G. Bennett Larson papers, 1929-1987

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Larson, G. Bennett, 1910-
Title
G. Bennett Larson papers
Dates
1929-1987 (inclusive)
Quantity
14.5 linear feet
Collection Number
MS 0444
Summary
The G. Bennett Larson papers (1929-1987) primarily span the radio years 1930-1940. The collection is divided into three sections: the first section contains Larson's personal materials, the second section contains materials documenting the Time acquisition, and the third section contains twenty-six boxes of radio scripts that Larson either produced or directed. George Bennett Larson (1910-1989) began as a fledgling radio star with KDYL in Utah and went on to become a successful radio and television entrepreneur.
Repository
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860

Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu
Access Restrictions

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

George Bennett Larson (1910-1989) was born on 15 March 1910 in Salt Lake City, Utah, to George Edward Larson and the former Ardella Brown. G. Bennett Larson began as a fledgling radio star with KDYL in Utah and went on to become a successful radio and television entrepreneur. Larson began his radio career at KDYL in Salt Lake City at the young age of 16. Within three years, Larson instigated the "Uncle Ben" children's show and the "Kangaroo Club" which ultimately reached a membership of 20,000 children.

From Salt Lake City, Larson moved on to New York City and the National Broadcasting Corporation, as a producer and director. Between the years 1929-1934, he worked on the "Chase and Sanborn Coffee/Tea Hour, "Ed Wynn and the Fire Chief" show and the "Fleischmann's Yeast Hour." Between 1934-1942 Larson was affiliated with the Joseph Katz Company, Ruthrauff and Ryan, and Young and Rubicam agencies as a radio executive.

In 1942 Larson's career took a new direction as he became involved with specific radio and television stations. Starting in Washington, D. C., Larson joined forces with WWDC as general manager and part owner. From 1945-1947, he was manager of WPEN in Philadelphia, and from 1947-1950 he was vice president of television for WCAU-TV. In 1950 Larson was general manager of WPIX in New York.

Larson returned to Salt Lake and his radio "alma mater," KDYL, as part of the acquisition process of Intermountain Broadcasting and Television Corporation by Time Magazine, Inc., and received the mantle of authority at KDYL-KTVT as its president. The sixteen-year-old radio genius had come a long way from the 20,000 member "Kangaroo Club."

Larson died of pneumonia, at age 79, in March 1989.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The George Bennett Larson papers (1929-1987) primarily span the radio years 1930-1940. The collection is divided into three sections: the first section contains Larson's personal materials, the second section contains materials documenting the Time acquisition, and the third section contains twenty-six boxes of radio scripts that Larson either produced or directed. The first two sections of the collection document the personal side of G. Bennett Larson. In section one, topics are arranged alphabetically. It contains materials that characterize Larson in terms of his different jobs and affiliations through news clippings and articles, specific biographical information on the early portions of Larson's career, personal materials that are less biographical in nature but deal specifically with Larson.

Section II documents the acquisition of Intermountain Broadcasting and Television Corporation by Time Magazine, Inc. Included are correspondence pertaining to the acquisition process and a bound volume of the papers documenting the stock purchase agreement, proceedings before the Federal Communications Commission, the organization of TLF Broadcasting Corporation, loan agreements, corporate proceedings prior to closing, the closing, corporate proceedings after the closing, liquidation and dissolution of "old Intermountain," opinions of counsel, and the adjustment date settlement.

The majority of the collection is in section III. Section III contains radio scripts from the early 1930s and 1940s, and is heavily concentrated in the early to middle 1930s. It contains scripts arranged alphabetically in major groupings, including the "Al Jolson" show, "Chase and Sanborn Coffee/Tea Hour," "Ed Wynn and the Fire Chief Band," " Fleischmann's Yeast Hour," "Gillette Original Community Sing, "Joe Penner," and the "Quaker Party," as well as other scripts.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Radio scriptsmay not be reproduced.

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Preferred Citation

Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Gift of G. Bennett Larson.

Processing Note

Processed by Julie Reiser in 1988.

Separated Materials

Photographs from this collection were transfered to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (P0048).

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Larson Personal MaterialsReturn to Top

This series contains newsclippings, personal correspondence, and other miscellaneous materials emphasizing the career and personal life of G. Bennett Larson. Folders 2-20 contain articles and clippings.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1
Amos 'n' Andy Autographs
This folder contains copies of the autographs, the originals are kept in the Manuscripts division's safe.
1 2
Blackburn and Co.
1 3
Salt Lake City Chamber of Comerce
1 4
Chase and Sanborn Hours
1 5
Gillette Community Sing
1 6
Goodyear "Salute to Youth"
1 7
Great Western Network
1 8
Intermountain Electrical Association
1 9
Joseph Katz Company
1 10
Salt Lake City KDYL-KTVT Photocopies
1 11
Salt Lake City KDYL-KTVT Originals
1 12
Salt Lake City KSL
1 13
Kefauver Hearings
1951
1 14
Larson Personal
1 15
New York NBC
1 16
Time Acquisition
1953
1 17
Vidpix
1 18
Philadelphia Pennsylvania WCAU/WPEN
1 19
New York WPIX
1 20
Washington, D. C. WWDC
1 21
Biographical Information
This folder contains a biographical summary of Larson in "Who's Who of NBC Production Directors" and a caricature by Rosenberg.
1943
1 22
Correspondence
1929-1964
1 23
WWDC "Happy Birthday Script"
1 24
"Jolly Junketeers"
This folder contains articles and clippings on the Jolly Junketers, including the Party and Painting Book, and a Jolly Junketeer pin. Photos from this folder were transfered to the Multimedia divisions collection P0048.
1 25
Miscellaneous Material
1 26
Larson News Releases
1 27
Speeches
1 28
Advertisements and Programs Speeches

Time Magazine, Inc., Acquisition of "Old" IntermountainReturn to Top

This series contains correspondence and papers of the Time acquisition of Intermountain Broadcasting and television Corporation.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
2 1
Correspondence
1953-1987
Volume
2 1
Time, Incorporated: Acquisition of Intermountain Broadcasting and Television Corporation
This folder contains a bound compendium of papers documenting the acquisition, stock agreements, proceedings before the Federal Communications Commission, organization of TLF, loan agreements, corporate proceedings prior to closing, the closing, corporate proceedings after closing, liquidation and dissolution of "old Intermountian," opinions of counsel, and the adjustment date settlement.
1953

Radio ScriptsReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
3
"AL Jolson"
1937-1938
4
"Al Jolson"
1938
5
"Al Jolson" and "Chase and Sanborn Coffee Hour"
1933
6
"Chase and Sanborn Coffee Hour"
1934
7
"Chase and Sanborn Tea Hour"
1933
8
"Chase and Sanborn Tea Hour" and "Ed Wynn and the Fire Chief Band"
1933
9
"Ed Wynn and the Fire Chief Band" and "Fleischmann's Yeast Hour"
1932-1934
10
"Fleischmann's Yeast Hour"
1933
11
"Fleischmann's Yeast Hour"
12
"Fleischmann's Yeast Hour"
1933
13
"Fleischmann's Yeast Hour"
1934
14
"Fleischmann's Yeast Hour"
This box also contains loose pages of "Fleischmann's Yeast Hour."
1934
15
"Gillette Original Community Sing"
1936
16
"Gillette Original Community Sing"
1936-1937
17
"Gillette Original Community Sing"
1937
18
"Gillette Original Community Sing"
1937
19
"Gillette Summer Hotel" and "Joe Penner"
1936-1937
20
"Joe Penner"
1937
21
"Joe Penner"
1938
22
"Joe Penner" and "Quaker Party"
1938
23
"Quaker Party"
1938
24
"Quaker Party"
1938
Miscellaneous Scripts
Box Folder
25 1-4
"The Aldrich Family"
1939-1941
25 5
"Circus Night in Silvertown"
1935
25 6
"Easy Aces"
25 7
"Ed Wynn Grab Bag"
25 8
"Esso Half-Hour of Adventure"
1934
25 9-10
"Flying Red Horse Tavern"
1936
26 1
"Flying Red Horse Tavern"
1936
26 2-3
"Fred Allen Show"
1939-1940
26 4-6
"Gulliver the Traveller"
1936
26 7-8
"Happy Meeting Time"
27 1-3
Honolulu Bound"
1939
27 4
"Jello Program"
1940
27 5
"Johnny Morgan Show"
1943
27 6
"Jolly Junketeers"
1931
28 1
"Reg'lar Fellers"
1941
28 2-3
"Rinso-Lifebouy-Ken Murray"
1936
28 4-6
"Royal Gelatin Program"
1933
28 7-8
"Royal Gelatin Revue"
1933
29 1
"Rudy Vallee Sealtest Program"
1940
29 2
"Screen Guild Snow"
29 3-4
"Star Spangled Vaudeville"
1942
29 4A
"Summer Days"
29 5
"Time to Smile"
1941
29 6
"Tommy Riggs"
1938
29 7-8
"Town Hall Tonight"
1939
29 9
"What is America"
29 10
"The World of the Day After Tomorrow"
29 11
Loose Unidentified Pages

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Radio broadcasting--Utah--History--Sources
  • Television broadcasting--Utah--History--Sources

Personal Names

  • Larson, G. Bennett,1910- --Archives

Corporate Names

  • KDYL (Radio station : Salt Lake City, Utah)

Form or Genre Terms

  • Articles
  • Clippings
  • Correspondence
  • Radio scripts
  • Speeches