Richard R. Zander
Papers, 1925-2003; bulk, 1945-1990

SC23219

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Biographical Note:

Richard 'Dick' Reynolds Zander was born December 11, 1929, in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Ruth Reynolds and Harry Zander; he had one sister, Ruthmary. His mother was a feature writer for the New York Daily News who for many years wrote for the paper's popular Justice series; his father was a radio news writer. Zander's father died in 1937; Ruth later married a science writer for the Daily News named Russ Symontowne, who died in 1950.

Though born in Brooklyn, Zander spent his childhood in Port Washington, Long Island, and his adolescent years in Jackson Heights, Queens. While a student at William Cullen Bryant High School, Zander developed a passion for contemporary writing. He often wrote articles on another passion of his, jazz music, for the school's newspaper.

After high school, Zander enrolled at Temple University. He joined the Marine Corps in October 1951 and spent two years working in the public information office.

After his discharge in 1953, Zander enrolled at Otterbein College, a small liberal arts school in Westerville, Ohio.  He originally had hopes of becoming a lawyer but, after learning he would have to take an accounting course, he decided to major in English. After obtaining his degree, Zander wed his college sweetheart, Amy, in 1954. The couple had two daughters, Judith (Judy) and Jessica (Jessie).

Zander said he chose to follow in his mother's, father's and stepfather's footsteps and enter the newspaper business for two main reasons: "I wanted to write and I wanted to write the truth."  He landed a job at the now defunct Bridgeport Herald in Bridgeport, Connecticut. During his time in Bridgeport, Zander covered a wide array of stories, including murders, society, and natural disasters.

He left the Herald in 1956 after being offered a job as a general assignment reporter at Newsday, which serves Suffolk and Nassau and Queens counties.

In 1957 Zander was appointed to Newsday's three-man Washington Bureau and from 1965 to 1970 he headed the paper's Albany bureau, eventually becoming the newspaper's state political editor.

During his long career as a columnist and state political editor, Zander wrote on state and Nassau/Suffolk county politics from the mid-1960s to 1990 and had another column devoted entirely to New York City politics from the late-1970s to 1990.  Zander won a number of honors for his work, including the Legislative Correspondents Association (LCA) Award. He served as president of LCE and of the Inner Circle, a group of past and present New York City political news reporters.

After 34 years, six months, and ten days at Newsday, Zander left the paper in November 1990 and moved upstate to take a job as the public information officer for the New York State Court of Appeals, retiring from that post in 1997. Zander and his wife remained in the Albany area for a few years after his retirement before deciding to move to Bradenton, Florida. Dick Zander died at his home in Bradenton on March 9, 2012, at the age of 82.

Scope and Content Note:

This collection consists of five series containing a variety of materials related to the life and career of Newsday political writer Dick Zander. Most of this collection consists of newspaper articles pertaining to Long Island and New York State politics written by Zander for Newsday between the 1950s and the 1980s. However, there are articles Zander wrote for the Bridgeport Herald. Other journalism-related material is correspondence between Zander and his Newsday colleagues and contemporaries, his drafts, and newspaper articles written by other journalists at Newsday and other newspapers. His involvement with the LCA and Inner Circle is also well represented in the form of paperwork and political parody playbooks.

This collection also contains transcribed interviews and speeches given by national and New York State political figures, including Richard Nixon and Mario Cuomo, with Cuomo being the most documented. There also is voting and statistical information pertaining to a number of Democratic and Republican national conventions from the 1960s to the 1980s and to state election primaries.

Personal papers in the collection detail Zander's life and interests outside the field of journalism. Included are biographies, correspondence between him and his family and friends, military documentation, his collection of jazz-related materials, and poetry, short stories, plays and essays he wrote during his time as an undergraduate at Otterbein College.

Photographs document political gatherings, LCA events and Zander's personal life. There are several audio taped interviews and video tapes of LCA shows.

The collection also contains the papers and work of his mother, Ruth Reynolds, including articles she wrote for the Daily News and papers that provide information on her personal life, as well as the personal and professional life of her second husband, Russ Symontowne.

Series Descriptions:

Series 1: Journalism

Sub-series 1: Professional Correspondence

This sub-series contains chronologically arranged correspondence pertaining to Zander's position as state political editor for Newsday, as well as correspondence pertaining to his career as a newspaperman in general, his work with the LCA/Inner Circle, criticisms of his articles, litigation against him, congratulatory notes on being selected as one of Stanford's professional journalism fellows, and letters and memoranda written to and from political figures given to and saved by Zander.

Series 1: Journalism

Sub-series 2: Drafts/Copies/Notes
1955-2000

This sub-series contains drafts, notes and copies of articles written by Zander during his time with Newsday.

Series 1: Journalism

Sub-series 3: News Clippings
1955-1990; 1998-99; 2000

This sub-series, arranged chronologically, consists of final versions of articles written by Zander for the Bridgeport Herald (1955-1956) and, mainly, for Newsday.  In addition to politics, Zander occasionally wrote jazz music reviews for the entertainment section of Newsday during the latter half of his writing career with the newspaper.

Series 1: Journalism

Sub-series 4: Publications (Other)
1961-1989

This sub-series is a small collection of newspaper articles written by Zander's colleagues at Newsday, journalists from other newspapers, and some from his classmates at Otterbein College.  Much of the information centers on the 1974 New York State election. Included are Amy Zander's copies of three 1948 issues of the New York Edition of Current Events: the National School Newspaper, two 1968 issues of the Kennedy Current (a short weekly paper centered on Robert F. Kennedy that was published during the Senator's campaign for the presidency), The Washington Possible (a parody newspaper poking fun at Dan Quayle), and articles from The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Times Union.

This sub-series also contains a small collection of news-related magazines collected by Zander, many of which center on important issues taking place on the political scene on both the state and national level. Most of the magazines saved by Zander were publications produced by Newsday including: Slug: Published for the Employes of Newsday; The Newsday Magazine;, and Inside Newsday, which provide insight into the running of a major newspaper. 

Series 1: Journalism

Sub-series 5: Speeches and Interviews
1968-1990

This thematically and chronologically arranged sub-series primarily contains copies of speeches and transcripts of interviews given by national, New York State and New York City politicians collected by Dick Zander, probably as background information for his articles.

Many of the speeches, interviews and other miscellaneous material were given by or pertain to Governor Mario Cuomo. Cuomo's speeches and interviews offer insight into his thoughts on President Jimmy Carter, crime, and the disabled. They also provide details of events such as the Ossining State Prison hostage crisis that took place during his tenure as governor in the early 1980s.

Another politician prominently featured in this portion of Zander's collection is President Richard M. Nixon.  Most of the speeches are addresses made by Nixon at rallies throughout the country during his second run for the presidency in 1968.

Also included are speeches, interview transcripts, remarks and pamphlets given and/or made by other national and state politicians, such as Nelson A. Rockefeller; Hugh Carey; Zander's friend Sol Wachtler, Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals; New York State Supreme Court Justice and gubernatorial candidate Andrew O'Rourke; and John Lindsay, Mayor of New York City from 1966 to 1973.

Series 2: Journalism

Sub-series 6: Election Campaign Information
1968-1992

This sub-series contains information on state and national elections collected by Dick Zander during his tenure at Newsday and in the years thereafter. Included is statistical data on state elections, voting results/technology, information pertaining to the 1992 Democratic National Convention and the 1968 and 1988 Republican National Conventions, staff rosters, New York State election reports and other information. Also included are a number of Zander's press passes, including those for the Democrat and Republican national conventions.

Series 1: Journalism

Sub-series 7: Inner Circle/Legislative Correspondents Association
1955-1990

Zander served as president of both the Inner Circle and the Legislative Correspondents Association (LCA). Formed in 1922, the Inner Circle is an organization composed of newspapermen who satirize national, New York State and city politicians at an annual parody skit show held at the New York Hilton Hotel. The first act focuses on New York City's current mayor while the second act attacks state and national politicians.  It was created to take the place of two other groups: the City Hall Reporters and the Amen Corner, both of which also aimed to parody politicians through a stunt dinner. The LCA, founded in 1900, is an association of newspaper reporters, editors and photographers who cover the New York State Capital. Like the Inner Circle, the LCA also hosts an annual parody.

This sub-series contains copies of the play scripts produced by the Inner Circle and LCA from the mid-1960s to early-1970s collected by Dick Zander. Also included are programs, directories, pamphlets, records of contributions and other information pertaining to both organizations.

Series 2: Personal Papers

Sub-series 1: Personal Correspondence
1950-1986

This sub-series is a collection of letters, postcards, telegrams and other forms of personal correspondence saved by Dick Zander. The correspondence has all been arranged chronologically by subject.

Most of the letters are from his family, a majority of which were written by his wife, Amy, his mother, Ruth, his sister, Ruthmary, and his daughters, Judy and Jessie. Most of the letters and cards were sent to Zander during his time in the military, at Otterbein College, while touring Scandinavia, during his mother's visit to the Middle East and while working for Newsday.

Series 2: Personal Papers

Sub-series 2: Student Writings
1940s-1950s

This sub-series contains material related to Dick Zander's days as a student at William Cullen Bryant High School in Long Island City (Queens County), and Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio. A majority of this sub-series is comprised of Zander's writings during his college years.

Among the works are a short story "…And With it Happiness"; a sociology paper on the changing patterns of the family; and a poem titled "a national tragedy in lower case."  Zander greatly admired the work of e.e. cummings and the author's influence on Zander is apparent in many of the poems found here. Also included is a small bound volume entitled "Selections," a collection of poetry and short stories written by Zander and other English students at Otterbein and published by The Creative Writing Classes of Otterbein College. Zander received mainly A's and B's on his assignments.

This subseries also contains articles on jazz music written by Zander for the William Cullen Bryant High School newspaper and school forms, applications and programs from both schools and from the Parson's School of Design, which his sister attended.

Due to a lack of dates on most of these assignments, the works have been arranged alphabetically and thematically.

Series 2: Personal Papers

Sub-series 3: Biographical

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This sub-series contains three biographical accounts and other documents that shed light on the life and interests of Dick Zander.

Dick Zander joined the Marine Corps on October 8, 1951, and spent two years working in the public information office before being honorably discharged as a sergeant on October 7, 1953. Many of the military related papers are veteran benefits-related forms and are arranged chronologically.

After his stint in the Marine Corps, Zander took a European cruise, touring Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Cruise ship information, guides and a map of Europe have been arranged chronologically.

Zander was a fan of several prominent jazz musicians, Duke Ellington in particular, and was a member of the New York Chapter of the Duke Ellington Society. The subseries includes chronologically arranged newsletters, programs, booklets, Stagebills, bulletins and other materials related to his interest in jazz.

Series 2: Personal

Sub-series 4: Memorabilia 

This sub-series contains small bound volumes of personal importance to Zander, including a scrapbook, three yearbooks, Zander's college diploma and an autograph book. 

Series 3: Graphics
1950s-1990

This series contains photographs, postcards, cartoons, negatives and other types of graphics kept by Zander.

There are twenty-one photographs of what appears to be a political gathering centered on Nassau County District Attorney William Cahn. Individuals are holding signs like "The D.A. Is Ruining Our Recreation Program," "Cahn Slurs Suburban Housewives" and "Cahn Unfair to High School Fraternities – He Needs a Hazing!"

There are four photographs and one political cartoon featuring Andrew O'Rourke and Mario Cuomo during the 1986 race for governor. These images are pro-O'Rourke and poke fun at Cuomo. Also included is a bound album of photos of what appears to be either an Inner Circle or LCA show. The play takes place during the Carey administration and features Dick Zander.

In addition there is a photo of the Parris Island (where Dick was stationed while serving in the Marine force during the early 1950s) basketball team and photos of Dick at various events and functions in 1987, including one of him and Edward Koch.

Due to a lack of dates on most of these images, the content has been arranged thematically.

Series 4: Audiovisual

Sub-series 1: Audiocassette Tapes
1970s-1990s

The subseries includes audio-cassette recordings made by Dick Zander of his interviews with Mario Cuomo, Edward Koch, and other prominent New York State and City politicians.

Other tapes in this collection feature debates, conferences, shows and announcements that Zander most likely covered and/or participated in due his position as the state political editor for Newsday. In addition to politically centered tapes, there is one recording featuring Roger Angell, an American essayist and contributor to The New Yorker, discussing one of his specialties: baseball.

Except for one unidentifiable tape, all audiocassettes have been arranged alphabetically by the descriptions written on the recordings. 

Series 4: Audiovisual

Sub-series 2: Videocassettes/DVD
1999-2003

This sub-series contains videocassettes and one DVD made by Dick Zander of LCA parody productions. These videos are recordings of the group's shows from 1999 to 2003.

The container list is arranged chronologically according to the labeling found on the videocassettes.

Series 5: Ruth Reynolds

Sub-series 1: Daily News Justice Stories
1945-1969

Biographical Note:

Elenor Ruth Reynolds was born on July 25, 1904, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She grew up in the Milwaukee suburb of Greenfield and spent at least part of her adolescent years living with her aunt, Mary C. Reynolds.

She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Marquette University in 1925, where she was a member of the Phi Epsilon Honor Society and served as vice president of Theta Sigma Phi, a professional fraternity for women in journalism and communications.

After graduating from Marquette, Reynolds briefly worked for the Wisconsin News before joining the Sunday staff of the New York Daily News in June 1928. She was the author of the paper's A Justice Story series, a weekly feature that chronicled some of the nation's and world's most disturbing and infamous crimes.

Though not the originator of the series, Reynolds transformed it into one of the more respected and popular features in the Sunday edition of the Daily News. She received critical acclaim for her thorough research skills and won numerous prizes for her ability to "weave … material together in full bodied stories that make [for] illuminating reading" (Ladies of the Press: The Stories of Women in Journalism by an Insider).

Reynolds remained with the Daily News for 42 years before being forced to retire due to the debilitating pain of rheumatoid arthritis. She died June 21, 1971.

Scope and Content

This sub-series of newspaper clippings consists of A Justice Story pieces written by Ruth Reynolds. Though published under various titles during the earlier years of the series, such as "What Has Happened to Justice?" and "When Justice Triumphed" these stories are considered Justice pieces and are categorized as such.

Reynolds' stories are primarily re-examinations of crimes in which she attempts to showcase how justice was or was not served for the murdered, raped, missing and other sorts of victims featured in her works. Reynolds provided her readers with accounts of the trials of Dr. Sam Sheppard, Leopold and Loeb and hundreds of other now infamous twentieth-century cases.

A majority of the stories featured in this collection were written during the mid- to late-1940s, 1950s and 1960s. This series has been arranged chronologically by year, beginning with 1945. All pieces in which the year of publication is unclear have been put together into one folder. Included in that same folder are four Justice stories from 1937, 1939, 1940, and 1970, two entire Sunday editions of the Daily News from December 1966, and the January 1952 edition of Southern Farm & Home (a magazine centered on agriculture, manufactures, and domestic economy).

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Series 5: Ruth Reynolds

Sub-series 2: Personal/Genealogical Information
1930s-1970s

This sub-series on Ruth Reynolds is primarily composed of information regarding her adoptive family and familial background. Included are two genealogical charts, one of which contains a short biography of her great-grandfather, Richard Reynolds. Passports, vaccination information and correspondence between Reynolds and Bernice (who was most likely her cousin, although never clearly stated) can also be found here. Reynolds' obituary notices in the Daily News, Newsday and the Long Island Press are also included, as well as copies of her death certificate and the death certificate of her first husband, Harry Zander.

Series 5: Ruth Reynolds

Sub-series 3: Russ Symontowne
1930s-1950

Ruth Reynolds' second husband, Russ Symontowne (sometimes spelled Simonton), was born August 16, 1897, in San Francisco, California, to James and Alice Symontowne. The family, including his younger sister, Marion, soon moved to Bellingham, Washington. As a member of the Washington state militia he fought overseas in World War I.

Symontowne started his journalism career in Seattle where he worked as a reporter for The Seattle Star. He eventually obtained a job as the science editor for the Daily News and retained that position until his death at the age of 53.

In mid-1946, Symontowne took part in a joint U.S. Army and Navy task force known as Operation Crossroads, an atomic bomb test investigating the effects of nuclear weaponry on naval vessels. Much of the paperwork, articles, medical clearances, forms and other information found in this sub-series centers on Symontowne and his involvement in Operation Crossroads. Also included are English- and Spanish-language forms and travel permits, a number of passports and a copy of his death certificate.

Richard R. Zander
Accretion, 1950s-1990s

This accretion to the papers of Dick Zander consists primarily of a large number of photographs. Most of these photographs are of Legislative Correspondents Association and Inner Circle shows and events and many of those images feature Zander with notable state and national political figures: Mario Cuomo, Andrew Cuomo, David Paterson, George Pataki, Al Sharpton, Geraldine Ferraro and Joseph Bruno. There are also photographs of Zander and his colleagues at work for Newsday and as the public information officer for the New York State Court of Appeals. Images of Zander and his family, including his wife Amy, daughters Judith and Jessica, stepfather Russ Symontowne and Aunt Mayme, can also be found here.

Newspaper articles, personal and business related correspondence, and annual reviews of the New York State's Court of Appeals prepared by Zander are among some of the writings that make up part of this accretion. There are also membership cards, guest passes, press badges and other cards kept by Zander during his time spent as a writer for Newsday.

Richard R. Zander
Accretion, 1950s-1990s

Series 1: Photographs
1950s-2000s

Richard R. Zander
Accretion, 1950s-1990s

Series 2: Writings
1950-2003

Richard R. Zander
Accretion, 1950s-1990s

Series 3: Cards/Miscellaneous Items
1956-2008