Restrictions to Access

This collection contains additional materials that are not processed and are currently not available to researchers. For information about access to these materials, contact Research and Instructional Services staff. Please be advised that preparing unprocessed materials for access can be a lengthy process.

Copyright Notice

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], in the North Carolina Press Association Records #4878, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Acquisitions Information

Received from Teri Saylor of the North Carolina Press Association in July (Acc. 97082) and November 1997 (Acc. 97144).

Sensitive Materials Statement

Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

Processed by: Jennifer Rawlings, January 1998

Encoded by: ByteManagers Inc., 2008

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

• American newspapers--North Carolina--History--19th century.
• American newspapers--North Carolina--History--20th century.
• Associated Dailies of the North Carolina Press Association.
• Freedom of the press--North Carolina.
• Harper, Margaret Taylor, 1917-
• Journalists--North Carolina--History--19th century.
• Journalists--North Carolina--History--20th century.
• Lassiter, William Carroll, 1909-
• National Editorial Association.
• National Newspaper Association.
• Newspaper publishing--North Carolina--History--19th century.
• Newspaper publishing--North Carolina--History--20th century.
• North Carolina Press Association.
• North Carolina--Newspapers--History--19th century.
• North Carolina--Newspapers--History--20th century.
• Photojournalism--North Carolina.
• Press law--North Carolina.
• Privacy, Right of--North Carolina.
• Public meetings--Law and legislation--North Carolina.
• World War, 1939-1945--Press coverage--United States.

• William Carroll Lassiter Papers (#4485);
• Margaret Taylor Harper Papers (#4496).

The bulk of the collection consists of meeting Records, primarily minutes from the North Carolina Press Association's annual conventions. Files from more recent years include records of other conventions and information about the convention planning.

Correspondence is chiefly of NCPA presidents and deals with issues such as open meetings, regional hearings on Saturday mail, the death of A. Howard White in office, the establishment of the Criminal Justice Information System computer network, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issues, a bill before the House of Representatives about regulating charges for political advertising, and the NCPA's opposition to secrecy in court proceedings. It also includes much correspondence with long-time secretary-treasurer, Margaret Taylor Harper (see also Margaret Taylor Harper Papers, #4496).

The collection includes photographs of NCPA members and photographs from the NCPA's annual photo contest. Among the member photographs are convention photographs and photographs from award ceremonies; there are also photographs of newspaper buildings. Contest photographs include newspaper photographs that were entered in the spot news, features, and portfolio categories.

Legal files are chiefly those of William Lassiter (see also William Carroll Lassiter Papers #4485), who acted as the NCPA's lawyer for many years. These files include correspondence, copies of legislation, and drafts of columns Lassiter wrote on legal issues. Many of these papers deal with the issue of open meetings. Other topics are advertisement of bingo and raffles, banking Records, privacy of state employee Records, court gag orders, libel issues, restriction of evidence in rape cases, the corrupt practices act, the social services records act, the right to publish the names of recipients of public assistance, political advertising, criminal contempt, investigation of peak-load pricing, postal and law regulations, the fair employment act, trial stage and appellate procedure, state employee personnel Records, the campaign contribution and expenditures act, estate value release, the right of reply statute, journalists' privilege bills, postal problems, federal price wage controls, and court photography.

The collection also contains records of the Associated Dailies of the North Carolina Press Association and the National Editorial Association (later the National Newspaper Association), to which the NCPA was related; publications; World War II files; and files relating to other activities. There are meeting minutes of both the Associated Dailies and the National Editorial Association and financial records of the Associated Dailies. Publications include the Directory of North Carolina Newspapers, 1947-1978; a 1967 edition of the NCPA Press; and Press Association Bulletins, 1922-1924. The 1941-1942 series contains information about the difficulties of running a newspaper during World War II due to rationing and economic problems, as well as problems created by censorship and security issues. Material concerning a cooperative program with the Navy for recruitment purposes is also included. Other materials document freedom of the press award nominations, lobbying guidelines, publicity, the celebration of the NCPA centennial, scholarships, and a museum display of an antique printing press.

• VT-4878/1-3