Descriptive Summary and Abstract
Cushing Memorial Library
College Station, TX 77843-5000
Anderson, Tom, 1910- .
Inventory of the Tom Anderson Papers
1953-1972
.3 linear feet.
Tom Anderson, editor, publisher, and conservative political activist was born in Nashville, Tenn. in 1910. Graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1934, with a major in economics, Anderson was equally interested in political science and English. During the Great Depression, he worked briefly for the Nashville Banner newspaper. Later, as publisher and editor of Farm and Ranch magazine, a monthly, then weekly, publication based in Dallas, Tex., which had absorbed the Southern Agriculturist in 1950, Anderson was the supervising editor and author of the column, Straight Talk, which appeared on the magazine's editorial page. Anderson's column became possibly the most-quoted and most-reprinted in the area of agriculture publishing. Each month more than 375 newspapers requested persmission to reprint Straight Talk. Papers consist of newspaper clippings containing information on income tax reform bills, vocational agriculture, and the Grass Roots Tax Revolt, reprints of the Straight Talk editorials from Farm and Ranch magazine, the author's copy of the 1958 third edition of Straight Talk, pamphlets, and newspaper articles relating to Tom Anderson. One photograph.
Texas
MSS
00041
English.
Biographical Note
Tom Anderson, editor, publisher, and conservative
political activist was born in Nashville, Tenn. in 1910. Graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1934, with a major in economics, Anderson was equally interested in political science and English. During the Great Depression, he worked briefly for the
Nashville Banner newspaper. Subsequently, he was employed by the J. C. Bradford Co.
brokerage firm selling securities, hoping to earn money with which he could buy and publish a weekly newspaper. He also worked as an ad-salesman for the Southern Agriculturist, a monthly periodical published in Nashville, Tenn., in hopes of advancing to a journalist position. At the Southern Agriculturist, Anderson's forceful style of writing gained him recognition for his fearless attacks against leftists and Communism.
Later, as publisher and editor of
Farm and Ranch magazine, a monthly, then weekly publication, based in Dallas, Tex., which had absorbed the Southern Agriculturist in 1950, Anderson was the supervising editor and author of the column, Straight Talk, which appeared on the magazine's editorial page. Anderson's column became the possibly the most-quoted and most-reprinted in the area of agriculture publishing. Each month more than 375 newspapers requested persmission to reprint Straight Talk. A book, also titled Straight Talk, was eventually published, reprinting editorials by Tom Anderson, with reader comments reprinted from
Farm and Ranch, the third edition appearing in 1958.
Anderson has appeared on television and radio programs. He is past president of the American Agricultural Editors Assocation, a member of the Council of the John Birch Society, and is a member of the Methodist Church. He ran as a candidate for Vice-President of the United States in 1972, and for President in 1976, both times on the American Party ticket. He retired to Gatlinburg, Tenn.
Scope and Content Note
Papers consist of newspaper clippings containing information on income tax reform bills, vocational agriculture, and the Grass Roots Tax Revolt, reprints of the
Straight Talk editorials from Farm and Ranch magazine, the author's copy of the 1958 third edition of Straight Talk, pamphlets, and newspaper articles relating to Tom Anderson. One photograph.
Organization of the Papers
This collection is organized into 2 series:
Series 1. Newspaper Clippings; Series 2. Publications.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is arranged chronologically.
Access
No restrictions.
Usage Restrictions
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as
stipulated by United States copyright law.
Online Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog of Cushing Memorial Library. Researchers wishing to find related materials
should search the catalog under these index terms.
Names
Anderson, Tom, 1910- .
Organizations
Vanderbilt University.
J.C. Bradford & Co.
John Birch Society.
American Agricultural Editors' Association.
Subjects
Agriculture publishing.
United States--Economic conditions--1945- .
Conservative literature.
Political activists--United States.
United States--Economic policy--1945-1960.
Liberalism.
Propaganda, Anti-communist.
Places
Dallas (Tex.).
Nashville (Tenn.).
Gatlinburg (Tenn.)
Titles
Nashville banner.
Southern agriculturist.
Farm and ranch.
Straight talk.
Nashville banner.
Nashville banner.
Provenance
Received
from Tom Anderson
in June 1984.
Processing Information
Processed by Mary Jasek
in 1984.
Detailed Description of the Papers
Series 1. Newspaper Clippings,
1960-1966 and undated.
1-1
Newspaper Clippings,
February 24, 1960 and undated.
1-2
Newspaper Clippings,
March 11, 1960 to July 31 ,1960.
1-3
Newspaper Clippings,
August 2, 1960 to August 19, 1960.
1-4
Newspaper Clippings,
September 13, 1960 to October 29, 1960.
1-5
Newspaper Clippings,
November 3, 1960 to July, 1966.
Series 2. Publications, 1953-1972.
Reprints of
Straight Talk, pamphlets, and published speech and interview given by Anderson. 1 picure.
1-6
Programs: Anhydrous Ammonia Assocation; The Chamber of Commerce of Little Rock, Arkansas, Annual Meeting; 10th Alabama Farm Bureau Training School - 1960; Dinner honoring Edwin Anderson Walker - July 4, 1967.
1-7
Straight Talk - reprints from
February, March, and April, 1958.
Straight Talk - Third Edition,April, 1958.
Straight Talk - Letter to Constitution Party,September, 1960.
Straight Talk - reprint in copy of Digester, December 22, 1960.
Straight Talk - Assocation of American Physicians and Surgeons,October, 1964.
Straight Talk - Letter to Advertisers and Advertising Agencies, undated.
1-8
Picture: Minneapolis - Moline Dinner for American Agricultural Editors Assocation, Spring Meeting,
May 7, 1953.
1-9
Readership of Editorials: Daniel Starch and Staff Consultants in Businesss Research, prepared for Farm and Ranch,
March 16, 1956;
Letter to Jon Morgan from John E. Boisseau, February 27, 1970.
1-10
Newspaper: The Independent American, Vol. V - No. 8,
November, 1959,
New Orleans, La.
1-11
Southern Unit: Flexibility of Sell, The Southern Farm Market,
undated.
1-12
The Nashville Tennessean Sunday Magazine - Tom Anderson: The Birchers' Fair-Haired Hothead,
December 29, 1963.
1-13
Comparison of the Editorial Stand of Farm and Ranch and Progressive Farmer.
1-14
Pamphlets: Why Not Be Indpendent?, by Evetts Haley, Jr.; Tom Anderson, A Thoroughly American Candidate,
October, 1972
The Billie Sol Estes Case, transcript of a speech delivered on July 14, 1962,
before a group of conservative Democrats in Baton Rouge, La., by Dr. John Dunn; The Constitutionalist and Traditional American, Spring-Winter, 1960.
I - See - A - Cat, a provocative session with Tom Anderson.