Special Collections

American Radio Archives

WELCOME

to one of the largest collections of radio broadcasting in the world. Here you find thousands of scripts, recordings, photographs and much more. Already outgrowing our current space, the archives will nearly double with the addition of the collections owned by Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters. Consequently, we have developed plans for a new building which will provide the needed space, and also a museum area to display these marvelous materials. See the American Radio Archives web site for more information.

The Thousand Oaks Library catalog can be used to search for print materials and scripts in the American Radio Archives.

The American Radio Archives include: scripts, sound recordings, books, photographs, personal papers, correspondence, and other materials that vividly reflect the history of radio and television broadcasting. Although the Archives primarily follow radio history, some cross-over with television is inevitable as many radio shows continued into television, and many radio professionals went on to work in television. Click a collection title for more information:

Smaller collections in the archives include:

Bob Gordon Collection

California Artists Radio Theatre (CART) Collection

Donn Reed Collection

Harold Swanton Collection

Hedda Hopper Collection

Joe Harnell Collection

Joseph W. Roberts Collection

Lonnie Burr Collection

Snagg Werris Collection

Will Cuppy Collection

Norman Corwin Collection: Author, director, composer and producer

Rudy Vallee Collection: Singer, songwriter, saxophone player, bandleader, actor and author

Frank Bresee Collection: Veteran radio actor and radio historian

Broadcasting Collection: General collection of the American Radio Archive

Bob Crosby Collection: Singer, bandleader, regular performer on the Jack Benny program

Calling All Cars Collection: Recordings from the true-crime radio show

Morris Freedman Collection: Radio and television writer

Ralph French Collection: Friend and associate of Rudy Vallee

Milt Josefsberg Collection: Comedy writer and television producer

KNX Collection: Radio script archive at KNX (Los Angeles), a CBS affiliate

Tom Koch Collection: Writer for the Bob and Ray Show on radio

Robert Q. Lewis Collection: Comedian, radio disc jockey, and host of numerous television and radio programs from the late 1940's to the early 1960's

Fletcher Markle Collection: Writer, director, and producer in Canada and England

Hilliard Marks Collection: Brother of Mary Livingston and longtime producer for Jack Benny

Monty Masters Collection: San Francisco-based comedian and writer

Milton and Barbara Merlin Collection: Writers for radio and television from the early 1940s to the mid 1960s

Marvin E. Miller Collection: Writer, actor and announcer in Chicago and Hollywood

Carlton E. Morse Collection: One of the most prolific writers in radio and originated several top series

Pat O'Reilly Collection: News commentator and news writer for KNX and other news services from the 1940s to 1970s

Austin Peterson Collection: Served with Armed Forces Radio Service (AFRS) during World War II

John Pickard-Frank Provo Collection: Writers of radio and television shows

Tom Price Collection: Author of radio histories, primarily related to the Fibber McGee and Molly radio show

Phil Rapp Collection: Radio and television series writer

Yuri Rasovsky Collection: Actor, writer, director and producer

Red Skelton Collection: Well-known comedian of radio, television and motion pictures

Allin Slate Collection: Pioneered the sports talk show format on KABC radio

Sportsmen Collection: Musical scores for the Sportsmen Quartet

Arthur F. Wertheim Collection: Author of Radio Comedy (1979, Oxford University Press)