Sherwood Ross papers
Scope and Content of the Collection
Sherwood Ross’s works, including drafts and clippings of newspaper articles, syndicated columns, press releases, speeches, poems and plays from 1956 through 2014. Material related to Sherwood Ross Associates, a magazine publicity firm he founded in 1970, including press releases and clippings of newspapers that “picked up” or quoted from articles Ross promoted. Personal and biographical materials, including clippings of newspaper articles about Ross and Sherwood Ross Associates. Also includes some photographs and sound recordings, consisting of records and reel-to-reel tapes of radio programs Ross produced for the Chicago Urban League and National Urban League, along with a radio documentary about the March on Washington in 1963. Audiovisual materials have been digitized and are available online.
The small amount of correspondence has been arranged throughout the collection according to subject matter, so that e.g. letters from editors are housed with the articles under discussion.
Dates
- Creation: 1956-2014
Creator
- Ross, Sherwood (Person)
Language
Materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
The Sherwood Ross papers are open for research in the Special Collections Reading Room; 1 Box at a time (Priority III).
Audiovisual recordings in this collection have been digitized and are available online. Access to the original audiovisual items is restricted.
Ownership and Literary Rights
The Sherwood Ross papers are the physical property of the Newberry Library. Copyright may belong to the authors or their legal heirs or assigns. For permission to publish or reproduce any materials from this collection, contact the Roger and Julie Baskes Department of Special Collections at reference@newberry.org.
Biography of Sherwood Ross
Chicago-born journalist and social activist.
Sherwood Ross was born May 5, 1933 in Chicago and grew up in the Logan Square neighborhood. He attended Von Steuben Senior High School for two years and completed his education at Miami Beach Senior High School in Florida. He attended the University of Miami (A.B. ’55), where he majored in race relations and competed on the debate team, leaving school for six months in 1953 to serve in the U.S. Air Force. After graduating, he worked for the Chicago City News Bureau (1955); for the New York Enquirer newspaper and Ebony magazine (1956-1958); as a public relations assistant in the Office of the Mayor, City of Chicago (1958-1962); for the Chicago Daily News (1962); as public relations director for the Chicago Urban League (1963-1964) and, later, as news director for the National Urban League (1965-1966); as public affairs director for WOL in Washington, D.C. (1966-1967); as press coordinator for James Meredith’s March Against Fear (1966); as director of Magazine News Service (1968-1988); as public relations director for Inc. magazine (1989-90); as president of Sherwood Ross Associates; as “Workplace” column contributor to Reuters America (1992-2002); and as media consultant to a number of colleges and universities (1980-2011).
Extent
3 Linear Feet (6 boxes)
0.3 Linear Feet (9 phonographic records, 2 open reels)
Abstract
Papers of Chicago journalist Sherwood Ross, including articles he wrote for the New York Enquirer (1956-1957) and the Chicago Daily News (1962), a syndicated column for Reuters (1992-2002), material from his public relations and social activism work for the National Urban League and records belonging to Sherwood Ross Associates, a media consulting firm Ross founded in 1970.
Organization
Papers are organized in the following series:
- Series 1: Works, 1956-2014
- Boxes 1-3
- Series 2: Sherwood Ross Associates, 1970-1990
- Boxes 4-5
- Series 3: Personal & Biographical, 1959-1991
- Box 5
- Series 4: Photographs, 1956-1992
- Box 5
- Series 5: Sound Recordings, 1963-1965
- Box 5, audiovisual boxes (restricted)
Collection Stack Location
1 31 5
Provenance
Gift of Sherwood Ross, May 2011, with subsequent additions from July 2011 through January 2012.
Processed by
Harunobu Coryne, 2014.
Subject
- Sherwood Ross Associates, Inc. (Organization)
- Young, Whitney M. (Person)
- Chicago (Ill.). Office of the Mayor (Organization)
- Chicago Daily News, Inc. (Organization)
- Daley, Richard J., 1902-1976 (Person)
- Ross, Sherwood (Person)
- Chicago Urban League (Organization)
- National Urban League (Organization)
- Ross family (Family)
Genre / Form
Geographic
Occupation
- Journalists -- Illinois -- Chicago
- White collar workers -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
Topical
- African Americans -- Civil rights -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- African Americans in radio broadcasting
- American periodicals -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- Boxing -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- City planning -- Illinois -- Chicago -- History -- Sources
- Civil rights -- United States
- Corporate culture -- United States -- History -- Sources
- Manuscripts, American -- Illinois -- Chicago
- Online journalism
- Performing arts -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- Psychology -- United States -- History -- 20th century -- Sources
- Public relations -- United States -- History -- Sources
- Reporters and reporting
- Slums -- Washington (D.C.) -- History -- Sources
- Urban renewal -- Illinois -- Chicago -- History -- Sources
- Water-supply -- Illinois -- Chicago
- Title
- Inventory of the Sherwood Ross papers, 1956-2014
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Harunobu Coryne, July 2014
- Date
- ©2014.
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Revision Statements
- 2023-03-02: Audiovisual materials have been permanently removed from the collection for preservation. Access to the original audiovisual items is restricted.
Repository Details
Part of the The Newberry Library - Modern Manuscripts and Archives Repository
60 West Walton Street
Chicago Illinois 60610 United States
312-255-3512
reference@newberry.org