Inventory of the J. Walter Thompson Company. Ronald B. Kaatz Papers, 1915-1996 and undated

Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University

J. Walter Thompson Company.

J. Walter Thompson Company. Ronald B. Kaatz Papers, 1915-1996 and undated

Material in English

3.35 Linear Feet

2500 Items

Founded in 1864, the J. Walter Thompson Company (JWT) is one of the oldest and largest enduring advertising agencies in the United States. Ronald B. Kaatz was a network broadcast supervisor, Media Director and Senior Vice President at JWT's Chicago office, where he specialized in cable television advertising.

The Ronald B. Kaatz Papers cover the years 1915-1996, with the bulk of materials dating from the 1970s to the 1990s, roughly the period during which Kaatz worked in the media department at the J. Walter Thompson (JWT) Chicago office. The collection consists of research materials, clippings, presentations and slides related to media research and planning, television viewers and advertising. The collection also includes some memoranda and correspondence from other JWT employees; materials from Kaatz's teaching at Northwestern University; and programs from various meetings of television and advertising professionals. Topics addressed include various advertising media--out-of-home (outdoor), Business-to-business (industrial), radio, direct mail, print, and television (broadcast and cable)--as well as marketing to youth, ethnic, and gay consumers. Companies represented in the collection include S.C. Johnson (Johnson Wax), Kraft, Sears, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, and the Magazine Publishers Association. Acquired as part of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History.

Collection is open for research.

However, collection may contain materials to which the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights form applies. Patrons must sign this form before using this collection.

Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library to use this collection.

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library.

[Identification of item], J. Walter Thompson Company. Ronald B. Kaatz Papers, Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University.

The Ronald B. Kaatz Papers were received by the Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library as a gift in 1996.

Processed by Jessica Wood, April 2009

Encoded by Jessica Wood, April 2009

Accession 96-049 is described in this finding aid.

Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and local Style Guide.

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.

The Ronald B. Kaatz Papers cover the years 1915-1996, with the bulk of materials dating from the 1970s to the 1990s, roughly the period during which Kaatz worked in the media department at the J. Walter Thompson (JWT) Chicago office. The collection consists of research materials, clippings, presentations and slides related to media research and planning, television viewers and advertising. The collection also includes some memoranda and correspondence from other JWT employees; materials from Kaatz's teaching at Northwestern University; and programs from various meetings of television and advertising professionals. Topics addressed include various advertising media--out-of-home (outdoor), Business-to-business (industrial), radio, direct mail, print, and television (broadcast and cable)--as well as marketing to youth, ethnic, and gay consumers. Companies represented in the collection include S.C. Johnson (Johnson Wax), Kraft, Sears, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, and the Magazine Publishers Association.

The collection is arranged into seven series: Factbooks, Meetings, Printed Materials, Slides, Subject Files, Writings and Speeches and Oversize Materials. The Factbooks Series includes the contents of binders of assorted correspondence and information on media research collected by Kaatz. The Meetings Series includes program booklets, presentation notes and news clippings related to meetings and conferences of advertising and television professionals. The Printed Materials Series includes pamphlets and brochures relating to advertising research and information on various media formats. The Subject Files Series includes slides that accompanied presentations on television and advertising research, as well as slides of print and billboard advertisements. The Writings and Speeches Series includes scripts of presentations and speeches, primarily given by Ronald Kaatz for JWT meetings, meetings of advertising and television professionals, and for other special events. The Oversize Materials Series includes large format items separated from previous series.

These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.

Related materials may be found in the following Hartman Center collections of the J. Walter Thompson Company Archives:

Chicago Office. Non-Proprietary Research Reports

Eleanor Newman Papers

Additional related material may be located in

Kensinger Jones Papers

Sheldon B. Sosna Papers

John Benjamin Harris Papers