The bulk of the subseries consists of source files and subject files containing interviews and research conducted by Woodward and Bernstein. Although the contents of the source files and the subject files are often similar, maintaining the distinction between them reflects Woodward's working methods. Source files most often contain notes from interviews conducted while writing stories for the Post. Subject files tend to be larger and more often contain information about a topic or individual rather than material from that individual. Both groups of files are arranged alphabetically. Of note are Woodward's handwritten notes from the arraignment of the Watergate burglars the day after the break-in and notes from his contacts with Mark Felt. Many of the files remain closed in accordance with Woodward and Bernstein's promises to protect their sources' identities.
Also included with Washington Post materials are several Watergate related publications issued by the Post, clippings of Woodward and Bernstein stories, clippings of Watergate stories from other papers and reporters, and photo reproductions of front page Washington Post Watergate stories.
Woodward's All the President's Men materials contain contracts, outlines, editing notes, and page proofs for the book. Also present are financial records, such as royalty statements and expense accounts, dating from 1973 to 1977. These materials cover the period during which Woodward and Bernstein were writing All the President's Men and The Final Days, and include personal financial information for both reporters. Manuscript drafts for the book are located with Bernstein's materials.
The All the President's Men movie materials contain Woodward's notes on discussions with Robert Redford and several screenplay drafts annotated by Woodward and Bernstein. Publicity materials for the movie include a 35mm film trailer and French language videotape of the film.
Woodward's research materials for The Final Days include copies of Senate and House Committee proceedings, many with Woodward and Armstrong's annotations. Also included are copies of court documents from Watergate related proceedings, press releases from the White House, Congress, the Watergate Special Prosecution Force, and The Committee to Re-elect the President, published compilations of presidential documents, and photocopies of presidential phone logs and diaries.
Several boxes of material trace the coverage of Watergate by the national media. These files contain clippings and articles from journalists such as Lou Cannon, William Safire, and David Wise, and magazines such as Time and Newsweek. Other files, created by Al Kaman, contain typed chronologies of Watergate news coverage.
Typed, carbon copy, and photocopied manuscripts for the book include early and intermediate drafts. Some drafts are identified as Woodward's working copies and some as Bernstein's working copies, others are not identified as either Woodward's or Bernstein's. As with All the President's Men, the drafts were typed on six layered carbon paper creating numerous copies of each draft. Many contain handwritten corrections or notes from the authors, their assistants, or their editor at Simon and Schuster, Alice Mayhew. As drafts moved back and forth between the parties, sections became separated or mixed and portions of one draft may be split between Woodward's files and Bernstein's files.
The Final Days was written in two parts covering "22 areas of inquiry" as stated in the authors' foreword. Part I contained 20 chapters examining various periods, events, and individuals from April 1973 to July 1974. Part II covered the period of July 24 to August 9. As published, the chapters in Part I were untitled, but Woodward and Bernstein used topical headings for each section as they worked. As sections of the book developed and text was moved from one draft to the next, headings changed or overlapped. Drafts for Part I of the book are labeled with their original working headings in the container list. They are roughly in the order that arrived at the Ransom Center and do not exactly correspond to the final arrangement of the chapters in the published book. Drafts for Part II of the book are headed by date and are in chronological order as in Part II of the published book.
Other materials include photographs used in the book, galley proofs with Woodward's handwritten corrections, copies of the book's Newsweek excerpts, and a first edition copy of the book with text marked by Woodward.
Also in the subseries are photocopies and notes related to Woodward's research on Nixon and Mark felt in the 1980s and 1990s.
The small amount of correspondence includes a photocopy of a letter from Ford to Woodward expressing appreciation for the book, and a letter from Frank Fox accompanying several articles by Fox on Ford and Nixon. Notes and comments from Woodward's research assistant Jeff Glasser are found throughout the materials.
In addition to the Shadow materials are items related to a Ford article written by Woodward soon after finishing Shadow. Created for a book on the winners of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation's Profile in Courage Award, the piece is documented with one folder of computer printout drafts, correspondence, and publicity materials for the Kennedy Library and the award.
Most of the clippings are from the United States with a small number related to The Final Days from the United Kingdom. The materials are very similar to those in the Clippings subseries in the Bernstein series, but are not as extensive.
Two folders of handwritten and typed speech notes form the bulk of the subseries. Accompanying these notes are photographs and programs from various speeches and appearances, including photos from a 1976 Meet the Press television broadcast featuring Woodward and Bernstein. Other items include letters in response to applications Woodward made at The Washington Post and The New York Times in the early 1970s, press badges from 1974 to 1981, and personal letters from friends and colleagues. Notable among these are letters from Dan Rather, Judge John Sirica, and a 1974 three page letter addressed to "Bob and Carl" from Katharine Graham praising their efforts and achievements over the previous two years.
Also found in the Personal material is biographical information for Woodward and others at The Washington Post.
Photocopied outlines and drafts for Charles Colson's Born Again (1976) and H. R. Haldeman's The Haldeman Diaries: Inside the Nixon White House (1994) were sent to Woodward by publishers or agents. An incomplete photocopy of Haldeman's book The Ends of Power (1978) contains Woodward's handwritten comments and notes.
The creation of All the President's Men is well documented with multiple copies of heavily annotated typescripts and carbon drafts, including fragments of two early versions focusing on the burglars. Included are galley proofs with Bernstein's handwritten corrections, and materials relating to excerpts of the book that appeared in Playboy.
Other papers related to the book include Simon and Schuster promotional materials and memorabilia sent to or collected by Bernstein such as brochures and pamphlets from speaking engagements, anti-Nixon bumper stickers and cartoons, and letters sent to Bernstein's father, Al Bernstein, commenting on Carl's achievements.
Documents related to the movie version of All the President's Men include screenplay typescripts, shooting schedules, promotional material, and a letter to Robert Redford from Bernstein and Woodward outlining their thoughts on the film and recommendations for minor changes.
Arrangement of this subseries is the same as in Woodward's, with topically headed drafts of sections used in Part I of the book followed by chronologically arranged sections used in Part II. None of Bernstein's Final Days source files are currently open for research. Research materials consist of one typed chronology of Watergate news stories similar to those located in the Woodward Final Days subseries
Unique to Bernstein's subseries are heavily edited photocopies of intermediate drafts and a copy-edited final draft. Also specific to Bernstein's files are his extensive handwritten preliminary notes, outlines, and comments on the book's development, as well as several drafts of acknowledgements, forewords, and other front matter used in the book.
Other materials include galley proofs with Bernstein's corrections, copies of the Newsweek book excerpts, and a small amount of correspondence mostly related to reviews and sales figures.
In addition to the fan mail are letters and telegrams from coworkers and fellow journalists such as Tom Brokaw. Also of note is a copy of the agreement between Bernstein, Woodward, and The Washington Post for the writing of The Final Days.
Woodward and Bernstein were assisted with their correspondence by Laura Quirk. A Post employee, Quirk gathered the letters in batches, and sent them to either Woodward or Bernstein who then forwarded the correspondence to the other after review. This system caused a great deal of overlap in dates among the files, particularly during 1976 when they received a large amount of mail in response to the release of The Final Days and the movie All the President's Men.
There are numerous notes and comments written between Woodward, Bernstein, and Quirk at the tops of letters and on the file folders containing them, including drafts of replies. Several folders of mail dating from 1974 to 1976 include carbons of typed responses along with the incoming letters, but the bulk of the correspondence files contain incoming letters only.
The folders of correspondence were received at the Ransom Center in no particular order. During processing they were grouped according to notations written by Quirk on the front of the file folders: "General," "Carl," "Done," and "File." Letters are in rough chronological order within these headings.
Other correspondence is located with Bernstein's All the President's Men memorabilia, Woodward's personal materials, and with promotional materials and clippings for both their books and the movie. All incoming correspondence, other than routine fan mail, is indexed at the end of the finding aid. Included in the index are notes and memos from Washington Post and Simon and Schuster personnel.
Clippings under the heading "Bernstein and Woodward / Journalism" include articles on the two reporters, coverage of their speeches and appearances, and stories on journalism in general. Included is a scrapbook created by Bernstein's mother and a typed carbon draft of a Washington Post story by Robert Kaiser on Bernstein leaving the Post. Several articles document Bernstein's activities after his departure, including one dated 1992. Also included is a 1973 Quill article written by Bernstein that details how he and Woodward pursued the Watergate story.
Materials under "Nixon / Watergate" include numerous magazine articles as well as videotapes of a 1987 ABC News program and a 1992 CBS News program. Similar clippings are located in the Clippings subseries of Woodward's papers, but in lesser amounts.
| Woodward and Bernstein Watergate Papers Finding Aid | ||||||
| Title Page | Biographical Sketch |
Scope and Contents |
Series Descriptions |
Folder List | Index of Correspondents |
Associated Materials |
Reference queries to: reference@hrc.utexas.edu
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