John Robert Bittner (#326)

An Inventory of His Personal Papers
1960-2000
In the John F. Kennedy Library
National Archives and Records Administration

Administrative Information
Biographical Note
Collection Overview
List of Series
Series Description


Administrative Information

Abstract
Papers, 1960-2000
Professor of Mass Communications and Journalism; Chairman of the Department of Radio, Television, and Motion Pictures; author. Drafts of articles, research materials, news clippings, and interviews related to Bittner’s research on Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark, and press coverage of Ernest Hemingway’s death.

Access
Open.

Usage Restrictions
According to the deed of gift signed September 2003, copyright of these materials has been assigned to the United States.

Copyright
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excesses of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. The copyright law extends its protection to unpublished works from the moment of creation in a tangible form. Direct your questions concerning copyright to the reference staff.

Provenance
Received from Denise Bittner of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in September 2003 (Acc. 2003-091); in December 2003 (Acc. 2004-034); and in February 2004 (Acc. 2004-042).

Extent
About 70 items (5 linear inches ; 0.5 cubic foot)

Date Opened
October 2003

Processed by
Anne Kumer

Encoded by
James M. Roth

Related Collections
Ernest Hemingway Collection, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library

The Personal Papers of John Robert Bittner (1943-2002)

Biographical Note
John Robert Bittner was born in 1943 and received both his master’s and doctoral degrees from Purdue University in Communication with a minor in History/ Political Science. He served as a professor of Mass Communications and Journalism at three universities including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was also Chairman of the Department of Radio, Television, and Motion Pictures. He was the author of many books, book chapters, and journal articles including, among others “African Journeys: Hemingway’s Influence on the Life and Writings of Robert Ruark.” ( Hemingway Rev .  vol.21:2, 2002). He passed away in April 2002.

Collection Overview
The Personal Papers of John Robert Bittner contains drafts of articles, research materials, news clippings, and interviews related to Bittner’s research on Ernest Hemingway. The collection is arranged into two series: Series 1. Writings and Series 2. Research Interviews. Series 1. Writings contains drafts of articles, research files and news clippings on the friendship between Ernest Hemingway and Robert Ruark, and press coverage of Ernest Hemingway’s death. Series 2. Research Interviews contains interviews of Don Anderson, Tillie Arnold, Jack Hemingway, Clara Spiegel, and Emmett Watson, conducted by John Robert Bittner, on their recollections of Hemingway’s death.

List of Series
Series 1. Writings
Series 2. Research Interviews

Series Description

Series 1. Writings, 1960-2000.
About 60 items.
Arrangement: by type.

This series contains drafts of articles by Bittner, research materials and news clippings. Includes two scholarly papers written by Bittner regarding the press coverage of Ernest Hemingway’s death and Hemingway’s friendship with Robert Ruark as well as research materials used for the preparation of these papers.

Series 2. Research Interviews, 1996.
8 items.
Arrangement: alphabetically by interviewee.

This series contains research interviews conducted by John Robert Bittner regarding the interviewees’ recollections of Hemingway’s death.