Title: Edwin R. Bayley Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1941-1986

Creator:

• Bayley, Edwin R., 1918-

Call Number: Mss 774; Micro 1187

Quantity: 6.2 c.f. (16 archives boxes) and 1 reel of microfilm (35mm)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

Abstract:

Papers of a Wisconsin newspaper reporter, writer, aide to Governor Gaylord Nelson (1959-1961), press officer in the Kennedy administration (1961-1963), National Educational Television executive (1964-1969), and dean of the School of Journalism of the University of California-Berkeley (1969-1985). Included are printed and draft newspaper and periodical articles (available only on microfilm); personal and professional correspondence; speeches; original research material, notes, and drafts of his book on Senator Joseph R. McCarthy's relations with the press; and an oral history interview. Correspondents include Gaylord Nelson, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee chancellor J. Martin Klotsche, former Milwaukee Journal associates, and Wisconsin Democrats such as Patrick Lucey and John Reynolds. The McCarthy files include copies of the senator's state income tax forms and information on interviews with the journalists who covered him such as Joseph Alsop, Laurence Eklund, John Patrick Hunter, Miles McMillin, George Reedy, Morris Rubin, and John Wyngaard, and with Nathan Pusey.

Note:

There is a restriction on access to this material and a restriction on its use; see the Administrative/Restriction Information portion of this finding aid for details.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-mss00774

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Edwin Richard Bayley was born on August 24, 1918 in Chicago, Illinois. He was educated in the public schools of Madison, Milwaukee, and Appleton, Wisconsin and received a BA degree in English literature from Lawrence College (Appleton) in 1940. After winning a scholarship for advanced study in the field of journalism, he attended Yale Graduate School working toward a Ph.D. in English.

In 1941 and 1942 he worked as a general reporter and feature writer for the Green Bay Press-Gazette (Wisconsin). Joining the Navy Reserve in 1941, he later served in both the Atlantic and Pacific and was discharged as a lieutenant in January, 1946.

Upon discharge, Bayley was employed as a general and a city hall reporter by the Milwaukee Journal. In January 1947 he was reassigned as the Milwaukee Journal's chief political reporter, covering state and national politics. In 1951 he wrote a series of fourteen articles exposing secrecy in Wisconsin state and local government which won a citation from the American Society of Newspaper Editors and was submitted for the Pulitzer Prize. In 1952 and 1953, he was the Wisconsin correspondent for Time, Inc. While working for the Milwaukee Journal, he also wrote for the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Louisville-Courier-Journal, the Nashville Tennessean, the Kansas City Star, and other newspapers. In addition, he was a regular contributor to the New Republic and The Economist. In 1959 Bayley received an International Press Institute exchange fellowship to study the British press, during which time he was attached to the Daily Mail, the Manchester Guardian, and the Glasgow Herald.

Bayley left the Milwaukee Journal in August 1959 to become the executive secretary, chief of staff, policy consultant and speech writer to Governor Gaylord Nelson. In March 1961, he accepted the post of director of public information for the Peace Corps, charged with responsibility for setting up a public affairs agency and handling the dissemination of information to the media. Six months later he was appointed special assistant to President John F. Kennedy and assigned to the office of the press secretary where he coordinated information from government agencies. In this capacity Bayley was responsible for organizing conferences for improving information services, and he served as director of information for several small, temporary panels. He also conducted research for the President and traveled with him as acting press secretary.

In December 1961 the President named Bayley as director of public affairs for the Agency for International Development (AID).

In 1964 Bayley became public affairs editor for National Educational Television (NET) in New York. At that time NET was the principal source of national and international programming for 130 educational television stations. As public affairs editor Bayley was responsible for program content in the fields of politics, government, foreign affairs, and social issues. During 1964 and part of 1965, Bayley was host-commentator on the program series Regional Report which he organized using local newspaper reporters to develop regional treatments of a central national issue. 0n February 1, 1965, he was appointed vice president for administration, a position responsible for general administration, including budgeting, personnel, labor relations, engineering, distribution, legal and business matters, and information.

At the request of the White House, in 1965 Bayley took a six-week leave of absence to direct press and media relations for the planning session of the White House Conference on Civil Rights. Later he served as a part-time consultant to the conference.

On March 1, 1969, Bayley became dean of the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to his administrative duties, he taught courses on political and governmental reporting. In May, 1985, Bayley was given the Berkeley Citation, the highest honor awarded by Berkeley, for “distinguished achievement and for notable service to the University.” In 1986 he was awarded a Doctor of Laws degree from Lawrence University for his work in journalism and service to graduate education.

Bayley's book, Joe McCarthy and the Press, was published in 1981 by the University of Wisconsin Press. It won the George Polk Award and the Frank Luther Mott award for research in journalism.

In 1941 while working for the Green Bay Press Gazette, Bayley married a college classmate, Monica Worsley of Racine, Wisconsin. In addition to raising two children, Monica Bayley has worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, advertising copywriter, director of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee News Service, member of the information staff in the U.S. Office of Education, and free-lance editor. While the family resided in California she was an editor for a San Francisco publishing firm. In addition, she has written cookbooks and children's books.

Bayley retired in 1985 and spent several years lecturing at various journalism schools throughout the world. He is now retired in Door County, Wisconsin.

The Edwin R. Bayley papers are composed primarily of writings and correspondence, together with some speeches, subject files, and biographical material. The papers document Bayley's career as a political reporter, official in the Kennedy administration, writer, and educator while also providing some insight into the Bayleys' personal and social life. Most thoroughly documented are the years 1961 through 1963. For these years the collection includes copies of oral history interviews of Bayley from the Kennedy Oral History Project, plus extensive professional and personal correspondence. Material documenting his career at National Educational Television (1963-1969) is found in the NET Records, which are also held by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin (U.S. Mss 66AF, Series 2B). Bayley's association with Governor Gaylord Nelson is also documented by speeches in the Nelson gubernatorial papers.

The Bayley papers have been divided into four series: biographical material, correspondence, writings and speeches, and subject files.

The Biographical Material (1959-1986) is comprised of interviews, articles, photos, and general data about Bayley's life and career. The articles about Bayley are arranged chronologically and include discussion of his views on a variety of subjects, primarily educational television, politics, and journalism. The miscellaneous biographical material includes a genealogical chart of the Bayley family, a security investigation report, and a detailed resume. (Bayley has also donated further information concerning his family in the papers of his great-grandfather, Calvin Bayley (Oshkosh Mss 0).) Photos received in the collection are now filed in the Name File in the Visual Materials Archive.

Particularly informative here are the transcripts of two interviews of Bayley for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Oral History Project in which he candidly discusses his association with Kennedy from the time of their first meeting in 1957. Bayley goes on to talk about a variety of subjects: Wisconsin politics, the 1960 Wisconsin presidential primary, Kennedy's relationship with the press, professional relationships and power struggles in the Kennedy Administration, FBI and CIA involvement in AID and the Peace Corps, and allegations of impropriety within the press office. Of interest are Bayley's remarks on strategies for managing the press. These strategies can also be seen in publications and news releases from the “AID” and “Poteau” files of the Subject Files series. Also included with the oral history file is correspondence (some with Robert Kennedy) related to the interviewing process.

The Correspondence (1943-1985) is organized in two parts: general and personal, each of which is arranged chronologically by month. The general correspondence consists of incoming and outgoing exchanges with colleagues, and it primarily concerns professional matters, although some personal subjects are treated. The majority of this correspondence covers Bayley's years in the Kennedy administration and it includes numerous internal memoranda he directed to White House staff. Topics treated in the section generally relate to the dissemination of information from various agencies, public relations involving the Peace Corps, people seeking jobs in the administration, policies and organization of the White House press office and AID, speaking invitations, some views of political issues, congratulatory letters, and some routine NET letters.

The personal correspondence consists of incoming letters from the Bayleys' relatives and friends, many of whom are politicians, writers, and journalists. Although generally of a routine nature, letters from well-known people such as Hubert Humphrey, John F. Kennedy, George McGovern, R. Sargent Shriver, Newton Minow, James Thurber, Pierre Salinger, Joseph Alsop, Arthur Schlesinger and Estes Kefauver, indicate the level of Bayley's acquaintance. Most of the letters from friends and relatives discuss political issues and opinions, mutual friends, social activities and family matters as well as day-to-day activities. The letters between Edwin and Monica, primarily from 1960 and 1961, are particularly informative.

Writings and Speeches (1941-1986) consists of Bayley's newspaper articles; magazine and journal articles; notes; drafts of his book, Joe McCarthy and the Press; and speeches. The newspaper articles are primarily represented by microfilmed copies of printed articles and occasional drafts. The filmed articles do not represent all of the clippings received with the collection. Because much of this material was undated and the authorship was not indicated, only articles bearing Bayley's byline or those pasted on scrapbook pages have been included with the papers. The articles from the Green Bay Press-Gazette are of a general nature, while those written for the Milwaukee Journal and several other papers cover state and national politics. Of note is a 1951 series of fourteen articles which exposed examples of secrecy in state and local government. Bayley's free-lance periodical articles, some of which were written under the pseudonym E. B. Richards, consist of final printed copies and are arranged chronologically. Some of these articles were published in the New Republic, The Progressive, and the Sunday Mirror, and they cover such topics as Senator Joseph McCarthy, the Peace Corps, NET, student disturbances of the 1960's at Berkeley, and the campaign of Governor George Wallace in the 1968 Wisconsin presidential primary.

Bayley's book on McCarthy is represented by research material, notes, and five drafts of the book. Research in secondary sources has not been retained as part of the collection because of its wide availability in printed form. Original research which Bayley collected has been retained, however. It consists of notes and transcriptions of interviews with journalists who knew or covered McCarthy. Included are comments by nationally-known figures such as Joseph Alsop, Nathan Pusey, and George Reedy and by leading members of the Wisconsin press corps such as Laurence Eklund, John Patrick Hunter, Miles McMillen, Morris Rubin, and John Wyngaard. In addition, Bayley accumulated a file of Senator McCarthy's Wisconsin tax forms, which were then by law open for inspection, and notes on exchanges between McCarthy and the Revenue Department. In addition to the book drafts, there are also several notebooks containing additional interview notes and secondary source research, statistical data for content analysis of McCarthy news stories, correspondence with publishers, reviews and publicity about the book, and “Pogo” cartoons in which McCarthy appeared.

Bayley's speeches, which were primarily addressed to college audiences and professional organizations, cover such subjects as the Kennedy Administration and the press, television, McCarthy, and journalism as a profession. An untitled story about Richard Nixon by Monica Bayley is also included.

The Subject files are arranged alphabetically, and they treat a number of topics. The Agency for International Development files contain publications and news releases and Bayley's internal memos concerning the dissemination of information on the AID program. The file on President Kennedy's trip to Poteau, on which Bayley served as press secretary, includes an itinerary, a list of reporters, and local publicity (This material is supplemented by information in Bayley's interview for the JFK library.)

The papers from his years at Berkeley,, which probably are not the official files for the office of the dean, include student evaluations of Bayley as a teacher as well as several letters of appreciation from former students. Some of this material concerns a review of the School of Journalism and the response of the journalism school faculty. Activities related to his years at Berkeley are also documented by correspondence, speeches, and materials on conferences and events he attended.

Access Restrictions

Correspondence is closed until 2010 or twenty-five years after the date of the letter, whichever is later, except with Mr. Bayley's written permission. The letters of John D. Pomfret and Wallace Turner are totally closed until 2010 or twenty-five years after the date of the letter, which is later. These Pomfret letters are boxed with the unprocessed additions.

Use Restrictions

All copyright and literary property rights in the collection are retained by Edwin R. Bayley, until his death when they shall be transferred to the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Edwin R. Bayley, Egg Harbor, Wisconsin and by Larry J. Hackman, Washington, D.C., 1965-1989. Accession Number: M65-305, M69-111, M71-155, M84-022, M87-279, M89-275

Processing Information

Processed by Virginia Fritzsch, 1989.

Mss 774	Series: Biographical Material
Box   1 Folder   1	Articles about Bayley, 1959-1985
Box   1 Folder   2	Oral history transcript, 1968
Box   1 Folder   3	Miscellaneous biographical material, 1961-1985
	Series: Correspondence	⇧
	General
Box   1 Folder   4-7	1961-1962
Box   2 Folder   1-8	1963-1971
Box   3 Folder   1	1972-1982
	Personal
Box   3 Folder   2	Undated
Box   3 Folder   3-7	1942-1952
Box   4 Folder   1-6	1953-1958
Box   5 Folder   1-5	1959-1962
Box   6 Folder   1-6	1963-1965
Box   7 Folder   1-6	1966-1968
Box   8 Folder   1-5	1969-1973
Box   9 Folder   1-5	1974-1978
Box   10 Folder   1-6	1979-1984
Box   11 Folder   1-2	1985-1986
	Series: Writings and speeches	⇧
Micro 1187	Newspaper articles Note: Filmed without a counter.
Reel   1	Draft newspaper stories, n.d.
Reel   1	Printed articles, 1947-1959, n.d.
Mss 774 Box   11 Folder   3-4	Periodical articles, 1955-ca.1985
	McCarthy and the Press, 1981
	Primary source material
Box   11 Folder   5	Interviews, 1976-1980
Box   11 Folder   6	McCarthy's Wisconsin tax returns, 1943-1952
Box   12 Folder   1-2	Research notes
	Manuscript drafts, 1977-1980
Box   12 Folder   3-6	Original manuscript, n.d.
Box   13 Folder   1-3	Draft, 1977
Box   13 Folder   4-5	Draft, 1978
Box   13 Folder   6-8	Draft, 1979
Box   14 Folder   1-3	Draft, 1980
Box   14 Folder   4	Promotional brochures, reviews, and correspondence, 1976-1981
Box   14 Folder   5-7	Speeches, 1962-1986
	Series: Subject files	⇧
Box   15 Folder   1	Agency for International Development, 1962
Box   15 Folder   2	International Press Institute Journalist Exchange assignment to Britain, 1959
Box   15 Folder   3	Invitations, programs, greeting cards, 1951-1981
Box   15 Folder   4	Kennedy trip to Poteau, OK, 1961
	University of California-Berkeley
	School of Journalism
Box   15 Folder   5	University and departmental memos, 1973-1976
Box   15 Folder   6	Course evaluations, 1971-1980
Box   16 Folder   1-2	Related activities, 1969-1986

Milwaukee Journal

Bayley spent almost 15 years as the paper's political reporter. A large percentage of his personal correspondence is with the former Journal staff, correspondence in which they often discuss past and current events at the Journal.

Gaylord Nelson

Included are numerous (40-50?) letters between Bayley and Nelson, in addition to many other letters in which Bayley includes an anecdote about his years with Nelson.

Wisconsin Democratic Party

After Bayley left the Kennedy Administration his incoming and outgoing correspondence begins to discuss his involvement in state Democratic politics in the late 1950s, as he began moving away from the Journal and into Nelson's camp. Bayley was meeting with John Kennedy, as a political advisor and not a reporter, as early as 1958. There are also many letters in the collection from Patrick Lucey and John Reynolds, both neighbors in Door County.

J. Martin Klotsche

Bayley and Klotsche, long-time chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, were close personal friends. There are at least 40 letters in the collection from Klotsche to Bayley. Most of these date from the years Klotsche was on administrative sabbaticals. Klotsche also advised Bayley in the 1960s when he was looking for a post in a university.