Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Cook, Fred J.
Title:	Fred J. Cook Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1958-1967
Quantity:	5.0 linear ft.
Abstract:	Papers of the American journalist, author. Correspondence, book manuscripts and galley proofs.
Language:	Bulk in English, a few published items in French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

Fred J. Cook (1911-2003) was an American investigative journalist. Born and raised in New Jersey, he graduated from Rutgers University and began his newspaper career in the 1930s at the Asbury Park Courier. He covered the 1937 Hindenburg disaster as editor of the New Jersey Courier. By 1945 was working for the New York World-Telegram and Sun, writing about crime and its political connections, and contributing regularly to national periodicals such as Nation, American Heritage, and the New York Time Magazine. He also wrote numerous books on political topics, including Alger Hiss, the FBI, Barry Goldwater, the Cuban Missile Crisis, organized crime, the Ku Klux Klan, and Watergate.

When Cook's 1964 book Goldwater: Extremist on the Right was published, it -- and Cook -- were attacked by Conservative evangelist and radio broadcaster Billy James Hargis on his radio show on station WGCB, based in Red Lion, Pennsylvania. Cook sued, arguing that under the Fairness Doctrine he was entitled to free air time to respond to the attack. Red Lion Broadcasting, the company that owned WGCB, decided to challenge the constitutionality of the Fairness Doctrine. The case went to the Supreme Court as Red Lion Broadcasting Co. v. Federal Communications Commission in 1969, which resulted in the Court's ruling that the Fairness Doctrine was constitutional.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Fred J. Cook Papers consist of correspondence, subject files, manuscripts, and published material.

Correspondence, both incoming and outgoing, relates primarily to Cook's lawsuit against Billy James Hargis and WGCB.

Subject files contain an audiotape and published material, also related to Hargis.

Manuscripts includes manuscripts of books (see inventory below for specific titles) and a radio broadcast.

Published material includes two articles and foreign editions (German, Spanish, Portuguese, and French) of several of Cook's books.

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Arrangement of the Collection

All material is arranged alphabetically.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Copies of several of Cook's books are in the general collection and in the Rare Books holdings. Please refer to Libraries Search for a complete listing.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Subjects

Genres and Forms

Occupations

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Fred J. Cook Papers
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Finding Aid Information

Created by: -
Date: Apr 1967
Revision history: Dec 1968 - additions (GBS); 11 Feb 2010 - converted to EAD (MRC); 2 Aug 2010 - box numbers corrected (MRC)

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Inventory

	Correspondence re James Hargis affair
Box 1		Denton, Marion Gray 1964
Box 1		Federal Communications Commission 1965
Box 1		Hargis, Billy James 1964
Box 1		Hogan, Frank S. 1964
Box 1		K 1965
		Stations
Box 1			Acceptance file 1964-1965
Box 1			Not carrying program 1964-1965
Box 1			Playing tape 1964-1965
Box 1			Uncertain if program was carried 1964-1965
Box 1		Trouble file 1964-1965
Box 1		W, unidentified 1964-1965

	Subject files
Box 1		James Hargis affair 1962, 1964
Box 1		Tape 1965

	Manuscripts
		Books
Box 2			Barry Goldwater, Extremist of the Right 1964 (2 folders)
Box 2			The Corrupted Land 1965 (2 folders)
			The FBI Nobody Knows 1964
Box 2				Preliminary pages and Chapters 1-3 (2 folders)
Box 3				Chapters 4-12 (5 folders)
Box 3				Notes
			The Medical Establishment 1966
Box 3				Chapters 1-5 (5 folders)
Box 4				Chapters 6-10 (5 folders)
Box 4				Notes
Box 4				Sample pages
Box 4			The Secret Rulers 1966 - galley proofs (2 folders)
Box 5			The Unfinished Story of Alger Hiss 1958 (5 folders)
			The Warfare State 1962
Box 5				Chapters 1-5 (4 folders)
Box 6				Chapters 6-11 (2 folders)
Box 6				Notes and index
Box 6				Sample pages
Box 6			What Manner of Man 1959 (6 folders)
Box 7			What So Proudly We Hailed 1967 - original typescript with annotations; typescript carbons; notes (9 folders)
		Miscellaneous
Box 6			Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Valiant Leader undated - typescript
Box 6			Radio broadcast on the Hargis affair undated

	Published material
		Articles by
Box 8			"Hate clubs of the air" and "Just call the Dr. for a loan" 1964, 1968
Box 8			New York's clean air men 1967
		Books by
Box 8			Die rechts-radiken machte in den USA und Goldwater 1965
Box 8			El FBI desconicido 1965
Box 8			Le FBI inconnu 1966
Box 8			O FBI por dentro 1966
Box 8			Les veutours de la guerre froide 1964
Box 8			O estado militavista 1964

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