McClatchy (James B.) family collection, 1849-2008, bulk 1940-2003

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Summary

Creators:
McClatchy Broadcasting, McClatchy Newspapers, and McClatchy, James B., 1920-2006
Abstract:
The James B. McClatchy family collection documents one patriarch of the prominent newspaper family as well as his relationship and documents of others in the McClatchy family such as Eleanor, Carlos, Charles Kenny (C.K.), William Ellery, and Charles Kelly (C.K.) McClatchy. Material dates from 1849 to 2008, with the bulk of it covering most of James B.'s newspaper career from 1940-2003. The collection consists of correspondence; research for articles and books with prints, negatives, and clippings from his 1962-1965 coverage of the then Soviet Union; material documenting McClatchy newspaper principles and policies; transcripts of Sacramento Bee employees; newspaper clippings; two maps of early California; Disney's Bees poster; and James B.'s community involvement, particularly the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA).
Extent:
11 boxes and 10.08 Linear Feet
Language:
English and Languages represented in the collection: English, Spanish, and Russian.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item and/or item number], [box and folder number], James B. McClatchy family collection, MS0143, Center for Sacramento History.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection is 10.08 linear feet and contains correspondence, diaries, news clippings, two maps of California, prints, photo albums, scrapbooks, publications, diaries, research notes, lecture notes, transcripts, and awards relating to the life and career of James Briggs McClatchy and the McClatchy family.

The first series, Personal papers, highlights James Brigg McClatchy's personal achievements such as awards, speeches, newspaper article clippings and notes he had saved from his career, correspondence, and his community involvement from 1927 to 2007. Included in this series are biographical sketches of James Briggs McClatchy and correspondence with Erwin Potts from 1978-2005 and Charles Kenny (C.K.) McClatchy from 1978-1989. Also documented in this series are research notes, photographs, photocopies, and research correspondence in relation to his Soviet Union articles (1962-1965) and his genealogical Rideout material (ca. 1995-2001) that James Briggs McClatchy was working on during his time in the company.

The second series, McClatchy Newspaper Company, contains business papers concerning Sacramento Bee policies, rules, employee knowledge, publications, and transcripts of interviews from 1940-2000. These interviews were mostly conducted by Art Nauman from 1979-2000. It also includes a poster of different versions of Walt Disney's "Scoopy the Bee" mascot for the newspaper.

The third and last series, McClatchy family papers and photos, highlights a few books and papers of the McClatchy family left in James Briggs McClatchy's care. Included in this are items from his father, Carlos McClatchy, including two scrapbooks (ca. 1900-1915) of newspaper clippings, correspondence, and his Redwood yearbooks from 1906 and 1908; correspondence from Charles Kelly; the diary of Charles Kenny from 1928-1929; articles by and on Eleanor from ca. 1947-1992; and a family photo album from ca. 1860-1915. This series also contains two maps of California 1849 and 1894.

Biographical / historical:

Born December 17, 1920, son to Phebe and Carlos McClatchy, grandson to Charles Kenny (C.K.) McClatchy, great-grandson to James McClatchy, and nephew to Eleanor McClatchy, James Briggs McClatchy was a fourth-generation newspaper man. The McClatchy Company, founded by the first James McClatchy, is a prominent newspaper and internet publisher headquartered in Sacramento, California. The company once owned multiple radios and television stations as well as newspapers. In 1866, James McClatchy became part-owner of the Daily Bee and by 1872 owned a majority. After his death in 1883, James' widow, Charlotte (1840-1916) bought out the remaining partner in 1884. She left the business to her two sons, Charles Kenny (C.K.) and Valentine Stuart McClatchy, but in 1923 C.K. bought his brother out. The two had divided the responsibilities so that Valentine (1858-1936) became publisher and C.K. (1858-1936) became editor. As sole owner, C.K. worked with his son Carlos to build the company and expand into radio and television stations. The company ran three newspapers during this time: Sacramento Bee, Modesto Bee, and the Fresno Bee.

After Carlos' death in 1933, the future leadership of the company was uncertain. When C.K. died in 1936, his youngest daughter, Eleanor (1895-1980) took over the position with the first outsider in ninety years in the role of editor, Walter P. Jones. Eleanor was president of the McClatchy company until 1978 and when Jones died in 1974, Eleanor chose her nephew, Charles Kelly (C.K.) as editor. When her health declined, C.K. (1927-1989) took over as president and named his younger brother, James Briggs McClatchy as chairman of the board of directors for the McClatchy Company in 1980.

Born into this famed Sacramento family, James Briggs McClatchy took up the mantle and started his career at the Fresno Bee, started by Carlos McClatchy, as a copy boy at age 19. By 27, his bylines were found on Sacramento Bee articles as a general assignment and education reporter. He covered working conditions for migrant farmers in the valley, the initiative to make Hawaii a state, and articles reporting on life in the Soviet Union from his 1962-1965 trip.

In 1980, James Briggs was appointed chairman of the board of directors for the McClatchy Company and appointed publisher in 1987. He was the first of the McClatchy family to witness a person outside the McClatchy family, Erwin Potts, became head of the company after his brother, C.K.'s death in 1989. After Potts' retirement in 1996, Gary Pruitt took over the company. Despite the McClatchy family's limited involvement with the company, James Briggs stayed on as publisher until his retirement in 2005.

James Briggs and his wife, Susan, were active in the community outside of the newspaper business. James served as the president of the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) from 1991-1992 but was involved for many more years. James and Susan also founded the Central Valley Foundation in 1994, a non-profit organization focused on the needs of English-Learners and protections of the First Amendment. They took an interest in other community matters, both honorary to the McClatchy family and organizations concerning the Sacramento valley. On May 26, 2006, James Briggs McClatchy died at the age of 85.

Acquisition information:
Gifted by the James McClatchy family in 2015 (accession #2015/004).
Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into 3 series:

  1. Series 1. Personal papers
  2. Series 2. McClatchy Newspaper Company
  3. Series 3. McClatchy family papers and photos
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research use.

Terms of access:

All requests to publish or quote from private manuscripts held by the Center for Sacramento History (CSH) must be submitted in writing to CSH@cityofsacramento.org. Permission for publication is given on behalf of CSH as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the patron. No permission is necessary to publish or quote from public records.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item and/or item number], [box and folder number], James B. McClatchy family collection, MS0143, Center for Sacramento History.

Location of this collection:
551 Sequoia Pacific Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95811, US
Contact:
(916) 808-7072
csh@cityofsacramento.org
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