Summary Information
Sam A. Jaffe Papers
1947-1972
U.S. Mss 178AF
0.4 c.f. (1 archives box)
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Papers of a journalist and news broadcaster for ABC and CBS who specialized in coverage of events in Russia and the Far East. Included are general correspondence, fan mail, writings of several types, and biographical material. Most complete in the correspondence are exchanges with several Chinese diplomats concerning Jaffe's attempts as a roving reporter for The Nation to visit the People's Republic of China during the 1950's. Most complete in the writings section are a group of fifty dispatches written as a Marine correspondent covering combat in Korea. Also of interest are a number of television scripts for various ABC year-end news summaries, a transcript of an interview with Prince Sihanouk broadcast on ABC Scope in 1966, and a script for Soviet Woman, an ABC special which featured Jaffe's 1963 interview with Nina Petrovna Khrushcheva. Although most of the articles are represented by clippings, there is a dispatch copy of his 1955 interview with Chou En-lai, the first post-revolution interview granted to a western journalist.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-us0178af ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Best known for his coverage of events in the Far East, Sam Jaffe's acquaintance with that part of the world began as a 15-year old merchant seaman during World War II. After traveling in Japan in the immediate post-surrender period, he returned to California and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley where he specialized in Asian studies. In 1949 he began his career as a reporter-rewriteman with INS in San Francisco. Recalled to active duty in 1950, he covered the Korean conflict as a Marine combat correspondent.
After the war Jaffe worked for a year as Asian news editor for United Nations Radio. In 1952 he joined Life Magazine as a general assignment writer with the periodical's Washington bureau. While on the Life staff Jaffe exhibited his expertise on Asian events through research on Islam, Confucianism, Taoism, and Hinduism articles in a series on world religions. He began a brief stint as roving Far Eastern correspondent for The Nation in 1955. During this period Jaffe was granted an interview with Chou En-lai, the first post-revolution interview given by the Chinese premier.
Shortly thereafter he was offered a post with CBS News. Assignments for the network included coverage of the Nixon-Khrushchev debate and the Moscow trial of Francis Gary Powers. In 1961 Jaffe transferred to ABC to open the network's Moscow bureau. He scored a world news beat in 1964 with his report of Krushchev's deposition. In October of the following year Jaffe was ordered out of Russia as a result of official dissatisfaction with reporting of a story by John Scali from Washington, D.C. ABC then transferred him to Hong Kong, from which point he also covered events in Vietnam. Highlighting this period in his career was a rare interview with Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia and a 1967 Overseas Press Club award for his coverage of the burning of Hue.
In December 1969 Jaffe joined Metromedia Radio News as managing editor of its Washington bureau. Shortly thereafter he turned to free-lance journalism, although he spent over two months in China as a special correspondent with UPI.
Scope and Content Note
Although a small, fragmentary collection, the papers represent the variety of Jaffe's professional career. Included are correspondence and writings, which are of greatest research value, and biographical material.
CORRESPONDENCE includes both general, 1951-1972, and fan mail, 1963-1967. Most complete is the section of the correspondence dealing with Jaffe's attempt as a reporter for The Nation to visit the People's Republic of China during the 1950's. Of interest primarily for their autograph value are letters from Evgeny Evtuchenko, H. R. Haldeman, J. Edgar Hoover, Hubert H. Humphrey, Carey McWilliams, Pierre Salinger, William Sheehan, Prince Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia, and U Thant.
WRITINGS include articles, dispatches, and scripts. Of these, the dispatches which were written as a Marine correspondent covering Korea are the most complete. Also of note are a number of scripts written for various ABC year-end news summaries, a transcript of the interview with Prince Sihanouk broadcast on ABC Scope, and a 1963 interview with Nina Petrovona Khrushcheva.
With the exception of a draft dispatch of his 1955 interview with Chou En-lai, the articles are present only in the form of clippings. Included are printed copies of stories filed with The Nation and a number of articles written as a special UPI correspondent in China in 1972.
The BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIAL consists of clippings, press releases, and other promotional items concerning Jaffe's career.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Sam Jaffe, Bethesda, Maryland, 1970-1973. Accession Number: MCHC70-102, MCHC73-046, MCHC73-056
Processed by Carolyn J. Mattern, July 1979.
Contents List
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Box
1
Folder
1-2
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Series: Biographical Material, 1949-1972
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Series: Correspondence
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Box
1
Folder
3
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General, 1951-1972
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Fan mail, 1963-1967
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Series: Writings
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Articles
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Box
1
Folder
5
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1947, 1949-1965
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Box
1
Folder
6
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, 1972 (China)
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Box
1
Folder
7
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Korean dispatches, c. 1950
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Scripts
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Box
1
Folder
8
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ABC News Reports, 1964, April 23, “The Changing Face of Hungary”
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Box
1
Folder
9
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ABC Scope: The Vietnam War
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1966, July (Cambodian situationer)
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1966, August 13, “Cambodia: Neutral in the Middle” (Partial transcript of interview with Prince Sihanouk)
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1967, December 9, “Hong Kong,” by Dave Jayne
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Box
1
Folder
10
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New York, New York (WABC-TV), 1965, January 3
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Box
1
Folder
11
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1963: Tragedy and Transition, 1963, December 29
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Box
1
Folder
12
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Soviet Woman, 1963, December 10
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Box
1
Folder
13
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Year Out-Year In, 1964, December 27 and , 1965, December 26
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Box
1
Folder
14
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Series: Miscellany
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