Milwaukee Press Club.

ABSTRACT: Collection consists of the records of the Milwaukee Press Club, documenting the oldest continuously operating press club in North America. Founded on November 1, 1885, the Milwaukee Press Club brings together members of the print, broadcast and electronic news media and related professions. The centerpiece of the Milwaukee Press Club records is an extensive collection of autographed plaques that have been signed and dated during the Press Club's long history. Initially, the Press Club asked prominent visitors, such as Theodore Roosevelt, to sign the wooden walls of the club itself, but as the number of signers grew, they established the current tradition of chalk signatures on black matte boards. These autographed plaques feature prominent entertainers, such as Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, and Gene Autry; political figures, such as Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter, and William Jennings Bryan; journalists, including Walter Cronkite and Art Buchwald; and sports figures, such as Babe Ruth, Vince Lombardi, and Stan Musial. In addition to the plaques, the Milwaukee Press Club records include a large collection of photographs which date to the late 19th century, copies of the Club's annual publication Once a Year, materials relating to the variety of honors awarded annually by the Press Club, and a wide selection of journalistic memorabilia.

ACCESS RESTRICTIONS: There are no access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is open to all members of the public in accordance with state law. However, the researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).

SCOPE AND CONTENT: The records of the Milwaukee Press Club are divided into four major categories: Administrative Records, Once a Year publications, Photographs, and Plaques.

Administrative Records: This category consists of the official records of the Club, including minutes from the Board of Governor's meetings, correspondence, committee reports and materials relating to the various awards presented by the Press Club and their associated dinners. Also included in this category are financial documents, leases and other records from the Club's various locations, and information regarding Club membership and activities. A small collection of original artwork and cartoons from prominent local and national editorial cartoonists is also included. This category of records contains several audiocassette taped interviews with Press Club members, and a collection of videocassette tapes related to the Press Club's annual Journalistic Excellence Awards. Several of the videocassette tapes have material related to topics other than the Journalistic Excellence Awards because tapes were often reused by the Press Club, and some original materials were inadvertently taped over.

Once a Year: A nearly complete run of the Press Club's annual publication, Once a Year, dating to the first issue in 1896, makes up this category of records. Once a Year is both an annual summary of the Press Club's activities, and a yearbook of noteworthy Milwaukee events and personalities. Many of the annual publications feature original artwork on their covers, and the advertisements in the early issues help illustrate life in Milwaukee during the preceding century.

Photographs: The Milwaukee Press Club's large collection of photographs dates primarily from the 1960s to the present, but includes images back to the turn of the century. Included in the photographic records are images of plaque signings, speakers, award ceremonies, and dinners. Also included in this category are photographs of Press Club members, a variety of the Press Club's social events, and images of the various locations that have served the Club as home during its history.

Plaques: Plaques containing the chalk signatures of nearly 1,000 individuals are the centerpiece of the Press Club records. The tradition of garnering the signatures of well-known visitors to the Club began in the last few years of the 19th century, when the signers would actually autograph the walls of the club itself. When the Club moved from that location, they had to surreptitiously cut the signatures out of the walls and bring them to the new location, where they were framed and once again mounted on the walls. Since approximately 1920, all of the plaques have been made of equally sized black matte boards, which are then autographed in chalk. The plaques have been signed by a broad spectrum of well-known, and some lesser-known, celebrities and public figures. Prominent entertainers, political figures, journalists, sports figures and more have signed and dated plaques during the Press Club's long history. Many of these plaques are on permanent loan to the Milwaukee Press Club. This is noted on the Alphabetical Index to the Milwaukee Press Club Autographed Plaques next to the plaque.

DEACCESSION NOTE: Due to its poor condition, Michael Doylen discarded audio reel 24 on 2006 November 16.

ARRANGEMENT: The files are organized alphabetically by personal name, name of office, or by subject, then chronologically. Files can contain a variety of materials, including correspondence and reports.

An Alphabetical Index to the Milwaukee Press Club Autographed Plaques is included at the end of the finding aid. The names on the plaques are organized alphabetically by last name. For example

Oversized plaques are stored in a special location to better ensure their long-term preservation. Researchers wishing to access oversized plaques should consult an archivist for details.

Unique items, such as the Club's copies of the final issue of the Milwaukee Journal and the Milwaukee Sentinel newspapers are indexed individually. For example:

Milwaukee Journal, Final Issue, 1995	Oversize
Milwaukee Sentinel, Final Issue, 1995	Oversize

Throughout the files, there are cross-references between names of individuals, organizations, and topics. For example:

The "SEE ALSO" reference refers to related folders elsewhere in the collection. The "SEE" reference provides the folder heading used in the collection.

Location of Audiovisual Materials: Audiovisual materials such as videocassette tapes, audiocassette tapes, and photographic negatives are stored in a special location to better ensure their long-term preservation. Researchers wishing to use these materials should consult an archivist for details. An Index to the Milwaukee Press Club Videocassette Tapes is located at the end of this finding aid.

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY: The Milwaukee Press Club is the oldest continuously operating press club in North America, and possibly the world. After efforts to establish a press club in Milwaukee failed in 1860, 1882, and 1883, four determined journalists formally established the Milwaukee Press Club on November 1, 1885. The Club was to be a means of bringing together members of the newspaper profession, as well as a way to elevate the profession. Since its founding, the Club has expanded its membership to include journalists working in other types of media, editors, publishers, and individuals with an interest in the press.

The Club also expanded its membership to include women in August of 1971, after protests from female journalists and the general public convinced Club members to eliminate its "men only" rule. Mary Spletter was the first woman to cross the Club's threshold after Press Club members voted to include women, and in addition to having lunch at the Club, she was also asked to sign a plaque in honor of the occasion. Prior to 1971, the only female member of the Club had been Edna Dunlop, who had joined the Press Club near the turn of the century--prior to the enactment of the no women rule sometime near the turn of the century.

The first location of the Milwaukee Press Club was in the Herold building, on the corner of Mason and Broadway. After a short residency in the Herold building, the Club moved several times in the next nineteen years, before settling into the third floor of the Miller Building, on the corner of Mason and Water Street, in 1904. In 1914, the Press Club moved again, this time to the eighth floor of the Jung Building on Water Street. There the Club remained for over 30 years, until 1948, when it relocated to the Fine Arts building on Wells Street. At sometime during its years in the Fine Arts building, the club established a separate "corporate" headquarters, where the business of the Club was conducted, while the quarters in the Fine Arts building remained more of a social gathering place for Club members. This separation is continued to this day, with the business of the Club transpiring primarily from the Executive Director's home or office, while the clubhouse is maintained as a more social venue.

The Club's home in the Fine Arts building served it well for nearly 35 years, but in 1983, the Club moved its location to the Marc Plaza Hotel on Wisconsin Avenue. Several more moves occurred after 1983, and the Club resided for various lengths of time in the Brown Bottle Pub, the Germania building, the Posner building, and the Park East Hotel. Finally, in May of 2000, the Club completed the process of negotiating an agreement creating the "Milwaukee Press Club Bar" back in the Fine Arts building that had served as the Club's home for much of its history.

One of the oldest continuing traditions of the Press Club is an annual picnic--an event dating back to 1895 when Club members would spend a weekend out on Pewaukee Lake. Over the years, other social activities included an annual theater event, which was eventually replaced by a formal dinner and awards ceremony. At the annual Gridiron Dinner, first held in 1917, and annually since 1957, the Press Club honors prominent Wisconsinites with its Headliner Award, and prominent members of both the local and national press with its Sacred Cat award. In 1980, the Press Club also began inducting members of the press into its Hall of Fame, honoring the recipients at an annual dinner of the same name.

In addition to the Sacred Cat, the Headliner and the Hall of Fame awards, the Press Club also holds an annual statewide contest to recognize excellence in journalism and the media. These Journalistic Excellence awards include recognition in 67 different areas, such as best documentary, best sports feature, best editorial, etc., for print, radio, TV, and photographic journalism. Entries for the annual Journalistic Excellence awards are judged by out-of-state journalists, and the winners are honored at the Club's yearly Gridiron Dinner.

Since 1895, the Milwaukee Press Club has published Once A Year on an annual basis. Initially, Once A Year served as both a program and an advertising vehicle for the Club's annual theater benefit. Over time, Once A Year came to serve as more of a yearbook for the Club itself and also as an annual summation of the major events of the year in both Milwaukee and the world.

Presidents of the Club have been:

• James Langland 1885-1887
• Jerome A. Watrous 1888
• H. P. Myrick 1889-1890
• George H. Yenowine 1891
• James W. Bannen 1892
• Herman Bleyer 1893
• William A. Rublee 1894
• Julius Bleyer 1895
• C. W. Emerson 1896
• John G. Gregory 1897
• Arthur Weld 1898
• John J. Hannan 1899
• George F. Kerr 1900
• William A. Bowdish 1901-1902
• Dan B. Starkey 1903
• Galbraith Miller, Jr. 1904
• Malcolm C. Douglas 1905-1906
• John S. Gannaway 1907
• Oliver E. Remey 1908-1909
• George C. Nuesse 1910
• George F. Lounsbury 1911
• Oscar H. Morris 1912
• Charles Dean 1913-1914
• Walter L. Distelhorst 1915
• John R. Wolf 1916
• Jas. A. Skewes 1917
• Jules Liebman 1918
• Ben Fuelleman 1919-1920
• Claude C. Manly 1921
• Chas. H. Kelsey 1922-1923
• Paul Kayser 1924
• Manning Vaughan 1925-1928
• Edwin C. Hart 1929
• Walter Wyrick 1930-1931
• Wm. S. Broker 1932
• H. L. Ashworth 1933
• John R. Wolf 1934-1935
• Arville Schaleben 1936-1939
• Lloyd Gladfelter 1940-1943
• Harvey W. Schwandner 1944-1946
• H. Russell Austin 1947-1948
• Ross M. Dick 1949-1950
• Everett B. Swingle 1951-1952
• Perry C. Hill 1953-1954
• Frank J. Marasco 1955-1959
• Harry L. Sonneborn 1960-1961
• Walter G. Wegner 1962
• Jack E. Krueger 1963
• Richard H. Leonard 1964
• Trueman Farris 1965
• Bennett F. Waxse 1966-1968
• D. Raymond Kenney 1969
• Frank J. Marasco, Jr. 1970
• Mark Ashley 1971
• Chuck Johnson 1972-1973
• Dion Henderson 1974-1975
• John H. Thompson 1976-1977
• Leo Kissel 1978
• Beth Slocum 1979
• Roger A. Stafford 1980-1981
• Joanne Williams 1982
• Ray Doherty 1983
• Scott J. Feldmeyer 1984
• Laurie Van Dyke 1985-1986
• Ronald L. Irwin 1987
• Robert M. Dye 1988
• Jayne Jeffery 1989
• Tom Heinen 1990
• Kenneth Roesslein 1991
• Kay Magowan 1992
• Ed Hinshaw 1993
• Joe Smith 1994
• Kevin Fischer 1995-1996
• James Auer 1997
• Wayne Youngquist 1998
• Roseann St. Aubin 1999
• Mark Zoromski 2000

COLLECTION CITATION: This collection should be cited as:

Milwaukee Press Club. Records, 1885-[ongoing]. UWM Manuscript Collection 146. University Manuscript Collection. Archives. UWM Libraries. University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee.

RELATED COLLECTIONS:

Bleyer, Henry W., 1835-1922. Papers, 1792, 1843-1918. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection AO)

Bolens, Albert D., 1861-1952. Papers, 1836-1952. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection CE)

Broughton, Charles E., 1873-1956. Papers, 1916-1953. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection BA)

Chester, Hyman, d. 1976. Papers, 1933-1976. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 139)

French, Lewis C., 1893-1960. Papers, 1919-1960. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection Z)

Gregory, John Goadby, 1856- . Papers, 1846-1946. (Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 94)

Kuryer Publishing Company (Milwaukee, Wis.). Records, 1893-1961. (UWM Manuscript Collection 46)

Milwaukee (Wis.). Mayor. Records of the Henry W. Maier administration, 1960-1988. (Milwaukee Series 44)

Rainovic, Albert R., 1922-1992. Papers, 1948-1987. (UWM Manuscript Collection 43)

University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee. News Services and Publications. Office of the Director. Records, 1943-1988. (UWM Archival Collection 134)

WUWM (Radio station: Milwaukee, Wis.). Records, 1951-1989. (UWM Archival Collection 2)

ACQUISITION: The Milwaukee Press Club donated the collection to the Archives in March 1999.  Lee Baker donated two photographs for the collection in November 2003 (accession 2006-011).

PROCESSING: Robert Carter, Michael Doylen, Chan Harries, Leslie Heinrichs, Mike Jan, Kathy Koch, Roger Lange, Sharon McQueen, Michael Rhodes, Maria Schoeberl, Richard Shrake, Daardi Sizemore, Jennifer Sullivan, Eric Volmar, Nicholas Weber, and Stephanie Williams processed the collection at the Archives in 1999. Additions have been processed by Nicole Jackelen in 2001 and Jay Hyland in 2002.  Karen Bjork added the 2002 and 2003 Once a Year publications to the collection in March 2004. Christel Maass added accession 2006-011 to the collection in August 2006.

MARC RECORD SEARCH TERMS: The following terms were used in the online bibliographic MARC record to this collection:

• Athletes--Autographs.
• Baseball--Caricatures and cartoons.
• Cartooning--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
• Cartoonists--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
• Clubhouses--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
• Clubs--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
• Dinners and dining--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
• Editors.
• Entertainers--Autographs.
• Football--Caricatures and cartoons.
• Journalism--Awards--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
• Journalism--Societies, etc.--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
• Journalists.
• Journalists--Autographs.
• Milwaukee(Wis.)--History--Sources.
• Milwaukee Journal (Milwaukee, Wis.).
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, Wis.).
• Milwaukee Sentinel (Milwaukee, Wis.).
• News photographers.
• Newspapers.
• Once a Year.
• Photojournalism.
• Political cartoons.
• Politicians--Autographs.
• Press--Wisconsin--Milwaukee.
• Reporters and reporting.
• Women journalists.