Coolidge Papers. Radio - General 1923-29.

Letters, telegrams, radiograms, and a few advertisements illustrating public and business enthusiasm for the increasing role played by radio set ownership and radio transmission in the nation's life. Selections from the case file show both the impact of President Coolidge's use of radio to broadcast addresses to the nation and to campaign, and the evolution of radio programming and radio as a business, including the question of sponsorships and advertisements. Selected items, such as a December 10, 1923, letter naming the station owned by the Shepard Stores as "the principal broadcasting station of New England," show that in the 1920s many stations were owned by local businesses. Topics include a meeting of the Radio Farm Bureau Community, which broadcast from KIW, Chicago; a Pfanstiehl radio ad; a memo from the National Association of Broadcasters regarding the Fourth National Radio Conference to discuss legislation to regulate radio broadcasting, including advertising; a Federal Trade Commission investigation of the Radio Corporation of America (RCA); surveys of the number of radios in rural and farm areas; the specially printed minutes of the first Advisory Council meeting of the National Broadcasting Co. (NBC) offering comments on advertising, radio sponsorships, automobiles, farmers and farmers' wives, and such figures as J. C. Penney and President Coolidge.

A number of items, including an exchange in March 1924 between the White House and American Telephone and Telegraph regarding its nationwide radio broadcast of the president's Rotary Club remarks, bear even more directly on the early, industry-wide perplexity about how radio communication should be paid for. An October 6, 1924, memorandum from the American Radio Association to its members mentions a contest, "Who is to pay for broadcasting and how?"

Selections reproduced as facsimile page images: 236 of 1068 pages.

Selected Document List | Page Images

September 30, 1924Letter from C. Bascom Slemp to William E. Hull
September 11, 1924Letter from John Benson to Edward T. Clark
December 2, 1924Index Card from unkown
no dateNotes
September 26, 1924Telegram from Frank W. Elliott to William M. Barker
September 27, 1924Letter from William E. Hull to C. Bascom Slemp
September 27, 1924Letter from Edward T. Clark to James Francis Burke
September 17, 1924Letter from William E. Hull to C. Bascom Slemp
October 27, 1924Index Card
no dateBrochure
no datePhotograph
August 11, 1924Letter from C. Bascom Slemp to A. Bliss Albro
no dateMemorandum
November 11, 1925Circular from L.A. Nixon
October 6, 1924Circular from Alfred M. Caddell
July 12, 1924Letter from A. Bliss Albro to Everett Sanders
October 21, 1925Circular from Paul B. Klugh
September 15, 1924Letter from Edward T. Clark to John Benson
August 7, 1925Letter from G. Clayton Irwin, Jr. to Calvin Coolidge
August 25, 1925Letter from Everett Sanders to G. Clayton Irwin, Jr.
August 25, 1925Letter from Everett Sanders to C.D. Hilles
August 24, 1925Letter from Charles D. Hilles to Everett Sanders
August 17, 1925Letter from Everett Sanders to G. Clayton Irwin
August 17, 1925Letter from Judson C. Welliver to Robert D. Heinl
August 12, 1925Letter from O.E.D. to Robert D. Heinl
December 8, 1924Index Card
August 13, 1925Letter to Judson C. Welliver
December 11, 1924Letter from Frank G. Atwood to Calvin Coolidge
July 21, 1925Index Card
July 14, 1925Index Card
May 21, 1925Index Card
April 25, 1925Index Card
no dateInvitation
April 7, 1925Letter from Ralph M. Easley to Edward T. Clark
September 17, 1925Index Card
no dateCircular
January 13, 1927Letter from C.W. Arthur to Edward T. Clark
November 20, 1925Article
November 8, 1927Index Card
no dateReport from Oswald F. Schuette
August 31, 1927Letter from Oswald F. Schuette to Everett Sanders
August 26, 1927Index Card
July 15, 1927Letter from Edward T. Clark to W.J. Damm
July 9, 1927Letter from W.J. Damm to Mrs Coolidge
July 8, 1927Letter from A.A. Schmeiderhahn to Calvin Coolidge
September 7, 1926Letter from Edward T. Clark to H.A. Searle
September 20, 1926Index Card
no dateLetter from Lotta Harrauff to Calvin Coolidge
March 27, 1928Index Card
January 4, 1927Letter from William L. Nelson
October 9, 1928Index Card
no dateCircular
January 21, 1927Index Card
February 19, 1927Index Card
March 24, 1927Letter from M.H. Aylesworth to Calvin Coolidge
March 24, 1927Letter from M.H. Aylesworth to Everett Sanders
February 18, 1927Report
February 2, 1927Article
no dateAdvertisement
March 29, 1927Letter from Calvin Coolidge
March 30, 1927Index Card
April 6, 1927Letter from W.B. Terrell to Everett Sanders
no dateFederal Publication
December 2, 1926Letter from Walter A. Strong, et al.
June 10, 1926Letter from Edward T. Clark to William J. Avery
October 23, 1925Letter from David D. Hoag to Calvin Coolidge
December 29, 1925Index Card
June 4, 1927Index Card
March 5, 1926Letter from Everett Sanders to John Q. Tilson
April 6, 1926Index Card
April 25, 1926Index Card
no dateNotes
March 29, 1926Letter from Herbert Hoover to Everett Sanders
no dateNotes
no dateMemorandum from Edward T. Clark to Mrs Coolidge
May 1926Brochure
December 23, 1927Index Card
June 9, 1926Letter from Edward T. Clark to James H. MacLafferty
November 20, 1925Telegram from David D. Hoag to Charles Curtis
no dateNotes
July 17, 1926Letter from Orrin E. Dunlap, Jr. to Calvin Coolidge
July 19, 1926Index Card
July 29, 1926Letter from Everett Sanders to Orrin E. Dunlap, Jr.
September 2, 1926Letter from Don Searle
August 5, 1924Letter from A. Bliss Albro to C. Bascom Slemp
August 27, 1925Letter from G. Clayton Irwin, Jr. to Everett Sanders
January 30, 1929Letter from Frederic William Wile to Calvin Coolidge
January 17, 1929Letter from Everett Sanders to William S. Paley
November 10, 1928Index Card
October 31, 1928Telegram from B.S. Moss to Calvin Coolidge
no dateIndex Card
no dateBusiness Card from William J. Avery
December 10, 1923Letter from John T. Lambert to C. Bascom Slemp
January 25, 1924Letter from George L. Treadwell to Edward T. Clark
February 22, 1924Typescript
January 12, 1924Letter from Edward T. Clark to D.C. Bingham
January 3, 1924Memorandum from D.C. Bingham
January 11, 1924Letter from D.C. Bingham to Edward T. Clark
no dateList
no dateList
January 26, 1924Letter from George N. Waite to Calvin Coolidge
December 18, 1923Index Card
December 3, 1923Telegram from C. Bascom Slemp to Seldon Fairbanks
December 6, 1923Letter from John H. Sayres to C. Bascom Slemp
November 30, 1923Radiogram from Seldon Fairbanks to Calvin Coolidge
November 12, 1923Index Card
November 10, 1923Letter from C. Bascom Slemp to E.F. McDonald
November 5, 1923Letter from E.F. McDonald, Jr. to Calvin Coolidge
November 16, 1925Index Card
August 2, 1924Letter from C. Bascom Slemp to William F. Hart
January 5, 1924Letter from E.F. McDonald, Jr. to C. Bascom Slemp
May 16, 1924Letter from Thomas McDonnell to George C. Hinckley
November 1923Radiogram from Seldon Fairbanks to Calvin Coolidge
February 1, 1924Index Card
July 31, 1924Letter from William F. Hart to C. Bascom Slemp
June 16, 1924Letter from A.E. Berry to Edward T. Clark
May 20, 1924Letter from C. Bascom Slemp to George C. Hinckley
May 17, 1924Letter from George C. Hinckley to C. Bascom Slemp
no dateMemorandum from Joseph W. Mauck
April 30, 1924Letter from Joseph W. Mauck to Calvin Coolidge
April 5, 1924Index Card
March 6, 1924Letter from C. Bascom Slemp to E.F. McDonald, Jr.
February 11, 1924Letter from Alfred L. Stern to C. Bascom Slemp
June 14, 1924Letter from Edward T. Clark to A.E. Berry
February 27, 1824Letter from E.F. McDonald, Jr. to C. Bascom Slemp
April 1, 1924Letter from C. Bascom Slemp to Edward J. Wilson
March 7, 1924Letter from Edward T. Clark to Eugene S. Wilson
March 27, 1924Letter from Edward J. Wilson to Calvin Coolidge
March 8, 1924Letter from Eugene S. Wilson to Edward T. Clark
no dateTypescript
February 18, 1924Letter from C. Bascom Slemp to Alfred L. Stern