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Arch Campbell Papers

 Collection 0033-MMC-LAB

Arch Campbell has been reporting on film and local theater and entertainment in Washington, D.C. since the 1970s. He is most known for his coverage of movies and the arts on WRC-TV, the local NBC-owned station on which he hosted segments for 32 years. In January of 2007, he joined WJLA-TV/ABC7 and NewsChannel 8. Campbell has won many awards during his career.

The collection consists of television scripts and personal notes, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, and correspondence from Campbell's career as an entertainment critic. Boxes 1-17 of the collection contain 116 photos, 56 slides, and two 45 rpm's (in Box 9, folder 55).

Dates

  • 1974-2006

Use and Access to Collection

This collection is open to the public and must be used in the Special Collections reading room. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

This collection contains audiovisual materials. Items that cannot be used in the Special Collections reading room or are too fragile for researchers require that a digital copy be made prior to use. If you would like to access these materials, please contact us prior to your visit.

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

50.50 Linear Feet

Scope and Content of Collection

The Arch Campbell Collection spans the years 1974-2006. The collection contains scripts, promotional and publicity materials, videos and office files from Arch Campbell's career as entertainment reporter.

Biography

Arch Campbell has been an entertainment reporter in Washington D.C. since the 1970s. His work has also been broadcast nationally.

Arch Campbell is a native of Texas and earned his Bachelor's and Master's in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. Campbell began his broadcasting career as a radio announcer in San Antonio and Austin and later his television news career at WFAA-TV in Dallas. In 1974, he moved to Washington, D.C. to join the NBC-owned local station WRC-TV as a feature reporter, where he did entertainment segments twice a day for the local news. These were syndicated nationally by NBC. His late night comedy show, The Arch Campbell Show, ran from 1985-1990. The show was a ratings hit and was awarded more than a dozen Emmy Awards, and it won "Best Local Entertainment Show" for three consecutive years. In addition, Campbell has won eight Emmy Awards for his celebrity interviews and comedy specials. Arch is beloved by people in the D.C. area, having been voted "Best Local Movie Reviewer" and "Best Feature Reporter" by readers of Washingtonian Magazine. Campbell is also the recipient of two Sigma Delta Chi Dateline Awards for television features. He joined WJLA-TV/ABC7 and NewsChannel 8 in January of 2007 and appears weekly on 97.1 WASH-FM. In 2007 he was honored by the Mayor of Washington, D.C., Adrian Fenty, for his contributions to the coverage of the arts.

Campbell survived colon cancer and is a frequent speaker during Colon Cancer Month in March. Campbell and his wife Gina live in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Together, they sponsor the Jean Longwith Scholarship Fund at San Antonio College. Campbell also works with the Sibley Hospital and the Community Foundation for Greater Washington.

Arrangement

Organized as one series:

  1. Series 1: Entertainment Files

Custodial History and Acquisition Information

The Library of American Broadcasting received the collection from Arch Campbell, at WRC-TV in Washington, D.C. on February 15, 2001. The collection was picked up in three installments.

Processing Information

This collection is minimally processed meaning that little arrangment of the material was completed. Folders headings reflect the titles given by the donor. Materials were left in original folders and placed in acid free boxes. Newspaper clippings were photocopied on acid-free paper for preservation purposes. Material received in 2014 has not been incorporated. An inventory to this material is available upon request.

Title
Guide to the Arch Campbell Papers
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by Breanna Byecroft and Katie Galella, April 2011
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English

Revision Statements

  • 2011-04-26: EAD revised by Karen E. King, April 2011.
  • 2012-08-20: Tagged with relevant subject headings by Chuck Howell.
  • 2017-11-01: Finding aid checked and verified post ArchivesSpace migration by Joanne Archer.
  • 2018-02-09: Related accessions linked to finding aid and Conditions Governing Use and Access updated by Jen Wachtel.
  • 2022-06-13: Lindsay Oliver updated gendered language throughout the finding aid.

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