Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
G. Bennett Larson papers, 1929-1987
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Larson, G. Bennett, 1910-
- Title
- G. Bennett Larson papers
- Dates
- 1929-1987 (inclusive)19291987
- 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
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