Time Inc. Sports Illustrated Editorial Records
Call Number
Date
Creator
Extent
Language of Materials
Abstract
Sports Illustrated launched in August 1954. The Editorial Records are primarily correspondence from senior editorial staff to place articles or excerpts from outside writers. There is a small amount of administrative records.
Historical Note
Sports Illustrated (SI) launched on August 16, 1954 as a weekly magazine with Managing Editor Sidney James and Publisher Harry Phillips.
According to an unsigned capsule history in the General Files of the publishing and business records (MS 3009-RG 35), Time Inc. cofounder and president Henry R. Luce asked Executive Vice President Howard Black to come up with new publishing venture ideas. Black's May 21, 1953 letter to Luce contained a paragraph reading: "A Sports Weekly -- everything in sports -- hunting, fishing, boating. this would be a picture magazine -- 10 cents a copy." By June 1953, Time Inc. set up a department to develop this magazine.
The "Editorial Notes" in the RG 35 General Files state that SI was the first Time Inc. magazine to include bylines. It started with well-known sports writers. Later it incorporated articles from famous authors such as "[William] Faulkner and Catherine Drinker Bowen on the Derby," and "Robert Frost on the All-Star Game." Great sports writers also started their careers as early SI staff writers including Robert Creamer and "Tex" Maule.
For the majority of Time Inc.'s existence, the company maintained a strict separation of editorial from the publishing and business side of each magazine, colloquially called the separation of "church" (editorial) and "state" (publishing). Editorial includes the editors, researchers, and art department. The editorial side reported up to the editor-in-chief and the publishing/business side reported up to the corporate business executive which was the president prior to 1960 and the chief executive officer after. Henry Luce structured Time Inc. this way so that the business side could not (in theory) influence the editorial content of the publications. For example, the advertising sales people could not interfere with a magazine's decision to run an article on the dangers of cigarette smoking, even though it might mean losing millions of dollars in tobacco ads.
Citations:
Hooper, Bill. Email to Holly Deakyne, 10 June 2016.
Time Inc. Sports Illustrated Publishing and Business Records, MS 3009-RG 35, New-York Historical Society.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into four series based on the hierarchy of staff:
Series I. Managing Editor Mark Mulvoy Copy of Strategic Plan
Series II. Assistant Managing Editor and Senior Editor Ray Cave Files
Series III. Senior Editor Patricia Ryan Files
Series IV. Associate Editor Joseph Carroll Correspondence
Scope and Contents
The Sports Illustrated Editorial Records are primarily correspondence from senior editorial staff to place articles or excerpts from outside writers. Outside writers include those from other magazines (sometimes other Time Inc. magazines), freelancers, and some amateurs. Files do not always have correspondence from the writer and may only contain internal correspondence regarding their article or excerpt. Topics include story ideas, submissions, the logistics of publishing accepted articles, and payment amounts. There is a small amount of administrative records. The majority of correspondence comes from Senior Editor Patricia "Pat" Ryan. Her records also include the Text Department's financial records. This seems to be the department in charge of reviewing submitted manuscripts.
Subjects
Organizations
People
Conditions Governing Access
Open to qualified researchers with the exception of restricted materials. Restricted materials include contracts and are located in box R65.
Unreformatted audiovisual material in the collection is not accessible.
Materials in this collection are stored offsite. For more information on making arrangements to consult them, please visit www.nyhistory.org/library/visit.
Conditions Governing Use
Taking images of documents from the library collections for reference purposes by using hand-held cameras and in accordance with the library's photography guidelines is encouraged. As an alternative, patrons may request up to 20 images per day from staff.
Application to use images from this collection for publication should be made in writing to: Department of Rights and Reproductions, The New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024-5194, rightsandrepro@nyhistory.org. Phone: (212) 873-3400 ext. 282.
Copyrights and other proprietary rights may subsist in individuals and entities other than the New-York Historical Society, in which case the patron is responsible for securing permission from those parties. For fuller information about rights and reproductions from N-YHS visit: https://www.nyhistory.org/about/rights-reproductions
Preferred Citation
This record group should be cited as Time Inc. Sports Illustrated Editorial Records, MS 3009-RG 34, New-York Historical Society.
Location of Materials
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Time Inc. in 2015.
About this Guide
Processing Information
The Time Inc. Sports Illustrated Editorial Records were processed by Holly Deakyne in 2021. The original folders were retained when possible, although some documents were transferred to archival containers in instances of overcrowding, if the original folder was in poor condition or undersized, or if no original folder was present.
Deakyne created the series and imposed series arrangement. Arrangement for the correspondence in each series relied on the original order although order was partially imposed to organize Ryan's files.
Deakyne created the inventory and other descriptive notes to produce this finding aid.
Sponsor Note
Repository
Series I. Managing Editor Mark Mulvoy Copy of Strategic Plan, 1988, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
Mark Mulvoy's files on Sports Illustrated comprise his copy of the strategic plan for 1987 to 1997. Its contents include the Mission Statement, Overview, Changes in the Environment, Strategy, and Financial Review.
This item was found with other Sports Illustrated materials to be filed.
Arrangement
The series is a single item.
Strategic Plan 1987-1997, 1988, inclusive
Series II. Assistant Managing Editor and Senior Editor Ray Cave Files, 1969-1970, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
Records from Ray Cave span from a year when he served as a Sports Illustrated senior editor then an assistant managing editor and primarily contain correspondence to place articles or excerpts from outside writers. Outside writers include those from other magazines (sometimes other Time Inc. magazines), freelancers, and some amateurs. Files do not always have correspondence from the writer and may only contain internal correspondence regarding their article or excerpt. Topics include story ideas, submissions, the logistics of publishing accepted articles, and payment amounts. The correspondence is similar to that in Patricia Ryan's and Joseph Carroll's files.
Arrangement
Records remain in their original order with administrative and personal files before correspondence and correspondence organized alphabetically.
Biographical Note
Ray Cave started at Sports Illustrated as a reporter in 1959, was promoted from a senior editor to Assistant Managing Editor in November 1970, and rose to deputy to Managing Editor Andre Laguerre. After a "stint as Acting Editorial Director of all Time Inc. publications", Editor-in-Chief Hedley Donovan appointed Cave as Time Assistant Managing Editor in 1976. The next year, he became Time Managing Editor and served in this role through 1985. From 1986 to 1988, Cave served in several corporate editorial roles before resigning from Time Inc. in 1988.
Citations:
Davidson, Ralph. "A Letter from the Publisher." Time, October 10, 1977.
"The Hottest Editor." Farewells, Time Life Alumni Society, TLASconnect. http://www.tlasconnect.com/farewells.html
"The Media Business; A Top Editorial Executive Is Forced Out at Time Inc." New York Times, November 18, 1988. http://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/18/business/the-media-business-a-top-editorial-executive-is-forced-out-at-time-inc.html
Expenses Statements, 1969, inclusive
Budget [empty], 1970, inclusive
Personal, 1970, inclusive
Copyright Assignments [RESTRICTED], 1970, inclusive
Correspondence: A-Z, 1970, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Folders for Q and U are empty.
Series III. Senior Editor Patricia Ryan Files, 1970-1974, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
Records from Patricia Ryan primarily contain correspondence to place articles or excerpts from outside writers. Outside writers include those from other magazines (sometimes other Time Inc. magazines), freelancers, and some amateurs. Files do not always have correspondence from the writer and may only contain internal correspondence regarding their article or excerpt. Topics include story ideas, submissions, the logistics of publishing accepted articles, and payment amounts. The correspondence is similar to that in Ray Cave's and Joseph Carroll's files.
Besides the correspondence to outside writers, Ryan's files include copyright assignments as part of the correspondence files and memoranda to Sports Illustrated Managing Editor Roy Terrell. Her records also include financial records of the Text Department which seems to have reviewed submitted manuscripts.
Ryan's files are organized mainly chronologically then alphabetically and there is some repetition of names in each year. Correspondence contains general A to Z files followed by specific folders for individuals. It is possible materials from individuals with a specific folder are also in the general folder.
Arrangement
The records are organized alphabetically by Correspondence, Memoranda, and Text Department with this arrangement imposed by the archivist. The Correspondence is kept in the original arrangement scheme of alphabetical runs grouped chronologically. There is some crossover of years in each run. For example, while the first run is "1972 and Before", it has a few files with materials dating from 1973.
Biographical Note
Patricia "Pat" Ryan joined Time Inc. in 1960 as a secretary at Sports Illustrated (SI). In 1971 SI promoted her to senior editor after holding positions as a researcher and writer. While the 1971 and 1974 SI masthead lists her as a senior editor, Ryan signs as Text Department Editor, and is also addressed as the articles editor. Her duties included negotiations with contract writers for articles and publishers for book excerpts. Richard Munro obliquely states in his SI September 4, 1972 letter from the publisher that Ryan was the first woman to rise to Senior Editor at SI.
In her Inside Time Inc. 1984 interview, she recounts the argument she had with SI Managing Editor Andre Laguerre over her byline after her 1966 promotion to staff writer. Ryan wanted her byline to be "Pat Ryan" rather than "Patricia" since she "felt that a woman's byline would be suspect in a man's world." In fact, she is addressed as "Mr. Ryan" in a number of letters in her correspondence. Laguerre agreed to the byline, but still listed her as "Patricia" on the masthead.
Ryan joined People as a senior editor in 1978 and was swiftly promoted to Assistant Managing Editor, Executive Editor, then Managing Editor by March 1982. She was the second managing editor for People, and the first woman at Time Inc. in a top editorial position. According to a memoranda in Life Managing Editor Judith Daniels' files, Ryan was named Life Managing Editor in April 1987. She was fired in 1989 without an explanation though the The New York Times posits it was due to the rivalry between her partner and Time Inc. coworker Ray Cave and Editor-in-Chief Jason McManus.
Citations:
"Former Time Inc. editor dies at 75." Boothbay Register, December 31, 2013. https://www.boothbayregister.com/article/former-time-inc-editor-dies-75/26364.
Kirkpatrick, David. "New M.E.s at PEOPLE and LIFE." f.y.i., March 29, 1982.
Time Inc. Bio Files, MS 3009-RG 2, New-York Historical Society.
Weber, Bruce. "Patricia Ryan, a Managing Editor at Time Inc., Dies at 75." The New York Times, December 31, 2013. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/01/business/media/patricia-ryan-75-an-editor-at-time-inc-dies.html.
Correspondence: 1972 and Earlier
Correspondence: A-L, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: M-Z, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Allen: Philosophy of Coaching [empty], circa 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Allen, Woody, circa 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Bell, Upton: Where the Bodies Buried, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Bowen, Ezra, 1970-1971, inclusive
Correspondence: Brown, Sandy: Croquet, 1971, inclusive
Correspondence: Bruns: Milt Kahn [empty], circa 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Butwin, David: Bowling, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Carter, Rubin: The Sixteenth Round, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Casler, Conrad: Street-racing Scene, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Chapin, Kim, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Chatham: Schaadt [empty], circa 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Cope, Myron, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Cronley, Jay, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Dickerson, George: High-Low Poker, circa 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Dryden, Ken: Nader Research, 1971, inclusive
Correspondence: Duffy, Bob, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Eliot, Alex: Eton Story, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Elon, Amos: National Israeli Walk, 1971, inclusive
Correspondence: Feldkamp, Fred: Head Family, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Fischer, Bobby: Chess, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Fowles, John: Cricket, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Francis, Dick, 1971-1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Gammon, Clive, 1972-1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Gilbert, Bil, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Harrison, Jim, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Hathaway, Paul, 1969-1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Henkin, Harmon: Clark Fork Fishing [empty], circa 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Hersey, John, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Higdon, Hal: David Pain, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Hirschberg, Al: Haiti Baseballs, circa 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Hjortsberg, William, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Hoagland, Edward: Lynn Rogers and Black Bears, 1972-1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Jerome, John: Cross-Country Ski Essay, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Johnston, Dick, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Jordan, Pat, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Kay, John: Numbers Game, 1972-1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Kinnel, Galway: Virginia Wade, 1972?, inclusive
Correspondence: Kobler: Las Vegas Junkets, circa 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Lombardy, William: Chess Championship, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Maddocks, Melvin, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Mailer, Norman: Frazier, 1972?, inclusive
Correspondence: McGuane, Tom, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: McIlvanney, Hugh, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Metcalf, John, 1971, inclusive
Correspondence: Miles, Dick, 1971-1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Miller, Peter: Burke Mountain Academy, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Mitchell, Carleton, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Moore, Kenny, 1971-1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Myslenski, Skip, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Needleman: Thesis, 1972?, inclusive
Correspondence: O'Neil: Caddying at the Open [empty], circa 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Orr, Bobby: Instructional [empty], circa 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Perry, Gaylord: Spitter [empty], circa 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Plimpton, George, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Rapoport, Roger, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Roth, Philip: The Great American Novel, 1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Sheehan: Senior Olympic Travelers, 1972?, inclusive
Correspondence: Smith, Adam: Yoga Tennis, 1972?, inclusive
Correspondence: Telander, Rick, 1971-1972, inclusive
Correspondence: Tippette, Giles: Saturday's Children, 1971, inclusive
Correspondence: Weeks, Morris: Boatman Van Ost, 1970, inclusive
Correspondence: Yates, Brock, 1972-1973, inclusive
Correspondence: 1973
Correspondence: Assignment of Copyrights, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: A-D, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: D-N, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: P-Z, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Bell, Upton: Where the Bodies Buried [empty], circa 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Blount, Roy, Jr.: Pittsburgh Steelers [RESTRICTED], 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Blount, Roy, Jr.: Pro Football Club, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Brown, Sandy: Croquet [empty], circa 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Bruns, Bill: Milt Kahn (Milt's Mirror), 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Cantwell, Robert, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Chapin, Kim, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Chatham, Russell, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Conroy, Frank: Bob Francis, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Cope, Myron, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Creamer, Bob: Babe Ruth, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Crews, Harry, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Cronley, Jay, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Dillard, Annie: Letter from the Blue Ridge, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Duffy, Bob, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Dunn, Jim: West Coast Run, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Gerber, Dan, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Gilbert, Bil, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Gilbert, Sam: Bill Walton, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Goodman, George aka Adam Smith, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Gutkind, Lee, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Harris, Sherwood: Voisin Flying Machine, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Harrison, Jim, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Havemann, Ernest, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Hjortsberg, William, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Hoagland, Edward, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Holland, Gerald, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Holway, John, 1971-1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Johnston, Dick, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Jordan, Pat, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Lombardy, William: Chess Championship, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Maddocks, Melvin, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Mano, Keith: Softball, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: McCabe, Susan: Hartack Story, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: McGuane, Tom, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: McIlvanney, Hugh, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Miles, Dick [empty], 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Mitchell, Carleton, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Moore, Kenny, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Moses, Sam: Kenny Roberts, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Needleman: Thesis [empty], circa 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Nicklaus, Jack, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Orr, Bobby: Instructional, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Perkins, Steve: Archie Stone, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Plimpton, George, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Reed, J. D., 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Richler, Mordechai: Maxi Burger [empty], circa 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Robertson, Bob: Crosswords/Ted Weed, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Schulian, John, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Smith, Mason: Upcoming Story, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Sutton-Smith, Brian: Vive Essay, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Telander, Rick, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Tippette, Giles, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Tronquet, P. J.: Fishing on Cape Flattery, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Tyler: Perfect Liberty, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Valdene, Guy de la, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Whall, Hugh, 1972-1973, inclusive
Correspondence: White, Ellington: Lake Drummond, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Willeford, Charles, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Wills, Garry: Sport and Religion, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Wolf, Dave: Duane Bobick, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Writers, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Yates, Brock, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Zimmerman: Falconers Hunting Meet, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: 1974
Correspondence: A-C, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: D-M, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: M-Z, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Assignment of Copyright, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Blount, Roy: Contract: Pittsburgh Steelers, 1973-1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Brome, Chuch: Gold House, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Butcher, Grace, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Cantwell, Robert, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Chatham, Russell, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Crews, Harry [empty], 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Cronley, Jay, 1974, inclusive
Scope and Contents
Includes audiovisual material.
1 audiocassette : analog, stereo ; 3 7/8 x 2 1/2 in., 1/8 in. tape. Label on container: "Whelan's Nature Series." The tape is detached.
Correspondence: Eastlake, William: Indian Rodeos, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Gammon, Clive, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Gerber, Dan, Jr., 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Gilbert, Bil, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Gilbert, Sam / Bill Walton, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Harrison, Jim, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Haveman, Ernest, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Hjortsberg, William, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Hoagland, Edward, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Holland, Gerry, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Johnston, Richard, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Jordan, Pat, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Kane, Marty, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: McGuane, Thomas, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: McIlvanney, Hugh, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Merrill, Sam, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Mitchell, Carleton, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Mano, D. Keith, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Moore, Kenny, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Plimpton, George, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Rau, Ron: Arctic Shrew, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Reed, J. D., 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Revson, Peter J. R. / Leon Mandel: Speed with Style, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Robertson, Bob, 1973, inclusive
Correspondence: Schulian, John, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Sharnick, M.: Arthur Mercante, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Smith, Mason (Tim), 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Telander, Rick, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Tippette, Giles, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Whall, Hugh, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Whittaker, James D., 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Wright, Steve: Excerpt: I'd Rather Be Wright, 1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Yardley, Jonathan, 1973-1974, inclusive
Correspondence: Yates, Brock, 1974, inclusive
Memoranda to Roy Terrell, 1974, inclusive
Text Department, 1971-1974, inclusive
Series IV. Associate Editor Joseph Carroll Correspondence, 1970, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Contents
Records from Joseph Carroll contain correspondence to place articles or excerpts from outside writers. Outside writers include those from other magazines (sometimes other Time Inc. magazines), freelancers, and some amateurs. Files do not always have correspondence from the writer and may only contain internal correspondence regarding their article or excerpt. Topics include story ideas, submissions, the logistics of publishing accepted articles, and payment amounts. The correspondence is similar to that in Ray Cave's and Patricia Ryan's files.
Folders I and U are empty.
Arrangement
This series remains in the original alphabetical order.