance. Again it will be my pleasure to act as moderator for the series. Tonight, a debate on the Kennedy Administrat ion Is Domestic Record. This is an appropriate time for such a debate. Congress adjourned late last month and its achieve- ments or failures are being vigorously argued. Criticism of the Administration record has intensi- fied and Administration spokesmen have come to the defense of that record.