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Robert Coughlan Papers

 Collection
Identifier: 31/6/175

  • Staff Only
  • No requestable containers

Scope and Contents

The papers of Robert Coughlan fill 25 boxes and date between 1904 and 1993. Included are mainly biographical materials, Life magazine articles, publications, drafts and research materials, Rose Kennedy book drafts and interview transcripts and research materials on the Kennedy family.

Biographical materials (Box 1, folders 1-5) include letters written and received by Coughlan, various materials relating to his work, medical records, one page of his will and a Northwestern Alumni News death notice.

Box 1 (folders 6-16) through Box 3 contain Life magazine articles and article drafts written by Coughlan.

Boxes 4 through 14 (folders 1-7) include articles, drafts, letters, notebooks, interview transcripts, clippings and other research materials used by Coughlan for his publications.

Boxes 14 (folders 8-17) through 19 (folders 1-5) comprise drafts of Rose Kennedy’s memoirs Times to Remember.

Boxes 19 (folders 1-5) and 20 (folders 1-23) include transcripts of interviews Coughlan performed mainly with Rose Kennedy, but also with other members of the Kennedy family and friends.

Boxes 20 (folders 24-26) through 22 (folders 1-4) contain clippings, book drafts, letters, notes and other research materials relating to the Kennedy family.

Boxes 22 (folder 5) through 25 (folders 1-5) comprise research materials for articles on film directors.

Box 25 (folders 6-10) contains general materials, such as letters, negatives and the two books Tropical Africa and Elizabeth and Catherine.

Dates

  • 1914 - 1992

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is stored off-site and requires two business days advance notice for retrieval. Please contact the McCormick Library at specialcollections@northwestern.edu or 847-491-3635 for more information or to schedule an appointment to view the collection.

Extent

25 Boxes

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Northwestern University alumnus Robert Coughlan was a writer and editor at Fortune and Life magazines, and an editorial associate with the John F. Kennedy Foundation. Between 1937 and 1974 he wrote several publications and articles and received numerous national journalism awards and citations. His papers date to between 1904 and 1993; they include biographical materials, Life magazine articles, publications, drafts and research materials, Rose Kennedy book drafts and interview transcripts and research materials on the Kennedy family.

Arrangement

The papers of Robert Coughlan are organized into: biographical materials (in approximate chronological order); Life magazine articles (in order by date of publication); publications drafts and research materials (arranged alphabetically by title); Rose Kennedy interview transcripts (in chronological order); Kennedy family research materials; research materials for articles on film directors (arranged alphabetically by surname); general materials (arranged alphabetically by topic). Items within folders are generally arranged in chronological order.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Robert Coughlan Papers were donated to the Northwestern University Archives by Patricia Coughlan on September 17, October 11 and November 9, 1993 and on January 17 and 26, 1994 (Accession numbers 93-148, 93-160, 93-187, 94-14, 94-15). Accession number 93-199 has no date.

Processing Information

Yvonne Spura, 2018.

Title
Guide to the (John) Robert Coughlan Papers
Status
Completed
Author
Yvonne Spura
Date
2018
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Library Details

Part of the Northwestern University Archives Repository

Contact:
Deering Library, Level 3
1970 Campus Dr.
Evanston IL 60208-2300 US
847-491-3635