James G. Stahlman Papers

Collection

Identifier: MSS.0413

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains the papers of James G. Stahlman, publisher of the Nashville Banner from 1930 to 1972 and member of the Board of Trust for Vanderbilt from 1927 until his death in 1976. As publisher, Stahlman and the conservative Banner carried on storied battles with the more liberal Tennessean until the Banner's sale to the Gannett Corporation in 1972.

Dates

1915 - 1976

Chronology

1918 "Enemy Alien" scandal re: Maj. E.B. Stahlman, Sr. (E.B. Stahlman, Marvin Campen, Lee Douglas, Sen. Shields, J.O. Leake, John Lord O'Brian, Luke Lea, Horton)

1930 JGS elected pres. of Banner

1931 June/July -- elected v.p. of TN State Press Assn.

1932 April 27-29 -- ANPA (NYC)

July -- JGS elected pres. of SNPA

1933 Jan. 9 -- speech to Am. Assn. of Univ. Women

Jan. 13-14 -- speech to PA Newspaper Publishers Assn. (Harrisburg) Jan. 27 -- speech to NY State Publishers Assn. (Syracuse) Feb. 19-20 -- SNPA (Nashville) - Bd. of Dirs. April -- ANPA (NYC) June 26-28 -- SNPA Conv. (Chattanooga, TN) Luke Lea Scandal

1934 April 24-27 -- ANPA (NYC) June 25 -- speech to SNPA Sept. 24 -- speech to Middle TN Retail Grocers Assn. c. Sept. 24 -- radio speech re: Constitution/New Deal 1935 Jan. 17 -- speech to NY State Publishers Assn. Jan. 24 -- speech to NC Press Institute (Chapel Hill, NC) Feb. -- speech to TX Newspaper Publishers Assn. (Beaumont, TX) March 4 -- SNPA (Birmingham) April -- ANPA (JGS elected v.p.) May 20-22 -- SNPA (Hot Springs, AR) Sept. 13 -- speech to NY Press Assn. (honoring Jerome Barnum)\ 1936 Feb. 14 -- speech to TN College Press Assn. April 21-24 -- ANPA (NYC) June -- Democratic Convention

1937 March 2 -- speech to 50 Years in Business Club (Nashville) April 23 -- speech to ANPA (JGS elected pres.) May 14 -- ANPA testimonial dinner honoring JGS (Nashville Chamber of Commerce) May 19 -- speech to Sheriffs & Peace Officers Assn (?) July 18-21 -- speech to NEA (Detroit; "A Free Press the Right of a Free People") Sept. 20-25 -- speech to Columbia Univ. School of Journalism (NYC) Oct. 6 -- keynote speech to Herald-Tribune's Forum on World Problems Oct. 19 -- speech to Inland Daily Press Assn. (Chicago, "Some Things for the Press to Think About") Dec. 10 -- speech to ANPA (Wash. DC)

1938 Jan. 1-5 -- speech to FL Industrial Day (Fernandina, FL) Jan. 8 -- speech to TN Society of St. Louise Jan. 14 -- speech honoring Charles H. Herty (Jacksonville, FL) April 27 -- speech to ANPA (NYC) April 28 -- speech to Advertising Club of NY (NYC, "Responsibilities-Yours & Mine") May-June -- SNPA Aug -- Time, Fortune newspaper probe controversy Nov. 29 -- speech to Southern States Industrial Council ("A Free Press in a Democracy")

1939 Jan. 20 -- speech to Fresno Advertising Club (Fresno, CA, "Your Business & Mine") Jan. 21 -- speech to CA Newspaper Publishing Assn. (LA, "A Free Press in a Democracy") Jan. 27 -- speech to CO Press Assn. (Boulder, on radio) April 26 -- speech to NY World's Fair (re: Freedom of Press Statue) April 26-28 -- speech to ANPA (NYC) May 4 -- speech tp US Chamber of COmmerce (Wash. DC, "Free Enterprise & a Free Press") June 15-17 -- SNPA (Old Comfort, VA) July 10-12 -- speech to Ntl. Assn. of Broadcasters (Atlantic City, NJ) July 13 -- Broadcast from London to Ntl. Assn. of Broadcasters (Atlantaic City, NJ) c.July 24-27 -- speech to PACA (Oakland, CA)

1940 Feb. 19 -- speech to Economic Club of Detroit ("The Govt., a Free Press & the People") April 25 -- ANPA (NYC) April 29 -- Southern States Industrial Council (Wash. DC) June -- Republican Ntl. Convention (Philadelphia) June 18- -- in Alaska Dec. 3 -- ANPA (NYC) Dec. 17 -- luncheon for H.R. KNickerbocker (Nashville)

1941 April 24 -- ANPA (NYC) JGS vs. FCC (HGS as org. of Press-Radio Bureau)

1943 April 22 -- ANPA "Victory Dinner" (NYC)

1946 March 29 -- Bishop G. Bromley Oxnam Column

1949 April 23 -- ASNE (NYC) c. May 1 -- Frank C. Stahlman dies (uncle) Nov. -- elected Fellow in Sigma Delta Chi (journalism society)

1950 Feb. 20 -- rec'd key - Sigma Delta Chi (Columbia, MO, School of Journalism) April -- rec'd Order of the Southern Cross (from Brazilian amb.) July 10 -- Laymen's League of Gay-Lea Christian Fellowship Church program

1951 March -- IAPA (Mexico) April -- ASNE May 22 -- Testimonial dinner for JGS June 9 -- elected to Bd. of Coosa River Newsprint Co. Nov. 16-Dec. 8 -- Tour of Europe & Middle East w/Pentagon ("Europe Revisited" articles) Banner's 75th Anniversary: March 29 April 10 (Eddie Rickenbacker) May 19 (Clifton Gates) Sept. 5 (Fulton Oursler) Oct. 10 (William Laurence) Nov. 9 (George Sokolsky)

IAPA (Montevideo)

1953 March -- IAPA (Jamaica) April 15 -- speech to Women's Ntl. Press Club (Wash. DC) April 17-22 -- ANPA (NYC) May 26 -- Coosa River Newsprint Co. bd. mtg. (NYC) Nov. 23-24 -- Coosa River Newsprint Co. bd. mtg.

1954 March 15-25 -- IAPA (Puerto Rico) April -- ASNE April -- AP, ANPA April 19 -- ANPA Stag Party (NYC) Aug. 19 -- Newhouse Purchase offer Sept.-Nov. -- South American IAPA Trip Dec. 15 -- IAPA executive cmte. mtg. (NYC)

1955 Jan.-March -- Eisenhower/Wt. Hse.-IAPA dinner invitation flap March -- IAPA bd. mtg. (Guatemala) -- JGS purchase of Davis-FCS stock/Banner purchase) March 1 -- Coosa River Newsprint Co. mtg. (Birmingham) May 24 -- Coosa River Newsprint Co. (Birmingham) June -- Silliman Evans dies

1956 Jan. 12 -- speech to Overseas Press Club (NYC) April 6-8 -- IAPA bd. mtg. (Bermuda) May 17 -- speech to Coffee House Club (Nashville) Oct. 12 -- Americas Fndn. Award (to JGS) Oct.-Nov. -- IAPA Gen. Assembly (Havana, Cuba) Dec. -- speech to AL Education Assn.

1957 Jan., April 3 -- S.I. Newhouse's purchase offers Oct. 10-18 -- IAPA (Wash. DC)

1958 c.Feb. 24 -- Coosa River Newsprint Co. mtg. March-April -- IAPA (Jamaica)

Hearst Corp. Takeover Effort begins (?)

1959 March 3 -- Coosa River Newsprint bd. mtg. (Birmingham) March -- IAPA bd. mtg. (El Salvador) May 26 -- Coosa River Newsprint Co. mtg. (Coosa Pines, AL) Sept. 30 -- IAPA (San Francisco) Oct. 12 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC) Nov. 22 -- IAPA (NYC) Dec. 1 -- Coosa River Newsprint Co. (Birmingham)

1960 Jan. 11-12 -- Coosa River Newsprint Co. (10th Anniversary) Feb. 4 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC) Feb. 15 -- Coosa River Newsprint Co. mtg. Aug. 22 -- IAPA Nov. 29 -- Coosa River Newsprint Co. mtg.

1961 Feb. 2 -- JGS resigns from Coosa River Newsprint Co. bd. April 28 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC) July 30 -- Silliman Evans, Jr., dies Dec. 4-7 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC)

1962 c.May-June -- Central European Tour c.June -- JGS' 50th anniversary as reporter Aug. 13 -- IAPA (NYC) Aug. 14 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC) c.Sept. 1-7 -- SNPA (NYC) c.Sept. 21-25 -- IAPA (NYC) c.Oct. 13 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC) Nov. 14 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC)

1963 March 7 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC) April -- ASNE April 1 -- AP, ANPA May 21 -- European Trip

1964 Jan. 8 -- IAPA (NYC) Amon Carter Evans/John Jay Hooker, Jan. 10 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC) attempted purchase of Banner begins Feb. 28 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC) April 24 -- IAPA (NYC)

1965 April 17 -- ANPA (NYC) July 10-17 -- (NYC) Sept. 8 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC) Nov. 22 -- Tribute dinner for Lowell Thomas (NYC)

1966 c.Feb. 1 -- Pat & Rich. Nixon hse. guests of JGS (weekend) April 28 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC) April 29 -- IAPA (NYC) Sept. 9-Oct. 14 -- Iberian & Riviera Cruise

1967 c.April 10-12 -- Banner editorial re: Stokely Carmichael at VU June 16 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC) Aug. 15 -- JGS testifies re: S.1312 (Wash. DC) c.Oct. 19 -- IAPA (Puerto Rico)

1968 Feb. 26 -- S.1312 (Wash. DC) March 6 -- S.1312 (Wash. DC) July 20 -- speech to American Legion (Memphis, TN) Sept. 12 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC) c.Sept. -- H.R.19123 Oct. 11 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC) Newspaper Preservation Act (S.1312, H.19123) 1969 Oct. 2-Oct. 31 -- IAPA (Wash. DC) Oct. 6 -- Americas Fndn. Dinner Oct. -- Wt. Hse. dinner honoring PM of Canada (JGS & Gladys attended as guests of Rich. Nixon) S.1520 succeeds S.1312

1970 Newspaper Preservation Act (S.1520, H.279) May 22 - speech to American Legion

1971 July 1-July 19 -- Alaska Cruise (with Gladys)

1972 Jan. 14 -- Gannett buys Banner Feb. 11 -- speech to Annual Distinguished Salesman Award (SME, Nashville) April 8 -- Gridiron Dinner (NYC) April 22 -- ANPA April 23 -- Gannett mtg. (NYC) June 1 -- JGS retirement from Banner Oct. 9-13 -- IAPA (Santiago, Chile) Nov. 28 -- Tribute dinner for Hearst (NYC)

1973 Oct. 11 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC) Oct. 15-19 -- IAPA (Boston) Nov. 3 -- JGS' grandfather, Maj. Ed. B. Stahlman, inducted into TN Newspaper Hall of Fame (Knoxville, TN)

1974 April 7-9 -- ANPA (New Orleans) July -- Cruise (USSR, Scandinavia) Oct. 10 -- Americas Fndn. dinner honoring J. George Harrar Dec. 12 -- Americas Fndn. (NYC)

1975 Oct. 19-24 -- IAPA (Brazil; JGS didn't attend?)

Extent

60.5 Linear Feet (139 Hollinger boxes; 1 Flat box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Physical Location

Offsite Storage, Special Collections & Archives

Abbreviations Appearing in Collection

AP Associated Press ANPA American Newspaper Publishers Association ASNE American Society of Newspaper Editors H.R.19123/H.279 House Bill 19123, Newspaper Preservation Act (Became S.1520) IAEA Inter American Education Association IAPA Inter American Press Association INS International News Service NEA National Editorial Association NPC Newspaper Printing Corporation OAS Organization of American States PACA Pacific Advertising Clubs Association RFC Reconstruction Finance Corporation S.1312 Sen. Bill, Failing Newspaper Act S.1520 Sen. Bill, succeeding S.1312, Newspaper Preservation Act SIP Sociedad Interamericana de Prensa (IAPA) SME Sales & Marketing Executives SNPA Southern Newspaper Publishers Association TCPA Tennessee College Press Association TNPA Texas Newspaper Publishers Association UP(I) United Press (International)

Nicknames Appearing in Correspondence

A - Adolph Ochs ADDIE - Addie Smither (Mrs. Robert A. Smither) ARNIE - T.A. Springfield AUNT ALINE - Aline Stahlman BABE - Merrill C. Meigs BITSY - E.E. Wilson BLITZ - M.T. O'Brien BOBO - Robert L. Alexander, Jr. BOOTS - George Henry Tyne BOOTSIE & BILL or RANDY - William & Mrs. Randolph Hearst BOOTY - Robert Selph Henry BROWNIE - Robert A. Brown BUCK - Charles S. Hayden BUCKET - D.C. Seward BUD - Samuel Rucks Martin/Westbrook Pegler BUDDY - Hugh J. Morgan BUG Milton Smith Lewis BUTTERMILK - H.B. (Burton) Wilkerson CNO - Chief of Naval Operations CHICK - Mrs. Ruhland Rebman CHUCK - C.F. Baldwin COTTON - Harold W. Clark COUSIN WILL - William G. Spence CUTTER - H.B. Northcutt DAR - D.W. Sherman DNI - Dept. of Naval Intelligence DAKEY - Mrs. Frank W. Fletcher DAN - G.D. Brooks DILLON - Clarence Dillon DINTY - C.E. Moore DOUGH or DO - Henry K. Ray DUNK - A.C. Dunkleberger EATS - European Air Transport Service (Army) ED - Edwin S. Friendly EDDIE - E.B. Rickenbacker/E.S. Northrop FATS - Robert A. Everett FLAP - Claude M. Adams FROG - W.E. Metzger FUTILE - JGS G or OLD CARPETBAGGER - Gene Markey GSM - Graduate School of Management (VU) HACK - J. Haskell Tidman HECK - Henry Wakefield HERK - Wade Herbert Armstrong HONUS - John Craig HOSS - Charles S. Ragland HUBY or HUBBIE - Hugh W. Robbins, Jr. IRISHMAN - Clare Lovett JCS - Jt. Chiefs of Staff JICA - Joint Intelligence Collection Agencies JICACBI - " China, Burma, India JICAME - Joint Intelligence Collection Agencies, Middle East JICANA - " North Africa JICASAC - " Southeast Asia JACK - A.A. Allen JUDGE - E.M. Eller "KAY" - K.P. Tsolainos (Phoebe & Kay) LENA, Aunt - Lena Bowles (Mrs. George B.) LEON - Leland P. Lovette LERON - Leron Matthews (Destin, FL) LIGE - E.N. Kirkpatrick LIP - W. Lipscomb Davis LISHE - Elisha Hanson LIZZIE - Lizzie Armistead (Mrs. James H.) LUCE - Luce Priest (Mrs. Fenton F.) MIN - H.B. Miller MONK - Claude Simons NME - Ntl. Military Establishment NARD - Nard Jones NED - Ashley DeWolf NICK - Henry F. Nichol NUCK - Enoch Brown ONI - Office of Naval Intelligence OWI - Office of War Information (dir., Archibald MacLeish) PECK - Ralph Owen PECKERWOOD - Frank van der Linden/J.C. Akers, Jr. PEGGY - Peggy Spurrier (Mrs. Keith McCauley Spurrier)? PEPE - Jose Dutriz PINK - William J. Wade PINQUE - Hamilton Douglas/Fort Flowers POPS - Marcellus B. Frost PUD - G.W. Reyer PUNCH - Arthur Ochs Sulzberger PUNKA - Punka Holmes Bassett (Mrs. Robert C.) RABBIT - Irby Rice Curry RADDY - Arthur W. Radford RALPH - Ralph M. Watt (Coosa Pines, AL) RED - O.M. Mosier (WW II)/Henry D. Jamison (60s)/H.R. Sanders ('41)/John Cullom Floyd (1915 Football Team) RENA - Katharine Schlater ROBBIE - Francis Robinson RONS - Reserve Officers Naval Services ROUSSEAU - T.R. Duncan RULE BOOK - Walter M. Morgan SBM Controversy - Strategic Bombing Myth Controversy SCEF - Southern Conference Educational Fund SDS - Students for a Democratic Society S.M.E.A.R. - Silent Majority for Eradication of All Radicals SNCC -Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee SSOC - Southern Students Organizing Committee SAD - H.W. Sadler SANDLOT - Maxwell E. Benson SANTIAGO - JGS SAWNEY - William R. Webb SHAVER - David S. Huggins SHORTY - Cecil Sims SIS - Anne Orr SISTER [NAFF] - Mrs. L.C. Naff SKINNY - Eldred A. Woolwine, Jr. SLATS - Adm. H.B. Sallada SLICK - James T. Welsh SLIM - W.G. Beecher, Jr. SLOPPY - O.H. Bateman SONNY - C.V. Whitney SPEEDY - (Edith Knox; Mrs. Jack) SPUD - H.A. Ellis STEAMBOAT - A.C. Wahlstedt STEIN - J.N. Stone STEVE - C. Douglas Stephenson (England)/Alec B. Stevenson STEVE & ELISE - Alec B. & Elise Stevenson STUD - Alec B. Stevenson TEMPIE - Tempie Chester (Mrs. Sam H.) TEX - M.T. Moore TINY - Fermine Pride TITO - Alberto Gainza Paz TOMMY - Arthur S. Thompson TRINNIE - Bertram H. Chalfant UNCLE FRANK - F.C. Stahlman USELESS - Vernon Tupper VVAC - Vanderbilt Vietnam Action Committee VAN - W. I. Van Dusen VIC - Victor S. Johnson, Sr. VINEGAR JOE - WAXO - Dudley E. Green WEER - Joseph H. Weer WICK - D.W. Stubblefield WINDY - A.B. Windham WINK - Winston Folk YEN - Charles E. Coney