Records of the Office of News and Public Affairs : Photographs

In 1919, Frederick L. Allen (FLA), recently appointed Secretary to the Corporation, was charged with the establishment of a news office to "get out a regular service of Harvard news to the newspapers." (FLA memorandum, June 1919) The relationship between the University and the press had been difficult, and without a central liaison the flow of information was often handled inconsistently. "Prior to 1919, as far as I can make out, Harvard had no agency which recognized the existence of the public or the press." (William Nichols address to the Associated Harvard Clubs, November 1933)

Although the public and the press were interested in this prominent institution, the concept of publicity was controversial at Harvard. When the newspapers' sphere of influence increased dramatically during World War I, the University acknowledged the change by establishing the News Office. In a 1922 paper on college publicity, Allen wrote, "College publicity work is a comparatively new thing. It has developed within the past generation, almost one might say within the past decade, as a result of the increase in the power and prestige of the newspapers. Its development has been especially marked since the war. The war taught people what publicity could accomplish."

Allen recognized the importance of photographs as News Office publicity, and he purchased pictures from Cambridge photographers to send to newspapers. During the early years he had difficulty obtaining the funding to hire photographers. In a memorandum, probably from Allen to his successor, James Seymour, Allen states, "In general I try to give opportunities to photographers to do anything that seems reasonable, although there is a ridiculous prejudice among many people around here against newspaper photographers. I have no objection to the person who objects to being personally posed, but it ought to be possible to take photographs of general scenes or occassions [sic] in a way that would not bother anybody and would be not only of interest but possibly of some historical value, and I hope you will be able to make some headway in broadening the opportunities for this sort of thing."

The relationship between the University and the press remained unclear in 1932 when, before retiring, News Office Director Robert K. Lamb wrote a letter to president Abbott Lawrence Lowell emphasizing the need for an incumbent with previous newspaper experience. His successor, William I. Nichols, recognized photographs as a means for better communication, and firmly stated: "There is great need to arrange adequate photographic facilities so that all types of information about Harvard may be adequately illustrated." (William Nichols address to the Associated Harvard Clubs, November 1933)

Although the first News Office photographer was not hired until 1943, the role of photography developed quickly after that. By the end of 1946, three photographers had been hired and the News Office installed darkroom facilities. During the 1940s and 1950s, News Office photography flourished and moved beyond publicity to an active documentary role. During the early 1970s, the News Office was placed administratively under the Office of the Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs. In 1994-1995, the name of the office was changed from Harvard News Office to Harvard University Office of News and Public Affairs.