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).

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.

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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.

Collection is open for research use.