James V. Risser papers

Collection — Multiple Containers

Identifier: MS-0438

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The collection (1963-1983, undated) contains trial documents, copies of laws and regulations, correspondence, articles, news clippings, court documents and Risser's notes and rough drafts related to his Pulitzer Prize winning articles. Also included are some copies of the prize winning articles. Most of the collection consists of Risser's research materials of the grain inspection scandals, but also includes material from his research on farming and the environment.

Dates

1963-1983, undated

Language of Materials

English

Access Restrictions

Open for research.

Use/Re-use Restrictions

Consult Special Collections and University Archives

Biography/Profile

James V. Risser, Jr. was born on May 8, 1938 in Lincoln, Nebraska. He received his B.A. in psychology from the University of Nebraska (1959), a Juris Doctor (J.D.) (1962) from the University of San Francisco's law school, and then returned to the University of Nebraska for a professional certificate in journalism.

Risser was an investigative reporter who worked for the Des Moines Register for twenty years beginning in 1964. In 1969 he transferred to the Register's Washington bureau, and was the Register's Washington bureau chief (1976-1985). While working for the Register, Risser won two Pulitzer Prizes for National Reporting, one in 1976 for articles exposing corruptive practices of the grain exporting industry in the United States, and the other in 1979 for a series of stories on how modern American agricultural practices harm the environment. Risser accepted the directorship of the John S. Knight Fellowships for Professional Journalists at Stanford University, which he held until his retirement (1985-2000).

Extent

5.88 Linear Feet (14 document boxes)

Additional Description

Arrangement

The collection is organized into two series:

Series 1, Grain Inspection Scandals, 1963-1980, undated (alphabetically)

Series 2, Agriculture-Environment Series, 1971-1983, undated (alphabetically)

Processing Information

Released on 2018-11-01.

Subjects

Agricultural pollution--United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Agriculture--Environmental aspects--United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Articles Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Clippings (information artifacts) Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Correspondence Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Des Moines Register and Tribune Company
Drafts (documents) Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Environmental law Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Grain trade--United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Grain--Inspection--United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Investigative reporting--United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Journalists--Iowa Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Legal documents Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Research notes Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Soil erosion--United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Trials Subject Source: Unspecified ingested source
Water--Pollution--United States Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings