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Tom Bennett Papers

Tom Bennett Papers

Descriptive Summary

Title: Tom Bennett Papers
Creator: Bennett, Tom, 1944-2020
Bulk Dates: 1960-2019
Language(s): English
Extent: 3 Linear Feet
Extent: 4 moving_image(s) 3 DVDs, 1 16mm film reel
Extent: 1 sound_recording(s) 1 1/4" open reel audio tape
Collection Number: RBRL523
Repository: Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies
Abstract: Tom Bennett was a sports writer for the Atlanta Journal and later Journal-Constitution, covering the Atlanta Braves, Falcons, and the 1996 Olympics. His collection contains writings from throughout his career, including freelance work for the hCherokee Scout and his work as secretary-treasurer of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation.

Collection Description

Historical Note

Tom Bennett was born January 18, 1944 in Covina, California. He was a graduate of Florida State University in 1965 and was in training to serve in Vietnam as a medic when he underwent a series of surgeries and radiation treatments to remove a malignant tumor.

Bennett went on to work as a sports writer for the Atlanta Journal and, later, the Journal-Constitution; assistant public relations director for the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Falcons; managing editor of the NFL's Creative Services Division; and editor-in-chief of the Sutton News Group/Coast Media. From 1994-2006, Bennett served as founding board secretary-treasurer of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, an advocacy organization for press freedom and open government.

After retiring from the Journal-Constitution, Bennett wrote freelance for the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition, the Cherokee Scout, and the Center for Rural Strategies in Whitesburg, KY. Bennett passed away on December 18, 2020.

Scope and Content

This collection contains Bennett's writings from his entire career. It begins with his early writings and includes his coverage of the Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and his environmental writings for the Cherokee Scout. The collection also includes his work for the Georgia First Amendment Foundation.

Organization and Arrangement

This collection is arranged in five series: Early Writings, Sports Journalism, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia First Amendment Foundation, and Other Writings.


Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Access

This collection contains audiovisual materials. Reference copies of the audiovisual recordings are available upon request. Research requests will be filled as soon as possible and will be dependent upon the condition of the recordings.

Preferred Citation

Tom Bennett Papers. Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.

Copyright

Copyright in that portion of the materials in which the donor's copyright and interests reside is held by the University System of Georgia. Copyright in those materials produced for publication in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other news organizations is retained by those organizations, respectively.


Related Materials and Subjects

Subject Terms

Atlanta journal-constitution
Cherokee Scout (Murphy, North Carolina, United States)
National Football League
Olympics.
Sports journalism
Transparency in government

Series Descriptions and Folder Listing

 

Series I. Early Writings

boxfolder
011Chipola College
012Youth, 1957-1961
013Education, 1961-1965
014Journalism by Tommy Bennett, 04/28/1961
015The Republic of Ghana , 1965
 

Series II. Sports Journalism

boxfolder
016Atlanta Braves [1 of 2], 1966-1972
017Atlanta Braves [2 of 2], 1966-1972
018Falcons [1 of 2], 1970-1972
019Falcons [2 of 2], 1970-1972
0110Falcons - Atlanta Falcons, 1972
0111The Pro Style: The Complete Guide to Understanding National Football [1 of 3], 1975-1976
0112The Pro Style: The Complete Guide to Understanding National Football [2 of 3], 1975-1976
0113The Pro Style: The Complete Guide to Understanding National Football [3 of 3], 1975-1976
0114The Pro Style , 1976
0115[Book Catalog], c. 1976
0116The NFL's Official Encyclopedic History of Professional Football, 1975-1977
0117[Encyclopedic History of Professional Football] , 1977
0118The NFL's Encyclopedic History, 1930-1977
0119Halas Unsuccessful Outline, 1976-1978
0120Falcons - Van Brocklin, Norm, 1972-1980
0121Halas Autobiography , 1978-1983
0122NFL Creative Services, 1974-1986
0123NFL Official Uniform and Emblem Guide, Undated
item
RBRL523-DVD_0001The Pro Style By Tom Bennett, 1975-1976
item
RBRL523-16mm_0001The Falcons on Film, 1972
item
RBRL523-RR_0001Falcon Faces, undated
 

Series III. Atlanta Journal Constitution

boxfolder
021Coverage of Georgia High School Athletics, 1966
022Q&A On the News [1 of 2], January- October 1991
023Q&A On the News [2 of 2], January- October 1991
024Coverage of the 1996 Olympics - [Introduction], 1996
025Coverage of the 1996 Olympics - Six Years of Advance Coverage, February 25, 1990 - October 2, 1995
026Coverage of the 1996 Olympics - Public Service, 1995-1996
027Coverage of the 1996 Olympics - Writing/Reporting, 1996
028Coverage of the 1996 Olympics - Graphics, April 19 - August 5, 1996
029Coverage of the 1996 Olympics - Photography, July 20 - August 6, 1996
0210Coverage of the 1996 Olympics - Front Pages, 1996
0211Coverage of the 1996 Olympics - Follow Up, 1996
0212AJC Olympics Coverage, A Summary, August, 1996
0213Cox Newspaper at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, August 11, 1996
0214[Letter from Charles Davis to Tom Bennett], 07/12/2018
0215Kind Words While at AJC, 1984-1993
0216Kind Words while at AJC , 1984-2003
0217AJC Obituaries , 1983-1994
0218AJC Issues and Ethos, 1966-2005
0219Correspondence with Caroline Miller, 1984-2003
0220Advanced Obituaries, 1993-2020
0221Atlanta Olympic Games, 1982-1997
02221992 Presidential Debate in Atlanta, 03/04/1992
0223133 Years: History of The Constitution and The Journal, 72 Marietta Street, Copy for the Second Floor Cabinets, May, 2001
0224Atlanta's Half Century as seen Through the Eyes of Columnists Furman Bisher and Celestine Sibley, 1997
0225Cabinet C in the Second Floor Auditorium: Suggested Historical Copy and Photographs, Our People; Our Technology; and our locations, April 2002
022672 Marietta, 2nd Floor AJC history display, items of interest, June 2002
0227The Atlanta Journal: February 24,1883 to November 2, 2001, 2001
0228AJC.com The First 100 Years, 2001-2019
0229Movegram 1994-1995 News Renovation Newsletter, 1994-1995
item
RBRL523-DVD_0002Bennetts Emory Connection by Tom and Lorraine Bennett, 2020
item
RBRL523-DVD_0003The Atlanta Journal, 1966
 

Series IV. Georgia First Amendment Foundation

boxfolder
031Florida Government in the Sunshine: A Citizen's Guide, 1997-1998
032How Much Open Government is there in Georgia?, December 1999
033Freedom '99 Atlanta; Annual Conference National Freedom of Information Coalition, May 21-23, 1999
034Georgia Open Government Survey; Examples of Coverage in the Cooperating Papers, December 12-18, 1999
035Georgia's Sunshine Laws: A Citizen's Guide to Open Government, 1999
036Georgia Law Enforcement and Open Records Act: A Law Enforcement Officer's Guide to Open Records in Georgia, 2002
037AJC Editor to bring Freedom of Information Message to UA , 11/26/2002
038First Amendment Reporting in Georgia FOI Access, Newsletter of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation, 1995-2004
039[Georgia F.O.I Access Newsletter], 1994-2007
0310Georgia First Amendment Foundation, 2006-2015
0311[Weltner Freedom of Information Banquets], 2002-2019
0312Hero of First Amendment - GA First Amendment Foundation, 1994-2020
 

Series V. Other Writings

boxfolder
0313Sutton/Coast Media, 1979-1982
0314Sutton Coast Media and Irvine Today, 1981-1982
0315Tom Bennett: 50 Years of Writing for Print and the Web, October 2009
0316The Far Blue Mountains [1 of 2], February 20, 2008 - November 16, 2016
0317The Far Blue Mountains [2 of 2], February 20, 2008 - November 16, 2016
0318Speeches, 1998-2005
0319Church of the Messiah Murphy N.C, 2007-2012
0320Thankful for Tom Bennett, January 4. 2017
0321Tom Bennett to receive Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award , 3/18/2015
0322Tom Bennett Memorabilia , 1959-2015
0323Written for the Website The Daily Yonder, October 16, 2019 - November 11, 2019
0324Personal, Tom [1 of 3] , 1961 - 2020
0325Personal, Tom [2 of 3], 1961 - 2020
0326Personal, Tom [3 of 3], 1961 - 2020
0301 The NFL's Official Encyclopedic History of Professional Football , 1977
Signed, with inscription from Tom Bennett