BGEA: Walter F. Bennett & Company - Collection 54

[Note: What follows is a description of the documents in this collection which are available for use at BGC Archives in Wheaton, Illinois, USA. The actual documents are not, in most cases, available online, only this description of them. Nor are they available for sale or rent.]

Table of Contents

Brief Description of This Collection

Title Page and Restrictions

General Historical Background of Billy Graham and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

Historical Background

An Essay on the Contents of the Collection (Scope and Content)

Other Information Which Will Be Helpful to the User of This Guide

Lists of Films, Oversize Materials, Photographs, and Video Tapes in This Collection (Location Records)

Films
Oversize Materials
Photographs
Video Tapes

List of the Contents of Boxes of Paper Records in This Collection (Container List)

Restrictions

All materials in this collection are on deposit from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and may not be copied without written permission from the BGEA. Any researcher who wishes to request permission must get the required form from the Archives staff. It is the responsibility of the researcher to fill out the form and send it to the BGEA.

Historical Background

In 1950, Walter F. Bennett and Company, a Chicago advertising firm, became the public relations firm of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Walter Bennett and his partner, Fred Dienert, already were handling many religious radio programs, including the Lutheran Hour. From that time forward, they also handled the BGEA's Hour of Decision radio and television programs, the advertising for most of the crusades, and the daily newspaper column My Answer.

Note: Because a knowledge of the organizational history of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association would be helpful in using this collection, a brief history of the BGEA is available.

Scope and Content

This collection contains newspaper clippings, posters, ad copy, and film developed for the BGEA by Walter Bennett and Company. The clippings, ads, and posters are advertisements for various crusades and telecasts of crusades and religious programs held between 1961 and 1977.

The films go back almost to the beginning of the BGEA. Most of them are of the Hour of Decision television program which was on the air, off and on, from 1951 to 1954. (This is not to be confused with the Hour of Decision radio program which was broadcast continuously from 1950.) At first, the program was a little less than thirty minutes, but it was soon cut back to just short of fifteen minutes. The format of the program varied slightly, but usually there was an introduction by Billy Graham or Cliff Barrows, a scripture reading or a story by Cliff Barrows, a solo by George Beverly Shea accompanied by Paul Mickelson and/or Tedd Smith, a sermon by Billy Graham, and a closing statement by Cliff Barrows or Billy Graham on the need for listeners to write in telling of the benefit they received from the program. There was also usually an announcement of a free gift that could be received by writing in. Sometimes, special guests would be on the program to sing or give their testimony. Gerald Beavan of the BGEA appeared once at the end of the program to ask for prayer support for the 1952 crusade held in Pittsburgh. Then in 1953 and 1954, the program contained many mentions of the crusades being held in Syracuse, Detroit, and London. During the first thirty minute programs, there was also an Hour of Decision Choir which varied from week to week consisting as it did of various musical groups invited to be on the program. A list of all the Hour of Decision films in the collection along with the titles of the sermons preached, the probable date of broadcast, and guests, if any, is contained in this finding aid. The sermon titles do not appear on the film but were assigned by the archivist.

Other films in the collection are of particular crusades. The earliest is the 1950 film on the Portland Gospel Crusade which was apparently meant to be shown as a movie. The rest are black and white copies of television broadcasts of services from crusades held in New York City; San Francisco; Charlotte; Melbourne, Australia; and Chicago. Each of the television broadcasts includes singing by the audience and by the choir, one or more solos by George Beverly Shea, and a sermon by Billy Graham. Cliff Barrows acted as master of ceremonies. Some programs also include comments from BGEA publicity director Gerald Beavan or by newscaster Paul Harvey. Other programs have brief testimonies from special guests.

The newspaper clippings and advertisement art work are arranged chronologically according to the date of the crusade they represent. The films are located in the archives' film file. All the Hour of Decision programs are together according to the probable date of broadcast. The other films are arranged chronologically according to date of crusade.

Folder 22-9 contains a variety of items, including lists of countries carrying The Hour of Decision, press releases about the BGEA's radio and television programs and a diary of a 1961 press conference about the 1962 Chicago Billy Graham meetings, listing who attended and the various questions and answers. Among those mentioned are Walter Smyth, Herbert J. Taylor, Hubert Mitchell, and Robert Walker.

The additions to the collection (films F141-F187B) and video tape cassettes (V1-V38) are fully described in the Location Records in this guide.

Provenance

These materials were received from the Walter F. Bennett and Co. in August and November 1978 and July 1981. A few video tapes are copies of films received from the BGEA in May 1983. One video tape was received from Channel 38 TV, Chicago, IL, in 1983 and some correspondence and miscellaneous documents. One video tape was received from Channel 38 TV, Chicago, IL, in March 1983. One video tape was received from Campus Crusade for Christ in May 1983. Two video tapes were received from the Billy Graham Center in September 1985 and several video tapes and films were received from the BGEA in July 1990.