Series V. Dispatches and Article Research Files, 1969-1979, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
The Dispatch and Article Research Files cover the period 1969 through 1979 and contain two sets of materials. While the majority of dispatches were transferred and filed with the editorial reference files when the Time Research Center was created, these were materials were missed and found loose with unrelated corporate editorial files. While these materials may have been found with unrelated materials, they were originally produced and collected by the news service and will be stored with their materials. Additional dispatches can be found throughout the Time-Life News Service records.
The first set of materials appears to have been mainly collected by Time-Life News service staff memember Benjamin Cate regarding the Chappaquiddick incident involving Ted Kennedy. While the materials were mainly collected by Cate, there are also materials from after he left the news service. It is unclear who collected the materials after Cate since they were found with the Laurence Barrett files but appear to be unrelated to those materials. The Chappaquiddick materials include dispatches, lists of contacts, clippings, car manuals, investigation notes, investigation policies, court hearing and testimony documents, biographical data sheets, lists of assignments, telephone call logs, car accident forms, rental care agreements and correspondence.
The second set of materials are dispatches with details about Howard Hughes, Jackie Kennedy, Scientology, and United Presidents as well as their wives and cabinent members.
Arrangement
Arranged alphabetically.
Biographical Note
Benjamin Cate is first listed in the departments heads list in 1966 as a bureau chief of the Houston office. In 1970, Cate was transferred overseas and placed in charge of the Bonn office. By 1972, he had been transferred back to the main offices in New York where he worked as a deputy chief of correspondents through 1974. By 1978, Cate had left his position as deputy chief and became chief of the Chicago bureau of the Time-Life News Service. He remained in this position until 1981 when he became the chief of the Beverly Hills bureau. In 1985, he was no longer listed as a bureau chief in the departments lists and was instead listed as a senior correspondent. After this point, Cate no longer appears in department heads lists.
Citations:
Personnel and Organization: Department Head Lists. Time Inc. Reference Files, MS 3009-RG 3, New-York Historical Society.