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Ralph J. Tangney Films

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: IRP
Date: 10 Nov 2023

Biographical History

Ralph J. Tangney (1923-2009) was an American radio and television producer, and a documentary and educational film director.

Tangney was born in New York City. After returning from his service as an Army pilot during World War II, he completed his bachelor's degree at Syracuse University's School of Journalism. Throughout his career, he focused on creating educational broadcasting programs for both children and adults while he worked as a program director for public radio and a senior producer for public television during his time at the National Educational Television (NET) network and its successor, the Public Broadcasting System (PBS).

Tangney contributed to more than 50 films and TV programs, winning numerous awards for his works, which included "The Fighter", a documentary on the heavyweight championship contest between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, and "Lorraine Hansberry: The Black Experience in the Creation of Drama", a documentary on the life of the prominent playwright Lorraine Hansberry.

In the late 1970s, Tangney became a professor of Telecommunications at Mercer College in West Windsor, New Jersey where he taught courses in Television and Cinema.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Ralph J. Tangney Films consist of two educational films titled "In Search of Space" and "Of Time, Work, and Leisure". In the film "In Search of Space" three boys present in their "Doomsday 2000" class report environmental problems of air and water pollution, expanding population, and lack of recreational facilities in the big cities. In the second film, "Of Time, Work, and Leisure", Sebastian De Grazia shares his thoughts on time, work, and leisure.

Arrangement of the Collection

Films are organized alphabetically by title.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

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

Access to audiovisual material requires advance notice to produce a use copy.

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.

Subject Headings

Persons

De Grazia, Sebastian.
Tangney, Ralph J.

Corporate Bodies

National Educational Television (U.S.)
National Educational Television and Radio Center.

Subjects

Air pollution.
Educational films.
Educational television programs.
Leisure.
Outdoor recreation.
Urban ecology (Biology)
Work-life balance.

Places

Madison (N.J.)

Genres and Forms

16mm (photographic film size)
Film reels.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Ralph J. Tangney Films Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Rob MacKinnon, 2023.

Table of Contents

Films

Inventory