The Phil Johnson Editorials, WWL-TV New Orleans, LA 1) Reference Code Collection 28 2) Name and Location of Repository Special Collections and Archives, J. Edgar & Louise S. Monroe Library, Loyola University New Orleans 3) Title Phil Johnson Editorials, WWL-TV New Orleans 4) Date 1962-2003 5) Extent 8 liner feet (19 boxes) 6) Name of Creator Johnson, Phil 7) Administrative/Biographical History A television broadcasting legend in New Orleans, Phil Johnson worked for nearly 40 years at the city’s top-ranked CBS affiliate, WWL-TV. During his career, he served as promotion director, documentary producer, news directors, assistant general manager, and editorialist. Johnson retired from WWL-TV in 1999. A graduate of New Orleans’ Jesuit High School (1946) and Loyola University (1950), Johnson began his journalism career at the now defunct Item newspaper. His print experience also included a brief stint in print journalism in Chicago, and a prestigious Neiman Fellowship at Harvard University in 1959. He would return home, at the dawn of the local television era, taking a position as promotion director at WWL-TV in 1960, just three years after the station signed on the air. As a professional communicator Johnson received countless honors and awards. His writing and narration of television documentaries earned him an Emmy and three George Foster Peabody Awards: in 1970, for a documentary called “Israel: The New Frontier;” in 1972, for “China ’72: A Hole in the Bamboo Curtain,” which featured footage filmed by the first non-network American news team allowed into the Communist nation in almost 25 years; and in 1982, for “The Search for Alexander.” Johnson also served as a war correspondent, reporting for the station from Vietnam, Beirut and Israel. New Orleans viewers may know him best for the 10,000 broadcast editorials he produced throughout his tenure as editorialist at WWL-TV, presenting the station’s editorial opinion on local, state and national topics from 1962 to 1999. In 1997, Johnson was named to the New Orleans Broadcasting Hall of Fame and merited a Lifetime Achievement Award from his peers in the Press Club of New Orleans. In 1999, Johnson’s alma mater, Loyola University New Orleans, awarded him its Integritas Vitae Award, the university’s highest honor for an individual “with a high moral character in a lifetime of unselfish service without exception of material award or public recognition.” 8) Scope and Content The editorials in this collection were authored by Phil Johnson during his long career at WWL-TV and aired on the station as a regular nightly presentation from March, 1962 through July, 1999. Following his retirement Johnson returned to deliver infrequent editorials at Christmas, and on the occasion of a colleague’s death. WWL-TV was established by Loyola University New Orleans in 1957 and owned by the university until 1990. The collection chronicles the 36-year political history of New Orleans and Louisiana from 1962-1999. All editorials were written and delivered by Johnson unless otherwise noted in the index. Please refer to the index key of designations. 9) System of Arrangement The collection is arranged chronologically. A subject index is provided at the end of the finding aid. 10) Conditions Governing Access The collection is open for research use. No known restrictions. 11) Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use Physical rights are retained by the J. Edgar & Louise S. Monroe Library, Loyola University New Orleans. Copyright is retained in accordance with U.S. copyright laws. 12) Language and Scripts of the Material Collection is in English. 12) Processing Information Finding aid written by Joan Gaulene. Revised 2012. 13) Container Listing 1 – Folders: March – April 1962 May – June 1962 July – August 1962 September – October 1962 November – December 1962 January – February 1963 March – April 1963 May – June 1963 July – August 1963 September – October 1963 November – December 1963 January – February 1964 March – April 1964 May – June 1964 July – August 1964 September – October 1964 November – December 1964 Box 2 – Folders: January – February 1965 March – April 1965 May – June 1965 July – August 1965 September – October 1965 November – December 1965 January – February 1966 March – April 1966 May – June 1966 July – August 1966 September – October 1966 4 November – December 1966 Box 3 – Folders: January – February 1967 March – April 1967 May – June 1967 July – August 1967 September – October 1967 November – December 1967 January – February 1968 March – April 1968 May – June 1968 July – August 1968 September – October 1968 November – December 1968 Box 4 – Folders: January – February 1969 March – April 1969 May – June 1969 July – August 1969 September – October 1969 November – December 1969 January – February 1970 March – April 1970 May – June 1970 July – August 1970 September – October 1970 November – December 1970 Box 5 – Folders: January – February 1971 March – April 1971 May – June 1971 July – August 1971 September – October 1971 November – December 1971 January – February 1972 5 March – April 1972 May – June 1972 July – August 1972 September – October 1972 November – December 1972 January – February 1973 March – April 1973 May – June 1973 July – August 1973 September – October 1973 November – December 1973 Box 6 – Folders: January – February 1974 March – April 1974 May – June 1974 July – August 1974 September – October 1974 November – December 1974 January – February 1975 March – April 1975 May – June 1975 July – August 1975 September – October 1975 November – December 1975 Box 7 – Folders: January – February 1976 March – April 1976 May – June 1976 July – August 1976 September – October 1976 6 November – December 1976 January – February 1977 March – April 1977 May – June 1977 July – August 1977 September – October 1977 November – December 1977 Box 8 – Folders: January – February 1978 March – April 1978 May – June 1978 July – August 1978 September – October 1978 November – December 1978 January – February 1979 March – April 1979 May – June 1979 July – August 1979 September – October 1979 November – December 1979 Box 9 – Folders: January – February 1980 March – April 1980 May – June 1980 July – August 1980 September – October 1980 November – December 1980 January – February 1981 March – April 1981 May – June 1981 July – August 1981 September – October 1981 November – December 1981 Box 10 – Folders 7 January – February 1982 March – April 1982 May – June 1982 July – August 1982 September – October 1982 November – December 1982 January – February 1983 March – April 1983 May – June 1983 July – August 1983 September – October 1983 November – December 1983 Box 11 – Folders: January – February 1984 March – April 1984 May – June 1984 July – August 1984 September – October 1984 November – December 1984 January – February 1985 March – April 1985 May – June 1985 July – August 1985 September – October 1985 November – December 1985 Box 12 – Folders: January – February 1986 March – April 1986 May – June 1986 July – August 1986 September – October 1986 November – December 1986 January – February 1987 March – April 1987 8 May – June 1987 July – August 1987 September – October 1987 November – December 1987 Box 13 – Folders: January – February 1988 March – April 1988 May – June 1988 July – August 1988 September – October 1988 November – December 1988 January – February 1989 March – April 1989 May – June 1989 July – August 1989 September – October 1989 November – December 1989 Box 14 – Folders: January – February 1990 March – April 1990 May – June 1990 July – August 1990 September – October 1990 November – December 1990 January – February 1991 March – April 1991 May – June 1991 July – August 1991 September – October 1991 November – December 1991 Box 15 – Folders: January – February 1992 9 March – April 1992 May – June 1992 July – August 1992 September – October 1992 November – December 1992 January – February 1993 March – April 1993 May – June 1993 July – August 1993 September – October 1993 November – December 1993 Box 16 – Folders: January – February 1994 March – April 1994 May – June 1994 July – August 1994 September – October 1994 November – December 1994 January – February 1995 March – April 1995 May – June 1995 July – August 1995 September – October 1995 November – December 1995 Box 17 – Folders: January – February 1996 March – April 1996 May – June 1996 July – August 1996 September – October 1996 November – December 1996 January – February 1997 March – April 1997 May – June 1997 July – August 1997 September – October 1997 10 November – December 1997 Box 18 – Folders: January – February 1998 March – April 1998 May – June 1998 July – August 1998 September – October 1998 November – December 1998 January – February 1999 March – April 1999 May – June 1999 July 1999 September 2003 Box 19 DVD & VHS Recordings: “Fairy Tale” – 1980 “Christmas In Beirut” -- 1983 “Grand Jury Lunch” – 1986 Folder: Editorial Policy 14) Subject Index Index Key: The editorials are alphabetically arranged by topic or name. (ETR) Equal Time Reply Indicates editorials written and delivered by others. The ETR indication appears next to the name of the person delivering the reply and the subject of the reply. (G) Guest On occasion the station invited a guest to write and deliver an editorial. (O) Obituary Will follow the name of the deceased person who is the subject of the editorial. 11 National Designation Because the editorials deal primarily with elected officials within New Orleans or the State of Louisiana, national officials are identified as follows: U.S. Senator, U.S. Congressman, U.S. Representative. A Abandoned Houses 3/17/83, 1/17/92 ABC Board Control Transferred 5/23/95 Abscam Case 10/15/80, 3/5/82 Abell, Orie S.J. (O) 2/15/71 Abercrombie, Clyde (ETR) 6/14/83 Abernathy, Rev. Ralph (O) 4/20/90 Abramson High School 11/16/71, 5/19/72 Absentee Ballots 11/5/91 Absentee Voting 8/17/62, 10/15/64, 7/31/66 Abzug, Bella 3/18/77 Academic Atrocities 6/18/99 Acadian Arrival Re-Enactment 7/30/85 Acadian Odyssey (ETR) 8/16/84 Accardo, Dr. Nick 2/10/66, 2/25/66 Accardo, Dr. Nick (ETR) 9/27/65 Accident on Causeway 4/29/81 Accreditation Procedures 3/12/90 Acheson, Secy. Of State Dean 3/9/65 Acke, George 6/25/63, 8/22/63, 8/16/76 Ackel, Rep.