The Martin Papers are a small and incomplete collection consisting primarily of research notes and printed articles and stories. The files were received from Mrs. Martin only months after her husband's death. In correspondence she indicated at that time that his files, which were in great disarray, included tapes of conferences with various national political leaders, off-the-record memoranda, and internal memoranda and files concerning his work with the Gannett Group. These materials were not received, however, by the Historical Society. The files primarily document his career with the Gannett Group, although even for this limited period the documentation is incomplete.
The material accessioned by the Historical Society consists of research files and writings. Because most of Martin's notes and background memoranda were typed rather than handwritten, the RESEARCH FILES are of greater value than similar files created by most journalists. For preservation purposes, the files have been divided into two subfiles, which correspond to earlier and later periods in his career. Because the early files were comprised of a large quantity of deteriorating high-acid paper, they have been microfilmed and are available only in that form. The later files are comprised of original materials. Among the extensively documented subjects are files on monopolies within the media, the alleged liberal bias of the press, presidential politics of the 1960s and 1970s, and welfare.
The remainder of the collection primarily consists of microfilmed scrapbooks of clippings of his WRITINGS. For a few stories there are teletyped stories. The writings have been grouped as pre-publication and published writings and then filed in chronological order. Because the majority of the writings were also comprised of deteriorating paper, this file is also available only on microfilm. It is unlikely that the collection represents the totality of Martin's writings even for the period of his career that is represented in the papers. Of special note, however, are the materials based on his coverage of Vice-President Nixon's 1959 trip to Russia and his background report on the civil rights movement in 1963.
Also included is a file of miscellaneous biographical information and correspondence, photographs, and a file on Mrs. Martin's work as secretary to Frank Knox during World War II. The correspondence includes several letters written during the 1930s and a letter to Frank Gannett after Paul Martin's appointment as head of the Washington, D.C., bureau. The photographs include images of Paul Martin and images from a scrapbook concerning Frank Knox, Secretary of the Navy, kept by Mrs. Martin, circa 1942-1943.
