Summary Information
Henry Cassidy Papers
1934-1985
U.S. Mss 22AF; PH U.S. Mss 22AF
3.6 c.f. (9 archives boxes) and 6 photographs
Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)
Papers of Henry Cassidy, a newspaper, radio, and television journalist. Cassidy spent most of his career as a foreign correspondent and executive for the Associated Press, NBC, and Radio Free Europe. Most of his assignments were in France, Russia, Washington, D.C., and New York and he is probably best known for his work during World War II and the period immediately following. In 1959 Cassidy and a few fellow members of the Overseas Press Club (H. V. Kaltenborn, N. F. Allman, and others) formed Broadcast Editorial Reports, Inc., an editorial service for radio and television. The collection consists of correspondence, radio scripts, subject files, and other materials. Cassidy's radio scripts form the bulk of the collection and include scripts written in Paris (1945-1950) for “Report on Europe,” and those written in the United States (1953-1955) for Heart of the News, News of the World, World News Roundup, and other programs. The subject files contain draft and published writings in the form of books, journal articles, newspaper clippings, and notes. Additional materials include a notebook detailing Cassidy's foreign travels (1934-1939), scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings (1939-1945) of articles written mainly by and about Cassidy which relate to his time spent in France, Germany, and Russia during this period, and miscellaneous notes (1941-1944) regarding the Russian army offensive and other matters surrounding World War II in Russia. Six photographs depict a 1936 telegram from Stalin to fellow reporter Charles Nutter, Cassidy alone and with his fellow AP correspondents in Moscow, and Cassidy at Radio Free Europe.
English
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Biography/History
Henry Clarence Cassidy was born May 12, 1910 in Boston. His family later moved to nearby Dedham, Massachusetts where he graduated from high school in 1927. He attended Harvard University, graduating cum laude in 1931 with a degree in Romance Languages. He obtained a job as a French teacher at a nearby prep school for the following autumn and left on a tour of Europe. When he returned, Cassidy learned that his father had resigned his position and landed Henry an apprenticeship through the newspaper publisher E. W. Preston. So began his career in journalism as a cub reporter for the Boston Traveler. In 1933 he started a thirteen-year stint working for the Associated Press, beginning in their New Haven office. The following year he transferred to the New York office where he worked on general assignments and then the Cable Desk. In June of 1936 Cassidy moved to the Paris office. He was the extra employee who filled in for the regular staff on their days off. When war broke out with Germany he was assigned to the front--first stationed with the French Army, then the British Army, and finally the British Royal Air Force. For his service during this time, he was made a chevalier of the French Legion of Honor. Having returned to Paris, Cassidy reported on the capture and occupation of the city during the summer of 1940. One month later he traveled on a German troop train to Berlin where he spent two weeks, possibly being the last American reporter to cover Hitler and the Germans there during World War II. His next assignment took him to Moscow where he served as the AP Bureau Chief from 1940 to 1944. After returning home to the U.S. in 1944, Cassidy continued his work as a reporter for the AP at its world desk in Washington. In 1945 he returned to Paris in the position of Director of European News for NBC.
After five years Cassidy moved back to New York to become NBC's Director of Radio News, Special Events and Public Affairs. From 1952 to 1958 he returned to broadcasting as an anchor on such shows as World News Roundup, News of the World and Heart of the News. In 1959 Cassidy left NBC to become a consultant to the director at Radio Free Europe. At the same time he began writing for the Boston Herald and working for Broadcast Editorial Reports, Inc., an editorial service for radio and television formed in 1959 by Cassidy and a few fellow members of the Overseas Press Club (H. V. Kaltenborn, N. F. Allman, and others). In 1960 and 1961 he also worked for Syndicated Broadcast Features, Inc. based in Chicago. From 1965 until his retirement in 1980, Cassidy served as the foreign editor at the New York Daily News. Henry and his wife then moved to Stormville, New York, where he remained active by becoming the town historian for the nearby community of East Fishkill.
As Cassidy himself has noted, he was always a rather lucky person in his career and the great stories tended to break during his watch. Some of the big stories that he covered were the wedding and honeymoon of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the German occupation of Paris during World War II, and the German invasion of Russia. His story about the mobilization of Russia that he witnessed on his journey to Moscow during the invasion even impressed Stalin prompting Stalin to write Cassidy two letters in 1942 about the proposed “second front” of the Allies to divert the Germans from the Battle of Stalingrad (these letters are referenced in the collection but are not a part of the Cassidy Papers). Other important stories covered by Cassidy focused on the creation of the United Nations in 1945, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1952, and the 1955 Four Powers Conference in Geneva.
In addition to writing for the newspaper industry, Cassidy contributed articles to various journals throughout his career and had regular assignments for the Atlantic Monthly. He is the author of Moscow Dateline, 1941-1943 and The Rombout Patent: Including Biographical Information on the Two Original Purchasers, Francis Rombout and Gulian Verplanck. He also co-authored As We See Russia with fellow members of the Overseas Press Club. In 1956 Cassidy played a starring role as himself in the French film Au Revoir Mr. Grock, a biography of the world-famous Swiss clown.
Henry married Martha Stucklen in Needham, Massachusetts on December 2, 1933. They had one daughter, Constance, born January 23, 1938 in Paris, France. Henry Cassidy died from cancer on February 16, 1988 in New York.
Scope and Content Note
The Henry Cassidy Papers cover the entire span of his writing career, with the bulk of them falling between the years 1939 to 1960. The collection consists of correspondence, radio scripts, subject files, one large notebook, four scrapbooks, miscellaneous notes, passports, press IDs, and photographs. The radio scripts are especially extensive and, together with the subject files, make up the bulk of the collection. The papers document Cassidy's writing and his work as a journalist very well. There are many fine examples of Cassidy's notes, drafts, and annotated works in progress, as well as published materials. In addition to the first folder of correspondence, most of the other files contain a small amount of mail relating to his work. Acceptance and rejection letters from editors, fan mail from both strangers and fellow reporters, and a minor quantity of business communications are included. Clippings from other journalists and from foreign journals (mostly French and Russian) that document issues related to those that Cassidy was working on can also be found in some of the subject files.
Cassidy's writing could prove useful to researchers on a variety of topics. In addition to journalism and the activities of a foreign correspondent, these papers help to document many areas of international relations between Europe, Russia, and the U.S. throughout the period before, during, and after World War II. The writings cover many important events such as the wedding and honeymoon of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Spanish Civil War, the Italian-Albanian campaign, the German occupation of Paris, the German invasion of Russia, Stalin's ideas about the “second front,” the formation of the United Nations, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, and the Four Powers Conference in Geneva. A fair amount of biographical information about Cassidy is also included here, mainly in the form of various newspaper articles and Cassidy's personal draft of his biography for a newsletter to celebrate the 50th reunion of the Harvard Class of 1931.
These papers do not, however, offer much insight into Cassidy's roles as an executive at the Associated Press, NBC, Radio Free Europe, and Broadcast Editorial Reports. Perhaps this is because these organizations retained the records or his administrative duties in these positions were quite limited. There is no specific subject file for NBC, but some correspondence, memos, and promotional material are included in the files for Radio Free Europe and Broadcast Editorial Reports.
Radio scripts form the largest part of this collection and cover the years 1945-1958. Many are edited and a few have related correspondence attached. For the most part, radio scripts written between 1945 and 1950 were written in Paris for Report on Europe, while those related to the period 1953-1955 were written in the United States for News of the World, World News Roundup, Heart of the News, and other programs. The majority of the scripts are for brief (3 minute) reports on world affairs, but some are also for longer programs such as The Long Lens (a 1953 special that claimed to “focus on the events and faces of our time”) and Those Extra Years (a 1953 special report on gerontology). Unlike the other shows, Heart of the News focused on issues in the United States. Its format was to thoroughly explore a single story so as to offer listeners an in-depth analysis.
Scripts for programs on world affairs focus on a variety of post World War II issues: the spread of communism and the Cold War; politics and elections (especially in France, Italy, Britain, Russia, and Czechoslovakia); the Berlin Blockade; colonialism in Africa and Asia; economics; international conferences; the United Nations; NATO; the Marshall Plan for U.S. aid to Europe; re-arming Germany; the Korean War; conflict in the Middle East (especially 1955-57); world leaders such as de Gaulle, Stalin, Churchill, Queen Elizabeth, and Eisenhower; the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, Switzerland and the 1948 Summer Olympics in London; famous spy cases involving Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, Harry Dexter White, and Kim Philby; the World Health Organization; atomic testing; vaccination programs; arms reduction talks; the Suez Canal; and satellites. The scripts on domestic issues detail U.S. politics and elections; President Eisenhower; state of the union addresses; Supreme Court rulings; civil rights and racial integration; the 1955 Auto Workers' strike; the Teamsters' Union and racketeering hearings in the Senate; McCarthyism; and even the weather (especially hurricanes and flooding).
Subject files (arranged alphabetically) contain draft and published writings in the form of books, journal articles, newspaper clippings, and notes. Many of these folders also contain related correspondence from editors, management, fellow reporters, and fans. Within each folder, items are arranged chronologically.
The folder titles refer to either specific titles of works, newspapers, and other organizations that Cassidy worked for, geographic areas, or other topics of interest. Folders with specific titles include: “Boston: Nothing Can Be Done About It” (Cassidy's thoughts on his return to the city after an absence of 26 years), “Leningrad” (draft of article about his impressions of Leningrad from his first visit in 1944, later visits, and finally during his return to the city in 1978), “Leon Blum and the Front Populaire” (the first portion of a biography about the charismatic Jewish premier who led the Socialist Party in France during the 1930's), “Living Upstate” (two drafts of an article about Cassidy's views on living in upstate New York in the early 1960's), and “Moscow Dateline” (manuscripts of his best-selling book which details his experiences in Russia during World War II).
Folders that document Cassidy's employers include the Associated Press, the Atlantic Monthly, the Boston Herald, Broadcast Editorials, the New York Daily News, and Radio Free Europe. Notably missing from this group is a file for NBC (although some NBC related correspondence is found in the Personal folder). Folders for Broadcast Editorials and Radio Free Europe contain limited information about each agency's functions and Cassidy's role with them, while the other folders contain examples of the writing that Cassidy did for the organizations.
Geographic subject files include Czechoslovakia, France, Geneva, Great Britain, Russia, Spain, and Turkey. The folder on Russia is especially large and contains mostly drafts of articles, notes, and congratulatory telegrams relating to his correspondence with Stalin; AP wires and newspaper clippings about spy cases in the late 1960s; and a letter from correspondent Charles Nutter with a photo of Nutter's 1936 telegram from Stalin.
Finally, the remaining folders on particular topics include: Grock (items about the world-famous Swiss clown, including a draft of his biography entitled “Grock the Great” and promotional material for the biographic film “Au Revoir Mr. Grock” starring Henry Cassidy as himself), the Grolier Society (two drafts of articles relating to this publisher of reference books), Harvard (items pertaining to various class reunions for Cassidy's Class of 1931, including the draft of his brief autobiography for a newsletter to celebrate their 50th reunion), Miscellany (articles and correspondence about Europe, Japan, and Russia from 1939 to 1948), Personal (mostly correspondence in relation to articles that Cassidy wrote or broadcasts that he gave; especially from 1952 to 1953 while he worked at NBC), Press Awards (one from the Overseas Press Club and three from Radio Free Europe), and Propaganda (two drafts of articles on this topic, “In Defense of Decent Propaganda” and “Hot Air”).
The notebook details Cassidy's foreign travels from 1934 to 1939 while he was working for the AP in New York and then Paris. It is arranged alphabetically by subject and contains mostly handwritten and typed notes. There are a few items of correspondence and also some newspaper clippings of articles that he wrote. The scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings (1939-1945) of articles written mainly by and about Cassidy and relate to his work for the AP in France, Germany, and Russia during this period. Together with the two subject files for the newspapers that Cassidy worked for (the Boston Herald and the New York Daily News) this is where the majority of his newspaper articles can be found. The bulk of these are from his work in Moscow from 1940 to 1944. They cover all aspects of World War II in Russia and include the articles about his correspondence with Stalin.
Miscellaneous notes (1941-1944) refer to the Russian army offensive and other matters surrounding World War II in Russia. They are all handwritten in fourteen small notebooks, a bundle of note cards, and a few loose sheets of paper. The collection also contains nine passports, dated 1940-1979, and fifty-seven press IDs (some contain photos of Cassidy). The six photographs are of a 1936 telegram from Stalin to fellow reporter Charles Nutter; Cassidy, alone and with his fellow AP correspondents in Moscow; and Cassidy at Radio Free Europe.
Administrative/Restriction Information
Presented by Henry Cassidy, New York, N.Y., October 1958, October 1976, and via his widow, Martha Cassidy, July 1989. Accession Number: MCHC76-094, M89-252
Processed by Janice L. O'Connell, and by Lisa L. Wettleson, 2002.
Contents List
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U.S. Mss 22AF
Box
1
Folder
1
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Correspondence, 1955-1956
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Radio Scripts
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Box
1
Folder
2-6
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1945 September-1948 October
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Box
2
Folder
1-5
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1948 November-1953 July
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Box
3
Folder
1-5
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1953 August-1954 February
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Box
4
Folder
1-6
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1955 March-October
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Box
5
Folder
1-6
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1955 November-1957 June
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Box
6
Folder
1-6
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1957 June-1958 July
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Subject Files
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Box
7
Folder
1
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Associated Press, 1942-1943
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Box
7
Folder
2
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Atlantic Monthly, 1944-1959, 1980
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Box
7
Folder
3
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“Boston: Nothing Can Be Done About It,” undated
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Box
7
Folder
4
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Boston Herald, 1959-1960
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Box
7
Folder
5
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Broadcast Editorials, 1959-1960
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Box
7
Folder
6
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Czechoslovakia, 1958-1959
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Box
7
Folder
7
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France, 1943-1958
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Box
7
Folder
8
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Geneva, 1948, 1955
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Box
7
Folder
9
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Great Britain, 1947, 1953
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Box
7
Folder
10
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Grock, 1949, 1956
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Box
7
Folder
11
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Grolier Society, 1960
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Box
7
Folder
12
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Harvard, 1956-1980
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Box
7
Folder
13
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Leningrad, 1978
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Box
7
Folder
14
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“Leon Blum and the Front Populaire,” 1937
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Box
8
Folder
1
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“Living Upstate,” 1960-1965
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Box
8
Folder
2-3
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“Moscow Dateline,” 1943, 1951
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Box
8
Folder
4
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Miscellany (articles and correspondence - Europe, Japan, and Russia), 1939-1948
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Box
8
Folder
5
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New York Daily News, 1967-1979
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Box
8
Folder
6
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Personal (articles and correspondence), 1942-1954, 1985
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Box
8
Folder
7
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Press Awards, 1963, undated
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Box
8
Folder
8
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Propaganda, 1959
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Box
8
Folder
9
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Radio Free Europe, 1958-1960, 1967-1969
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PH U.S. Mss 22AF
Item
1-2
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Cassidy at Radio Free Europe photographs
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U.S. Mss 22AF
Box
8
Folder
10
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Russia, 1942-1968, 1985
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PH U.S. Mss 22AF
Item
3-5
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Cassidy and fellow AP correspondents in Moscow photographs
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Item
6
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Stalin's , 1936 telegram to correspondent Charles Nutter photograph
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U.S. Mss 22AF
Box
8
Folder
11
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Spain, 1946
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Box
8
Folder
12
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Syndicated Broadcast Features - Chicago, 1960-1961
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Box
8
Folder
13
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Turkey, 1946
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Box
9
Folder
1
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Notebook detailing foreign travels, 1934-1939
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Scrapbooks
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Box
9
Folder
2
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Paris, 1939-1940; Berlin, , 1940
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Box
9
Folder
3
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Paris, 1939-1940; Berlin, , 1940; Russia, , 1940-1941
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Box
9
Folder
4
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Moscow, 1942-1943
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Box
9
Folder
5
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Moscow, 1943-1944
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Box
9
Folder
6
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Miscellaneous notes, 1941-1944
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Box
9
Folder
7
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Passports, 1940-1979
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Box
9
Folder
8
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Press IDs
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