Part 1 (Mss 827, Audio 1266A, PH Mss 827): Original Collection, 1958-1987
Physical Description: 4.4 cubic feet (12 archives boxes), 27 tape recordings, 49 video recordings, 35 photographs, 1 negative, and 8 transparencies 
Arrangement of the Materials: Part 1 of the Rollin Papers is arranged as BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL, CORRESPONDENCE, and PROFESSIONAL PAPERS. The final series is further subdivided into Books, News broadcasting, Print journalism, and Speeches.
Scope and Content Note

The BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL consists of newspaper clippings and articles about Rollin, publicity released by NBC about her activities, a mammogram, and photographs. Also listed with the biographical materials are numerous taped and filmed interviews of Rollin. Some of these interviews took place as part of the publicity tours occasioned by the publication of her books. Because these books were so highly autobiographical, however, the publicity about them, like the clippings and print interviews, has been grouped with the general biographical material rather than with the book files described below.

CORRESPONDENCE consists of general correspondence, personal letters, and business correspondence (mainly 1974-1992) exchanged with agents, publishers, editors (especially Genevieve Young of J.B. Lippincott), and others. Also included with the business mail is correspondence with attorney Robert Youdelman regarding the sale of movie rights to First, You Cry, particularly Marlo Thomas' unsuccessful interest in acquiring the television rights and Mortimer Zuckerman's concern over the way in which he might be portrayed in the film. The business correspondence also contains numerous contracts detailing salary and payments for lectures.

The personal correspondence consists of one folder of letters exchanged with Arthur Herzog III, one folder of correspondence with Mortimer B. Zuckerman, and one folder of miscellaneous letters. The Herzog mail consists mostly of his letters to Rollin, the majority of which are undated, although they appear to date from the period of their separation. The Zuckerman correspondence includes carbons of some of her outgoing letters to him, as well as letters she received. These are also largely undated, although most appear to date from the period after their estrangement.

The miscellaneous personal file contains correspondence from family and friends and one letter Rollin wrote in 1958. Among the correspondents in this folder is an exchange with Phil Donahue concerning Rollin's dissatisfaction with her appearance on his program after the publication of First, You Cry, a note from Helen Gurley Brown, and several letters from Grant Tinker and Mary Tyler Moore.

The general correspondence includes a letter to the editor of Time regarding an interview in which she had been characterized as a “child-hater” and several letters to Grant Tinker and Mary Tyler Moore (one containing Rollin's original ideas for the made-for-television movie based on First, You Cry). Prominent correspondents here include Marvella Bayh, Joan Didion, and Erich Fromm. Also here is an undated autobiographical, job-seeking form letter from Arthur Herzog.

The PROFESSIONAL PAPERS are arranged by genre: books, news broadcasting, print journalism, and speeches.

Rollin's three autobiographical books are arranged alphabetically by title. (Rollin's earlier non-fiction works are not represented in the collection.) Each of the three is documented by proposals, variant drafts, publicity, and reader response. The earliest draft material for each book generally consists of multiple revisions of individual chapters and draft fragments rather than complete drafts of the entire books, while subsequent drafts consist of complete revisions. The designations in the contents list, “First draft, Second draft, etc.,” were added in the Archives to indicate the sequence of the revision process, rather than the actual number of the draft. This was necessary because not all drafts were retained. No printed versions of Rollin's books were received with the collection, although First, You Cry and Am I Being Paid for This? are available in the UW Memorial Library. In addition to the manuscripts for the book, the files on First, You Cry include one mimeographed draft of the script for the MTM production as well as a videotape of the finished product. The publicity about this film includes captioned black-and-white stills and color transparencies.

The correspondence Rollin received from the readers of her books is of unusual research interest because her honest and direct literary style caused many correspondents to reply with similarly frank accounts of their own experiences. Readers particularly responded to First, You Cry and Last Wish, and these files include more than an entire box of this type of correspondence. Unfortunately, the papers include only a few copies of the letters that Rollin wrote in reply, although handwritten notes generally indicate the nature of her response.

Rollin's broadcasting for NBC and ABC is represented by scripts, NBC administrative memoranda and story proposals, some viewer correspondence (including 1972 letters from Nora Ephron and Bess Myerson), and off-the-air videotaped versions of many of the stories she covered. Documentation is most extensive for NBC Nightly News, Today, Tomorrow (which she guest hosted), and Women Like Us, a program that Rollin helped to develop. Rollin's work for ABC Nightline is primarily represented by videotape and by a few printed transcripts. Several prominent individuals appear on the videotaped portion of the collection, notably David Brinkley, Tom Brokaw, John Chancellor, Phyllis Diller, Mike Douglas, Barbara Mikulski, Walter Mondale, Jane Pauley, Marlene Sanders, Phyllis Schlafly, and Ruth Westheimer.

Research material for Rollin's broadcasting assignments has been retained very selectively. With the files for “Fame,” which was aired as part of First Tuesday, is a complete film transcript (the film is not present in the collection) in which Rollin interviewed celebrities such as Twiggy, Ronald Reagan, Gloria Swanson, Rona Barrett, Cloris Leachman, Joe Namath, Adam West, Dionne Warwick, Dick Cavett, Groucho Marx, Raquel Welch, and various aspiring actresses.

Rollin's career in print journalism is incompletely documented, and only a few copies of printed articles that she wrote for Look, some material relating to the response to “The Motherhood Myth,” correspondence received from readers of Rollin's “Hers” column that appeared in the New York Times, and several unpublished stories are included here.

The Speeches section consists largely of typed and handwritten notes, rather than complete drafts of prepared remarks. Only a few of these are identified and dated.

Series: Biographical Material

Biographical miscellany

Clippings, 1973-1974, 1976-1984, undated

Interviews

Donahue film interview, 1977 October 11

American Cancer Society panel discussion excerpts, 1977 September 7

Mike Douglas Show film interview, 1978

Cityscope film interview, 1978

Seattle Today film interview, 1979

Eyewitness News feature on breast cancer (includes Rollin interview), 1979

PM Magazine, 1982 January 21

Sheila Rushlo Show, 1982 September 21

Larry King Show, 1983 January 28

Breast Diagnostic Center interview, 1983 November

Interviews regarding Am I Getting Paid for This?, 1983

Interview and “Only Child” roundtable discussion, 1984

Film interviews, 1984

Merv Griffin interview, 1984

AM Chicago interview, 1985 October 11

Larry King Show, 1985 October 17

Late from London interview, 1986 February 9

BBC Interview, 1986 September 4

Mike Powell Report, undated

Miscellaneous photographs

Series: Correspondence

Business correspondence and contracts, 1960-1965, 1970-1971, 1974-1986, undated

Condolences on the death of Ida Rollin, 1983

Miscellaneous correspondence, 1969-1980, undated

“Nut mail,” 1977-1978

Personal correspondence

Arthur Herzog III, 1972-1978, undated

Mortimer B. Zuckerman, 1975-1977, undated

Miscellaneous correspondence, 1958-1971, undated

Series: Professional Papers

Subseries: Books

Am I Getting Paid for This? (1982)

Proposal, outline

Title ideas

Manuscripts

Early draft chapters and fragments

First draft

Second draft

Third draft, with editorial revisions

Miscellaneous revisions

Publicity, 1982

Cover art

Reader correspondence, 1982-1984

First, You Cry (1976)

Notes

Manuscripts

Original outline and proposal

Early draft chapters and fragments

Second draft

First segment

Second segment

Third draft

Publicity

Reader correspondence

Answered, 1976-1982

Answered-Men, 1976-1980

Unanswered, 1976-1978

Response to Donahue interview, 1977

Unsorted letters, 1978-1984

Television version

Mimeo script by Carmen Culver, 1978 January 19

Publicity for TV movie

General publicity

Black-and-white stills and color transparencies

Rollin articles for TV publicity, undated

Videotape, 1978

Last Wish (1985)

Notes

Manuscripts

Early chapter drafts and fragments

Segment 1

Segment 2

First complete draft

Editor's notes

Final draft

Dust jacket design

Reader correspondence

Answered

Answered (continued)

Subseries: News broadcasting

ABC

Nightline

Videotapes

1-3: Neonatal care; 4: Sexual harassment, 1982

Rollin spots, 1982 January-1984 June

1: Child abuse; 2: Nuclear war; 3: Teen pregnancy; 4: Divorce, 1982-1983

1: Organ transplants; 2: AIDS; 3: ERA; 4: Violent crime, 1982-1983

Rollin spots, 1982-1983

Baltimore teen contraception, 1982 November 4

AIDS, 1982 December 17

Death and dying, depression, cancer survivors, genetic engineering, surrogate mothers, holiday depression, cholesterol, only child, 1983-1984

Depression, Superbabies, 1983 June 30, 1984 June 7

Transcripts, 1983 April 1

Publicity

NBC

First Tuesday

Script, 1971

“Fame” transcripts, 1971

Mail from viewers, 1970-1978

Memoranda and story proposals

General, 1971-1978, undated

“Women Like Us,” 1979-1980

NBC Nightly News

General scripts, 1970-1980, undated

Rape story, 1974

Videotapes

Juvenile murder, 1975 July 22

Pregnant teens, 1977 March

Segment 3: New Working Woman, 1978 November 9

Uncatalogued, 1978

Rollin spots, 1978

Uncatalogued, 1978

Ghostwriters, health self care, 1979

Promo for Betty Ford, 1979

Segment 3: Death and Dying, 1980 June 27

Confrontation therapy and American Wing of Met, 1980

Abortion, 1981 April 7

Segment 3 spots, 1981

1: Snowstorm; 2: Dial-a-teacher; 3: Liz Smith; 4: Difficult adoptions; 5: Sesame Street; 6: Homosexuality study; 7: Sexual pressure; 8: Mastectomy treatment, undated

Specials

“Conversation with Betty Ford,” 1979

“Medicine in America,” 1978

“American Family: An Endangered Species?,” 1979

Publicity

Videotape

“Failing to Learn,” 1979

“The Pope in America,” 1979

Today

Scripts, 1970-1980

Videotapes

Fort Dix women soldiers, 1979

Promo for American Family, 1979

Lesbian students, 1980 June 4

Unmarried men and women, 1980 June 27

Denver single women, 1980

Denver single men, 1980

Radical nun, 1987 April 22

Tomorrow videotapes, Rollin as host, 1979

Updates, Rollin as anchor, circa 1979

WNBC-TV theatre reviews, 1972

Women Like Us

Scripts, 1979-1980

Publicity, 1979-1980

Videotapes

1979 October 23

Getting married, 1981 April 19

Babies after 35, 1980 January 23

Unidentified scripts

Scripts used for Am I Getting Paid for This?

Subseries: Print journalism

Sarah Lawrence College Alumnae Magazine, 1963

Look

Miscellaneous articles, 1966-1971

Marriage article and drafts, 1979

“The Motherhood Myth,” scripts for Comment and book proposal, 1971, undated

Review of The Look Book, 1975

New York Times

Articles, 1973, 1980

“Best Years of My Life,” reader correspondence, 1980

“Hers,” correspondence, 1982-1984

TV Guide, “Women Like Us,” 1979

Unpublished manuscripts

Subseries: Speeches and notes, 1976-1985

Part 2 (M2011-043): Additions, 1979-2007
Physical Description: 0.8 cubic feet and 58 video recordings 
Scope and Content Note: Additions, 1979-2007, consisting of manuscripts and drafts for Rollin's books First, You Cry and Here's the Bright Side, scripts for the Teleplay and movie Last Wish, video recordings of Rollin reporting or being interviewed on TV news and talk shows such as Larry King and CNN principally on issues related to breast cancer and assisted suicide.

Series: Papers

First, You Cry

Early draft

Proofs, cover, and letter from Fran Meyers, 2001

Last Wish

Screenplay by Mark Medoff, first draft, 1986 July 10

Notes, 1986 August 15

Teleplay by Jerome Kass, first draft, 1990 September 18

Teleplay by Jerome Kass, final draft, 1991 March 22

Movie

Introduction and Epilogue

Here's the Bright Side

Drafts, 2006-2007

Artwork

Series: Video Recordings
Note: All of the video recordings are on VHS unless otherwise noted.

Today Show, 1979 October 8-10, 23; 1980 April 23
Physical Description: Beta 

Humana Inc. Breast Diagnostic Center, Rollin interview, 1983 November

Last Wish

20/20, Today, Live at 5, Donahue, and Hour Magazine, 1985 September
Physical Description: Beta 

Nightly, 1985 October
Physical Description: Beta 

“Today Show,” 1985 December 30
Physical Description: Beta 

BBC, 1986 January
Physical Description: Beta 

Lifetime; CBS Nightwatch; Lecture, Freehold, New Jersey
Physical Description: Beta 

Lily Tomlin, 1986 March 13
Physical Description: Beta 

Danuer #2, etc.
Physical Description: Beta 

Sally Jessy Raphael Show, 1986 December 4
Physical Description: Beta 

Nightline, euthanasia, 1987 February 3
Physical Description: Beta 

CNN, 1987 October 16

Larry King, 1988

Diet show, 1989

Jill Ireland

Larry King Show, N. Reagan, 1987 November 12
Physical Description: Beta 

NN Blind Parents
Physical Description: Beta 

CNN interview with Sonya F.
Physical Description: Beta 

Euthanasia Show, 1988 January
Physical Description: Beta 

Today, regarding mercy killing, 1988 November 14
Physical Description: Beta 

NBC, 1988 January 6
Physical Description: Beta 

Willa Sha??
Physical Description: Beta 

Armless girl Wendy
Physical Description: Beta 

Hospice-daycare, 1988 March 4
Physical Description: Beta 

PSYK Judge G., 1988 March 10
Physical Description: Beta 

Rosamond, 1988 June 14
Physical Description: Beta 

TVN Women II, 1988 July 26
Physical Description: Beta 

Hendricks, 1988 September 1
Physical Description: Beta 

Breast Cancer, 1988 October
Physical Description: Beta 

NN Mind and Body, 1988 November 28-29

NN Joe Dawley, 1989 April 18

Sweet Alice, 1989

Russian Psychology, 1989 June 26

Today, 1989 August 1

Roanoke Conductor-Rollin, TDY, 1990 January 18

Betty Edwards, 1990 February 9

Dr. Meyers, 1990 March 15

Radi Bilingson, 1990 March 26

Mary Rodas, 1990 April 3

[Others]

Norville with Betty Rollin, Barbara Boggs Sigmund, 1990 May 29

Today, T. Mermaid Singer, etc., 1991 January 3

McNeil/Lehrer, Final Exit, 1991 August

Nightline, Final Exit, 1991 August

WBIS, 1997 May

Med Ethics, CNN, 1993 October 26

Kevorkian Assisted Suicide, Nightline, 1993 December 13

Dub #405052, 1993 March 3

Betty Rollin, Rel. Dating Space, CNN Interview, 2005 March 22

NBC News Dub #465052, 1993 March 3
Note: Editor: M.G. Betty Rollin, Segment #1 and #2;
Sonia/Foetus as Person

NN Rollin - Unwed Mother, 1993 September 24
Note: Editor TG-10

Straight Forward Roger Aisles, 1994 July 8

Family CAP, 1994 August 10

Dateline, Marriage Conflict, Unspeakable Acts, 1995 January 9

Lifetime, Biggers & Summers-Rollin, 1995 October

First You Cry Wraparounds

“Own Words” / Betty Rollin, NBC Nightly News, 1996

Ch. 2 (V. Kelly)

General Interview, Ch. 70 M.A. Wms, 1995 November

Good Day, 1996 January 19

Good Day New York, regarding Last Wish, 1996 April 17

CNBC Panel on Assisted Suicide AM After Hours, 1996 August 26

Dub for: NBC News/Betty Rollin, Topic: Assisted Suicide, CNN Aircheck, 1997 January 8

Mind and Body - Parts 1 and 2, Alternative Medicine, Betty Rollin Dub, 1997 October 23

JC Edit Bay Wo #055777

Wann-Rollin-Dad's Role, 1998 April 12
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements: Damaged tape

Betty Rollin, “Race for the Cure” 1998 September 26

Multiple births, 1999 July 27

ERGO-NNW, Betty Rollin, 2001 February 3

Sterling Digital American Catholic/Assisted Suicide, MSD 0183.4, 2001 December 20

Today Show, pregnant workers, 2002 December 29

WO#497235 Dub, 2003 February 25

“The God Squad, Mercy or Murder,” Part I GS#43, RT - 24:36

“The God Squad, Mercy or Murder,” Part II GS#43A, RT - 24:32

“Mastering the Maze: Taking Control of Your Health Care” / produced by the College of American Pathologists

Massachusetts School of Law Educational Forum, Show #50: “Death, Dying & Assisted Suicide”

“Geraldo,” #110-92 “Mercy Murder”

WABC Interview, Last Wish movie

Dub Tape #2: Alternative Medicine

Another Look-Rollin/Joe Dawley

[Untitled]
Physical Description: Beta 

Unwed Mothers, Nightly News

Nightly News, “Mind & Body” - Part 1 & 2, WO# D55777

AM Chicago, HR Mag, Donahue

Betty Rollin, AM Chicago

Lifetime, Main 9635, The Main Ingredient

Betty Rollin miscellaneous
Note: Includes:

• 20/20
• NBC News
• Gary Collins
• AM Chicago
• Donahue

Unwed Mothers

CNN Interview, Last Wish movie, “Showbiz Today,” Betty Rollin-Patty Duke

Suicide Cuts: Physician Assisted Dying Supreme Court Case Network Television Coverage Highlights

Part 3 (M2017-077): Additions, 1971-2006
Physical Description: 0.8 cubic feet (2 archives boxes) and 61 video recordings (6 video boxes and 1 half archives box) 
Scope and Content Note: Additions, 1971-2006, consisting of manuscripts, unpublished writings, correspondence, reviews, answered and unanswered mail, magazine articles, for Am I Getting… contracts, earnings, publicity, book tours, etc. Also included are videotapes of programs hosted or in which Rollins appeared, or on topics related to her writings.

Series: Papers

Last Wish publicity, 1991-1992, 1998

Radio spots

Unpublished writings, 1974-1983

"Facing Cancer," 1996

Friends mail, answered, 1987-2000

Viewer mail, not answered, 1992

Last Wish viewer mail, 1992

Articles and reviews, 1973, 1988-1991

Am I Getting… contracts, earnings, etc., 1984-1985, 1992

Am I Getting… public relations, 1982

Am I Getting… tour, 1982

Movie (not made), 1982-1983

Reviews, 1982-1983

Magazine articles, 1971-1972, 1989

ABC Nightline, 1982-1984

Pieces aired, 1988-1989, 1992

Publicity, First, You Cry, 2000

Here's the Bright Side editing, 2006

Series: Videotapes (VHS)

Betty Rollin/Genetics: Off Limits, 1996

Rollin/Foster Care

Rollin/'Living with Aids,' Group Dating, Kids/Manners, 1997

Rollin/Teen Sex Offenders, 1993

Ted Koppel/Nightline Euthanasia, 1987

Assisted Suicide: Is It Time For Legislation?; Right To Die-Talk Back Live, 1994, 1996

CNN: Assisted Suicide

Living With Aids, 1997

Today: Betty Rollin and Dr. Guthrie, 1992

NBC Nightly News, Foreign Smokers

Dateline NBC, "Enduring Love" Rollin/Adams, 1996

Who's Death Is It Anyway? PBS, 1996

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Arranged Marriages, 1999

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly (PBS), "Atheism," Ethical Wills, 1998

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly (PBS), Rollin segments, 2001-2005

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly (PBS), Religion and Health, 1999

Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Awards, 1992

A.M. Chicago, Me, Ed, etc. Oprah, 1985

The View, Betty Rollin, 1998

Last Wish, ABC

Betty Rollin WKTDY Personal Chef, 2001

Death with Dignity Briefing Rollin (host), 1999

Betty Rollin regarding Last Wish, The View, 1999

Last Wish segment, 1998

Religion and Suicide, 2005

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Patrick Henry College, 2001

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly

Assisted Dying: The Death of Terror, Ruth P. Smith, Introduction Betty Rollin

Women Like Us #4, 1979

Women Like Us #5, 1980

Women Like Us #6, 1980

Long Distant Parenting, Telecommunications, 1979 FOOD, Mentally Ill, Elderly Suicide, Alternative Medicine, Grief, Gambling, Aneurysm, Br. Ca./Blacks, Pain/Gender

Dad's Role, 1998

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Character Education, 2000

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Social Security; Rapper Monk, 1999

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Atheists, 1998

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Faith and Infertility, 2001

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Black Women Ministers, 1998

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Single Mothers by Choice, 2000

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Cohabitation, 2000

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Atheism

NNN Unmarried Couples, 2000

Adolescent Sex Offenders/Rollin

Workplace Menopause, 2000

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Secular Jews, 2002

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, Jewish Divorce, 1998

Broadway Showgirls

Whistle Blowers, 1999

Today Show, 1991

Goodman N.Y. (sex and Br. Ca.), 1993

Nightly News Spots, 1993-1995

Nightly News Divorce Classes, 1996

Child Custody, 1995

Court TV, 1997

Review of Movie: Last Wish, 1992

Doctor - Assisted Suicide, MacNeil /Lehrer, 1991

"Words," 1996

Series: Videotapes (U-Matic)

Mercy Killing, Donahue Show

Betty Rollin, P.M. Magazine