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Shirley Povich papers

 Collection 0034-MMC-LAB

Shirley Povich (1905-1998) was a sports columnist and reporter for the Washington Post. He joined the Post as a copy boy, then cub reporter, and began his sports writing career in 1924. He worked as the sports editor at the Post from 1925 to 1966. He became a sports columnist in 1933 and continued in that role until his death, except for the time he spent war reporting in the Pacific Theater from 1944-45.

Povich was honored by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975 and elected to the National Sportswriter Hall of Fame in 1984. He was also a recipient of the Red Smith Award in 1983. Who's Who of American Women erroneously included Povich in 1958, which elicited many laughs from his peers and readers.

Most of his columns (originals and photocopies) are included in this collection, as well as his research in the form of his desk files. Many of his awards are preserved, and artifacts such as his press passes from various World Series and Olympic games. The collection also features Povich's photographs with Mickey Mantle, Cal Ripken, Joe DiMaggio, and Muhammad Ali (among others).

Dates

  • 1908-2008, and undated
  • Majority of material found within 1940-1999

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Photocopies or digital surrogates may be provided in accordance with Special Collections and University Archives duplication policy.

Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs unless otherwise specified. It is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission to publish materials from the appropriate copyright holder.

Archival materials may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal and/or state right to privacy laws or other regulations. While we make a good faith effort to identify and remove such materials, some may be missed during our processing. If a researcher finds sensitive personal information in a collection, please bring it to the attention of the reading room staff.

Extent

26.00 Linear Feet

Arrangement

Organized as eight series:

Series 1
Povich columns
Series 2
Desk Files
Series 3
Awards
Series 4
Works and Manuscripts
Series 5
War Reporting
Series 6
Notebooks/Address Book/Boarding Passes
Series 7
Photographs/AV
Series 8
Artifacts

Custodial History and Acquisition Information

The College of Journalism transferred the Shirley Povich papers to the Library of American Broadcasting, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries in November of 2009.

Processing Information

Materials were placed into acid-free folders and put into an acid-free boxes. Photographs were put into plastic sleeves and if need be, unrolled and flattened. Newspapers were photocopied on acid-free paper.

Title
Guide to the Shirley Povich papers
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Katie Galella
Date
2010-10
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Revision Statements

  • 2010-10-28: EAD revised by Karen E King.
  • 2010-11-02: EAD revised by Katie Galella.
  • 2010-11-03: EAD revised by Karen King.
  • 2010-11-23: EAD revised by Karen King.
  • 2012-08-20: Tagged with relevant subject headings by Chuck Howell.
  • 2017-11-03: Finding aid reviewed and edited by Rebecca Thayer.
  • 2021-07-16: Jim Baxter re-wrote the collection abstract.

Library Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives

Contact:
University of Maryland Libraries
Hornbake Library
4130 Campus Drive
College Park Maryland 20742
301-405-9212