Description
The Greater Los Angeles Press Club was
formed following World War II. The Club operated a café and cocktail lounge for their
members from 1960 through the 1980s, but as interest in gathering there waned, offices were
leased instead. During the early 1970s the Press Club actively defended freedom of the press
and the rights of newsmen, protesting the arrest of journalist William Farr. The collection
consists of newsletters, annual publications, and administrative files generated by the
Greater Los Angeles Press Club, which document such events as the arrest of journalist
William Farr during the Charles Manson trial in the early 1970s, correspondence regarding
numerous First Amendment issues, and the club's annual Headliner Awards ceremony. There are
photographs of the club's wide range of events, and of submissions from local newspapers and
photographers for entry into the club's publications and awards competitions. There are also
materials not associated with the club that include ephemera and photography publications.
The collection spans the time period from 1948 to 1999.
Background
Founded just after 1900, the Los Angeles Press Club was initially located at 327 South Hill
Street in Downtown Los Angeles where it served as a gathering spot for local journalists.
The club shut down during the Great Depression, but following World War II, the Greater Los
Angeles Press Club was formed: "On September 24, 1946, newsmen from the surviving four daily
newspapers founded the Greater Los Angeles Press Club. Since Los Angeles Press Club was
taken by a nightclub we became the Greater…The nightclub is no longer around and we have
reposessed [sic] our real name." The Press Club operated a café and cocktail lounge for
their members from 1960 through the 1980s, but as interest in gathering there waned, offices
were leased instead.
Restrictions
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge.
Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires
the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user.
Availability
The collection is open for research use.