PCL MS 031 Dick Perry Collection

The Dick Perry Collection consists of approximately 5 linear feet of manuscript materials. In 1969, Dick Perry first began transferring his manuscripts to the Popular Culture Library, Bowling Green State University. An additional donation of materials was made in 1989. The collection is open for research, but the photocopying of manuscripts must comply with applicable copyright laws. This register was compiled by Nancy White Lee, Popular Culture Library Associate II, in July 1986 and updated in August 2009 by Patricia Falk. The inventory and finding aid were updated in June 2018 by Manuscripts & Outreach Archivist Steve Ammidown.

Dick Perry (June 13, 1922 - March 20, 2002) was an author of humorous non-fiction articles and books, as well as several short plays. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Perry married Jean Jobes on September 18, 1948. They had three children. He attended Oberlin College and the University of Chicago.

Perry worked as a newspaper reporter for Scripps-Howard; creative director for WCPO-TV in Cincinnati, Ohio; in radio and television advertising for Roche, Richerd, Henri, Hurst of Chicago, Illinois; and as radio and television director at Wesco Advertising, Clearwater, Florida. Dick Perry was one of the pioneers in the use of videotape for commercials and created live, film and videotape commercials for Ashland Oil &Refining Co., Barbasol, Ford Motor Co., Formica Corp., General Electric, Hardware Mutuals, Illinois Power Corp., The Kroger Co., Numaid Margarine, Proctor & Gamble, Strietmann Biscuit Co., and Valvoline Motor Oil. He had a play produced by CBS-TV's "Repertoire Workshop". Dick Perry also won the "First Person" Award from Reader's Digest in 1963.

In 1963, Mr. Perry turned to freelance writing full time, producing more than 20 books and hundreds of articles and short stories for local and national publications including The Cincinnati Post and New York Times. In addition to writing under his own name, Perry was a ghostwriter for several local Cincinnatti dignitaries, including a 1970 Pete Rose book titled The Pete Rose Story: An Autobiography. 

The Perrys resided in Oxford, Ohio, where Dick Perry worked as a full-time freelance writer and his wife Jean worked as an archivist for Western College (now part of Miami University).

The Dick Perry Collection houses the literary manuscripts of his plays, books and short stories, dating primarily from the early 1960s through the 1970s. Perry's work was mostly non-fiction and was often drawn from his own experiences. Included are his books:

Raymond and Me That Summer
How to Write Your Novel
The Roundhouse, Paradise, and Mr. Pickering
Seven Hills, Soap, and a Sip of Beer
Vas You Ever in Zinzinnati?

Along with the manuscripts are related materials such as literary correspondence, fan mail, and newspaper clippings.

An edited photocopied manuscript for "Do Not Talk to the Motorman While the Streetcar Is In Motion" is included in the collection. Dick Perry won the 1963 Reader's Digest "First Person" Award for this short story.

This collection will be of interest to those seeking to learn more about Mr. Perry's career, and in general the life of a writer in the mid-20th century. The materials realted to the books Seven Hills and Vas You Ever, as well a a draft of his book on the history of radio station WLW may be of interest to those researching the history of 20th century Cincinnati.

Correspondence

Series

Correspondence

Majority 1953-1969

Literary Productions

Series

Manuscripts, Literary

1963-1964, 1966, n.d.

Arranged alphabetically by title of work

This series includes manuscripts for plays, books and short stories, many with handwritten corrections and additions.

Printed Materials

Series

Flyer

n.d.

This series consists of a flyer for a school PTA program announcing that Dick Perry will be speaking on "The World of Advertising".

Research Materials

1962-1963, n.d.

Arranged by title

This series includes magazine and newspaper articles.

Newspaper Clippings
Multipls

Several folders of clippings related to Mr. Perry's work

Booklet

1958

This series includes the booklet, Of Lasting Interest: The Story of Reader's Digest.