Guide to the Sam Tarleton Papers 1950s-1980s 1.25 linear feet Collection Number 161 Prepared by Kathie Bordelon August 2004 CITATION: The Sam Tarleton Papers, Collection No. 161, Box number, Folder number, Archives and Special Collections Department, Frazar Memorial Library, McNeese State University. Archives and Special Collections Department Frazar Memorial Library McNeese State University
Biographical Sketch A native of New Orleans, Sam Tarleton attended Jesuit High School. He was one of the first baseball players drafted by the Opelousas Tigers in the Evangeline League. He also played briefly with the St. Louis Cardinals organization. While in Opelousas, he wrote a sports column for the local newspaper, which is now the Opelousas Daily World. He was one of the first reporters to report the death of Huey P. Long to the New York press. Tarleton was a veteran of the U. S. Army, serving in World War II as a sergeant in a machine gun platoon assigned to General George Patton. During the war he was injured twice, ending his baseball career. He received the silver and bronze stars and two purple hearts. In 1949, he transferred to the Beaumont Enterprise as a sportswriter. He also worked as a newspaper publisher, editor and reporter at various newspapers in Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas, including the American Press from 1961 to his retirement in 1974. In 1957, he was elected Commissioner of Health and Public Safety, overseeing the fire and police departments. In 1961, he broadcast the first sports show on a local television station. Known by fans as The Old Left-Hander or Lefty, he broadcast the first transmission delay of a baseball game when a Louisiana team played in the national playoffs and no local broadcaster could attend. He was a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars and Disabled American Veterans. He served many terms as the State DAV public relations officer. He was an usher at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church for 51 years. Scope and Content Note The collection contains 37 reel-to-reel tape recordings of Sam Tarleton s radio sports talk program as well as other state and local news commentary. A few of the recordings are from the 1950s, but most are from the 1980s. Tapes containing topics of local interest have been transferred to CD. Container List Box Description 1 37 reel-to-reel tape recordings: 1. KLCL Radio issues and answers 3-15-1987, pre-recorded with John Bridges 3-13-1987 2. Track 1- Special Senate Investigative Committee, Senator Sam Ervin and Senator Howard Baker (Face the Nation Watergate, CBS) 7-29-73 at 10:30 A.M. CST Track 2- Peter Lisagar (Chicago Daily News),Daniel Schorr (CBS) and George Herman(CBS). 11:30 a.m. Track 3- President Nixon on Watergate (CBS), 8-15-73 at 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
1 3. Presidential Debate (Wake Forest University). First Debate between George Bush and Michael Dukakis on 9-25-88. Changed reel, lost parts and used cartridge to finish. 4. Israel Broadcasting Service 1984? Unknown 5. Unknown 6. Big Band Music 7. Forum with John Walsh. Interview with Mayor elect Ed Watson, 1985 KLCL-Talk Radio 8. Tarleton Tells All Week of 11/4 Sam Tarleton Commentary: State Troopers Budget 11/4 Bugging LSU Coach office 11/5 Automobile 100 years old 11/6 Cigarette tax 11/7 Stealing secrets Walker father/son 11/8 9. Sam Tarleton Commentary June 9- Flag Day June 10- Sales Tax June 11- Personal habit laws June 12- Spies June 13- School dropouts 10. Sam Tarleton (hold) 11. Sam Tarleton, week of June 2/6 no year given 12. Tarleton tells all, week of 12/23 no year given 13. Sam Tarleton for week of 1/6 no year given CD s of tapes 1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 2 14. Heartbeats from the Sportsbeat with Sam Tarleton. Then, religious preaching 15. Sam Tarleton for week of 5/26 5/26- What is in a name, towns in LA 5/27- Economy up/down 5/28- Texas Governor White says no TV s in prison 5/29- Sales tax for newspapers 5/30- The real Memorial Day 16. Ervin LeJeune 7/22/73 (cassette and CD included) Mrs. A. Blanchard 7/22/73 J. B. Fuselier 7/28/73 Mrs. Iry LeJune 3/5/74
2 17. Feb. 6, 1985: Belton Drug Case Press Conference called by Garrison --KPLC TV report on alleged switch by Garrison-from P. D.(?) to Belton as reported on Channel 7 Feb. 7, 1985: -TV 7 news (Ed. Stephens news conference) -Telephone call between Terry Garrison and me Feb. 8, 1985: -TV 7 news, Representative Carter Press conference and other news Feb. 9, 1985: -telephone talk with Will Belton 18. Lottery Forum (Feb. 16, 1987) League of Women Voters (7 p.m.) Governor Edwin Edwards-Rev. Ken Ward City Council Chambers (recorded by KLCT Radio Station) 19. Raleigh Newman (DA comp. Talk) KPLC 8-8:30 p.m. on 8/24/78 Ann TV interview KPLC at 11:30 on 8/29/78 20. News you can use, PSA s about dermatology 21. Track 1: (9 p.m. Lake Charles Time) Sept. 21,1980 NBC KPLC TV - Ronald Reagan- John Anderson and panel, Presidential talk -League of Women Voters (also on CBS-but not ABC) Track 2: Oct. 28,1980, ABC-KACT-TV Channel 3 -Ronald Reagan-Jimmy Carter (from Cleveland, Ohio) 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. -Howard K. Smith -Post Debate at 10:30 p.m. ABC with Ted Koppel and Frank Reynolds (Tape ended at debate end, no post debate record) 22. Old Paul Harvey Rest of the Story Feed by phone line Regular feed 23. Unknown (Inkspots #2) 24. Feb. 4, 1985: KPLC-TV Mayor Paul Savoie (41) Ed Watson (41) Brent Lumpkin (35) March 27, 1985 (KPLC 7 p.m.) Mayor Candidate Forum 25. Cox-Boyer-Prendergast Community Pen? 7/28/74 Richard Nixon Resigns 8/8/74 26. Art Vater, VFW Convention Director 8/23/73 V.P. (Ex) Spiro Agnew (NBC 6:30-7 p.m. CDT) 10/15/73 USL name debate, Newman-Mouton 5/14/83 27. Feb. 10, 1979 KPLC-TV??? Beglis, -?? Interview July 15, 1979 KPLC-TV President Jimmy Carter speech and commentary (prime time) 28. Bill McLanahan commentary shorts, sounds like old KAOK CD s of tapes 14&15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
3 29. First Lady of American Theatre in The Best Years, Helen Hayes. Series for Active people at all ages, radio show by Mutual of Omaha 30. Vietnam Vet, June 4, 1981- Agent Orange June 17, 1981 at 9 a.m.- Paul Savoie Oct. 30, 1981 at 10 a.m.- Dr. Fred Stokley and Drug Press Conference Nov. 9, 1981 (KPLC-TV 7 News)- Editorial critical of American Press 31. Wednesday May 10, 1961 KPLC Perry Como (last 20 minutes Kraft Music Hall) Jack Jackson (9 p.m.) Will Cox (9:15 p.m.) attacks American Press, Alfred Roberts and Frank Gibson Bill MacClanahan (McLanahan?)(9:30 p.m.) vs. Cox Charges Gary Tyler- Louisiana Politics Huey P. Long (9:45) Friday May 12, 1961 (KPLC Radio) G. J. Bernard Friday May 12, 1961 KPLC-TV (Late recording start 6:30 p.m. 7:00 p.m.) GGG (Gordon Gano, Mrs. Virginia Carmouche, Sam Hill, Bill MacClanahan, Mark Lawson, Alfred Roberts and Big Lie 32. Track 1 Eddie Shuler Interview, Iry LeJeune Story (cassette included) 7/19/73 (also includes transcript of interview in Microsoft Word on disk) 33. Assassination of New Orleans Chief of Police (1890), 9/11/73 Lost section, may be on other real or erased Vinton Salt Dome, Tom Noel and Eddie Carmouche 3/14/83 Jesse Knowles (City Charter), City Council 4/1/83 KPLC editorial on proposed sale and American Press story (6 p.m. news) 4/12/83 34. Sam Tarleton Sports 1963, broadcast on KPLC-AM radio (box also states 1 st Baptist Church) 35. Unknown 36. Unknown 37. Number 1 and 2: Watson Press Conference, 1-31-1986, 3 m CD s of reel-to-reel tapes 30, 31, 33, 34, 37
3 Video Tapes (VHS) (no picture, just sound) VHS Tape 1 1. Interview with Mayor Elect Ed Watson 1985 2. Sam Tarleton Commentary June 9- Flag Day June 10- Sales Tax June 11- Personal habit laws June 12- Spies June 13- School drop outs 3. Sam Tarleton Sport- Colt 45's 1963 4. Sam Tarleton Commentary State Troopers Budget 11/4 Bugging LSU Coach office 11/5 Automobile 100 years old 11.6 Cigarette tax 11.7 Stealing secrets Walker father/son 11/8 5. Issues and Answers with John Bridges guest: Sam Tarleton KLCL- AM, 3-15-87 Becky Watson (GSU) 6. Sam Tarleton Commentary 5/26- What is in a name, towns in LA 5/27- Economy up/down 5/28- Texas Governor White says no TV s in prison 5/29- Sales tax for newspapers 5/30- The real Memorial Day
3 VHS Tape 2 1. Sports page on the Air with Sam Tarleton, sponsored by Jack s Beer Co. 1933 Common St. 2. Sam Tarleton Heartbeat from the Sportsbeat 3. Sam Tarleton Heartbeat from the Sportsbeat 4. Incomplete show beginning missing 5. Mutual broadcasting ID, then KADK commercial tag 6. Sam Tarleton Heartbeat from the Sportsbeat 7. Sam Tarleton Heartbeat from the Sportsbeat 8. Sam Tarleton Heartbeat from the Sportsbeat 9. Sam Tarleton Heartbeat from the Sportsbeat (Religious preaching) 10. Tarleton Commentary, Wasn t so bad last year, Monday 11. Tarleton Commentary, 55 mph speed limit, Jan. 7 th, 1986 12. Tarleton Commentary, lottery, Jan. 8, 1986 13. Tarleton Commentary, economy of the city, Jan 9 th, 1986 14. Tarleton Commentary, Christmas, Mon. Dec. 23, 1985 15. Tarleton Commentary, Governor Edwards trials, Dec. 24, 1985 16. Tarleton Commentary, Christmas Day, Dec. 25 th, 1985 17. Tarleton Commentary, burned out lights on Interstate 10, Dec. 26 th, 1985 18. Tarleton Commentary, politics after Edwards, Dec. 27 th, 1985 19. Tarleton Commentary, maggots in Lake Charles trash, Mon. June 2, 1986 20. Tarleton Commentary, 2 Memorial Days, June 3, 1986 21. Tarleton Commentary, statewide dock board, June 4 th, 1986 22. Tarleton Commentary, good/bad news, June 5 th, 23. 23. Tarleton Commentary, D-Day, Friday June 6, 1986 3 Compact Discs (CDs) Disc 1. 1985-1986 radio commentaries copy 1 and 2 Disc 2. Tarleton Sports