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Phyllis Merrill papers
1933-1956

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Creator
Merrill, Phyllis, 1908-
Call number
*T-Mss 1998-004
Physical description
17 linear feet (47 boxes)
Preferred Citation

Phyllis Merrill Papers, *T-Mss 1998-004, Billy Rose Theatre Division, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.

Repository
Billy Rose Theatre Division
Access to materials
Request an in-person research appointment.Restrictions apply

Phyllis Merrill, writer of scripts, speeches and advertising copy. Her papers include her writings from the J. Walter Thompson Co. Commercials for RCA, as well as scripts from radio and television programs form the bulk of the collection. There is also a small amount of memos and documents from the J. Walter Thompson Co.

Biographical/historical information

Phyllis Merrillwas born in Franklin, New Hampshire in 1908 and graduated from Mount Holyoke in 1930. Two years later, in 1932 she received an M.A. from Radcliffe. After her degree, she taught English for three years at Stafford Springs H.S. in Connecticut before taking a position teaching English and American History at the Barnard School for Girls. In 1942 she went to the J. Walter Thompson Co. where she worked as a writer for advertising copy. She wrote scripts for the radio programCharlie McCarthy, play adaptations for Helen Hayes programs, comedy sketches for Jackie Gleason, Fred Allen and Edgar Bergen, musical continuities for the radio programsMusic America Loves Best,The Ford Show,The Robert Shaw Chorale, and the NBC Toscanini broadcasts. For television she worked onKraft Television Theatre. She was also a researcher and a speechwriter and wrote speeches for actors, comedians and politicians.

After a series of heart attacks, Phyllis Merrill returned to New Hampshire in 1957 where she worked as a copywriter for a small agency in Concord. She also edited the New Hampshire Education Association magazine. She died in Concord, New Hampshire on January 23, 1972.

Scope and arrangement

ThePhyllis Merrill papers contain materials from her writing career at theJ. Walter Thompson Co. and include memos, correspondence, notes, writings and scripts. The bulk of the collection is the scripts series that includes many television and radio programs sponsored by clients of the J. Walter Thompson Co. Most of the scripts for these programs were not written by Phyllis Merrill. The most documented of these series are theKraft Television Theatre and theNBC University of the Air. Other materials in the collection include memos, schedules and commercial writings from the J. Walter Thompson Company, especially for their clientRCA .

The Phyllis Merrill papers are arranged in three series:

  • Series I: Personal Papers
    1 box

    This series includes a diary belonging to Phyllis Merrill, some correspondence and some miscellaneous writings including sheet music with lyrics written by Merrill.

  • Series II: J. Walter Thompson Co.

    The J. Walter Thompson Co. materials contain notes, memos, projects, speeches and ideas, transcripts of commercials and research materials primarily forRCA projects. They also contain bulletins and staff news issues from the company. It is divided into 3 sub-series: Memos, office papers and notes; Projects and accounts and RCA research and commercials.

  • Series III: Scripts
    42 boxes

    This series consists of copies of scripts for radio and television broadcasts sponsored by clients of the J. Walter Thompson Co. Though some of the scripts were written by Phyllis Merrill, most are her copies (some annotated) for the weekly productions. Scripts fromThe Ford Show,Kraft Television Theatre and theNBC University of the Air are included.

Administrative information

Custodial history

The Phyllis Merrill papers were purchased from Roberta M. Carr, dealer.

Source of acquisition

Purchase, Roberta M. Carr, 1999

Processing information

Processed by Mary Ellen Rogan.

Separated material

1 oversized photograph - Helen Hayes

Using the collection

Location

Billy Rose Theatre Division
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
40 Lincoln Center Plaza, New York, NY 10023-7498
Third Floor

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, contact the Curator, Billy Rose Theatre Division.

Access restrictions

Photocopying prohibited.

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