Consumer Reports. Warren Braren papers, 1936-1980

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Summary

Creator:
Consumer Reports (Firm)
Abstract:
Consumer Reports is a product testing and consumer advocacy nonprofit organization based in Yonkers, N.Y., founded in 1936 as Consumers Union. Warren Braren (1932-2015) was a consumer advocate and broadcasting executive who served as Associate Director at Consumers Union from 1971-1980. Collection includes budget reports; correspondence and memoranda; direct marketing materials; grant applications and related materials; mailing lists; statistics; and other printed material that document Braren's career at Consumers Union. Topics include advertising to children; broadcasting; cable/pay television and deregulation; fundraising; and telephone service providers. Organizations represented in the collection include the American Council on Consumer Interests; Consumer Federation of America; and Consumers Union's Broadcast/Film, Promotion and Office of Public Information units. Acquired as part of the John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History.
Extent:
25.0 Linear Feet
Language:
Materials in English.
Collection ID:
RL.11993

Background

Scope and content:

Collection includes budget reports; correspondence and memoranda; direct marketing materials; grant applications and related materials; mailing lists; statistics; and other printed material that document Braren's career at Consumers Union. Topics include advertising to children; broadcasting; cable/pay television and deregulation; fundraising; and telephone service providers. Organizations represented in the collection include the American Council on Consumer Interests; Consumer Federation of America; and Consumers Union's Broadcast/Film, Promotion and Office of Public Information units.

Biographical / historical:

Consumer Reports is a product testing and consumer advocacy nonprofit organization based in Yonkers, N.Y., founded in 1936 as Consumers Union. Warren Braren (1932-2015) was a consumer advocate and broadcasting executive who served as Associate Director at Consumers Union from 1971-1980.

Warren Braren was born in 1932 in New York. He attended New York University (BS Theater, 1954; MA Communications 1963). Braren worked at at Walter Reed Army Hospital Medical Center (Producer and director, WRAMC-TV 1956-1958) and the Ted Bates advertising agency (Assistant television producer 1955-1956; Program Supervisor 1958-1960) before moving to the Code Authority of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), where he was a manager of the New York office 1960-1969. After leaving the NAB Braren worked as a consultant for the United Church of Christ and served as Executive Director of the National Citizens Committee for Broadcasting. Braren was active in promoting the regulation of advertising, especially as it related to tobacco products, advertising to children, and healthcare products. He joined Consumers Union in 1971 where he was a producer for Consumer Reports Television and film projects. After leaving Consumers Union in 1980 Braren worked for Times Mirror where he was circulation director and consultant for periodicals including Popular Science and On the Issues. Braren died in 2015.

Acquisition information:
The Consumer Reports. Warren Braren papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift in 2019.
Processing information:

Processed by Kristina Thomas, May 2022;

Accessions described in this collection guide: 2019-0130.

Arrangement:

Organized into the following series: General and Administrative Files; Departments; Organizations; Subject File; Grants.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the Rubenstein Library's Citations, Permissions, and Copyright guide.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Consumer Reports. Warren Braren papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

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