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Papers of
Chalmers Marquis
Processed by: Shana L. Visser
June 1996
2.0 lin. ft.
Biography | Scope and Content | Provenance | Series Descriptions
Chalmers Marquis, a longtime lobbyist for educational television, attended the University of Chicago College before moving on to the University of Illinois, where he trained in journalism and broadcasting and studied under Frank Schooley. While at the University, Marquis created a campus radio station that broadcast from a photography store in Urbana. Upon completion of his courses in 1950, Marquis accepted a job as a "dolly-pusher" at WGN TV, where he remained for three years. He then took a position at WBBM TV, the CBS affiliate in Chicago. There, he produced and directed numerous commercials in addition to his work with regular programming.
Marquis's desire to see television used as an instrument of learning rather than merely passive entertainment prompted his acceptance in 1955 of a position with WTTW, Chicago's public television station. First working as a producer/director, Marquis soon moved into the realm of public relations and development, and eventually became director of programming. He remained with WTTW for nine years, during which time the station was the largest public broadcaster in the United States, setting the standard for educational broadcasting.
Despite various obstacles, such as a lack of funding and a kilowatt signal approximately one quarter as powerful as those of commercial stations, Marquis fostered the genesis of numerous projects and expanded WTTW. He organized Chicago Area School Television (CAST), which broadcasted two channels into local classrooms.
In 1965 Marquis became the first full-time executive director of Educational Television Stations (ETS, created in 1963), the newly-formed television arm of the National Association of Educational Broadcasters (NAEB). He participated in the establishment of the Educational Television Stations Program Service (later the Public Television Library), which supplied programming to public television stations. He was also involved in the movement to create the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
Due to the consistent lack of funding for public television stations, Marquis spent increasing amounts of time lobbying for government funding, particularly from administrative departments such as Health, Education, and Welfare. He fought to push through the House of Representatives legislation that eventually became the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967.
Marquis's work at ETS led to his position in 1970 as Executive Vice President of NAEB, which he followed with a term at the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Marquis then became a full-time lobbyist as legislative liaison for the National Association of Public Television Stations (NAPTS), which later became America's Association of Public Television, Inc. (APTV), a lobbying arm of the Association of America's Public Television Stations (APTS).
Along with his work for NAPTS, Marquis frequently lobbied Congress on behalf of the Children's Television Workshop. He spent much of his time gathering evidence, later presented to various congressional committees, demonstrating the positive impact of public broadcasting and the necessity for its continued existence. His work involved efforts to obtain funds from the National Science Foundation, to procure government funding for CTW programs such as 3-2-1 Contact, Square One TV, and Ghostwriter, and to further the development of the National Endowment for Children's Educational Television.
The Papers of Chalmers Marquis cover the years 1978 to 1993 and also contain some undated material. The bulk of the material ranges from 1985 to 1992. Correspondence, reports, congressional hearings, speeches and writings, program materials, news clippings, and press releases focus primarily on Marquis's work as a lobbyist for the Children's Television Workshop.
The collection consists of two series:
The Papers of Chalmers Marquis were donated to the National Public Broadcasting Archives, University of Maryland Libraries by Chalmers Marquis in January of 1991, October of 1992, and June of 1995.
Series 1: Children's Television Workshop, 1978-1993 (1.8 lin. ft.)
This series chronicles various aspects of Marquis's association with
the Children's Television Workshop.
- Subseries 1: Subject Files, 1978-1993
This subseries documents CTW events and special programs, including the Sesame Street Preschool Education Project and Sesame Street Live. Also included are Marquis's lobbying reports. The files are arranged alphabetically by folder title.
- Subseries 2: Legislative Activities, 1978-1993
This subseries documents Marquis's work as a legislative lobbyist for the Children's Television Workshop. Materials include congressional testimony from CTW executives and others involved in public broadcasting, correspondence with the congressional and executive branches of government, and background information designed to further the progress of specific legislation. The folders are arranged by legislation and then chronologically.
This series consists of five folders detailing Marquis's involvement with the American Open University and its merger with the New York Institute of Technology. Materials include correspondence with Donald R. McNeil and Secretary of Education Terrell Bell, a student handbook and application, and press releases. The folders are arranged chronologically.
