Summary Information
Robert Bendiner Papers
1934-1984
Micro 1109; Micro 1148
17 reels of microfilm (35mm)
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Papers, mainly 1948-1969, of an editor, writer, and member of the New York Times editorial board, consisting of drafts, notes, research material, and correspondence for books and articles. Magazine articles, chiefly pertaining to politics and education, include manuscripts contributed to Collier's, Life, New Statesman, New York Times Magazine, Saturday Evening Post, Show, Redbook, and Reporter. There are also extensive files on four books: Just Around the Corner: A Highly Selective History of the Thirties (1967), Obstacle Course On Capitol Hill (1964), White House Fever (1960), and The Politics of the Schools (1969). Also present are a script for “Man in the Middle: The State Legislature,” which was aired as an NBC White Paper; a report on the performing arts prepared for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund; and research files for unpublished articles. Correspondence concerns Bendiner's interest in politics and civil liberties and includes letters to and from representatives of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, American Civil Liberties Union, American Jewish Committee, Americans for Democratic Action, Democratic National Committee, League for Industrial Democracy, International Ladies Garment Workers Union, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Society for Ethical Culture, and campaign committees supporting Franklin D. Roosevelt, Adlai E. Stevenson, and John F. Kennedy. Individual correspondents include Paul H. Douglas, W. Averell Harriman, Hubert H. Humphrey, Jacob K. Javits, John V. Lindsay, James Loeb, Jr., Douglas MacArthur, Mike Monroney, Joseph L. Rauh, Jr., Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., Theodore Sorenson, Norman Thomas, and Harry S. Truman.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-micr1109 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Robert Bendiner, editor, free lance writer, and author, was born Marvin Robert Bendiner on December 15, 1909 in Pittsburgh, Pennsvlvania. He attended night sessions at the City College of New York from 1928 to 1933 meanwhile becoming an editorial assistant on World Tomorrow in 1932. When that magazine suspended publication he went to Washington, D.C., where he wrote for Editorial Research Reports. Bendiner returned to New York in 1936 to serve for a few months on the staff of The New Masses. From 1937 to 1944 he was managing editor of the Nation, returning as associate editor between 1946 and 1950. During World War II Bendiner served in the U.S. Army, part of that time as a correspondent for Yank.
Later he was a contributing editor of The Reporter (1956-1960) and American correspondent for The New Statesman (1959-1961). From 1969 to 1977 he served as a member of the editorial board of the New York Times.
As a free lance writer, Bendiner has contributed to the New York Times Magazine, Life, Look, Saturday Evening Post, Harpers, Commentary, Reporter, Show, Redbook, Horizon, and Colliers. He has also written a number of books including The Riddle of the State Department (1942), White House Fever (1960), Obstacle Course on Capitol Hill (1964), Just Around the Corner (1967), The Politics of Schools (1969), and The Fall of the Wild, the Rise of the Zoo. He also wrote an NBC White Paper television documentary, “The Man in the Middle - the State Legislator”.
Bendiner's writing mainly addressed contemporary social and political issues. His 1960 book White House Fever, subtitled “An Innocent's Guide to Principles and Practices, Respectable and Otherwise, Behind the Election of American Presidents,” examined the development of presidential elections. Obstacle Course on Capitol Hill (1964) concerned the operation and weaknesses of Congress, using federal aid to elementary and secondary schools to illustrate his discussion. Just Around the Corner (1967) was, as its subtitle suggests, a highly selective history of the 1930's. In 1969 Bendiner dealt with the ineffectiveness of the traditional school board in dealing with integration, teacher organization, and funding in his Politics of Schools. Bendiner has lectured extensively at colleges and universities as well as before service and civic organizations and the Salzberg Seminar on American Studies in Austria. He was for some years an active member of Americans for Democratic Action. He is also a member of the National Press and P.E.N. Clubs and he served a term as president of the Society of Magazine Writers.
Among the awards received by Bendiner are the Benjamin Franklin Magazine Award, 1955; the School Bell Award, 1960; and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1962. He is married to the former Kathryn Rosenberg and they have three children, David, William, and Margaret.
Scope and Content Note
The collection consists of professional material gathered or generated by Bendiner. Although there is some correspondence dating to 1934 the majority of the papers derive from the middle and latter part of his writing career, during which time Bendiner was a contributor to several journals and contributing editor for The Reporter and The New Statesman. This material consists of professional correspondence, research materials, notes, and drafts of articles. Material other than correspondence dating after the 1960's is sparse - a 1970 article and two interviews conducted in 1983.
Because of the chronological limits of the collection, there is no material from Bendiner's first book, The Riddle of the State Department, which was published in 1942. Material from his other books, however, includes correspondence, research material, notes, drafts, galley proofs, and reviews. There is also a final script and drafts for the 1961 television special written by Bendiner with Al Wasserman on the role of the state legislator for the NBC White Papers series. Other material in the collection includes research material and the final report of a study on federal support of the performing arts prepared by Bendiner for the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in 1964.
Due to the acidic nature of the paper, the entire collection has been microfilmed. The first reel of film, which contains general correspondence (1967-1984), was filmed in 1987 and catalogued as Micro 1109 so that the originals could be returned to the donor; the remainder of the collection was filmed in 1988. This fact accounts for the apparently incorrect placement of the first reel with respect to the order of the remainder of the collection. After filming, the original correspondence in the second segment of the papers was returned to the donor and other materials were destroyed.
Micro 1109 (General correspondence, 1967-1984) consists primarily of reader comments on Bendiner's various works, especially Just Around the Corner, and his replies. There are also letters exchanged with publishers, information concerning speaking engagements, and proposals for writing projects.
The bulk of the general correspondence appears with the more recently filmed material, Micro 1148, and is concentrated in the 1950's and 1960's. Much of it consists of letters to and from editors and publishers regarding anticipated or completed articles, research for articles and books, and responses and reactions to the published articles. Other letters reflect Bendiner's interest in politics and civil liberties. Correspondence which relates directly to an article or book is filed with the relevant drafts and manuscripts as part of Micro 1148.
The more recently filmed material is arranged chronologically except for miscellaneous personal material which appears first on the film. This
personal material includes biographical sketches, programs, newspaper clippings, and addresses.
The remainder of the section is filed in a standard order; for each year the papers consist of general correspondence, journal articles arranged alphabetically by title, and books or other projects. Within the overall chronological arrangement for each year, the articles are filed alphabetically by title, or if no title is apparent, by subject. The material for each article consists of varying types of documentation arranged in a standard sequence: final drafts, related correspondence, research material, notes, and early drafts. Book are arranged following the articles published during a particular year, with special projects following the books. Arrangement for book material is as follows: related correspondence, miscellaneous research material, outline or preface, chapters or parts, afterwords and bibliography, galley proofs, and reviews. The information on a chapter may include final drafts, research material, notes and early drafts. Throughout the collection only galley pages which were edited by Bendiner have been retained.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Robert Bendiner, Huntington, Long Island, New York, 1969-1987. Accession Number: MCHC68-076, MCHC73-107, M87-108
Processed by D. Gisselman, 1968; additions processed and collection prepared for microfilming by Loralee J. Bloom, 1988.
Contents List
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Micro 1109
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Series: Materials Microfilmed in 1987
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Reel
1
Frame
1
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General correspondence, 1967-1984
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Micro 1148
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Series: Materials Microfilmed in 1988
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Reel
1
Frame
1
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Miscellaneous personal material, 1947-1979
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Reel
1
Frame
47
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1934-1948, Correspondence
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1948, articles
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Reel
1
Frame
396
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Moses, Robert
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Reel
1
Frame
433
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“Mudslinging in American Political Campaigns” for Mercury
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Reel
1
Frame
470
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“Psychology for a Quarter” for Tomorrow
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Reel
1
Frame
568
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1949-1950, Correspondence
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1950, articles
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Reel
1
Frame
676
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Gettler, Alexander, for Harpers
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Reel
1
Frame
718
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New York mayoral campaign
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Reel
1
Frame
729
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Vinson, Fred, for Colliers
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Reel
1
Frame
814
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1951-1952, Correspondence
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1952, articles
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Reel
2
Frame
1
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“Battle of Fillibuster: New Round Opens,” for NY Times Magazine
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Reel
2
Frame
42
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“A Campaign Manager's Dream Candidate,” for NY Times Magazine
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Reel
2
Frame
83
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Ghostwriting
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Reel
2
Frame
126
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Public opinion polls, for Colliers and NY Times Magazine
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Reel
2
Frame
209
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“TV or Not TV - the Question on Capitol Hill,” for Colliers
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1953
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Reel
2
Frame
316
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Correspondence, 1953
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Articles
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|
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Reel
2
Frame
444
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“Be Kind to your New Congressman,” for Saturday Eve Post
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Reel
2
Frame
553
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“The Decanonization of Senator Capehart”
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Reel
2
Frame
610
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Educational television, for Reporter
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Reel
2
Frame
736
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“Plight of the Cities,” for Colliers
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Reel
3
Frame
1
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Roosevelt, Eleanor
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1954
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Reel
3
Frame
27
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Correspondence
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Articles
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Reel
3
Frame
142
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Humor in politics, for NY Times Magazine
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Reel
3
Frame
195
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“United Nations”
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Reel
3
Frame
231
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“The War of the Microphones”
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Reel
3
Frame
395
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“A Window on Washington,” for Progressive
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|
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1955
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Reel
3
Frame
407
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Correspondence
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|
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Articles
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Reel
3
Frame
561
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Dixon, Edgar and Eugene A. Yates, for Progressive
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Reel
3
Frame
605
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“Dr. Waterfront,” for Colliers
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Reel
3
Frame
691
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“Electronic Brains - are they Human?” for NY Times Magazine
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Reel
3
Frame
716
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Freshman congressmen, for NY Times Magazine
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Reel
3
Frame
814
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“Human Sacrifices,” for NY Times Magazine
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Reel
3
Frame
872
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Labor - PAC and LLPE, for Reporter
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Reel
3
Frame
930
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Nixon, Richard
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Reel
4
Frame
1
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Public relations, for Reporter
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Reel
4
Frame
156
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“Transition to the Automatic Age,” for Reporter, NY Times Magazine, Mechanics Illustrated
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Reel
4
Frame
445
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“Vice-presidency,” for Colliers
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1956
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Reel
4
Frame
553
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Correspondence
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Articles
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|
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Reel
4
Frame
709
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Black vote in northern cities, for Reporter
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Reel
4
Frame
793
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“Coattail Special,” for Reporter
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Reel
4
Frame
828
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Collapse of American communist party, for Reporter
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Reel
4
Frame
902
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“Those Efficient Europeans,” for Colliers
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1957
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Reel
4
Frame
931
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Correspondence
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Articles
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Reel
5
Frame
1
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Airlines, for Reporter
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Reel
5
Frame
23
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Columns for New Statesman
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|
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Reel
5
Frame
95
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Federal Communications Commission, for Reporter
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Reel
5
Frame
183
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Leisure, for Reporter
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1958
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Reel
5
Frame
239
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Correspondence
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|
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Articles
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|
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Reel
5
Frame
308
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Columns for New Statesman
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|
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Reel
5
Frame
416
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“Every Man a Nabob,” for Reporter
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Reel
5
Frame
463
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“Penn Ave Gets Longer and Longer,” for Reporter
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Reel
5
Frame
510
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“The Railroads - Overlord to Underdog,” for Reporter
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Reel
5
Frame
602
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“What's Happening to Education?” for Redbook
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1959
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Reel
5
Frame
781
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Correspondence
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|
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Articles
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|
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Reel
5
Frame
847
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Columns for New Statesman
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1960
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Reel
5
Frame
916
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Correspondence, 1960
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Articles
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|
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Reel
6
Frame
1
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“Campaign Funds,” for Life
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Reel
6
Frame
75
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Chicago Police, for Reporter
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|
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Reel
6
Frame
114
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Columns for New Statesman
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Reel
6
Frame
205
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“Fat Cats and Kingmakers,” for Life
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Reel
6
Frame
250
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Public opinion polls, for Coronet & NY Times Magazine
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White House Fever (Harcourt, Brace), 1960
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Reel
6
Frame
331
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Related correspondence, 1959-1963
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Reel
6
Frame
372
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Kefauver-Stevenson research material and notes
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Reel
6
Frame
481
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Forward and captions
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Chapters
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Reel
6
Frame
497
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I
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Reel
6
Frame
612
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II
|
|
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Reel
6
Frame
750
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III
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|
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Reel
6
Frame
872
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IV
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Reel
7
Frame
1
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V
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Reel
7
Frame
134
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VI
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Reel
7
Frame
209
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VII
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Reel
7
Frame
288
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VIII
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Reel
7
Frame
350
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IX
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Reel
7
Frame
456
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X
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|
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1961
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Reel
7
Frame
464
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Correspondence, 1961
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Articles
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|
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Reel
7
Frame
586
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Columns for New Statesman
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|
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Reel
7
Frame
647
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Cultural exchange program, for Show
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Reel
8
Frame
1
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Labor, for Reporter
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Reel
8
Frame
115
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“25 Ways to Save Broadway,” for Show
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Reel
8
Frame
261
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“Man in the Middle - the State Legislator,” NBC White Paper
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1962
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Reel
9
Frame
1
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Correspondence
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Articles
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Reel
9
Frame
162
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“Are We Powerless to Prevent War?” for Redbook
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Reel
9
Frame
321
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Euphemisms, for Pageant
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Reel
9
Frame
429
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“Our Right Not to Believe,” for Saturday Eve Post
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Reel
9
Frame
717
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“Teachers Who Don't Teach,” for Horizon
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Reel
9
Frame
882
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1963-1964, Correspondence
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1964
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Articles
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Reel
10
Frame
1
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“Computers and Elections,” for Life
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Reel
10
Frame
107
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“July 1964: Nominating the President,” for America
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Reel
10
Frame
129
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1964, Illinois campaign, for Reporter
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Reel
10
Frame
262
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“Poverty: 35 Years ago and Today” for Redbook, revision for NY Times Magazine (1968)
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Reel
10
Frame
409
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Teacher education, for Redbook
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Reel
10
Frame
604
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“Uglification” of the U.S., for Redbook
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Reel
10
Frame
692
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“Vice-presidency” for Life
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Obstacle Course on Capitol Hill (McGraw Hill)
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Reel
10
Frame
723
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Related correspondence, 1962-1964
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Reel
10
Frame
763
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Preface and forward
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Chapters
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Reel
11
Frame
2
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I
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Reel
11
Frame
78
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II
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Reel
11
Frame
240
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III
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Reel
11
Frame
340
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IV
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Reel
11
Frame
495
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V
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Reel
11
Frame
567
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VI
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Reel
11
Frame
638
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VII
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Reel
11
Frame
729
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VIII
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Reel
11
Frame
897
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IX
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Reel
11
Frame
949
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X
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Reel
11
Frame
1023
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Bibliography
|
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Reel
12
Frame
1
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“Federal Support for the Performing Arts: Programs and Prospects”, Rockefeller Brothers Fund special report
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1965
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Reel
12
Frame
260
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Correspondence
|
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Articles
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Reel
12
Frame
331
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Cultural explosion, for Redbook
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Reel
12
Frame
384
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“John Lindsay: the Future of a Man and a Party”
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Reel
12
Frame
663
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Police brutality
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Reel
13
Frame
1
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The Pulitzer Prize, for McCalls
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Reel
13
Frame
129
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Review of Lilienthal journals for NY Times Magazine
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Reel
13
Frame
143
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“25 Years ago - a Reminiscence,” for Nation
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1966
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Reel
13
Frame
162
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Correspondence
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|
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Just Around the Corner (Harper & Row)
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Reel
13
Frame
214
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Related correspondence, 1963-1967
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Reel
13
Frame
304
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Forward and outline
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Chapters
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|
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Reel
13
Frame
340
|
I
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|
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Reel
13
Frame
447
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II
|
|
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Reel
13
Frame
507
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III
|
|
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Reel
13
Frame
583
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IV
|
|
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Reel
13
Frame
713
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V
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|
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Reel
13
Frame
816
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VI
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|
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Reel
13
Frame
918
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VII
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|
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Reel
14
Frame
1
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VIII
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Reel
14
Frame
84
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IX
|
|
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Reel
14
Frame
181
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Afterword, captions, and lists of illustrations
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Reel
14
Frame
207
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Galley proofs
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1968
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Articles
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Reel
14
Frame
232
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Humphrey, Hubert
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Reel
14
Frame
369
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“Looking Forward - Some Notes for Young Americans”
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The Politics of the Schools (Harper & Row), 1969
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Reel
14
Frame
532
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Related correspondence, 1964-1967
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Reel
14
Frame
654
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Miscellaneous notes
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Reel
15
Frame
1
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Outline and preface
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Parts
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Reel
15
Frame
30
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I
|
|
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Reel
15
Frame
271
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II
|
|
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Reel
15
Frame
696
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III
|
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Reel
16
Frame
1
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IV
|
|
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Reel
16
Frame
288
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V
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|
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Reel
16
Frame
784
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Bibliography
|
|
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Reel
16
Frame
809
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Galley proofs
|
|
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Reel
16
Frame
831
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Publication notices and reviews
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1970
|
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Reel
16
Frame
852
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Article, “25 Years and Worlds Apart,” for NY Times Magazine
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1983, interviews
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Reel
16
Frame
892
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Kissinger, Henry, in American Heritage Magazine
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Reel
16
Frame
940
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Stewart, Potter
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