A Guide to the Jay McMullen Papers, 1942-2006

Biographical Note

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jay Latimer McMullen (1921-2012) attended Dartmouth College before serving as an army serviceman and correspondent during World War II. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 1945. The Bronze Star McMullen earned for his Sunday night “Army Hour” broadcasts identifies his reports as “the most vivid and best received from any theatre of war.”

Upon returning from the war, McMullen earned a B.S. Degree from Columbia University (1948), where he also completed graduate course work in political science (1949-1950). He briefly worked for WINS AM, New York, before joining the CBS Radio team in 1954. At CBS Radio, McMullen produced award-winning reports, including “Chronicle of Terror: The Galindez-Murphy Case,” about a Columbia University Spanish professor who was kidnapped and murdered in New York by the administration of Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo.

McMullen then joined CBS News’ “CBS Reports” team, where he produced numerous documentaries. These included: "Biography of a Bookie Joint" (1961), about the Back Bay key shop and police corruption in Boston; "The Tenement" (1967), profiling dire living conditions in Chicago in the 1960s; "The Mexican Connection" (1972), for which McMullen traveled to Mexico for eight months to investigate the Mexican Drug Trade; and "The Toyota Invasion" (1981), profiling the arrival of Toyota in the United States.

McMullen taught journalism courses at Columbia University from 1970 to 1971; he also taught a summer journalism course at San Diego State University in 1983. In 1985, McMullen and student assistants at Columbia undertook an oral history project on the history of CBS, inc. McMullen retired later that year.

Source:

Alexander, Geoff. "Jay McMullen." Academic Film Archive of North America. Accessed September 1, 2011. http://www.afana.org/mcmullen.htm.

Return to the Table of Contents

Scope and Contents

The Jay McMullen Papers, 1942-2006, and undated, are comprised of production files, research files, audio and visual materials, teaching materials, and research material for a Columbia University oral history project on CBS and investigative journalism. The collection documents McMullen’s career as a U. S. Army correspondent, CBS Radio reporter, and CBS News producer. The bulk of the collection documents McMullen’s twenty-nine year career with CBS News.

The Production Files series is organized chronologically by project and begins with McMullen’s tenure at WINS and his three CBS Radio Reports. Document formats in the Production Files series include correspondence with fellow journalists, clippings related to production research and review, and transcripts of interviews and aired reports. Research Files are alphabetized by subject and include news articles and printed material related to McMullen’s documentaries and his manuscript and typed notes. Audio and Visual Materials are comprised of cassette tapes, CDs, VHS, videocassette, and film recordings of news reports and interviews by McMullen and others. One film recording is labeled simply “Vietnam” and appears to be compiled footage; the other films are all documentaries by McMullen. Teaching Materials contain lecture notes and documents from the journalism courses McMullen taught at Columbia University and San Diego State University; they also include materials from a continuing education course entitled “Political Violence” that McMullen took at the State University of New York at Purchase. World War II Service Materials are comprised primarily of correspondence and diaries kept by McMullen while serving in Europe. The Honors and Recognition series contains newspaper clippings, event invitations, and McMullen career retrospectives. Research material for the Columbia University oral history project primarily consists of files of background information for major figures at CBS, especially investigative journalists. Photographs are primarily composed of prints and negatives from documentaries, especially “The Business of Heroin.” Finally, the Scrapbook primarily contains newspaper clippings of reviews and reception for McMullen’s films; “Biography of a Bookie Joint” is especially documented.

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Use Restrictions

These papers are stored remotely. Advance notice required for retrieval. Contact repository for retrieval.

The donor retains copyright on all materials by the creator. Written permission must be obtained from copyright holder in order to photocopy or publish from the collection.

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Jay McMullen Papers, 1942-2006, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Alison Clemens, December 2011

Return to the Table of Contents

Detailed Description of the Papers

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents

Return to the Table of Contents