Collection: David S. Prowitt papers

In 1964, after working for the Chicago Sun-Times, American Airlines and ABC News, David Prowitt became an Executive Producer at WNET. Mr. Prowitt developed NET's first science series, SPECTRUM, serving as producer, writer and correspondent. In 1971, Mr. Prowitt moved to Washington, D.C. where he became a news correspondent and eventually WNET-TV Program Division Washington Bureau Chief. Prowitt's other endeavors at WNET included developing This Week with Bill Moyers, and Bill Moyers Journal. He managed the Science Program Group at WNET producing shows such as The Killers, and The Thin Edge. The collection documents David Prowitt's work for WNET's Science Group and for Science Program Group, Inc.

Dates

1971-1989 and undated

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.

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

5.5 Linear Feet (11 Hollinger boxes)

Additional Description

Scope and Content of Collection

The David S. Prowitt Papers contains material from 1971 to 1989. The bulk of the collection is from 1971 to 1981 when Mr. Prowitt worked for WNET's Science Group and for Science Program Group, Inc. The collection includes correspondence, administrative material (e.g. tax records), as well as video tapes and scripts.

Biography

David Sherburne Prowitt was born on May 29, 1934. He attended the University of Chicago (1951-1952), the Sorbonne (1953-1954), Roosevelt University (1953-1954), the University of Wisconsin (1961), and Brooklyn College (1962-1964).

Mr. Prowitt began his career in 1952 as a reporter, assistant picture editor, and rewrite man for the Chicago Sun-Times. In 1956, he moved to American Airlines where he served as Public Relations Manager and Regional Public Relations Representative. As Public Relations Manager, Mr. Prowitt ran a campaign to promoting American Airline's use of the Boeing 707 for national service.

Mr. Prowitt moved to ABC News in 1960. From 1960 to 1964, he was a news writer, first for ABC Radio, and then for ABC-TV. Later in his tenure at ABC news, Prowitt became a producer, working on live and taped film coverage.

In 1964

Arrangement

This collection is organized as five series.

Series 1: American Trauma Society (ATS)
Series 2: Correspondence
Series 3: Program Materials
Series 4: Science Program Group, Inc.
Series 5: Reports

Custodial History and Acquisition Information

The David S. Prowitt papers was donated to the University of Maryland at College Park Libraries by David Prowitt in August of 1991.

Processing Information

This collection has been highly processed. Aside from some rough groupings of similar material, the collection came to the Libraries in no particular order. The processing archivist arranged files into separate series and sub-series, however, there is overlap among the series. In most cases, materials are arranged by subject and date. The original folders were replaced with acid-free folders and rehoused in acid-free archival boxes.

Topics

Administrative Information

Title: Guide to the David S. Prowitt papers
Status: Completed
Author: Processed by Mark Walden.
Date: 1996-12-01
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

Library Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives

http://www.lib.umd.edu/special

Contact:
University of Maryland Libraries
Hornbake Library
4130 Campus Drive
College Park Maryland 20742
301-405-9212
askhornbake@umd.edu

David S. Prowitt papers

Dates

Use and Access to Collection

Conditions Governing Use

Extent

Additional Description

Scope and Content of Collection

Biography

Arrangement

Custodial History and Acquisition Information

Processing Information

Topics

Administrative Information

Library Details

Library Details

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