Milwaukee Press Club Records, 1885-2018

Summary Information

Title: Milwaukee Press Club Records
Inclusive Dates: 1885-2018

Creator:
  • Milwaukee Press Club
Call Numbers: UWM Manuscript Collection 146; Accession 2021-029; Accession 2022-025; Accession 2022-026

Quantity:
  • 79.9 cubic ft. (74 boxes)
  • 20 audio cassettes
  • 6 audio reels
  • 33 videocassettes
  • 50 safety film negatives
  • 2 digital files (5.31 GB)
  • plus additions of 1 cubic ft. (2 boxes)

Repository:
Archival Location:
UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:
Collection consists of the records of the Milwaukee Press Club, documenting the oldest continuously operating press club in North America. Founded on November 1, 1885, the Milwaukee Press Club brings together members of the print, broadcast and electronic news media and related professions. The centerpiece of the Milwaukee Press Club records is an extensive collection of autographed plaques that have been signed and dated during the Press Club's long history. Initially, the Press Club asked prominent visitors, such as Theodore Roosevelt, to sign the wooden walls of the club itself, but as the number of signers grew, they established the current tradition of chalk signatures on black matte boards. These autographed plaques feature prominent entertainers such as Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, and Gene Autry; political figures such as Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter, and William Jennings Bryan; journalists, including Walter Cronkite and Art Buchwald; and sports figures, such as Babe Ruth, Vince Lombardi, and Stan Musial. In addition to the plaques, the Milwaukee Press Club records include a large collection of photographs which date to the late nineteenth century, copies of the club's annual publication Once a Year, materials relating to the variety of honors awarded annually by the Press Club, and a wide selection of journalistic memorabilia.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-mil-uwmmss0146