Repository: Heinz History Center
Title: Records of the Golden Quill Awards
Creator: Golden Quill Awards
Collection Number: MSS#243
Extent: 4.0 cubic feet (8 Boxes)
Date: 1963-1995
Abstract: The Golden Quill Awards is a competition that represents annual public recognition for journalistic excellence in Western Pennsylvania. The contest is run by a committee of local public relations and media professionals, and awards are given for several categories including newspapers, magazines, radio and television, photojournalism, and illustration. These archives include committee records, entries lists, judges' evaluation forms and comments, calls for entries, programs, awards ceremony scripts, complete lists of winning entries, winning entries, press clippings of Golden Quill winners, and various miscellaneous items.
Language: The material in this collection is in English.
Author: This guide to the collection was originally prepared by: Matt Diaddigo on July 17, 1996. Revisions occurred to the finding aid as a part of the encoding process in Fall, 1999.
Sponsor: This finding aid has been encoded as a part of the Historic Pittsburgh project a joint effort of the University of Pittsburgh and the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Funding for this portion of the project has been donated by the Hillman Foundation.
Publisher: Heinz History Center
Address: 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org

Organizational History of the Golden Quill Awards (1960-1995)

The Golden Quill Awards is a competition that represents annual public recognition for journalistic excellence in Western Pennsylvania. The contest is run by a committee of local public relations and media professionals, and awards are given for several categories including newspapers, magazines, radio and television, photojournalism, and illustration. The Golden Quill Awards contest was started in 1963 as a subcommittee of the Pittsburgh Press Club and took place annually until 1973, at which time they were suspended due to a lack of interest and support. In 1977 the contest was resumed with a new stream-lined format. The Golden Quill Awards contest continued to exist as a function of the Pittsburgh Press Club until the club's demise in 1990, and for two years the contest committee operated under The Pittsburgh Communications Foundation. In 1992, the new Press Club of Western Pennsylvania was founded, and from 1993 to the present the Golden Quill Awards contest has operated as a subcommittee of this organization. Beginning in 1994, the Golden Quill Awards committee arranged for winning entries to be donated to the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania in an attempt to create a Golden Quill Awards archive. This archive was created to provide a store of local history for future researchers.

Scope and Content Notes

The Golden Quill Awards records include committee records, entries lists, judges' evaluation forms and comments, calls for entries, programs, awards ceremony scripts, complete lists of winning entries, winning entries, press clippings of Golden Quill winners, and various miscellaneous items.

Arrangement

Two series have been designated for administrative papers and Golden Quill award winners.

The Golden Quill Awards records are housed in ten archival boxes.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

These materials came in at least two accessions and were combined into one body of records in 1996.

Acc# 1993.0181 Gift of Ginny Frizzi, (Ms. Frizzi is the Director of Public Relations at Point Park College and was co-chairperson of the 1994 Golden Quill Awards contest.) 1993

Preferred Citation

Records of the Golden Quill Awards, 1963-1995, MSS#243, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Matt Diaddigo on July 17, 1996.

Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Susan M. Allen on November 19, 1999.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights reside with the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or publish, please contact the curator of the Archives.

Subjects

Corporate Names

Golden Quill Awards

Other Subjects

Allegheny County (Pa.)--Publications
Newspapers -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh

Container List

Series I Administrative Files

Scope and Contents

The administrative papers provide a somewhat limited record of the behind-the-scenes activities necessary to make the Golden Quill Awards possible. Folders labeled "Committee" for each year from 1984 through 1995 hold whatever committee records were preserved for that particular year. Committee folders hold a wide assortment of information including name and address listings of committee members, correspondence between these committee members, meeting agendas, donation lists, receipts, memos and other miscellaneous items. For the most part, committee records are random and incomplete, and minutes from the majority of committee meetings are missing. Judges' evaluation forms and comments concerning materials submitted to them from the years 1987 through 1994 are also contained in the Administrative series. These papers are a record of judges' selections of Golden Quill Award winners in the various categories and contain information about winning entries as well as the individual judge's comments concerning their selections. Calls for Entries comprise another segment of the administrative series. These are pamphlets outlining the entry process, regulations, judging criterion, and a listing of the awards categories. Programs for the awards ceremonies are also present and list the categories in order of awards presentation as well as the committee members for that year. Programs and Calls for Entries are present for all years between 1985 and 1995. Written scripts for the awards presentation ceremonies are present for most years between 1987 and 1995. These scripts contain a play-by-play account of the awards ceremonies and include comments by the co-chairs of the committee as well as comments from special guests and presenters. Comments from award winners are not present.

Announcements-Invitations

1985-1992

Containers: Box 1, Folder 1

1993-1995

Containers: Box 1, Folder 2

Committee Files

1984

Containers: Box 1, Folder 3

1985

Containers: Box 1, Folder 4

1986

Containers: Box 1, Folder 5

1987

Containers: Box 1, Folder 6

1988

Containers: Box 1, Folder 7

1989

Containers: Box 1, Folder 8

1990

Containers: Box 1, Folder 9

1991

Containers: Box 1, Folder 10

1992

Containers: Box 1, Folder 11

1993

Containers: Box 1, Folder 12

1994

Containers: Box 2, Folder 1

1995

Containers: Box 2, Folder 2

Entries Lists

1994

Containers: Box 2, Folder 3

1995

Containers: Box 2, Folder 4

Judges' Files

Evaluation Forms

1987-1988

Containers: Box 2, Folder 5

1990

Containers: Box 2, Folder 6

1992

Containers: Box 2, Folder 7

1993

Containers: Box 2, Folder 8

1994

Containers: Box 2, Folder 9

Miscellaneous, 1990-1992

Containers: Box 2, Folder 10

Programs

1985-1992

Containers: Box 3, Folder 1

1993-1995

Containers: Box 3, Folder 2

Scripts

1986-1987

Containers: Box 3, Folder 3

1988-1990

Containers: Box 3, Folder 4

1993

Containers: Box 3, Folder 5

1994

Containers: Box 3, Folder 6

1995

Containers: Box 3, Folder 7

Miscellaneous Items, 1985-1995

Containers: Box 3, Folder 8

Series II Winners

Scope and Contents

The winners series is a record of entries that were selected as winners of Golden Quill Awards. Winning entries are arranged alphabetically by publisher's name, with the exception of the 1995 awards which are arranged by category and have been placed at the end. Most have an entry form attached indicating the title of the entry, author's name, award category, and date of publication. Only a small percentage of winning entries are present, but there are records listing all winners of Golden Quill Awards between 1985 and 1995. Press clippings of Golden Quill Awards winners from 1960 through 1995 are contained in this series.

List of Winners, 1985-1995

Containers: Box 4, Folder 1

Beaver County Times, 1994

Containers: Box 4, Folder 2

Bedford Press, 1992-1994

Containers: Box 4, Folder 3

Clarion News, 1992

Containers: Box 4, Folder 4

Erie Morning News, 1994

Containers: Box 4, Folder 5

Gateway Press, 1994

Containers: Box 4, Folder 6

In Pittsburgh Newsweekly

1986-1987

Containers: Box 4, Folder 7

1990

Containers: Box 4, Folder 8-9

1991

Containers: Box 4, Folder 10

1992

Containers: Box 4, Folder 11-12

1993

Containers: Box 5, Folder 1

1994

Containers: Box 5, Folder 2

Mt. Lebanon Magazine, 1994

Containers: Box 5, Folder 3

New Castle News, 1992-1994

Containers: Box 5, Folder 4

North Hills News Record, 1994

Containers: Box 5, Folder 5

Pittsburgh Business Times, 1992-1994

Containers: Box 5, Folder 6

Pittsburgh City Paper, 1994

Containers: Box 5, Folder 7

Pittsburgh Magazine

1979-1984

Containers: Box 5, Folder 8

1987-1991

Containers: Box 5, Folder 9

1992

Containers: Box 5, Folder 10

1994

Containers: Box 5, Folder 11

Pittsburgh Press, 1992

Containers: Box 5, Folder 12

Pittsburgh Post Gazette

1988-1992

Containers: Box 5, Folder 13

1992

Containers: Box 6, Folder 1

1994

Containers: Box 6, Folder 2

Tribune Review, 1994

Containers: Box 6, Folder 3

Uniontown Herald Standard, 1994

Containers: Box 6, Folder 4

Valley News Dispatch

1992

Containers: Box 6, Folder 5

1994

Containers: Box 6, Folder 6

Washington Observer Reporter, 1992-1994

Containers: Box 6, Folder 7

1995 Winners

Sub-Category A Investigative

Containers: Box 7, Folder 1

Sub-Category B Spot News

Containers: Box 7, Folder 2

Sub-Category C Continuing Coverage

Category 1 Over 45,000 Circulation

Part I

Containers: Box 7, Folder 3

Part II

Containers: Box 7, Folder 4

Category 2 Under 45,000 Circulation

Containers: Box 7, Folder 5

Category 3 Non-Daily

Containers: Box 7, Folder 6

Sub-Category D Features

Containers: Box 8, Folder 1

Sub-Category E Business

Containers: Box 8, Folder 2

Sub-Category F Science

Containers: Box 8, Folder 3

Sub-Category G Cultural

Containers: Box 8, Folder 4

Sub-Category H Editorials

Containers: Box 8, Folder 5

Sub-Category I Columns

Containers: Box 8, Folder 6

Sub-Category J Sports

Containers: Box 8, Folder 7

Press Clippings

1960-1993

Containers: Box 8, Folder 8

1994

Containers: Box 8, Folder 9

1995

Containers: Box 8, Folder 10

Guide to the Records of the Golden Quill Awards, 1963-1995

Arrangement

Organizational History of the Golden Quill Awards (1960-1995)

Scope and Content Notes

Arrangement

Conditions Governing Access

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Preferred Citation

Processing Information

Conditions Governing Use

Subjects

Corporate Names

Other Subjects

Container List

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents