The materials in the John M. Shaw Papers consist entirely of copies of more important letters, memos, reports, and the like, kept by Shaw from his career with AT&T and affiliated companies. The items are, in the vast majority of cases, carbons, with a few typescript copies and fewer mimeographed copies. No attempt has been made to list all items, but main topics covered in each series are listed.
Correspondence: Topics include speech improvement, buildings, rate-making, setting up a public relations club, public attitudes toward the Bell System, AT&T films, Bell TV program, educational materials, exhibits, color phones, and “extension” phones.
Internal memoranda: Topics include financial policy, introduction of hand set, change of numbers in New York, contributions (philanthropic), dial phones, long distance, speech improvement, slogans, presentation of general Bell policy to the public, telephone terminology, Western Electric, low cost ads, advertising for Chesapeake and Potomac Co., getting BBD&O for advertising, local advertising, directories, “postponement” service for sports events, numbers on letterheads, news-flash service, billing problems, weather and time services, unlisted numbers, curtailment of service during World War II, post-war planning, films (training and other), employee information, educational discussion groups, introduction of telephone economic education material into the schools, AT&T giving to higher education, retirement income, party lines, Telephone Hour, telephone orchestra, telephone number display, market research, AT&T expansion, color phones, extension phones, buying by telephone, management training, and research in human sciences.
Articles and addresses: Topics include information pamphlet, company policy, careers in business, expense control, dial phones, price of service, telephone numbers in advertising, the Depression, profit motive, telephone use, West Virginia telephone business, depreciation of telephone property, scientific developments in telephone company, area public relations programs, employee education, notes for speeches at telephone conferences, public relations objectives, financial policy, mass production and the Bell System, sociological research and the Bell System, civil defense and telephone service, telephone shortages, public relations after the war, orientation films, audio-visuals in public relations, film “Mr. Bell”, union films, community chest, rate cases, public attitude measurement, party lines, relations with educators, engineer in telephone business, lecture-demonstrations, management (many facets), mechanization, merchandising, color phones, market research, stimulation of use of local service, and the telephone in retailing.
Miscellaneous papers, including reports, summaries, and recommendations: Topics include radio broadcasting as a medium for advertising, government in business, increasing use of phone calls, company payment of dues in various organizations for employees, definition of duties of various company officers, merchandising, rates, lecture and demonstration, outside counselors, public telephone number habits, news service, Telephone Hour, public telephone service, installation and repairs, directories, auxiliary services, public attitudes, public relations studies department, films, wartime restrictions, traffic standards, telephone wages, proposed TV program, company's relationship with schools, pension plan, visit to small town to determine attitudes toward telephone company, and market research.
