The collection has been divided into three main groups: professional papers, personal papers, and tape recordings. The order within the files has, for the most part, been left as received from Mickelson for the purposes of this temporary inventory.
The PROFESSIONAL PAPERS consist of three sub-series: CBS News, 1950-1961; Time-Life Broadcast, Inc., 1961-1970; and Editorial Department, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University, 1974-1975.
The CBS News segment of the professional papers is a group of subject files in imperfect alphabetical order. The folders contain various types of records; e.g., correspondence, memos, published materials, reports, et cetera, in no discernable order, all relating to Mickelson's tenure with CBS News.
The Time-Life Broadcast, Inc. papers consist of subject files in a fairly careful alphabetical order. The folders of materials on a given subject maintained in this file contain various types of records in no consistent order. Following these general records of Time-Life Boradcast, Inc., there is a second alphabetical file under the subtitle “International Broadcasting.”
The Editorial Department, Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University papers consist of professional correspondence for the years 1974-1975 in a separate alphabetically arranged file for each of the two years.
Mickelson's PERSONAL PAPERS filed in the collection are separated into four sub-series: correspondence, 1949-1975; files relating to Mickelson's book, The Electric Mirror, 1969-1971 and undated; speeches and articles, 1947-1974; and subject files, 1961, 1966-1975.
The correspondence is divided into a special and a general file. Special correspondence includes congratulatory, resignation, and “personal” letters. The general correspondence is arranged in three separate alphabetical files, one for each of the years, 1973 through 1975.
The file relating to The Electric Mirror includes chapter outlines, working papers arranged by chapter (two sets), an informal outline, manuscripts (three versions), and copies of chapters from the book.
Mickelson's speeches and articles are foldered in overlapping chronological order. Also filed here is a copy of an unpublished manuscript.
The subject files of the personal papers constitute the largest portion of the collection. These files have been separated into five subgroups: general files, Aspen Institute for Humanistic Studies, International Broadcast Institute, National News Council and communications satellites. Each of the subject files is arranged in a loose alphabetical sequence; and the individual folders contain various types of records in no discernable order.
The tape recordings consist largely of interviews, 1970-1974, with individuals in television and in politics on the relationship of the two, plus recordings of a 1973 Aspen Institute Workshop on Politics and the Media. The interviews concern TV in Great Britain, West Germany, France, and Canada, as well as the United States.
