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The Wisdom Collection
Processed by: Karen FishmanFebruary 1998
13.5 lin. ft
ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY
Wisdom was a half-hour television series on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) which aired from 1957 to 1965. The program featured interviews with distinguished guests in the fields of arts, sciences and politics. These interviews were conducted by a knowledgeable expert, usually known to the guest. Wisdom was a direct result of NBC's newly formed Special Projects division, which was headed by Henry Salomon.
Earlier, between 1952 and 1956, NBC had broadcast half-hour interviews with many brilliant people for a series called, at times, Conversations with Elder Wise Men and at other times, Conversations with Distinguished Persons .
These highly respected programs premiered on May 18, 1952 and were rebroadcast in 1957 as part of the new series Wisdom which premiered on September 15, 1957.
The series opened with an interview with Pablo Picasso. New interviews were filmed to complete the series resulting in over 40 interviews with such prominent people as David Ben Gurion, Bertrand Russell, Eleanor Roosevelt, Nadia Boulanger, Eamon De Valera, Robert Frost and Margaret Mead. These interviews were rebroadcast between 1961 and 1962. In 1965, four programs that had been intended for earlier broadcast were aired occasionally on Sunday afternoons.
In 1958, TV Guide described the series as "a large and imposing asset to the public affairs side of the television ledger."
In 1957, Robert D. Graff was the producer, director and sometimes acted as interviewer. Graff, who joined NBC in 1951,produced and directed many specials for NBC, including , F.D.R., Winston Churchill--The Valiant Years, Assignment: Southeast Asia, and Assignment: India.
By 1959, the programs were produced by Donald Hyatt, a well known documentary producer (Victory at Sea) and James Nelson, manager of NBC-TV's Special Projects division and assistant to NBC Television President Sylvestor L. (Pat) Weaver. Other producers for the series were: Robert Emmett Ginna, Jr., Ben Park, Caroline Burke and Romney Wheeler.
Two books were published from the materials generated for the preparation of the series. The first, Wisdom: Conversations with the Elder Wise Men of Our Day , was published in 1958 and later, Wisdom For Our Time, published in 1961, both by W. W. Norton & Co., and edited by James Nelson.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTES
The Wisdom Collection spans the years 1951 to 1966, with the bulk of the material from 1957 to 1959. The collection includes: correspondence, transcripts, memoranda, contracts, newspaper clippings, photographs and negatives. The collection documents every element of the planning, production and presentation of the Wisdom television series.
The collection also contains materials pertaining to the publication of Wisdom: Conversations with the Elder Wise Men of Our Day and Wisdom For Our time. They include: correspondence, drafts, book reviews and transcripts. Photographs and negatives found in this collection have been removed from their original placement within the Individual Program Files, put into proper photographic storage, and made into a distinct series, Series IV.
The Wisdom Collection has been divided into four series. They include:
Series I - Individual Program Files
Series II - Administrative Files
Series III - Publications
Series IV - Photographs and Negatives
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series I: Individual Program Files, 1953-1956 (8.5 lin. ft.)
This series contains materials that document individual Wisdom programs or proposed programs. Correspondence, transcripts, interview questions, production notes, research notes and contracts for most guests will be found in this series. Materials have been filed alphabetically by program name.
Series II: Administrative Files, 1952-1966, (2.0 lin. ft.)
This series contains the general office files of the Wisdom series. Materials such as press releases, promotional materials, correspondence, budgets, production notes, scheduling information, memos and fan mail have been filed alphabetically.
Series III: Publications, 1958-1965, (1.5 lin. ft.)
This series contains materials generated by the preparation for publication of two books relating to the Wisdom series. Materials include drafts of the book, book reviews, contracts, transcripts, and press releases.
Series IV: Photographs and Negatives, (1.5 lin. ft.)
Series IV contains photographs and negatives of 26 people interviewed for the Wisdom program. All materials have been put into proper photographic storage. Photographs, contact sheets, and negatives of many sizes are contained in this series and filed alphabetically.
For further information, contact the Library of American Broadcasting.
labcast@umd.edu
Library of American Broadcasting
University of Maryland, College Park
