mshm242 Murrow papers, [ca. 1860-ongoing] Finding Aid Encoding funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections

South Hadley, MA

Finding aid generated in MARC format from database, then encoded using Perl scripts and XSL stylesheet. 2004-04-06 Finding aid written in English. 2005-09-23 mshm242 converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02-5c.xsl (sy2003-10-15). Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections Murrow papers, [ca. 1860-ongoing] Finding Aid MS 0576 Encoding funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Collection Overview Murrow, Edward R., 1908-1965. Murrow papers [ca. 1860-ongoing] MS 0576 LD 7082.18 Murrow 23 boxes (13 linear ft.) Mount Holyoke College Archives and Special Collections

South Hadley, MA

Murrow, Edward Roscoe, 1908-1965, radio and television journalist and United States Information Agency director, and Janet Huntington Brewster Murrow, 1910-1998, Mount Holyoke College graduate, 1933, and staff member, 1970-1978, and volunteer worker. Papers contain correspondence, writings, memorabilia, biographical information, and photographs. Primarily concerning their personal and professional lives, including their experience during World War II when he was Director of European Broadcasting for CBS, Inc., and she was executive director of the London Committee of Bundles for Britain, Inc. English. Biographical Note

Edward R. Murrow was born as Egbert Roscoe Murrow on April 25, 1908 near Greensboro, North Carolina. He graduated from Washington State College in 1930 and then served a two-year term as president of the National Student Federation of America. He joined the Emergency Committee in Aid of Displaced German Scholars in 1933 and did occasional radio talks. Based on these broadcasts he was hired as director of talks and education for CBS in 1935. In 1934 he married Janet Brewster, a 1933 Mount Holyoke College graduate, who served on the board of trustees for three terms. In 1937 they went to London while Edward was head of the CBS European Bureau. He stayed in Europe throughout the war, covering the Battle of Britain and the Munich Conference, among other events. When he returned to the United States he became vice president of the news at CBS. In 1951 he moved from radio to television, with a documentary called "See it now." In 1953, in the height of McCarthyism, Murrow aired a program which forced the secretary of the Air Force to review its policies. Additional programs brought similar results. In 1961 Murrow left CBS to become director of the U.S. Information Agency under President Kennedy. He retired in 1964, and died the following year.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Edward Roscoe Murrow and Janet Brewster Murrow Papers contain correspondence, published and unpublished writings, subject files, financial and legal records, biographical material, memorabilia, Brewster and Murrow family papers and photographs, chiefly dating from 1929-1965. Of particular note are letters written by and to the Murrows while they were in Great Britain during World War II, which reflect his work as director of European broadcasting for CBS, Inc. and her duties as executive director of the London Committee of Bundles for Britain, Inc. Also includes letters and other documents concerning his service as director of the United States Information Agency (1961-1964) and her association with Reid Hall, Inc., Sydenham Hospital (New York), Vidyodaya Girls' High School (India), and other organizations, usually as a volunteer worker.

Material from this collection is available in an online digital format.

Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into subgroups; arranged in series by form of material, then chronologically.

Information on Use Terms of Access and Use

Unrestricted

Preferred Citation

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

Edward R. and Janet Brewster Murrow Papers, Mount Holyoke College, Archives and Special Collections, South Hadley, Massachusetts

Search Terms Murrow, Edward R. Murrow, Janet Brewster, 1910- Bundles for Britain, Inc. CBS Inc. Reid Hall, Inc. Sydenham Hospital (New York, N.Y.) Vidyodaya Girls' High School (Madras, India) United States Information Agency. Murrow, Janet Brewster, 1910- Murrow, Janet H., Class of 1933. Murrow family. Family - United States - History - Sources. Friendship - United States - History - Sources. Journalists - United States - Correspondence. World War, 1939-1945 - Women - Sources. Marriage - United States - History - Sources. Radio journalists - United States - Biography. Television journalists - United States - Biography. War relief - Great Britain. Women volunteers in social service - United States - Biography. World War, 1939-1945 - Civilian relief - Sources. World War, 1939-1945 - Great Britain. World War, 1939-1945 - War work - Great Britain. Great Britain - Description and travel. Great Britain - Social conditions - 20th century. London (England) - Description and travel. Letters. Additional Information