10 linear feet(3 boxes, 1 oversize folder, 5 rolled items)
Date
c1860s-2013
Abstract
Rita Gould was a pioneer in
entertainment journalism in Pittsburgh, working for the local edition of TV Guide and its
predecessor publications for 38 years. The Rita Gould Papers and Photographs document the
personal, familial, professional, and communal affairs of the Gould and Goldstein families
in the early 20th century.
Language
The materials in this collection
are in Chinese and English.
Author
The guide to this collection was written by Catelyn Cocuzzi.
Rita Gould was a pioneer in entertainment journalism in Pittsburgh, working for the local
edition of TV Guide and its predecessor publications for 38
years.
Gould was the daughter Nellie Goldstein (1890-1972) and Sam Gould (1888-1976). She had two
siblings, a sister Corrine (1915-2000) and brother Allen (1921-1999). Their paternal
grandfather was Abraham A. Goldstein, who was gabbai (sexton) and religious teacher at Tree
of Life Congregation for more than 50 years. Gould's paternal grandmother, Anna Goldstein,
is credited with being one of the founding members of the Tree of Life Ladies Auxiliary,
which was the first Sisterhood at a Jewish congregation in Western Pennsylvania. Abraham and
Anna Goldstein had four children, Sam Gould, Nathan (1890-1941), Jessie (1892-1965), and
Mildred Reichman (1902-1979). Sam Gould was sales manager for the wholesale grocers H. Rom
and Sons. He had a literary streak and often penned poetic letters to friends and family. As
a young man, he changed his last name from Goldstein to Gould.
Rita Gould graduated from the Wightman School, Winchester Thurston Academy and the
University of Pittsburgh. While in college, she worked in the circulation department of
The Pitt News. After college, she worked in the unit control
department at Saks 5th Avenue, as a shopper at Gimbel's department store, and as a secretary
and production assistant at the Unders Advertising Agency.
In 1951, Gould joined the staff of a new publication called Pittsburgh Television News. The publication had been founded the year before by
William and Rachel Adler and Harold V. Cohen with a run of 5,000. During her first decade
with the company, Gould held numerous positions, including writer, programming editor,
circulation and promotion manager, and bookkeeper.
Pittsburgh Television News was purchased by Walter Annenberg
in 1953 and became a franchisee of TV Guide. Gould was an
editor of the local edition of TV Guide from 1961 to 1975. She was one of the first field
editors to realize the potential of the computer and oversaw the transition of her
department. She was promoted to promotion manager in 1975. She became regional manager of
the Pittsburgh office in 1977, by which time the magazine was publishing some 500,000
issues.
That same year, the secretary to the regional manager resigned, leaving Gould to fill that
role. After interviewing over two dozen candidates, Gould hired Mildred Berry. Berry was the
first Black woman to work in the Pittsburgh office. Gould served as the regional manager of
the Pittsburgh office until it closed in 1989. Some of her accomplishments with TV Guide include selling the first national ad among all
salespeople in the newly created Christmas Gift Guide section, overseeing a $1 million
budget, increasing advertising income 50 percent annually over a 12-year period, and adding
new national advertisers such as Heinz, Stouffer's Alcoa, and General Nutrition.
Her brother Allen Gould was married to Suzanne Singer and then to Milli Gould. He had two
sons, Mark and Ben. Her sister Corinne Gould married Dr. Harvey Haber (1907-1969). They had
two daughters, Diane (1942-2005) and Carole (b.1946). Diane Haber was a noted artist based
in Pittsburgh.
Scope and Contents
The Rita Gould Papers and Photographs document the personal, familial, professional, and
communal affairs of the Gould and Goldstein families in the early 20th century. The
collection includes information about Tree of Life Congregation, where the families were
leading members. The collection also documents Rita Gould's career at the local edition of
TV Guide and its predecessors.
Arrangement
The Rita Gould Papers and Photographs are housed in three boxes, one oversize folder, and
five rolled items. The collection is arranged into two series with Series I being further
arranged into subseries representing Goldstein and Gould family members. The materials in
each of those subseries is arranged topically. The materials in Series II are arranged
chonologically.
Series I: Goldstein and Gould Family (c1860s-2013)
Subseries 1: Abraham and Anna Goldstein (c1860s-c1970s)
Subseries 2: Sam Gould (c1890s-1971)
Subseries 3: Nellie Gould (c1890-1972)
Subseries 4: Allen Gould (1935-1958)
Subseries 5: Rita Gould (c1928-2013)
Series II: TV Guide (1949-1989)
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Jane Chaudron in 2022. Archives accession 2022.0040
Preferred Citation
Rita Gould Papers and Photographs, c1860s-2013, MSS 1275, Rauh Jewish Archives, Detre
Library & Archives, Heinz History Center
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Copyright may be
retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. Researchers are therefore advised
to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or
reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that
go beyond what is allowed by fair use.
Photograph of Confirmation Class at Tree of Life Congregation, Squirrel Hill, c1916,
2000.0027
Tree of Life Synagogue of Pittsburgh, bulletin for November 25, 1963. Includes memorial for
Abraham A. Goldstein, 2002.0164
Mildred Gould Reichman, oral history transcript with information concerning the Tree of
Life Congregation of Pittsburgh, 1976, 2002.0263
Congregation Tree of Life Rabbi Herman Hailperin testimonial dinner program 1947, 2015.00172015.0017
To commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the Tree of Life Congregation : 1864-1934,
and the fiftieth anniversary of the services of its sexton and teacher Abraham Goldstein,
1884-1934, BM225 .P692 T784 1934 q
The Dr. Herman Hailperin jubilee weekend : April 28th, 1972, Tree of Life Synagogue,
BM755 .H151 D636 1972 q
Tree of Life Congregation centennial year book : 1864-1964, 5625-5725 ; dedicated to the
members of our congregation and to the Pittsburgh community on the occasion of our 100th
anniversary, BM225 .P692 T784 q
