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Lawrence M. O'Rourke Papers
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Held at: Villanova University: Special Collections [Contact Us]Falvey Library, 800 E Lancaster Ave, Villanova, PA
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Villanova University: Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
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Lawrence M. O'Rourke was born to Lawrence M. O'Rourke and Margaret O'Rourke (née Higgins) on March 12, 1938 in Philadelphia. O'Rourke married Patricia Coe on August 29, 1967 and they have four children: Christopher, Katherine, Jennifer, and Timothy. O'Rourke graduated from St. Thomas More High School in 1955, earned a Bachelor's degree in English from Villanova University in 1959, and in 1970, graduated from Georgetown University Law Center with a J.D. He served in the U.S. army from 1960 to 1962 as director of the English language program at Fort Buchanan, Puerto Rico. His long career in journalism began in 1955 when he started out as a clerk at the Philadelphia Bulletin. In 1957 he gained the rank of reporter. He served as a police reporter, composing room editor, Harrisburg legislative correspondent, political reporter, education editor, assistant city editor, poverty editor, and Washington correspondent. In 1970 he was promoted to the position of Washington Bureau Chief, a position which he held until 1980. In 1980 he joined the newly-created Department of Education under President Carter. There he served as deputy assistant secretary for policy and planning and as acting assistant secretary for public affairs. In late 1981, O'Rourke took a post at the St. Louis Dispatch as a White House Correspondent and Washington columnist. He also served as a congressional and national correspondent for McClatchy newspapers, retiring from the field of journalism in 2005. In addition to his journalism career, O'Rourke has practiced law in the District of Columbia court system since 1970. He has taken on many pro bono representations in child neglect and abuse cases. Throughout his career, O'Rourke became a member of many clubs and associations including the National Press Club, Overseas Writers, Superior Court Trial Lawyers Association, and the American and D.C. Bar Associations. O'Rourke served as president of both the White House Correspondents Association (1976) and the Gridiron Club (1989). His many awards include the second place Merriman Smith prize for White House reporting under deadline pressure, the National Award of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary for an examination of the presidency and the Constitution, the U.S. Bicentennial Commission Award for a series on the Constitution, and the Raymond Clapper award for distinguished journalism. He also gave many lectures as a Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship visiting fellow. O'Rourke's notable assignments include coverage of Nixon's trip to China,Watergate, conventions and campaigns since 1964, Internal Revenue Service abuses, and legal issues, including abortion and criminal justice. He is also the author of the book Geno: The Life and Mission of Geno Baroni (Paulist Press, 1991), coauthor of Cheating Our Children: Why We Need School Reform (National Center for Education Information, 1985), and assistant editor of The American Teacher by C. Emily Feistritzer (Feistritzer Publications, 1983).
I. Personal Papers II. Correspondence III. Newspaper articles written by Lawrence M. O'Rourke IV. Notebooks and Notes V. Wire Reports VI. Election Cycles VII. Presidential Administrations VIII.Department of Education IX. Gridiron Club X. White House Correspondents' Association XI. Other Professional Activities XII. White House. Office of the Press Secretary. Press Releases XIII.Pool Reports XIV. Miscellaneous XV. Photographs XVI. Realia XVII.Books
Donated by Lawrence M. O'Rourke, 2007-2008
People
Organization
Subject
- Publisher
- Villanova University: Special Collections
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Bente L. Polites
- Finding Aid Date
- 2011
Collection Inventory
The series contains material about and relating to Lawrence M. O'Rourke and his career. Some letters and cards are included but bulk of correspondence in Series II. Folders are arranged in chronological order.
Correspondence is arranged in chronological order. Correspondence concerning The Bulletin matters from the years 1969-1972 is filed in box 1/folders #2-#5.
Box 1-2 contain scrapbooks of articles. Otherwise, the series consists of newspaper clippings and is arranged in chronological order. Articles were published in The Catholic Standard and Times (1959-1063), The Bulletin / The Evening and Sunday Bulletin (1957-1982), St. Louis Post-Dispatch (1982-1991), McClatchy Newspapers (1991-2005), and in other newspapers and news agencies (2000-2005).
The notebooks cover the period 1964-2004 and are arranged in chronological order.
Wire reports filed by Lawrence M. O'Rourke. The reports are arranged in chronological order. Some reports are arranged by subject as originally organized by Lawrence M. O'Rourke.
Materials in this series are arranged in chronological order by presidential election cycles. Within each election cycle the subject arrangement is according to Lawrence M. O'Rourke's filing arrangement. Included are campaign brochures, press releases, transcripts of speeches and debates, papers, studies, campaign literature, and other background material. Articles and notes by Lawrence M. O'Rourke when indicated, otherwise see series III, IV and V.
Materials are arranged in chronological order by presidential administation. Subjects organized according to Lawrence M. O'Rourke's arrangement. Materials about presidential trips consist of press notes, schedules, background material, speeches, press releases, and tourist brochures. Material about administrative topics include studies, reports, press releases, speeches, news clipings. More detailed contents information is listed for folders with material about Nixon's trip to China in 1972 and for folders containing material about Watergate.
Lawrence M. O'Rourke served in the newly-created Department of Education during 1980 and 1981. The papers in this series are arranged in chronological order respecting Lawrence M. O'Rourke's original subject arrangement. Most documents relate to administrative matters, and to the activities of the Secretary, Shirley Hufstedler.
The series contains meeting documents, correspondence and material relating to the club's activities. Many documents cover Lawrence M. O'Rourke's presidency in 1989.
Most material relates to the Association's annual dinner. Correspondence and notes from 1976-1977 when Lawrence M. O'Rourke served as president of the Association.
Arranged in chronological order according to the Lawrence M. O'Rourke's activities. The series contains the following journals edited by Lawrence M. O'Rourke: "White House Weekly" (1981-1982), "Health Education Reports" (1981-2001), and "The American Teacher" (1983 and 1985).
Copies of press releases issued by the Office of the Press Secretary, White House. Filed in chronological order.
The pool reports are filed in chronological order. Box 3-4 contains pool reports covering the Persian Gulf War from January 1991 to February 1991. Lawrence M. O'Rourke reported from the Persian Gulf in this period.
Miscellaneous documents reflecting Lawrence M. O'Rourke's activities and interests.