A Guide to the Robert Trout Papers, 1930-2003

Biographical Note

Robert Trout's career as a radio and television broadcaster spanned almost the entire history of those media in the twentieth century. His colleagues and the public admired the intelligence, fairness, subtlety, and self-depreciating wit that informed his work. Trout, born Robert Blondheim in Washington D.C. in 1909, originally aspired to a writing career. In 1931, he was doing odd jobs and developing scenarios for plays at radio station WJSV in Alexandria, Virginia, when he filled in on the air. Soon, he was writing, editing, and broadcasting regularly. The Columbia Broadcasting Network (CBS) took WJSV as its first Washington, D.C. area affiliate in 1932, and Trout covered the election and inauguration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt for the network. In 1935, CBS transferred Trout to New York City and designated him its first Special Events Reporter. The network had no news department at that time. Trout reported news events, conducted interviews, hosted entertainment programs, and became radio's first news anchor. In 1938, Trout wed Catherine "Kit" Crane. She became a significant partner in his career, serving as his personal manager, providing him with research for his broadcasts, and critiquing his on-air performances.

For over sixty years, Trout worked in American broadcasting. He could remain on the air for hours at a time, reporting calmly and accurately, which earned him the nickname, "The Iron Man of Radio." His coverage of breaking news during World War Two shaped the memories of many Americans, and his reports from political conventions and presidential inaugurations became institutions. Ultimately, he covered almost all of America's major party conventions, presidential elections and inaugurations between Roosevelt's election in 1932 and the conventions of 2000. Though Trout spent most of his career at CBS, he also broadcast for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC).

In 1965, the Trouts moved to Europe, residing in Paris and later Madrid. Trout wrote commentary pieces and acted as a European correspondent on radio and television for CBS and later ABC. Following Kit Trout's death and his retirement from ABC in the mid-1990s, Trout divided his time between New York and Madrid. His commentaries appeared on National Public Radio (NPR) from 1995 until two weeks before his death, at the age of ninety-one, in November 2000.

Scope and Contents

The Robert Trout Papers, 1930-2003, contains six series: I. Professional career, 1931-1992; II. Memos and correspondence, 1931-1992; III. Personal and reference files, 1930-1991; IV. Oversize materials; V. Sound recordings; and VI. Photographic material. Scripts, transcripts, notes, correspondence, clippings, ephemera, photographic material, sound recordings, and artifacts document Trout's career in network broadcasting. Included are Trout's chronological files on his radio and television appearances (1931-1992), which contain scripts, correspondence, clippings, network promotional materials, and such ephemera as tickets and press passes. Also included are files documenting Trout's writing and media projects, his correspondence with colleagues and the public, reference files pertaining to his work and interests, personal and publicicty photos, and Trout's collection of tape and disc recordings.

Archivist’s note: The Robert Trout Papers no longer reflect the original order received by The Dolph Briscoe Center for American History. The filing structure Robert and Kit Trout established has been restored where possible, but much of the material has been rearranged and new series names assigned.

I. Professional Career Series, 1931-1992:

A variety of records document the length and breadth of Robert Trout's professional career, 1931-1992. Trout created the bulk of the material in the course of his work as a radio and television broadcaster. The Broadcasting files (bulk 1931-1974) include manuscripts, printed material, correspondence, and ephemera related to specific broadcasts or series programs. The Political Broadcasts (1936-1989) include Trout's notebooks on American politics. The form of the material in the Films and Recordings files (bulk 1939-1954) and the Personal appearances files (bulk 1936-1965) is similar to that in the Broadcast files. Trout documented his own professional career with his Publicity and Promotion files (bulk 1935-1965), which consists primarily of clippings and other printed material. Trout's work as an author and his efforts to create new ideas for radio and television are reflected in the Literary Productions and Other Creative Works (bulk c. 1930-1960), which includes manuscripts, notes, and printed material.

Robert and Kit Trout both maintained the files, ordering and titling them systematically in the early 1960s. After their move to Europe, they did not maintain their filing system as consistently, and files were stored in various locations. The following arrangement approximates the Trouts' original filing structure. Titles have been assigned to some untitled files. Indexes to the broadcast files, created by the Trouts, are at the head of the Broadcast files. Photographs, audio tapes, and three-dimensional and oversize items have been separated from folders in this series to the Photographic Material Series, Sound Recordings and Videotapes Series, Oversize Material Series, and the Artifact Collection.

A. Radio and Television Series, 1931-1992; B. Films and Recordings Series, 1935-ca. 1983; C. Personal Appearances Series, 1936-1989:

Robert and Kit Trout maintained chronologically arranged files on his appearances as a broadcaster, film or recording personality, and public speaker. The Radio and Television files include preparatory materials, notes, scripts written by Trout and others, transcripts, and such printed material as press passes, fact books, programs, tickets, clippings, press releases, and publicity materials. Some files include correspondence with broadcast participants, producers and network executives, and with listeners or viewers. Trout's files for his political broadcasts are similar in content. They include notebooks, created by the Trouts, of historical and reference material for use during broadcasts. Trout's files on his film and recording work and his Personal appearances, a small part of the series, are similar in arrangement and form.

The Radio and Television files reflect the changing nature of Trout's career. In its first phase, 1931-1941, Trout performed on the air in a wide variety of capacities for WJSV and CBS. As a Special Events Reporter, he covered speeches, parades, dinners, sports and other public occasions, as well as reading news reports and appearing on entertainment programs. He covered President Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) extensively. Trout was CBS's correspondent in London, 1941-1943. After his return to New York and before his move to Europe, Trout worked primarily as a news broadcaster for CBS (1943-1948, 1952-1965) and NBC (1948-1951) and made fewer special events broadcasts. Trout saved few records of routine daily news programs, which he made for both the CBS network and its New York television affiliate, WCBS (1954-1965). In the final phase of his career, after moving to Europe in 1965, Trout created commentary pieces, primarily on European news and culture. The Radio and Television subseries contains more records of his later television commentaries than has radio work.

The broadcasting files document the many radio innovations and milestones in which Trout participated: coining the term "fireside chat" for Roosevelt's informal broadcasts, being the only American broadcaster at King George VI's coronation, becoming broadcasting's first news anchor on World News Round-Up, remaining on the air for seven hours during the Allied invasion of Europe, covering the United Nations Charter Conference, and announcing the surrender of Japan in 1945. Trout also participated in pioneering entertainment series, including the early radio game show Professor Quiz, and the celebrity panel show Who Said That?, which was broadcast on both radio and television. During the last decades of his career, Trout worked primarily as a commentator, further developing the urbane, wry persona that his audience already knew.

The Political Broadcasts document both Trout's abilities as radio's "iron man" and the evolution of that persona. Trout made a number of marathon political broadcasts, including one of fifteen hours during the Democratic national convention in 1952. His career longevity and storytelling ability also made him radio's unofficial political historian, a role that he began to play in the 1950s. Political Broadcasts also include Trout's critiques of broadcasts, correspondence with colleagues, and network memos and ads, which illuminate changing methodologies and philosophies of political coverage.

Trout maintained separate files on one-time special events broadcasts and on series programs. Because Trout often revisited topics of old broadcasts or commemorated their anniversaries on the air, he added clippings and other collected material to the broadcast files, and sometimes moved scripts between the files. In effect, he used the broadcast files as reference files. Though the files have been grouped in folders and inclusive dates added to indicate Trout's additions to the files, they have been left as he ordered and titled them. The inventory of the Radio and Television subseries includes the titles of the broadcasts within the individual folders.

During processing, Trout's conventions of separating broadcast files from series program files and radio work from television work were made consistent. The Political Broadcasts division was created during processing. The Trouts filed many scripts, transcripts, mementos, and notes related to specific broadcasts in the folders grouped as the General Information files, and advertisements and other promotional materials in their Promotion and Publicity files. That material has been left in place. Trout's autobiographical writing about his career is in Promotion and Publicity and in Literary Productions. Information, including legal documentation, about Trout's broadcasts is also in the Memos and Correspondence series. Stories Trout researched but did not broadcast are among the General Information files, as are further reference files for broadcasts and material Trout collected about radio and television history. Proposals for Media and Creative Works documents broadcasting projects Trout created or proposed which were not completed.

Trout's speaking skills and celebrity, gained through his broadcasting career, made him desirable as an announcer and lecturer to groups aside from his network employers. Trout made films and recordings for media outlets, advertisers, charitable organizations, and broadcasting colleagues. He made speaking appearances before advertisers, public and private associations, and industry groups. Some of the Personal Appearance files include documentation of film work. In films and recordings, Trout generally acted as a narrator for the work's sponsor. Trout wrote the speeches, which typically include anecdotes from his career and political analysis, for his public appearance.

Notes and clippings related to film, recording, and public appearance work are in the General Information files. The Proposals for Media and Creative Works subseries includes information regarding uncompleted film and recording projects. Correspondence and printed material related to Trout's lecture bureau, W. Colston Leigh, is in the Professional Correspondence Subseries. Some audio tapes related to Trout's career are in the Sound recordings series. Photographs from the files have been separated to the Photographic materials series and photocopies put in their places.. In the early 1980s, Trout made a series of audiotaped recollections about his career for ABC News. Transcripts of those tapes were added to Films and Recordings during processing. A videotaped interview of Trout by the Archive of American Television (1999) and its transcript has been added to the Photographic material series.

D. Promotion and publicity subseries, 1931-1989

Printed material, literary productions, notes and correspondence make up Trout's files about promotion of and publicity for him and his work. Robert and Kit Trout obtained and saved copies of most of the articles published by or about Trout in the popular and industry presses. The subseries also contains promotional kits and books, created by advertisers or CBS. Photos and oversize materials have been separated. Promotion and Publicity contains rich documentation of the advertising campaigns for Trout's broadcasts and press releases about him, as well as notes about network publicity, particularly from Trout's period at NBC (1948-1951), and some of Trout’s own writing about his career. Trout occasionally employed a clipping service, and his Publicity Duplicates files include stories and from newspapers around the U. S. mentioning Trout.

Publicity-related correspondence can be found in the Professional Correspondence files in the Memos and Correspondence series. Trout collected many network press releases in the late 1930s, which in the General Information files under various headings. Numerous individual files in the Broadcast files contain promotional and publicity material. During processing, Trout’s information files on publicity-related were added to the subseries. A folder containing copies of some of his byline pieces was created.

E. Literary Productions and Other Creative Works, c. 1930-1983

Notes, correspondence, and manuscripts reflect Trout's efforts to publish and his pursuit of creative ventures. The manuscript material includes Trout's early short stories, written in the 1930s, when he aspired to a career as an author. Later, Trout published on politics, broadcasting, and his experiences in London during World War II in the Collier's Encyclopedia yearbooks and such periodicals as Reader's Digest, This Week, andThe American. Among the Literary Productions are outlines and notes for projected memoirs and a complete manuscript in diary form about Trout's flight around the world in 1945 with the Army Air Transport Command. Some of the autobiographical writing contains details and insights about Trout's professional career not found elsewhere.

The Proposals for Media and Creative Works subseries includes scripts, notes, correspondence, and printed material detailing ideas for games, television shows, films, and radio programs. The bulk of the material is from the late 1940s into the mid-1950s, when Trout attempted to become better established as a television personality. Trout originated many of the projects. Others were brought to him by creators wanting his participation.

Documentation of other unfinished projects may be in the General Information files. Correspondence with literary agent Sterling Lord, editor Thomas H. Uzzell, and authors’ representative Willis Wing is in the Professional Correspondence Subseries. The Promotion and Publicity Subseries contains other autobiographical writings, in published and manuscript form. The files have been rearranged chronologically and titles assigned to some of them.

II. Memos and Correspondence, 1931-1992 (4 ft., 7 in.)

Correspondence, memos, and photographs retained by Robert Trout document his career, personal life, and his relationship with his audience, 1931-1992. Highlights include World War II correspondence with Edward R. Murrow, Trout’s impressions of current events, and his views on his own career, his employers, and broadcasting history.

Professional correspondence (1935-1992) contains letters and memoranda exchanged with broadcasting executives and producers, agents, and editors. It includes network press releases, broadcast assignments, policies and procedures, contract negotiations, and critiques of Trout's broadcasts from network executives, as well as correspondence with sponsors and guests. The correspondence documents Trout’s frustrations at his perceived lack of television work and, after he relocated to Europe, his need to find and propose story topics. Trout’s files of correspondence with agents Tom Stix, Jap Gude, Marvin Josephson, and representatives at International Creative Management, include related material such as promotion schedules, notes, scripts, and news clippings. The series includes some of Trout's contracts dating back to 1937, and documents Kit Trout’s role as Robert Trout’s personal manager. Information about Trout’s career is also in the General Correspondence (1931-1992), which includes exchanges with colleagues, personal friends, and some professional associates. Viewer and Listener mail (1931-1981) documents public response to Trout’s work, primarily from the 1960s.

Trout’s files of network memoranda, general professional and personal correspondence, and fan mail formed the core of each subseries, but loose correspondence was added to each during processing. The Trouts filed a considerable amount of correspondence in the other two series, which was left in place during processing.

III. Personal and reference files, 1930-1991 (9 ft., 6 in.)

Throughout his career, Trout collected clippings and other printed materials, correspondence, and his own notes for files which were not directly related to specific broadcasts or creative projects (bulk 1935-1991). Kit Trout contributed to the maintenance of these files and created some of the notes in them.

The Personal and Reference Files Series consists of four subseries. The Travel files (bulk 1939-1962) include notes, correspondence, scripts and printed material, including clippings and souvenirs, from the Trouts' period in London (1941-1943), their Caribbean sailing trip (1946), and from their summers in Europe (1953-1961). Material documenting Trout's broadcasts, writing, and other professional activities remains in these files. The Professional Associations files (1939-1970, 1982-1986) contain correspondence and printed material relating to Trout’s membership in broadcasting and press groups. The General Information files (1939-1989) are most numerous. They include reference files, project files related to stories Trout considered covering on the air, background material for fiction, and material collected out of personal interest. A number of files concern broadcasting’s history and influence. In general, the oldest files reflect Trout’s desire for a writing career. When his broadcasting career was at its height, Trout often collected background material about current affairs. Later, after his move to Europe, the files often concern possible topics for his broadcast commentary pieces. Financial Records (bulk 1934-1970), including personal income tax returns, bank statements, receipts, check stubs, correspondence and legal material, document the Trouts' finances, 1934-1993, with the bulk of the material predating 1970. Two files relate to Trout’s boat-chartering business.

Many of the information files contain information about Trout’s career that is unavailable elsewhere. Some of his "Lit" files contain notes about his co-workers, information on network politics, recollections of conversations and events, and other behind-the-scenes information about broadcasting. The Information files series includes some broadcast scripts and transcriptions, in instances where Trout chose to file a news script because of its thematic content or the circumstances of the broadcast. The files also contain collected scripts for other broadcasters and network press releases.

During processing, this material was rearranged chronologically, because the original classifications of the filing systems employed by the Trouts at different times and the placement of folders within them were lost. The General Information files probably combines folders from several filing categories. Personal and unprocessed material is at its end. Loose and collected material included in the Trout papers was added to the General Information files and the Financial Records during processing, and assigned general folder titles.

IV. Oversize material, 1934-1984 (8 in.)

Large-size records, primarily printed material removed from the Professional Career Series and the Personal and Reference files Series, make up the Oversize Material Series. The series contains blueprints for the Trouts’ home in Jávea, Spain. The series also includes an original charcoal sketch of Trout at the microphone by James Montgomery Flagg.

V. Sound recordings (2 ft., 5 in.)

Cassette tapes, reel-to-reel tapes, and audio discs comprise Robert Trout’s copies of his own broadcast work. Many of the sound recordings are of special programs in which Trout participated or appeared as a guest. Audiocassettes which Trout created in the course of researching stories, removed from the Broadcast files, are also included in this series. The audio discs include both broadcast transcriptions and commercial records marketed by CBS.

Four cassettes, containing material copied from other sources with in this series, were created at the Center for American History for use in the Robert Trout exhibit (Fall 2000). They have been added to the series.

VI. Photographic material, 1931-1999 (ca. 7 ft.)

Prints, negatives, positive transparencies, postcards, film reels, and videotapes comprise Robert Trout’s photographic records. The series includes personal snapshots, portraits, network publicity photos, and other promotional images. A number of prints were separated from other series in the papers, and photocopies left in their original places. Photos of the Trouts attending bullfights, shot by their friend Paco Cano, make up a large portion of the photographic material. A small postcard collection reflects the Trouts’ travels. The series includes two albums. One includes personal views of the Trouts in the earliest years of their marriage, the second was presented to Robert Trout upon his retirement from WCBS and contains mounted prints of photos of him and his colleagues. Two videotapes contain privately dubbed copies of older television appearances and films (1947-1964), consisting of both broadcast and personal material. In 1999, Trout was interviewed for the Archive of American Television. A transcript and videotape copies of that interview were added to the series during processing. Movie film reels, U-matic videotapes, Betacam videotapes, and VHS videotapes document Trout’s research and interviews.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Use of audio reels and LPs by appointment only; please contact sound archivist for more information.

Use of film reels and some videotape formats by appointment only; please contact photo archivist for more information.

Separated Material

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Robert Trout Papers, 1930-2003, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Detailed Description of the Papers