This collection primarily consists of material relating to Bob Smith’s professional career as a writer and comedian, and includes scripts, manuscripts, newspaper clippings, writing and performance contracts, calendars, research files, correspondence, and recordings of his performances. (1972-2006, bulk: 1991-2004).

Bob Smith is an American writer and comedian based in New York City. Born in Buffalo, New York, in 1958, he began writing and performing stand-up comedy in 1977, and in 1998, he formed the comedy troupe "Funny Gay Males" with comedians Jaffe Cohen and Danny McWilliams. Smith was the first openly gay comedian to appear on the Tonight Show and to have his own HBO Comedy Half-Hour special. He has written comedy for Amblin Films, the MTV Video Music Awards, Dennis Miller, Roseanne, and MAD-TV. In addition to his autobiographies Openly Bob (1997), which received a Lambda Literary Award, and Way to Go, Smith! (1999), he has published two novels, Selfish and Perverse (2007) and Remembrance of Things I Forgot (2011), and numerous essays. Smith was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2007.

4.0 linear feet. 4 records boxes + 1 flat archive box.

Researchers wishing to publish material must obtain permission in writing from ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives as the physical owner of the material. Note that permission to publish does not constitute copyright clearance. ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives can grant copyright clearance only for those materials for which we hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain copyright clearance for all other materials from the copyright holder(s).

The collection is open to researchers. There are no access restrictions.