Talese-ACLU correspondence 1964 searchable text

January 14, 1965

Mr. Robert Penn Warren

2495 Redding Road

Fairfield, Connecticut

Dear Mr. Warren:

Here is a letter from Charles Morgan in answer to my question about Cox ownership of Georgian papers.  Does this help?

We will be sending the galleys to you tomorrow.

With all best wishes.

                                                              Sincerely,

                                                              January 14, 1965

Mr. Charles Morgan, Jr.

American Civil Liberties Union

5 Forsyth street, N.W.

Atlanta, Georgia

Dear Chuck:

Many thanks for your letter about Northern newspaper ownership.  The book Warren is doing is a series of interviews with leaders and those of influence in civil rights – all Negro.  He occasionally intersperces (intersperses) the actual interviews with such information as you have supplied.  He is on the side of the angels.

Best wishes from Gay and me.

                                                              Sincerely,

                                                              November 23, 1964

Mr. Charles Morgan

Harper & Row Publishers, Inc.

49 East 33 Street

New York City

Dear Chuck:

     Could you help me with some information about Birmingham?  Robert Penn Warren is doing a book, “Who Speaks for the Negro?”, which we will publish, about civil rights.  He suspects that the main Birmingham newspapers are owned by Cox, who is from the North.  Do you know if this is true?  Can it be substantiated?  We would greatly appreciate the information inasmuch as it is important to one of Warren’s theses in the book.

     With all best wishes from Gay and me to you and your family for a wonderful Christmas.

                                                              Sincerely,

NAT:al

(Letter on American Civil Liberties Union letterhead with Board of Directors, Directors Emeritus, and National Committee listed in left margin)

SOUTHERN REGIONAL OFFICE

American Civil Liberties Union

5 FORSYTH STREET, N.W.,  ATLANTA, GEORGIA30303  523-2721

                                                                                          Charles Morgan, Jr.

                                                                                          Director

                                                                                          Jean Levine

                                                                                          Executive Assistant

Mrs. Gay Talese

Random House, Inc.

457 Madison Avenue

New York22, N.Y.

Dear Nan:

Birminghamhas only two daily newspapers – the Birmingham News and the Birmingham Post-Herald.

The former is owned by S. I. Newhouse and the latter by Scripps-Howard.  Cox owns the Atlanta newspapers (except for the Atlanta Times, a new adventure in right-wing dailyism) but not those in Birmingham.  To go a little further, the Cox papers in Atlanta, the Journaland Constitution, have exhibited leadership in racial crises via Ralph McGill et al; Birmingham was not equally blessed.

I don’t know what Robert Penn Warren’s thesis is.  But I consider myself the worlds’ single, outstanding authority on defaulting Yankee newspaper owners whose southern progeny blew hot when cool northern breezes might have calmed the water.

Regards to Gay.

Sincerely,

Chuck (handwritten signature)

Charles Morgan, Jr.

CM/jl

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 Julie N. Barrows, Executive assistant

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