I.A. Clippings, 1922-1938, undated

The newspaper clippings in this subseries (many of which have been copied onto acid free paper for preservation) were collected by Harold Brayman and his family (wife, Martha and sons, Harold and Walter) to document Brayman's career in both New York and Washington. These have been arranged in approximate chronological order, following the original order of the clippings as removed from the boxes. Many of the articles are undated with no citation. Dates are lacking on many of the articles, but the arrangement of the articles provide a steady record of Brayman’s early journalistic career, primarily from the 1920s.

The clippings include some of Brayman's earliest work as a reviewer of vaudeville and movies at Proctor's Grand (Middleburgh or Watertown, New York?), 1922-1924. His later New York articles appeared in the Knickerbocker Press and Albany Evening News, the Middleburgh News, the Albany Journal, and the Watertown Times, covering the New York state legislature and the career of Governor Al Smith.

Issues reflected in these articles include legislative debate on the repeal of prohibition and related legislation both in New York and Washington, Governor Smith's 1928 presidential campaign, New York state politics, and the first year of President Hoover’s administration.

I.B. Journalism Career, General, 1924-1941, undated

This subseries includes drafts of news articles; Brayman’s 1928 press pass for the New York Department of Public Works; a 1931 submission to the Pulitzer committee; an annotated script of “What Price Glory?”, a 1924 play by Maxwell Anderson and Laurence Stallings; correspondence with his editors at the Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger; and invitations for social events in Washington during his time as a correspondent in the city.

I.C. National Press Club, 1933-1938

The National Press Club was formed in 1908 by a small group of Washington newspapermen for both professional and social purposes. The membership of the Club grew, and by 1928 they had built and moved to the National Press Club Building. The Club hosted dinners, programs, and special events, attracting special guests such as celebrities like Sarah Bernhardt or Charles Lindbergh, and statesmen such as presidents and ambassadors. Brayman served as president of the Club in 1938 and among the speakers he engaged were UK Prime Minister Anthony Eden.

Content in this subseries includes correspondence and clippings about Brayman’s election as National Press Club president, material related to the November 19, 1938 annual dinner, which included as a guest of honor President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and newspaper clippings about the National Press Club. There are two items from the Women’s National Press Club—an invitation to a 1930 event and the program for a performance of Nice Work If You Can Get It.

I.D. Gridiron Club, 1934-1992, undated

In 1933, Harold Brayman was elected a member of the Gridiron Club, a select group of Washington correspondents and newspapermen whose primary function since their organization in 1885 was to hold an annual dinner to roast politicians and the national political parties.

The Gridiron dinners had become a Washington institution by the time Brayman began attending them. By tradition, the President of the United States was invited to the dinner where he was roasted, toasted, and given the opportunity to address the Club members and their distinguished guests. In turn, a leading figure of the opposition party was invited to deliver a response. These speeches and the political satire of the Club's songs and skits were delivered in good humor. Yet the content of these speeches, songs, and skits -- many of which are preserved in this subseries -- reflect the political tensions and issues of each administration.

Brayman presided as president of the club in 1941 and attended nearly every dinner from 1929 until 1987 when illnesses prevented him from attending. This subseries includes a large collection of clippings reporting on the dinners and their attendees, dinner programs and scripts, invitations, and a small collection of correspondence from Brayman’s time as president of the club.

I.E. Gridiron Club Book, The President Speaks... , 1975-1977, 1985, undated

In 1971, Harold Brayman -- a member of the Gridiron club since 1933, retiree, and the author of Corporate Management in a World of Politics -- began planning to write his second major book. He wanted to write a history of the Club that would "throw some of the Gridiron glow on political developments since 1885 and planned an outline with chapters on each of the presidents of the United States. Brayman was able to gain the approval and permission of the Gridiron Club executive committee to quote from its off-the-record archives of speeches, songs, and skit scripts. In addition, he obtained permission to quote from persons still then living who had spoken at the Gridiron dinners. The resulting book was titled The President Speaks Off the Record: from Grover Cleveland to Gerald Ford... Historic Evenings with America's leaders, the Press, and other men of power at Washington's most exclusive club--the Gridiron.

This subseries contains some notes gathered during the writing process, reviews and advertisements for the book, and correspondence congratulating Brayman on the book.

I.F. Other DC Clubs, 1929-1941

Programs for dinners hosted by numerous clubs, including the White House Correspondents Association and the Alfalfa Club.

II.A. DuPont Files, 1942-1969, undated, 1949-1961

The Harold Brayman papers contained only a small amount of material related to his career at DuPont, and of what is available here the material is mostly personal. Brayman's complete files from the public relations department of DuPont are company records and as such are stored with the DuPont company archives at the Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington.

This subseries complements the “DuPont archives” found in the original collection, and expands the documentation of Brayman's role as director of the public relations department. The files include correspondence, memoranda and reports to the DuPont board of directors and executives such as Walter S. Carpenter, Jr., and Crawford H. Greenewalt, including specific reports about the importance of DuPont's corporate image, as well as a number of files chronicling the 1950s antitrust case for GM-DuPont and more general DuPont activities and outreach during his 20+ year tenure with the company.

Politics, 1942-1968, undated, 1948-4968

Part of the growth of the public relations field included a growing relationship between business and the government. During Brayman’s time as Public Relations director, DuPont developed, as part of their public relations work, a team to review legislation and interact with politicians at the state and national level. Brayman recognized the “political problem of business” and worked to create the framework for a robust and positive relationship between DuPont and politicians at all levels, and included such issues as political contributions by businesses to political candidates, the appropriate way for DuPont staff (at all levels) to be civically engaged and the intersection of politics and conducting business abroad.

This subseries contains memoranda and correspondence establishing DuPont’s government relations operation, as well as his personal political involvement. Brayman was a conservative, and active in the both the Delaware and national Republican Party. He regularly contributing to the party as well as particular candidates and campaign committees and corresponded with politicians and political operatives. From his time covering New York and national politics, Brayman was an astute political observer, and this subseries contains analysis of state and federal elections from 1948 through the 1960s.

This subseries also includes correspondence with a number of prominent Delaware politicians: Senators John J. Williams, J. Caleb Boggs and J. Allen Frear; Representatives Harry Haskell, Jr, William Roth, Herbert Warburton and J. Caleb Boggs; and Delaware Governor Russell Peterson. Other Republican politicians corresponding with Brayman include Senator Thruston Morton (KY), chairman of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee and Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon, as well as numerous Republican candidates across the country and Republican National Committee officials. Brayman’s relationship with Richard Nixon was especially good; as part of Nixon’s 1968 campaign, Brayman served on the Personal Relations Committee for campaign. This involvement is documented in the last folder of the subseries.

Records in this subseries are related to materials in subseries II.A.2, Executive Committee Reports and II.A.3., DuPont Antitrust Suit.

II.C. Speeches, 1935-1982, undated

This subseries includes speeches made by Harold Brayman, both as a journalist and a public relations professional. These speeches were presented to diverse audiences, including press organizations, business groups, professional associations and clubs such as the Rotary in Wilmington.

The topics of these speeches reflect the power of the press, covering politics in Washington, D.C., the role of American business, and the relations between business, the public and the government. Interesting speeches representative of the diverse audiences and topics in this subseries include a speech on how reporters cover World War II, an address to the winners of the Cabot prize at Columbia University, a speech to the Delaware State Nurses Association on the chemical industry and how it offers great “promises for the improvement of the world,” and a lunch club talk.

This subseries also includes speeches from James Wright and Reese Taylor, a “rating” from one of Brayman’s speeches, and a file of notes and speech topic ideas kept by Brayman.

II.D. Public Relations, General, 1955-1968, undated

This subseries contains a small amount of material documenting Brayman's professional affiliations in the area of public relations, including his involvement with Public Relations News, the journal of the Public Relations Society of America which he served as editor in 1956. A bound copy of volume 12 of Public Relations News (1956) is included in Series III. E, Realia and miscellaneous items. The newsletter was founded and edited by Denny Griswold in 1944, and the publication grew in substance and reputation with the emerging field of public relations. In 1963, the publication awarded Brayman the "Public Relations Professional of the Year” award.

This subseries also includes correspondence related to the Public Relations Seminar, established in 1952 "to permit advanced discussion of major public relations problems" (Brayman served on the Public Relations Seminar Committee from 1952 until 1961); correspondence on the People-to-People program, an initiative of the Public Relations Committee; clippings on public relations topics; brochures from various public relations conferences and meetings; correspondence from the Princeton Panel, a Princeton initiative to teach and study American capitalism; and reviews from Harold Brayman’s 1967 book Corporate Management in a World of Politics: the Public, Political, and Governmental Problems of Business. The book reflected observations from his dual careers in corporate public relations and in journalism reporting on government and politics. Brayman's basic messages were that public opinion is the dominant force in government and business that communicators are the power elite, and that leadership is needed to shape public opinion. The book was successful with its targeted audience and won the Academy of Management Book Award in 1967.

III.A. Correspondence, 1915-1983, undated, 1920-1931

This subseries contains the correspondence file maintained by Brayman during his college days and the early part of his journalistic career, especially his years covering New York politics. Much of the correspondence is between Brayman and his editors, including Hans Adamson at the New York Evening Post, and C.M. Morrison and Stanley Walker at the Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger, as well as editors from other publications looking to reprint Brayman’s pieces, as well as sources and subjects. Included with his professional correspondence a sizeable amount of personal correspondence, documenting personal relationships in and around New York State, as well as some work Brayman did as a teacher in New Jersey in the early 1920s. These files are arranged alphabetically by correspondent.

The folder “Miscellaneous Correspondence,” contains personal and professional, correspondence that were found sporadically throughout the collection, many of which date to Brayman’s journalism career in Washington, D.C. These letters are arranged chronologically.

III.B. Biographical, 1942-1988, undated

This subseries contains biographical information about Harold Brayman. There are two small groups of material: Biographical and Commemorative.

The biographical material includes multiple copies of Brayman’s CV, a narrative history of his “experience of Presidents” (written in the first person), copies of personal security questionnaires, registration cards, birthday party guest lists and birthday correspondence from President Reagan.

The commemorative material includes Brayman’s obituaries, the program from his memorial service, copies of eulogies and other remarks delivered at Brayman’s service, and a number of condolence cards and letters from family, friends, former colleagues and public officials.

III.C. Other Activities, 1961-1979, undated

As Brayman reached the end of his professional career and entered retirement, he continued to be an active member in social organizations. Activities documented in this subseries include awards of recognition, participation in the Wilmington Rotary Club, the Lincoln Club of Delaware, and the Visiting Nurses Association, and the American Academy of Achievement. Brayman received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 1965, and served as a vice president of the Academy from 1967 to 1969.

In 1961, Brayman was elected chair of the Cornell University Council, a position in which he served until 1963. In 1965, Brayman was awarded an honorary degree from Gettysburg College, and provided the commencement address. In 1968, American University appointed Brayman as their Corporate Executive in Residence. In 1969, Brayman traveled with International House New Orleans on a trade promotion mission. As part of the mission, Brayman wrote a series of articles for the New Orleans Times-Picayune documenting the trip. Additional trade and International House articles appeared in 1971.

III.D. Photographs [Box 6, 35]

Six photograph prints and one slide.

III.E. Realia and miscellaneous items, 1916-1990

The realia and miscellaneous items in the collection include certificates given to Brayman, books and periodicals from Brayman’s library, including the 1956 run of Public Relations News (this was the year Brayman served as editor) and Menckeniana, a journal published by the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore about the life and work of H. L. Mencken (Brayman was a member of the H.L. Mencken Society of Delaware), a personal and professional card catalog and several personal items and mementos as described below.

III.F. Audio-visual materials